Too Hot to Sail? | Lagoon 42 Life in Greece

A glassy, calm morning in Mytikas provided ideal conditions for early pump foiling before breakfast aboard the Lagoon 42 catamaran Bluefish. Fredrik, Laura, Lucas, and Noa from Sailing Bluefish prepared to get underway for a two-day passage south through Greece’s Ionian Islands toward Zakynthos, with an intermediate stop planned along the coast of Kefalonia.

Before pulling up the anchor, Noa took to the foil board in the still water and accomplished a personal milestone, carving a complete loop around both hulls of the catamaran:

“Noah successfully went all the way around the boat for the first time, which is amazing.”

Trolling Lines and Midday Calm on the Ionian Sea

With light wind forecast across the region for the next 7 days, Bluefish motored out from Mytikas into open water. Fredrik and the crew rigged two fishing rods with different lures to trail behind the hulls. The trolling session met an abrupt end when a passing motorboat cut dangerously close to the stern, catching one of the lines and spooling the reel:

“It literally pulled out um 200 m of line in like just a few seconds and uh we just had to cut the line.”

As the voyage continued southward, conditions turned completely windless under intense summer heat. With the cockpit thermometer climbing and the family feeling the stagnant air, Fredrik brought the catamaran to an idle in deep water:

“It’s one of those days when it’s like 38° now. We are just boiling. We stopped the boat. There’s no wind. So, we’re going to have a swim.”

Anchoring at Skala and Loggerhead Turtle Encounter

By late afternoon, the crew arrived off Skala on the southeastern coast of Kefalonia. After dropping anchor into the seabed, Fredrik and Noa slipped straight into the water with masks and snorkels to inspect the tackle on the seafloor. During the dive, Noa spotted marine life gliding directly below them:

“As we’re swimming out, Noah spots a turtle below us. It doesn’t look that big from the surface, but it’s a loggerhead, and they can grow to well over a meter long.”

The crew spent several minutes drifting alongside the loggerhead before swimming over to verify that the anchor was dug in solidly, wrapping up the day in the warm coastal waters of Kefalonia.

Morning Departure and Passage Toward Zakynthos

The following morning at 7:00, with the sun rising over the sea behind them, Fredrik went through his pre-departure mechanical inspection. He checked engine oil levels, sail drives, and machinery compartments before Laura took the helm to weigh anchor. The forecast warned of afternoon thunderstorms, creating an incentive to reach Zakynthos before heavy weather set in.

Heading south-southwest between Kefalonia and Zakynthos, the catamaran ran straight downwind under the jib with the engines running in forward. An unpredictable, mixed swell rolled beneath the hulls. To pass the passage hours while the autopilot steered, Fredrik worked through a queue of podcasts covering business, sailing, and training, while the crew played a game of Othello in the salon.

Rescuing a Drifting Donut and Securing the Anchorage

About 15 minutes out from their target anchorage along the coast of Zakynthos, the crew spotted stray debris bobbing ahead in their path:

“As we’re coming into the anchorage in Zakynthos, we spot an inflatable donut drifting ahead of us. So, we alter course and head over to pick it up.”

The inflatable drifted between the catamaran’s twin hulls, allowing Lucas to lean over the stern and retrieve it from the water before it could wash out to sea.

Entering the anchorage, Fredrik dropped the hook in roughly 3 m of clear water. The family donned snorkel gear to verify the anchor’s placement in the seabed, feeling confident in the hold ahead of the incoming thunderstorm front.

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