The Voyages of Perdika Sailing sustainably about the world

Goodbye Greece, Hello Sicily

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It was with heavy hearts that we bid farewell to Greece — a place that has become our second home. Honestly, where else in the world can you walk into a shop in a new town and be handed a present before you’ve even bought anything? Or find that the waiter from last night’s taverna has bought you both coffee the next morning?

The Greeks have been nothing but kind to us, helped in no small part by Rachael’s impressive grasp of the language. That’s no small feat — I’m reminded of the book that used to live in our downstairs loo: “Learn to Speak Greek in 20 Years.” Well, Rachael cracked the essentials in five. She’s opened doors, started conversations, and made friends everywhere we went.

Our final port in Greece, Pylos felt like a fitting place to set off from. It’s steeped in naval history, nestled in the vast natural harbour of Navarino Bay. In 1827, it was the site of the Battle of Navarino, a pivotal moment in the Greek War of Independence when a combined British, French, and Russian fleet soundly defeated the Ottoman and Egyptian navies. It was the last major European naval battle fought entirely with sailing ships.

Battle of Navarino, October 20, 1827.
Print from 1827 showing fleet positions in the bay. Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (RP-P-2018-611), via Britannica.com.

There’s a memorial to the British forces on a small island in the middle of the bay, which we sailed out to aboard Pouláki. It was a fitting way to say goodbye to a country and people that are dear to our hearts.

The inscription on this memorial - “To the British officers and men who fell at Navarino 20th October 1827 Greece is grateful”

And now, we’re truly on our way. Greece felt like a glorious holiday — but this leg, from Pylos to Taormina across the Ionian Sea, felt like the beginning of the real adventure. It was our first proper passage: three days and two nights to cover 310 nautical miles. The weather couldn’t have been kinder — sunshine, flat seas, and just enough wind (some of it even in the right direction). There’s something magical about the moment you cut the engine and the boat skips along under sail.

Hoisting the Italian flag mid passage

We had 15–20 knots on the nose most of the way, but the seas were calm, so it was surprisingly comfortable.

We settled into our watch pattern — four-hour shifts overnight, two during the day — and got into a nice rhythm.

Sunset at the end of our first day at sea

We also ate very well, thanks to Rachael’s pre-departure prep: nourishing salads, beef stew and Thai curry kept morale high. I almost added fresh tuna to the menu, but alas, two clearly massive ones got away. The first snapped the lure coupling, and the second — in a moment of slapstick comedy — the line broke and the rod straightened so violently it smacked me in the face. Fish 1, Robin 0.

We arrived in Taormina just as the sun was dipping behind the hills. Beautiful timing, but also exhausting— that low sun is intense, and finding shade from it or even seeing where you’re going is nearly impossible.

Our final approach to Taormina bay

We’d read mixed reviews about Taormina: some people love it, others warn of crowds, noise, and endless day-trippers. Sadly, we’re in the second camp. It’s a stunning place, no doubt, but felt a bit overwhelmed by tourism. That said, there was a gem — the public gardens built by Lady Florence Trevelyan in 1884. Any Geordies reading might be interested to know she was born in Newcastle, and her father was from Wallington Hall in Northumberland. If you know it, you’ll know it’s also famous for its gardens — clearly, green fingers run in the family. Interesting too that us Geordies get everywhere! Next stop the Aeolian Islands.

Last Days in Greece

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Our final week in Greece was one to savour.

We set sail from Kalamata to Pylos in the Western Peloponnese, joined by our good friends Phil and Naomi.

Highlights of the week:

Crew put to work!
Our creative friends earned their passage sewing - we needed sun covers adapting to protect our stern line reels. Super job guys, thank you!

Drinks, Bays & Pouláki
We enjoyed nights in quiet anchorages, chilled evenings ashore and some breezy sails aboard Pouláki, our trusty tender.

Sapientza Lighthouse
Perched on the uninhabited island of Sapientza, just off the southern tip of the westernmost “finger” of the Peloponnese, this lonely lighthouse was commissioned by the British during Queen Victoria’s reign and built in 1880. Strategically positioned near key shipping routes linking the eastern Mediterranean with the Adriatic and beyond, it served Britain’s broader interest in safeguarding maritime trade across its empire. For British ships bound for India via the Suez Canal, or engaged in commercial routes between Gibraltar, Malta, and the Levant, the safe passage around Cape Akritas was crucial. It stands as a symbol of maritime cooperation between Britain and Greece in the age of the Empire.

A weathered stone path, once trodden by lighthouse keepers, still leads up from our anchorage to the sadly dilapidated remains. Though no longer manned, the lighthouse is now solar-powered and continues to cast its light for passing sailors.

Methoni Fortress
We anchored beneath the imposing bastions of Methoni’s Venetian fortress — one of the best-preserved examples in Greece.

Built by the Venetians in the 13th century, it guarded a key Venetian maritme trade route between Europe and the East as well as serving as a military stronghold and naval base. We wandered through vast stone courtyards, battlements, and the distinctive octagonal Bourtzi tower, once used as a prison. Its scale is impressive even today.

Nestor’s Cave
Our final stop was a long-awaited visit of mine to Nestor’s Cave. A hot walk led us past a protected wetland lagoon, through coastal sand dunes to a tucked-away cove where the cave overlooks the Ionian.

in Homer’s Odyssey, this is where the wise and gracious King Nestor of Pylos is said to have stabled his cattle — not his final resting place, as is often assumed. It’s a quiet wind swept spot with a deep sense of history.

With our Greek adventures winding down, we said our goodbyes and turned our attention to provisioning Pérdika for the next leg - a three day sail across the Ionian to Sicily.

Our Sailing Odyssey Begins - Westward Ho!

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

After several years of planning and preparation, our six-year voyage aboard Pérdika is finally underway.

Leaving our home port, Lakki Marina, Leros

We’ve now sailed just over 400 nautical miles and are gradually settling into life at sea — adapting to its pace, its unpredictability, and our ever changing landscape. So far we're happy to report, Pérdika is proving herself both capable and comfortable.

The five weeks spent in the boatyard before launching was intense but productive. Long days of labour paid off with essential upgrades and the completion of our new dinghy, Poulàki. With Pérdika back in the water and ready to go, we began our journey through the Aegean and into the heart of the Peloponnese.

Since casting off, we’ve welcomed three sets of friends aboard and taken a short detour to Mallorca for the wedding of close friends. It’s been a dynamic start — marked by shifting weather, changing scenery, and the steady rhythm of life under sail.

Our first leg included:

– A lively, wind-filled week sailing with Clare through the Dodecanese and Cyclades. Well done Clare, those were some bumpy passages we took you on!

– Two calm and restorative weeks with Anna and Simon exploring the Eastern Peloponnese.

Litter picking, Valanidia beach

– A beautifully hosted wedding in Mallorca, offering a brief and glamorous contrast to our briny life afloat.

Finca Son Mir, Palma, Mallorca

Lastly, a few stunning days with Ella and Elliot, tracing the rugged coastline of the Mani Peninsula, enjoying dolphins surfing our bow wave and swimming with loggerhead turtles in Limeni bay.

As we sailed past the imposing Taygetos mountains of the Mani Peninsula, I was rereading 'Mani' by Patrick Leigh Fermor. His vivid stories of the fiercely independent Maniots—their feuds, traditions, and fierce pride—brought the dramatic coastline to life. Two years ago, we toured this area by car, tracing Fermor’s footsteps on land, and fell in love with the Mani—the landscape, its bays, and its people. Reading his words now, from the sea, made the experience even more vivid.

Spot Pouláki in amongst her Greek friends

We are preparing for our final week in Greece, sailing west from Kalamata to Pylos with our friends Phil and Naomi aboard. From there, we’ll provision and plan our first significant crossing — a 2–3 day passage across the Ionian Sea to Taormina, Sicily.

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Dinghy Diaries IV – Launching Pouláki

Wed, 28 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With launch day for Pérdika rapidly approaching, and very little time left, I was reminded of the quote on the wall at Fyne Boat Kits in Kendal where all this began “Don’t let excellence get in the way of good." So, a few shortcuts later, which no one will notice and if they do, I can counter challenge them with another remark I learnt at Fyne “So, how many boats have you built?”

Pérdika finally splashed into the water on 5th May with Pouláki proudly sitting on her bow. The first hoist to get her up there was a nervous moment. Would the lifting eyes hold? Was my epoxy work strong enough? Would she balance in the lifting harness okay? Fortunately it all went very well. Pouláki was finished with a promise to do a few more improvements later, much later, as we needed to get our lives back and concentrate on the main voyage.

So we sailed down to Lakki harbour, spent a week ignoring her - almost (we still had to epoxy and varnish the rudder, mast, boom and thwarts). Finally at the end of the week, on 12th May with the help of our Aussi friend Bob, we gently lowered Pouláki into the water.

This day had to be the day, there simply wasn’t any time left if we were to sail Pouláki for the first time in Lakki before leaving. A promise of a PFL afterwards was encouraging even though the weather, with strong gusts, wasn’t ideal for the first sail. “She floats” was my first thought, followed by “where’s that water coming from?” One of the screw holes to hold the nesting halves together didn’t have a screw. Rapidly jumping into her, putting the screw in sorted all that. Rachael leaped on board and we set off, closely shadowed by Bob in his rib, as rescue boat and chief photographer.

From the moment we set off Pouláki felt right. She sat in the water with perfect poise, she wasn’t tippy like I thought she’d be, and she responded proudly as the sail filled. She is a proper sailing dinghy, as had been promised by her designers and she soon skipped across the bay. She tacks well, heads up well and feels like there’s plenty of power. It’s an immensely satisfying feeling to build your own boat and despite the weeks and weeks of work, it was all worth it to feel the boat respond so well. We are going to have lots of fun and plenty of adventures with this little boat.

Dinghy Diaries III - Completing Pouláki

Thu, 15 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

On completing Pouláki I mentioned to Kurt, my boat building teacher, that I hadn’t realised how much sanding was required. “Aye” he quipped, “If you don’t like sanding, don’t build a boat." I wish he’d said that at the beginning!

When Pouláki safely arrived in Greece, I honestly thought she was nearly finished. The hulls were made, everything had had two coats of epoxy. Not much more to do, I thought. Probably get it all done in a week, 10 days at most, then I can get on with the main jobs on Pérdika. How wrong I was, the month we’d set aside to get Pérdika ready for her global trip was completely eaten up by finishing Pouláki. It became an obsession. She’s called Pouláki partly because it’s the diminutive form of Pérdika. Pérdika means Partridge or a Greek game bird and Pouláki means “little bird”. But she’s also called Pouláki because coincidentally Lakki is our base in Greece, it feels like our second home and I just had to launch Pouláki in Lakki and sail her on her maiden voyage, across Lakki bay come what may!

So what took so long? Well to make the boat look good and more importantly survive the salt water and very high UV environment she will be subjected to, the hull required two coats of epoxy, two coats of primer, five coats of top coat paint and eight coats of varnish on the bare wood parts. Each coat requires 24 hours to cure, then sanding and wiping down with acetone to be ready for the next coat. Jeez, that was a labour of love. I’m not keen on painting and dislike it marginally more than sanding, so I sanded and Rachael painted. Sounds easy but each coat of paint or varnish seems to produce its own set of drips which never quite appear until they set hard, then they need careful sanding to remove just the drip and not the layer below. It didn’t help that we were doing all this work outside in a dusty boatyard beside the shower block. That meant a stream of passers by full of encouraging and appreciative remarks, but each demanding a long chat.

We have Wheels!

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

You will often hear us say ‘everything’s a compromise on a boat’ and it’s true. Our electric scooters just arrived and given that space is premium aboard, they will be much simpler to store than our preferred option of folding bikes.

These Segway e-scooters are compact, practical and a lot of fun! They will be our land transport, allowing us to explore further inland and making it easier to provision the boat when shops are further afield. With a 35-mile range and a top speed of 15mph, they offer just enough freedom without the bulk. They’re surprisingly well equipped with front disc breaks, rear electric brakes, front and rear LED lights, indicators, tubeless pneumatic tyres, front suspension and traction control. Not bad eh for kiddie transport!

Dinghy Diaries II: We’ve all Arrived in Greece

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

On April 6th we landed in Greece to move aboard our floating home. Just four days later, the unfinished dinghy Robin built back in the Lake District finally caught up with us - delivered by land, sea, and sheer determination!

The greatest challenge was getting the boat from Patras on the far West mainland of Greece to the small island of Leros in the Dodecanese. The solution came in true Greek style from our local car hire friend. Having shared the problem of getting a sizable crate, weighing over 100kg to the island, he proudly announced a few days later "Your boat is on the island!" We knew better than to ask how, but there were three conditions before it could be delivered to the boat yard: first, a bottle of wine for his trouble, second a €10 tip for the driver who would bring the dinghy to us and third to let him keep the large wooden crate. That was all! We just love the Greeks for their warmth, ingenuity and unfailing generosity.

The dinghy still needs several coats of epoxy, followed by priming and painting. Each layer needs sanding and time to dry - eight coats in all, so it’s not a quick job.

With just three weeks to go now, we’re knee-deep in boat projects - finishing the dinghy and chipping away at the growing to-do list aboard Pérdika: generator and watermaker servicing, upgrading our comms and navigation gear, safety gear checks, reorganizing storage, polishing the hull, and stocking up on spares and provisions just to name a few. Time’s ticking on now and launch day’s nearly here.

Dinghy Diaries I: Robin builds a boat!

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

For most sailors, the tender is more than just a dinghy—it’s the family car, our link to shore.

On March 8th, Robin set off for the Lake District to attend a two-week boatbuilding course, eager to craft our 11ft nesting Spindrift dinghy. Watching him leave was like seeing an overexcited puppy—glowing with excitement at the thought of a workshop packed with tools, new skills to master, and the satisfaction of building a boat with his own hands.

Most cruising sailors rely on inflatable RIBs for their tenders, but we wanted something different—something we could sail and row. It would give us more freedom, keep us fit, and make exploring new anchorages even more fun.

Robin’s Diary
A Tale of Persistence and Passion
We had chosen a Spindrift 11ft wooden sailing dinghy primarily because we wanted a lightweight sailing boat that could double as a tender. Our old rubber inflatable tender was on its last legs, and the 15hp motor was increasingly unreliable.

As dinghy sailors, we often found it frustrating to arrive in a stunning bay only to launch a heavy rubber tender that needed inflating. We’d wrestle with fitting the outboard, ensuring we had enough fuel, and then motor to shore. We often wondered—why couldn’t we simply sail in? That question led us to extensive research in search of the perfect sailing dinghy.

The dinghy had to meet specific criteria: it needed to be lightweight (around 55kg) and compact (no more than 11ft) to fit on our davits. It had to carry two people comfortably and occasionally fit four. Moreover, it had to sail well, row efficiently, and be capable of taking a small, lightweight electric motor. Our search led us to the Spindrift 11, a robust and well-proven sailing tender. The fact that it could also “nest”—meaning one half fits inside the other to save deck space—was the deal-clincher. There was just one catch: only the plans were available, so we had to build it ourselves!

Further investigation led us to Fine Boat Kits in the Lake District, UK. Not only could they supply the plans, they would CNC cut all the parts and had a 2-week course to help build it. I retired on the Thursday, and set off for the Lakes on the Saturday ready to embark on this course.

The Build Begins
Week 1 focused on constructing the basic hull shape and the central bulkhead. Week 2 was dedicated to fitting the rear seats, buoyancy tanks, mast foot, and bow tank. Despite the precision-cut parts, the process was meticulous and time-consuming—everything had to be perfectly aligned, epoxy fillets applied, and fiberglass integrated. By Thursday of the second week, I was ready for the most critical step.

One Boat Becomes Two
With the boat fully assembled, its bulwarks sanded and rounded, it was time to cut it in half—a daunting task. A double bulkhead had been built, separated by small squares of cardboard, leaving just enough space to insert a saw and begin cutting. Ideally, the bulkhead sides guide the saw, preventing it from drifting into the bulkhead itself. The cutting starts easily along the boat’s sides but becomes more challenging when moving through the hull. You have to “feel” the process—if the saw stiffens, it’s likely cutting into the bulkhead instead of staying centered in the gap. The most difficult part came when I hit an epoxy blob at the hull bottom and had to cut through the skid. At this point, Kurt and Phil offered reassuring words, and Kurt’s strength was invaluable in freeing the saw blade when it got stuck. Completing a clean cut through both halves was incredibly satisfying.

One Half Nests in the Other
The first test was to check whether the two halves nested properly. To my relief, they fit perfectly.

Preparing for Greece
With the basic construction complete (painting, varnishing, and final touch-ups will wait until we arrive in Greece), I spent the final day building the shipping crate.

Thanks to Fyne Boats
My time at Fynes Boats was nothing short of extraordinary. The workshop and course were exceptional with the entire team striking the perfect balance between expert guidance and allowing us to build our own boat. Their skill, patience and enthusiasm made the experience both rewarding and unforgettable.

A special thank you to Kurt for his patience and expertise, as well as to Phil, Tim, Ian and Mike whose support enriched every step of the process.

And of course, a nod to Tico the dog who kept spirits high and supervised the workshop with unwavering dedication!

DIY Flags, Flags, Flags!

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Who knew flags could be so interesting!

My friend Anna and I -with some last minute help from Cherry - made these 48 courtesy flags representing the national maritime flags of the countries we plan to visit. It was fascinating to learn about the history, culture and heraldry behind them and see the array of colours and designs - our favourites were definitely those of Central America.

It’s maritime etiquette to hoist a courtesy flag when clearing in as a foreign vessel, signalling respect for that country’s laws and sovereignty. As the name suggests, flying these is a courtesy – usually. There are some countries which require it by law such as Greece, however failing to fly one might not result in penalties but could be seen as disrespectful or gain us unnecessary attention.

These flags will be vibrant reminders of our adventures ahead - each one a symbol of the places, people and cultures waiting to be explored.

The Beginnings...

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

On New Year’s Day 2013, we sat down to write a life plan—mapping out our goals and aspirations for the next five, ten, even twenty years. Among them was a fanciful dream to buy a yacht within ten years. Five years later we made it happen, and we couldn't have been happier sailing our 35ft Hanse around the beautiful Greek islands.

It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with life at sea, it had a slower rhythm - one that suited us perfectly. Coastal cruising offered a freedom and serenity that felt worlds apart from the wet, fast-paced dinghy racing we had known in the UK.

Before long, a bold new plan took shape - Retire and sail the world! In 2022, that dream became a reality with the purchase of Pérdika (then Lady Annila) in Portugal - a sturdy 53ft long-distance sailing yacht built for adventure!