About the Author - Continued

About the Author Continued...

Thus, in June of that year, myself and friend found ourselves for the first time ever in Corfu, being met by Bertie at the Airport. He took us down to the Old Port and there at the outer mole was moored “Twilight” a 1904 built Falmouth Quay Punt converted into a yacht before original completion. Gaff rigged ketch with a long bowsprit; the mizzen mast set right on the transom with a bumpkin over the stern. These boats were originally used at Falmouth to race out and meet the incoming liners, the first one on target would get the chance (and the money) to sail the mails ashore plus any very impatient passengers. Thus, by being put on the train, they and the mails would get to London 2 days ahead of the ship.

Very rugged, quite heavy and deep keeled, they were excellent seaboats and Bertie an excellent Skipper. He kept a very tight ship and heaven-help anyone who stepped outside his (written – two foolscap pages) rules. We crewed free but were expected to pay for our and his food, excepting only the tinned and bottled stuff he brought hidden in the bilges (Duty Free!)

We sailed after breakfast the next morning, north along the E coast of Corfu, as far as Ipsos and Kalami, mooring at anchor one night at each, where there were Tavernas within rubber-dinghy-rowing distance.

Then across to Sivota on the Greek mainland, then back to Messongi (Corfu) where we moored alongside and watched the all-night fishing fleet set sail. Next day across to the mainland again – Parga and another night on a mooring, behind the little island off the town.

Then across to Paxos, one night moored by the Old School in Lákka Bay followed by two nights, stern-on, at Gaios.

Early morning start, with breakfast and a swim off Anti-Paxos, then the long haul down to Prevasa. One night on the quay there and a top-up of the Calor gas tank, then to Lafkada. Two nights (I think) stern-on there, then off down the canal (sailing, would you believe?) and out into the Kolpos to a beautiful, hidden mooring in Konti-Gouli Bay. Afterwards we visited Nidri then Sivota on Lefkas (the prettiest harbour ever!), Kefalonia and eventually Ithaca. After three splendid weeks, we caught the overnight ferry from Vathi back to Corfu.

That was my introduction to the Ionian and of all the places visited, the one firmest in my memory, was Lákka.

Not all that long before I retired, after a stormy interlude with the lady friend who sailed with me and Bertie, I was taken ill with a number of problems in succession, only to be rescued by Elizabeth (whom I had known for years, even worked with at two separate locations - My original marriage had broken-up in 1978). Liz and I married in 1985 and had our honeymoon where else but in Lákka. Elizabeth took to it, and we’ve been every year since, usually in the Spring, but occasionally in the Autumn.

Why I felt the need to map the Island

On my 1982 visit I bought a map, as I always do when first visiting a country or locality and on our later explorations from 1985 onwards, we soon became aware of how hopelessly inaccurate were the small maps being sold on the Island, which had the commonality of being wrong, but often in different ways! Guaranteed, we used to say, to get you lost. (Some are still on-sale and only in January 2006 in the brand-new, award-winning, brochure of one of the best villa agencies, does one find a map, quite pretty and attractive to look at but which omits some of the most important main roads. Now if the main roads are incorrect, what of the minor lanes, tracks and footpaths? Hopelessly inaccurate!)

On an Island densely covered with olive trees and with an abundance of paths and tracks, an accurate map is more than usually necessary. One olive tree looks much like another!

In Greece there is no equivalent of the Ordnance Survey, thus there is no safe basic survey on which to base anything. (In actual fact there is an official Military Survey, generally referred to as “The Army Map” but this is an Official Secret and no ordinary inhabitant has access to it.- This situation seems likely to change soon, as the EU has issued a Directive requiring every Member State to make publicly available accurate cadastral mapping. A facility which the UK has enjoyed for over 150 years!)

So it seems to be left to visitors to do something about it. Between 1985 & 88 Commander John Bird and his wife Joyce, during extended summer visits to Paxos, undertook a detailed survey of the Island using plane-table, compass and paces. From this they produced what, as far as I know, was the first large-scale (1:13,400) map of Paxos. This was printed using the dye-line process in black & white, which is cheap, though relatively few copies were published. Income from sales was donated to Bogdanátika Clinic.

Copies of Bird’s Map were always scarce but we eventually achieved one and I updated my copy as new roads were built and additional paths discovered.

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