Going back over 10+ years I met up with Debbie Muir and in collaboration with the staff at Vliho Yacht Club we jointly organised kids sailing and days out on the water for local youngsters. This ran its course and like a lot of things people’s commitments changed and things moved on. After a meet up with Debbie at the Hotel Iris one afternoon we made plans to give it another go with new parents, local and Northern European families who have made roots in the area, so it was a fresh start.
A key to this plan was Debbie’s organisational skills. Her two girls are at the local school so she knew everyone. Simon Atkinson, who along with his wife Lucy run ‘Get Active’ threw his hat into the project and would take the second Lugger, leaving myself to accompany in the rescue tender that I use as a work boat.
So it was all planned 11 kids in total, for the last Saturday in July, 9.30 at the Hotel Iris beach.
For the kids it was going to be a Swallows and Amazons adventure. Our destination was a beach on the western coast of Meganissi, just behind Thalia Island, having lunch at the small seasonal Kantina, swim and have great fun mixing and making new friends.
It didn’t take long before the water pistols came out and we had running water battles between the two boat crews.
It was a case of motoring south from Nidri Bay down and keeping more to the Meganissi side to slide through the gap between the 2 islands. Beaching the boats was not a possibility since it was quite turbulent from the wash of other boats, so it was a case of anchoring off and swimming ashore, and that was just great fun in itself.
With swimming over, well just for the moment at least, it was time to get a table at the Kantina for lunch. There were some very impressively big sausage rolls being attempted plus big bowls of chips, not a lot of local cuisine however!
So it’s now time to head back. Mass application of sun cream to be administered, hats and tops to be worn, after all it was still 35 degrees! The breeze had picked up since the morning so it was time to unfurl the jib and set out the Mizen for a steady sail back to Nidri. And off course there was another swimming stop before getting home.
What a great day, thanks to Debbie and Simon; the kids just loved it. The next day out is planned for 14 August, again with 2 Luggers. What other boat is so easy to transform into a great learning and fun experience for kids?