Pera Pigadhi (Rat) Island, Ithaca
Fabrizio on his Catamaran in Lakka (Paxos) recommended Pera Pigadhi to Cristina and myself over a pint of Mythos. “It’s a beautiful spot” he said “Clear blue water the best quality water I’ve seen south of Lefkas” According to Cristina, Italians are experts at finding perfect locations by the sea. Secluded locations and perfect water is there speciality I’m told.
Reading the Cruising Guide of the Ionion Islands (by Rod Heikell) the reference to big bold rats on the Island did not go amiss.
Pera Pigadhi is an Island off the south east coast of Ithaca. It has a quay that can handle only 5 – 6 yachts moored stern or bows to. It’s a rugged little island with no inhabitance or buildings upon it. Only the quay is manmade the rest of the islands is covered in rock outcrops hidden by thousands of pine trees covering this small little island. “With enough food and water it’s a perfect place to chill,” said Fabrizio. “I don’t use the radio, I turn off the mobile and just read, swim and go fishing which I cook myself”
Questioning Fabrizio about the rats, we’re merely encouraged to take precautions. Neither of us were overly concerned about rats personally but once inside a boat they’re nearly impossible to get rid of.
5 days later we’re moored to the small quay of Pera Pigadhi. An Austrian yacht moored next to us were told by others about the Rats, when questioned we advised them the best preventative measures, whilst reassuring them that as long as they didn’t get inside it was not a problem. However we did underestimate the Rat problem on the island.
Very soon after dark the Austrians were seen using there flash lights scouring the island from the cockpit of their yacht. They made every attempt to stop any rats visiting and even took it in turns sitting in the cockpit during the night. We went to bed with a smile on our faces thinking that their behaviour was a bit excessive. About half an hour later we heard the stifled squeals not so far away. Above us we lost count of the amount of scurrying feet that ran up and down our deck. In time things quietened down and we went off to sleep with all hatches closed.
In the morning we got the full picture from the Austrians. Apparently we had 7 rats on our yacht for about half an hour then they moved on to theirs. Hordes of others had descended from the island and boarded both our yachts whilst the skipper was still in the cockpit with his flashlight. At one point he caught one rat climbing over the rat preventer on a line (by pushing it flat and walking across) with his flashlight. The rat merely looked up into the light and turned 180 degrees balancing on the line, then went back over the rat preventer to the shore. As this was happening another walk across his feet into the cockpit and had a good sniff around (Now I know why the squeal was stifled). In the morning we saw them gingerly lifting their dinghy on deck and opening the anchor locker. None got inside as all hatches were closed although it was an uncomfortable night with the summer heat.
Pera Pigadhi Island is beautiful, remote and rat infested. They have no predators to cull them; any visitors are more inclined to be frightened of them than the other way round. It’s a shame, it would take little to round up some feral cats and leave them on the island for one winter.
If a rat does gets on board, take all the water out of your bilges, they can live on bilge water for weeks. With no water they will soon die or leave if they can. The rat-traps sold in Greece particularly the sticky type only seem to collect rat hair. If you can’t empty the bilges entirely poisoning the remaining bilge water with bleach or a de-scaling product off the shelf will do the same thing. Rat preventers are hit and miss they work with mice it seams but the rats are too big and bold to be prevented. They’re also very good swimmers.
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Tags: clear blue water, ionion islands, Ithaca, perfect water, preventative measures, rat problem, rats, squeals
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