We were in our final 10 days in Greece, and can actually visually see Turkey, it appears easily within eyesight on the horizon as a prominent grey hill shape – we are so close.  It makes me want to go now, but the Captain holds me back, just a few more stops in Greece then we go to Turkey.

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From the island of Amorgos it is a 40 nautical mile sail to our next destination the island of Astypalaia (which turns out to be a little hard to get my younger around so I refer to it as butterfly island as it is shaped like a butterfly).  That’s about 8 hours on the water and overall it was a pretty good passage, we did have to tick the engine over for 2.5 hours of the trip due to no wind but for the majority of the sail we were doing over 6 knots in in 10-12 knots of wind – most pleasant.  We had another successful day on the water in terms of fishing with Phil winding in two lovely size bonito fish – that’s dinner for the next two days sorted.

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Upon arrival in Astypalaia we decided to secure the boat to the town quay as some more decent consistent winds were forecast for the next 3 days.  This meant we had to use the “med mooring” method of docking which we hadn’t done before.  Med mooring involves lining the boats stern up perpendicular to the dock as far out as possible (meaning a good 3 – 4 boat lengths away), dropping the anchor and reversing into the dock.  Whilst reversing we are laying out anchor chain, and about half way there stopping the chain to ensure the anchor has “dug in” on the bottom (which means the boat will stop), then once satisfied the anchor has set, continue to feed out chain whilst simultaneously reversing.  Once we get close to the dock we have to feed out enough chain to get close enough to throw a line to secure the stern to shore but not too much to allow the boat to hit the dock.  It is a manoeuvre which is pretty easy to do with three people on the boat, but a little hectic with just the two.  Ideally you would have one on the boat controls (steering and throttle), one on the anchor, and one to throw the lines to tie off as well as fend off any potential bumps with the boats you are pulling along side of.  With just the two of us, Phil is at the helm, and I do the anchor, anchor chain, fending and lines.

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It all went to plan and we tied up without any trouble.  Some of the risks around berthing like this is the possibility of tangling anchors with other boats.  If we or another boat don’t line up correctly or get blown off a little by the wind when dropping anchor, it is easy to lay your anchor or chain over someone else’s which can be really quite bad depending if the boat leaves before you and pulls up your anchor and you are not on the boat and the boat is then able to pull back and smash into the concrete dock … living on a boat, there is always something to worry about.  Anyway Phil dived on the anchor to triple check it was sunk well and lined up and not tangled with anything.  We also stayed on the boat until other boats were either side of us and made sure they didn’t dislodge our anchor. Four (4) years ago when we were sailing in Scandinavia we used to dock the boat similar to this but almost in reverse.  Instead of reversing in we would drop a stern anchor (off the back of the boat) and ensure it grabbed before taking the boat in nose first and securing it to rocks or the dock, so the same but different.  

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We spent three days on the island, and enjoyed the peacefulness of it.  We of course walked up hills and lots and lots of steps to visit the sites, the windmills and the old castle, it was obviously that tourist season was well and truely over and things were a lot calmer than we had previously experienced in some of the Greek islands.  It was also really great to be on the dock with a couple of Kiwis who we meet and immediately be-friended.  Turns out they are taking a very similar journey to us to get to Turkey and will also be stoping for winter at the same place.  Great to make new friends.

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We departed Butterly Island early as soon as it was light enough to see what we were doing leaving the dock in order to sail the 54 nautical miles to Tilos.  This took us all day 06:30 – 17:30 and it was a half / half kind of day, with 6 hours good sailing and 5 hours having to be done under engine.  As we were approaching Tilos we noticed another boat nearby with an Australian flag and hailed them on the radio.  It was Debbie and Paul (more new friends) and they were going to Tilos also and once confirming we were all vaccinated we arranged to meet up and have a drink with them later – great to hang out with people who speak our Aussie language.

The bay of Tilos was a lovely large bay with plenty of room to anchor and just the two boats.  We had two very quiet days and nights here with no wind at all, so flat calm and tranquil.  

From Tilos it was a short 24 nautical miles to the bottom (south) end of Symi where we would stop just the one night before sailing onto the island of Rhodes the next day.  This bay of Symi called Panormitis is a Monastery and a very impressive large flash one at that!  We had read you need to be dressed respectfully to visit so we both wore long pants and long sleeves for the first time this year since leaving our winter berth of Tunisia.  

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The next morning was another 24 nautical miles from Symi to Rhodes, one of the biggest islands in Greece.  It took us 5 ½ hours and involved many many sail changes.  Gennaker up as it was light winds directly downwind, tack the boat as the wind had just shifted a little to the other side, motor for half an hour as the wind dropped, wind came back, so back out with the Gennaker, wind increased so put away the Gennaker and put out the Genoa (smaller, but heavier sail for higher winds), wind dropped off so put away the Genoa and back out with the Gennaker!  And on and on it goes.  However the good news is, we sailed all but 30 minutes of the 5.5 hour trip.

We anchored off the beach just a little behind the old and new towns of the island on the north east end.  We spent the next day exploring the old town, which was impressive, and larger than we were expecting, and to top it off double moated!!  We learnt that the Knights of St John (whom you may recall we talked of in Malta) used to be in Rhodes and were responsible for the construction of this place before leaving (being expelled following a siege by the Ottomans  in 1522) and resettling in Malta. After the old town we hunted in the new town for a few items we had on our buy list without a lot of success.  The following day was spent re provisioning at Lidl in preparation for Turkey.  We were stocking up on beer & wine & pork products.  Lidl was nearby and we did two trips and Red Roo is full of goodies to get us through the winter in a country that doesn’t eat pork and where alcohol is expensive.

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Just one more stop before Turkey, it was back to Symi but this time to the north of the island to the main town in order to complete all the formalities of checking out of the country and the EU.  It was 26 nautical miles (5 hours) without a breath of wind, so a motor all the way.  We had been warned of the “unique” set up of berthing in Symi Harbour with what was described to us as the local Mafia running the mooring buoys.  In the harbour there are mooring buoys to tie your bow to then you reverse to the dock and tie off your stern (the buoys are instead of having to drop your anchor – much better in our opinion).  Anyway the “guys” come out and help you tie to the buoy and dock then charge you €25 euro for doing so (nearly $40 australian dollars).  This cost is not in anyway associated to the fees involved in staying on the dock.  Once you are docked the Harbour Master comes for the harbour fee of €13 euro’s so its cheaper to stay on the dock for 24 hours than it is for 4 minutes assistance to tie your boat up.  We declined the “Mafias” help and picked up the buoy ourselves (and made ourselves very unpopular in the process – with words being directed at us along the lines of, “I need the money to feed my family”).

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Anyway, Symi is lovely.  A really sweet small inlet harbour with colourful village on the hillside, with evidence of its Italian heritage in the architecture.  We enjoyed two days here and were there for the Greek national holiday “No Day” where back in 1940 the Greek Prime Minister said “No” to the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini who wanted to his forces to enter Greek territory and occupy strategic locations. We watched the ceremony and parade and then walked to the top of the village to get some pictures.  

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A highlight of Symi for Phil was the ability to order his dinner and have it delivered without leaving the boat.  We were tied to the dock in front of a Taverna and the waiter would often talk to us.  So come dinner time on our first evening Phil stood on the back of the boat and asked her for a gyros, 5 minutes later she brought it to the boat – at a cost of €2.50 he was one happy man.

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All that was left was to formally check out of Greece and the EU.  We completed formalities at Symi with the Police who stamped our passports and handed in our Cruising Permit and Log Book to the Port Police, we were free to leave.

As the sun was coming up on Friday 29th October Red Roo left Symi for Datca Turkey, a short 2.5 hour trip (we could see Turkey the whole time).

As we wrap up 933 nautical miles, 45 stops and 3 months in Greece – we leave with wonderful memories.

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Our latest update from Greece includes sailing, a visit to some iconic destinations, as well as a couple of small hiccups – the reality of the cruising lifestyle.

We left the island of Naxos looking for shelter from the next lot of Meltemi Winds, of which there were two fronts looming firstly a single day of winds in excess of 30 knots, then 3 days later a bigger blow of over 40 knots which was expected to last up to 5 days.  Whilst 30 knots is not terrible to sail in under the right conditions, it can cause the sea state to be really messy and potentially rough enough to break things on the boat which we consider unnecessary to be out in.  It is best to find a secure spot to anchor where we can be sheltered from the wind (behind a headland protecting us from the worst of it, meaning no waves on the water and less wind), and also ensuring the anchorage is secure, good holding so we don’t drag (float away in the wind).

To shelter from the first one day event of wind we motored (due to the wind being on the nose, making it difficult to sail in without having to cover twice the distance tacking back and forth) it was only 10 nautical miles (19km) about 2 hours to the island of Paros. We tucked into a really nice bay which offered good protection from the northerly winds whilst also offering a beach view and walking tracks on land to the top of the hills, lighthouse and lookouts.  We anchored in sand and motored back on the anchor to ensure it was set well (not going to be pulled out with the wind) and waited out the day.  We had chosen well as we certainly didn’t get wind anywhere near the strength predicted.  It was a peaceful day.  The following day we went to shore and walked the tracks to the monastery, lighthouse and look out.  We could see the leftover waves from the winds outside the bay.

The next day was another short journey 10 nautical miles to the West and into the main bay of the same island where the town was.  As we came out of the protected bay we came head on into the waves and slop left over from the previous days wind.  It was a very rough bumpy (holding on kind) of 5 miles taking the waves on the nose then the side before turning downwind again to reach our next anchorage.

This bigger blow that was expected had seen many other boats in the area have the same idea as us and the anchorage was quite crowded but we found a spot in the bay and anchored.  The following morning the wind was starting to build a little and we decided before it got too strong to move closer to the beach which would offer more protection from the wind for the next 5 days, with less fetch on the water.  We started the engine and motored forward to the new spot.  We got right close to the beach in shallow water where we wanted to stop the boat and drop the anchor.  I (Maree) was on the bow ready to drop the anchor when the boat stopped but the boat didn’t stop … it seemed to be going quicker as we had come into the shore out of the wind, and the beach was now only a matter of 20 meters away.  I looked back and couldn’t see Phil at the controls ???  What was happening???  Were we about to run aground, was Phil ok – had he collapsed??? I ran back to the helm and he was crouched down desperately trying to get the boat into reverse without success – we had to turn hard and fast.  Now out of immediate danger  of running the boat onto the beach, it appeared the boat had lost its reverse gear.  Not ideal when trying to anchor in a tight spot, in windy conditions.  We had to go around again and try to manage the wind by motoring forward with a little engine – enough to move and steer but not too much as we needed the boat to stop in the right spot without hitting another boat or the beach.  It was really hard with the wind but what choice did we have, we went around and unfortunately were still moving forward when it was time to drop the anchor, but drop it we did and although the boat went forward for a little bit over it, it did stop and eventually came back to sit in a reasonable spot.  We were ok for the moment, but definitely not properly anchored, we had just brought ourselves maybe 15 minutes to try and fix the problem.  Phil quickly had the quarter berth emptied and access to the engine controls and could immediately see that the pin holding the throttle cable in place on the gearbox had fallen out which made selecting reverse impossible.  No time to dwell on why or how, just time to fix it and re-anchor safely.  A temporary pin was installed and we set off again to anchor for the third time, this time in full control with both forward and reverse and successfully and safely anchored.  We were now safe in 4 meters of water with over 40 meters of chain between us and the anchor, a scope of 10:1 – perfect for the big winds. Then with the engine almost at full revs in reverse checked to make sure it was anchored well dug in for the big winds coming.  What had happened? It turns out the pin didn’t have a cir-clip at the end to hold it in place, and after 6 years of owning and operating the boat, going from forward to reverse gear thousands of times it had chosen that moment to fall out.  As frightening as it was at least it didn’t happen at a worse time like when trying to manoeuvre in a marina where we would have hit something, at least we had just enough space to drop the anchor pull up and also had the smarts (Phil), parts and the tools to re fix it securely.

We ended up anchored here for 10 nights, waiting whilst the wind blew, blew and blew some more! Again due to good planning we certainly didn’t get the winds forecast but that was due to the shelter provided by the hillside and the bay we anchored in, as we were close to shore we were protected from swell and fetch and even enjoyed good nights sleep (rare when it is windy), we could certainly hear the wind but couldn’t feel it so much.  Because we had so much protection we were able to get to shore in the dinghy safely (as well as feel that that the boat was safe without us on board).  This helped the 10 days pass.  A day in town to do the laundry at the self service laundromat, a day to explore the main town of Parikia, a day to catch the bus to the north east side of the island to explore the town of Naousa, we could also go to town for groceries as and when we needed (always a highlight for cruisers).  We know the wind, waves and the weather wasn’t great outside of our protected bay, as the ferries to the island were cancelled for three days, and when we walked to other bays we could feel the force and see the sea state.  One of the other boats in the anchorage a friend of ours on a magnificent boat “Grey Wind” a really strong and well set up boat, went out for a “look” after 5 days hoping to be able to sail on but he returned within the hour.  His advice – wait.

When the winds stopped blowing, they literally stopped.  Meaning not enough wind to sail!  Boat Life!!!  We waited an extra day for the sea state and waves to die down then headed off for the 29 nautical miles west to the island of Sifnos.  We were able to sail about half of it before having to motor due to no wind.  We found the small beach village of Vathi on Sifnos really pretty.  It is a very small village in a bay with everything built on the beach with big rocky hills behind the beach.

The next day we had a fast sail, the wind was back and we were off, 20 nautical miles west to the north of the island of Milos.  We had some strong gusts during the sail, causing us to hang on and put some sail away to be cautious and safe.  We anchored in another really cute small bay for the night but didn’t go to shore.

On a roll we set sail again in the morning for the 30 nautical miles to the island of Folegandros which was on the must visit list for Phil.  We had a really great sail – finally.  Safe consistent winds, flat seas, doing around 6.5 knots of speed in 8-12 knots of wind, with the sun shining.  Perfect timing to remind us why we enjoy doing this, and as a real bonus Phil caught a really nice size Bonito fish for our dinner – delicious.

We spent the next day exploring Folegandros which we both really enjoyed for its authenticity.  It seems we have also finished with the tourists for the season.  A couple of the places we visited and spoke to locals said all the restaurants and the few tourist shops (they only had a couple) shut this week leaving only local essential shops open.

Our next destination was quite exciting but also took a fair bit of logistics to visit.  We were planning two nights inside the very very deep waters of the dormant volcano that is the islands of Thira & Thirasia better known as Santorini – a tourist mecca of Greece. 

However it is challenging to visit in your own boat.  Anchoring inside is out due to the incredible depths of the water right up to the island, the one marina on the south of the main island is full of local day tour boats and doesn’t have room for visiting yachts, it is possible to anchor around here but only in very mild conditions which isn’t what was forecast.  We did however find a good option in taking Red Roo to the smaller island of Thirasia where for €50 a night we could secure the boat to a morning buoy both stern and bow (front and back tied off).  From Thirasia we could catch a local ferry for just €1 each across to the big island of Thira (Santorini) where we could visit the towns of Fira and Oia.

We explored both Oia and Fira on the main island as well as Manolas on the smaller island of Thirasia (where Red Roo was).  Climbing many many many steps to access each of them.  The colour of the volcanic rock in black, red and white, is truely unique as is the scenery and white and blue architecture that is so very easily identifiable on all the greek tourist items.  This was a big tick off our Greece to do list.

It wasn’t however all smooth sailing (as they say!).  On our second day the weather and wind came in force.  The small inter-island ferry took us across to the main island warned us it may not be able to collect us later if the weather got any worse.  We took the risk, we wanted a second day exploring Oia, and luckily it was able to collect us later that afternoon.  Hats off to the ferry captain he did a fantastic job of bringing in the boat in large swell and safely motoring/holding it there whilst we all timed the waves and jumped (literally) on board – it raised the heart beat a little let me tell you!  That night, back on Red Roo the wind worsened and the boat next to us broke its stern (rear) mooring line.  Of course it happened at 12:30 at night in the dark.  Their boat swung around past Red Roo with only a couple of meters to spare.  They were still attached at their bow (front) but swinging full circles in the wind.  The people on the boat were very responsible and assured us they would remain on watch on deck until morning to ensure they didn’t swing and hit either us or the catamaran on the other side of them.  We went back to bed to get what rest we could knowing they were swinging and feeling the wind pushing us all against the ropes.  We got up several times during the night to check and it was a relief when morning came and the winds eased.

It was time to leave Santorini and we prepared to go, however when we went to start the engine we got nothing.  No lights, nothing!  Phil removed the start panel to take a look and immediately saw the problem, it was something which he had been warned of the year previously when the new engine was installed.  The push button start switch relies on flimsy plastic tabs to hold it in place and enable it to contact the starter circuit and start the engine. Half of these tabs had broken so contact with the starter circuit couldn’t be made. Phil was able to use wire and cable ties to secure the switch and contacts as an interim fix until we can contact the engine supplier for warranty parts.  One more thing to stress about.  Again this could have been frightening if it had of happened at a time when we needed to start the engine immediately and got nothing.

It was a voyage under motor from Santorini to the island of Ios (23 nautical miles).  After the day and night of strong winds, there was nothing but waves on the sea, no wind to sail the boat.  We anchored off the eastern side of the island protected from the swell.

The following morning we set off for a short sail 9 nautical miles east to the island of Irakleia.  A nice light wind helped us sail all the way without needing to motor.  We anchored off a beach in a lovely bay and awaited the arrival of our good friends on the boat Caffe Latte whom we hadn’t seen for  a week.  Together with Jean and Yolene we explored the island, lovely views and a very small community.  We found two small shops open, one the local store (very small but were able to get milk, eggs, bacon, cheese and a few vegetables to keep us going), and there was also one Taverna in which we enjoyed a great traditional greek meal of grilled squid and roasted eggplant with veal – delicious!!

We were at Irakleia for 3 nights hiding again from the wind, not a strong Meltemi this time but average winds from the south west with storms and rain forecasted.  The rain we welcomed as we hadn’t had more than 3 drops since leaving Tunisia in March.  The first night we saw lots of lightening around, still some distance from us but very regular.  Lightening can be very frightening and dangerous to sailors and boats, especially as we have a great big metal stick up in the sky (mast) which can be very attractive to the lightening.  We know of two other boats who have been hit and very badly damaged.  Before turning in for the night, we turned off all our instruments, power, lights, etc and isolated our aerials, antennas, AIS and engine, so in the case we did get struck hopefully it would minimise damage.  We were woken around 3am when the storm was directly over us.  It was loud, very loud, windy, very windy, blowing us around, with lots thunder and lots of lightening.  I admit to being a little frightened.  The wind was a lot stronger than forecasted and if we had of known we would have put a lot more anchor chain out.  It was too late now, we were in the middle of it and wouldn’t have been able to get the snubber off to let anymore chain out.  Usually when we get big strong gusts of wind and are worried about the anchor dragging (us being blown off anchor) we know we can start the engine and be ready to – if we have to – motor against the wind (we have done this before and thankfully not had to use it).  However we had isolated everything due to all the lightning, which was still going strong and right above us now.  So if we did drag it would take a minute or two to start everything.  That unsettled me, as well as the pure chaos that was outside, the rain, wind, thunder and lightening was quite overwhelming.  I couldn’t even look at the instruments to check how strong the wind was due to them all being turned off as a precaution.  The storm finally eased around 6am as daylight broke, and we went back to bed to get some rest.

Our next stop just to ease the mind from all the events above was the island of Amorgos, a 14  nautical miles sail where we visited the shipwreck of Olympia.  In February 1980 the captain tried unsuccessfully to anchor seeking shelter from a force 10 storm when he was blown onto the rocks.  All the crew were rescued and the site today is a popular hike to visit and snorkel the wreck.

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The small anchorage at Amorgos is a sweet little natural cove where the locals keep their fishing boats, Red Roo joined them for the night.

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Is boat life fabulous or frightening … the answer is it can be both and change at any given time.

Still getting our ‘Greek On’ and enjoying the opportunity to sail and explore this lovely country. We had two more stops before leaving the Peloponesse Peninsular and both of these are worthy of a mention in our memoirs ie: the blog.  

From Porto Cheli (or Kheli), every place is spelt at least three different ways depending on if you look at nautical charts, lonely planet books or google maps.   As I was saying from Porto Cheli we attempted to sail north to the end of the bay about 20 nautical miles to visit Navplion (or Nafplion).  I say attempted as the forecast was for 8 knots of wind a little off our nose enabling us to sail with a few tacks up the bay but we ended up motoring into what was eventually 20 knots of wind right on our nose.  A real slog.  Anyway we made it there and set about exploring what used to be the capital of Greece prior to Athens.  It has three worthy attractions, firstly the town is really quaint and beautiful, secondly it has a castle on an island at the harbour entrance, and thirdly its has a massive fortress at the top of a rock.

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The 999 steps up to the Fortress of Palamidi at a height of 216 meters was built at the end of the second period of Venetian role (1711-1715) however it was conquered by the Turks before completion, and came into the Greek possession in 1822 when 350 elite trips invaded the fortress forcing the Turkish garrison to surrender without a fight.  It then was the capital of Greece between 1823 – 1834.  Following the liberation of Greece it was used as a prison for those condemned to life sentences and death between 1840-1920.  We can confirm walking up and then down the 999 steps makes your legs wobble like jelly afterwards.  These days, the town is known as one of the most beautiful towns in the Peloponnese as well as one of the most romantic cities in all of Greece. 

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Our next anchorage was Ermioni in order to visit the island of Hydra (or Idra).  We had done our research which included warnings over taking your private vessel (our yacht and home) to the island, the words that stuck in our minds were “do not go there without up to date, full coverage boat insurance”.  Hence our decision to anchor at Ermioni and catch the €6 ferry (30 minute trip) to the island. 

We did this with our great mates from Caffe Latte making a day out of it.  Hydra is a big draw card for tourists.  There are no cars or vehicles on the island, access to all the houses, hotels and buildings is up steps (lots of steps) on your own two legs, via donkey, or in some unique cases the odd motorbike. 

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There is a very small, very busy harbour which has way too many vessels, it houses a fishing fleet, local boats, water taxis, ferries, luxury motor boats and private yachts all trying to find a space to tie up, resulting in absolute chaos.  Whilst it was at times entertaining to watch, it became a bit too stressful for myself.  Boats trying to drop their anchor and tie their sterns to the wall with not enough room for either and with a 100% chance of dropping anchor over someone else’s, and boats moored 3-5 deep meaning they were tied off to the wall 3 boats out and still had to dinghy to shore!!! 

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The harbour is surrounded by restaurants and tourist shops and lots and lots of people, we hadn’t seen that many people for what seemed liked years (definitely pre covid).  We walked the back streets away from the craziness (up lots of steps) and even found Lenard Cohens old holiday home.  We enjoyed a great meal at a little cafe (again a few streets back from the craziness), before again being mesmerised into watching the chaos in the harbour for another hour before catching the hydrofoil ferry back to Red Roo.  Hydra was an experience that is for sure, but give me a nice quiet anchorage and nature any day!

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We were now leaving the Peloponnese (the southern island off the mainland) and venturing East to the Cyclades – the many small islands between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean Sea. We still have 6 weeks left on our Greek Cruising Permit which will allow us plenty of time to sail and explore the Cyclades and Crete before leaving for Turkey.

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We had decided we wouldn’t travel any further north & east than we were, in order to save some islands for our return journey out of the Mediterranean when we hope to transit the Corinth Canal (currently closed due to land slides). Our plan was to start heading south through the islands.  As soon as we made that decision the winds reminded us that Mother Nature is in charge, not us and we had a week of westerly winds, pushing us east, so we went east rather than south.  Plans are made to be flexible right, and the upside of this was that Caffe Latte were going east so we would continue together (Sweetie had headed to Athens and will meet us again later in the year in Turkey).  

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Next was the island of Siros (or Syros) and the town of Ermoupoli which was a highlight for me as it had a self service laundry!!  I know it is pretty lame to be excited but seriously doing laundry in a bucket with limited fresh water becomes old rather quickly and a laundromat is a real treat. Fresh sheets and clean clothes – almost human again!

Besides the laundry it also had a Lidl (our favourite supermarket) allowing us to stock up for the island hopping we were setting off to do.  Now the essentials were taken care of, we had time to explore the town and what a delight it was.  Actually probably one of my favourites so far.  It is a harbour with a hill behind it (yes, MORE STEPS), but we had a great time walking up and around the tiny walking streets admiring true Greek homes on our way to the summit to the church.  The streets and architecture was beautiful – as is the absence of cars.  One would certainly get fit living here.  We racked up 16 km going up and down the hill, to the supermarket and then back to do the laundry.  A great productive day!  

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Our next adventure was the island and ruins of Delos.  This took some logistics with the boat as there is only a very small anchorage and it is right beside the ferry route/channel and the wind was scheduled to increase in the late morning.  So our plan was to anchor close by the night prior at a lovely sandy beach off Rinia and move early the next morning at 7am to arrive first at the anchorage to explore the Delos ruins, then get out before the wind and tourists turned up.  We executed this well, we were first on the island and at the top of the hill when we saw the first ferry approach.  Actually we heard him first, from a mile out he was honking his horn and cursing insistently as he passed Red Roo and Caffe Latte off the island.  We asked the staff at Delos if we should leave and their reply was “he is a grumpy captain and always complains”.  By 10am the tourists from the cruise ships in nearby Mykonos started rolling in on the ferries and to our distress another 3 boats were anchored close to us the anchorage which best fitted 2 – it was time to go (we didn’t want to be there when the grumpy ferry man returned with his second load).  By the time we were back on the boat the wind was building and we had to get the other boats to move so we could pick up our anchor and we left.  It was a good plan and we timed it all well.  We got a good look at the island and the boats were safe.

Delos island is small and barren island 5km long and 1.3 km wide.  The highest elevation is only 112 meters, and yes of course we climbed up to the top.  The ruins of what was a famous religious sanctuary date back to 1400 BC (can you imagine that??).  A large city of about 30,000 inhabitants grew on the island from 323 – 31 BC.  The site was eventually destroyed by Mithridates King of Pontus.  However due to the sheer size of the site, many relics remain and the Delos Museum has one of the most important collections for the history of ancient Greek sculpture, and unique collection of household items from the Hellenistic period, pottery, art pieces, mosaics and wall paintings.

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Due to our early morning Delos visit (done with by 10:30) it meant we used the mid morning winds which had certainly built to sail the 10 nautical miles from Delos to the bottom of Mykonos Island.  Our plan was to find a safe anchorage on the southern side of the island away from the mega yachts, jet ski’s and beach night clubs which are all close to Mykonos town, yet a place with a bus route which would take us to the town.  We would be here a few days as the next Meltemi (high winds) were due in 2 days.  This allowed us our day to explore the tourist capital which is Mykonos then hunker down on the boat when the winds came the next day/s.

We found the perfect bay at Kalo Livadi (south east of the island), where a 2 km walk would get us on the bus to town.  Our day out in Mykonos was fantastic.  Yes there were lots and lots of people, but the atmosphere was pleasant, the sun shining (always), the streets clean, buildings white and picture perfect – just like on the postcards and Greek tourism images, the bougainvillea’s flowering and there was ice-cream too!!  We walked the waterfront known as Little Venice due to the buildings & balconies overlooking the water which splashes up onto the walkways at the restaurants,  as well as the windmills on the hill overlooking the port.  We explored the churches on the waterfront where there are 4 backing onto each other, basically sharing walls.  Furthermore we read that there are over 1200 churches on the island, and the islands population is 12,500 – that’s 1 church for every 10 people!

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As predicted the following day the wind arrived with force.  It started late that night and continued all the following day.  Which actually was a small win as we prefer the high winds during the day, when you can see everything rather than at night.  We were in a good place to ride it out.  We were 200 meters from the shore in about 6 meters of water so not a lot of opportunity for the waves to build up, enough roll to let us know were are on a boat in wind but nothing terrible, however the noise is always disturbing and of course there is little sleep to be had at all while it blows.

Once the wind stopped the swell rolled in meaning it was time for us to sail out.  The northerly winds were welcome to take us 20 nautical miles south to the island of Naxos.  

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Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades islands (around 40km long and 30 km at its widest point) we therefore felt it was worthy of us taking a look deeper inside rather than just the harbour and surrounds.  We arranged a hire car with Caffe Latte and set off the following day with a map and a long list of highlights to see.  Some of our highlights were a little underwhelming and others truely magnificent.  We soon learnt that Naxos island is the perfect island for anyone who enjoys hiking.  Every place we stopped offered great trails from 30 mins to 5 hour hikes.  Unfortunately our timing and schedule didn’t allow for us to do them, but hey, maybe next time.

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The highlights included a visit to a Byzantine Church a 15 minute walk on the outskirts of a real authentic greek village.  The church is absolutely beautiful, set amongst old olive trees, the walk to and from was also lovely, a carefully constructed stone path winding through the back streets, small farming lots was really pleasant.

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We tasted Kitron, a liquor at a unique local distillery made from the leaves of a type of almost wild lemon ‘citrus medica’.  The fruit itself is barely edible in its raw state but the leaves are used to make the spirit and the result was pleasant, we enjoyed the tasting and brought ourselves a bottle.

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The drive included steep mountain ranges, some with dense green vegetation and others just barren rocky landscape.  We stopped for lunch on the Eastern Side of the island at Moutsouna.  It was the most idyllic lunch spot ever, with a tantalising seafood menu that made it hard to decide what to order.  Moutsouna used to have an Emery mines up in the hills with a cable bucket system operating to bring the minerals down to the port for export. Emery is used as an abrasive for industry and sandpapers and also for non skid surfaces.

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Marble is also found extensively on the island and many of the small town paths are paved in marble.  Many of the towns are built on the steep hillsides and have a car park either at the top or bottom of town and access to the village and homes is purely by foot (or donkey).  Have I mentioned all the steps in Greece??

We stopped at the statue of “Kouros of Apollonas” which is a 10.7 meters tall unfinished marble statue weighing 80 tonnes. This statue is laying down and it is believed to have been abandoned due to a fatal flaw (crack) which meant it would never stand without breaking.

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Our observations have led us to believe that if there is a small steep island or an inaccessible rocky outlet then the Greeks have built a church on it.  Not only that every town has multiple churches often at least one on every block, or if you stand on the steps of one church you are most certainly going to be able to see the cross of another one close by.  They are all small (very small compared to the lavish churches in England and other European Countries), all very local, and very loved by their members.  We have been more impressed by these small sincere places of worship, than by the bigger richer establishments previously seen elsewhere.

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Zakinthos and Kefalonia Islands and the Pelopónnisos Peninsula – Greece

Arriving in Greece after a 49 hour sail from Sicily we anchored in the crystal clear waters off Kerri on the southern end of the island of Zakinthos.  We packed up and tidied the boat after the sail, had a swim and a sleep and rested for what was left of the day.  Our first item on the agenda the following day was to check into the country but it was now Saturday and the officials were closed for the weekend so this would have to wait until Monday.  We spent the day relaxing in the lovely big bay and did a sneaky dinghy trip to shore at Kerri and enjoyed our first taste of Greece a gyros!!

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Sunday we raised anchor and made our way 16 nautical miles North to the town of Zante where we could check in the following morning. It took 3 hours to complete the required official visits and documentation having to visit both the Port Police and Customs then back to the Port Police again but alas it was done without issues. We had all our documentation in order, documents required for check in were; TEAPI payment receipt (Greek cruising tax), passports, covid vaccination certificates, Greek crew list, boat insurance (in Greek), boat registration, and now we also have a Greek transit log to carry with us and get stamped in each major port.

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We headed Red Roo north sailing to the island of Kefalonia and anchored at Argostoli.  This is a very attractive little town, all set up for the summer season accomodating both international tourists, cruisers in yachts like us, and locals on summer vacation.  We also shared the anchorage with many local turtles!

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We met up with the crews from Tartuga and Pharea (whom we met in Tunisia over the winter and saw again in Malta) as well as Caffe Latte and walked over the hill to a wonderful little beach bar on the other side and enjoyed a fantastic afternoon/evening together.

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Having evaluated the weather forecast for the following few days it made sense to take a bus ride to the north of the island as it wouldn’t be suitable to sail and anchor.  It was a great day out, travelling through the mountains to each of the major towns on the island and ending up at Fiskardo for 4 hours before returning on the bus back to Red Roo.

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It was time to start making progress sailing in Greece and travelling south, we planned to sail around the coast of the Pelopónnisos Peninsula to the Aegean sea and then visit some of the many Greek Islands between there and Turkey.

Our first stop on the Pelopónnisos was to anchor at Katakolo about 30km from Olympia – the birthplace of the Olympic Games and we couldn’t wait to hire a car with the crews from Sweetie and Caffe Latte and head off to explore this very historic place.

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Olympia was originally a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus (a Greek God).  The first games were conducted in his name as part of a religious festival and took place here in 776 BC (wow – just wow!) and the last games to be held on the site were in 392 AD.  

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One month before each games and for two months after there was a holy truce that halted any wars in progress allowing for safe passage to and from the games and for many to participate. 

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Participation in the games was only for men (and later boys) and all participants had to be Greek, free (not a slave) and be born of free parents.  

Females were not allowed to participate and were also not even able to enter the site to watch.  

The games began with just the one event the 200 m race and over the years increased to 15 events.  

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Some random interesting facts we learnt were that there were running races (nude), and also running races in full armour (tough!).  The javelin was originally thrown using a leather rope sling from the middle of the pole.  Participants in the long jump used to carry rocks and as they took their final step to launch into the jump, they would release the rocks (thrown them behind themselves) in an effort to propel them forwards.

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The site held over 70 significant buildings, and today although they are now ruins (and considering their age) yet are still easily recognisable for what they were.  We had a fantastic day exploring the site and museums, it really is a wonderful place and a real privilege to be able to visit.

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From there we sailed south and our next 4 stops; Kyparissia, Pilos, Methoni & Koroni all lovely small towns with castles to explore. 

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On our walks we also take the opportunity to forage, so far in Greece we have enjoyed figs (lots of figs), grapes, lemons, mint and basil all either on the sides of the road, or from tree’s hanging over fences,  we are looking forward to the pomegranate which we are seeing plenty off but isn’t quite ripe yet!

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We are really enjoying the smaller little villages which we have discovered that of an evening shut the streets to cars and bring the dining tables outside to eat in the street.

We are also boosting the Greek economy one ice cream at a time, eating a lot of them – its hot!

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The sailing has been really enjoyable, with a bit of everything wind wise to date.  We have found the weather pattern is currently little to no wind in the mornings then building to enough wind to sail in the afternoons.  This suits our plans as it is very easy to enjoy a morning walk or do a few jobs before moving an easy 10-30 nautical miles in the afternoon to a new location without making it an all day affair. 

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It is also really enjoyable travelling with two other boats (Caffe Latte – Canada and Sweetie – USA), it makes it a little exciting and competitive, as it is ALWAYS a race, even though we all have very different boats which makes the outcome different each time depending on the conditions.  

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The light winds (and the friendly competition) has pushed us to use the spinnaker sail for the first time.  A spinnaker sail is a very very big very very lightweight material sail that is flown on the bow (pointy end of the front of the boat) for sailing in light winds.  It’s quite the effort to set up but it is really worth it.  We had a great sail, with great speeds in light wind and look forward to using it more often now we finally have it out (from deep storage) and can remember how to rig it up to fly it.

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We have also had a couple of days of heavy downwind sailing in medium/heavy seas.  We both enjoy downwind sailing, despite the big swell as Red Roo is very stable and sits well making good speed.

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We have also experienced strong winds in the anchorages both whilst anchoring and overnight.  We always take great time and care each and every time we anchor to ensure we hold well and are safe.

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One of the highlights to date in Greece was Monemvasia where we were able to tie to the town quay wall during some windy weather. 

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We enjoyed a couple of great days exploring the Old Town which is carved into the steep rock face.

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we celebrated Jean’s birthday with a fantastic greek meal out in the old town at the best table in the restaurant overlooking the town and sea below.

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The following day we climbed to the top of the rock to see the church and ruins as well as completing the walking the track around the circumference of the rock/island.

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The food also is worthy of a mention.  In the month we have been here we have eaten out twice which is highly unusual for us as this is a big money eater in the budget.  But we have been delighted by the food.  To date we have indulged in;  Octopus (the best I have ever eaten and it is a favourite of mine so have had many), goat and potatoes, stuffed tomatoes, fried little fish (similar to white bait), eggplant (grilled and baked), dolmades, moussaka & greek lamb.  I think food wise Greece may take the best food title from all the countries we have visited so far!! Phil is not convinced and still rates France above Greece – we will just have to keep on eating until we have clear winner!

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We are now anchored in one of our last stops on the east coast of the Pelopónnisos at Porto Kheli for a few days in a safe anchorage to wait out some forecast strong winds, a Greek Meltemi (our first one which can be potentially dangerous if you’re not prepared).