Along the top of Crete

We had originally intended to head for Dhia and then straight for Milos. In the event, we would have been battling into a head wind for two days which was not a very appetizing prospect. So we changed plans and instead hopped along the northern coast of Crete in company with Meanderer.
After a long motor against wind and swell, our first stop was Dhia - an uninhabited island just north of the capital, Heraklion. Poor Lucifer (our newly acquired ship's cat) was seasick most of the way and looked very sorry for himself. With the strong westerlies we were expecting, we heard rumors that the most easterly bay would be best. We tried but nothing we did would make the anchor stick. So instead we tucked ourselves into the head of the dog-leg bay next to the west. It was a lovely peaceful spot despite some fierce gusts and the anchor was absolutely solid. I was a bit worried about a fishing net that seemed to be draped around the bay below us - but it seemed to be well below the keel so I didn't pay it much heed.
Next morning we were up with the dawn for the long haul against a head wind to Rethymno. Unfortunately, the net was all tangled up in the anchor chain and I had to cut it free - feeling rather guilty about some poor fisherman's livelihood as I did so. The voyage was spectacular on a sparkling blue sea with cliffs towering above us backed by the snow-capped White Mountain. The only disappointment was that we had to motor-sail all the way. L had got a tranquilizer down the cat but he still looked pretty miserable and mostly hid down below. We stopped for lunch ar Biali - another beautiful bay.
Gilly on Meanderer had broken her teeth and we had to find a dentist on Monday Morning so we had several hours to explore Rethymno which is lovely. The marina seems very safe and is very cheap (seems to be standard Greek port charges with a little optional extra for water and/or electricity). The town seems to have plenty of supplies, and a lovely old-town around the Venetian harbor and Castle. Fresh fish are sold by the fishermen on stalls beside the harbor.
After Gilly got her smile back we did a short hop to Palaiosoudha - a pretty little bay under Akrotiri. We watched the sun go down on a perfect evening with geese swimming around - Lucifer found them fascinating.
And so to Gramvousa on the far northwest corner of Crete. We wanted to get there in time for a nice walk up to the castle so we set of in the dark. We got a little sailing in but again mostly motored into light headwinds. Cat seems to be getting his sea-legs as he wasn't anywhere near so miserable. Gramvouse is spectacular - a sandy lagoon, completely isolated (not even a road) surrounded by high cliffs and mountains. Well worth a repeat visit for longer. The only catch being that there is no cellphone signal so we can't get weather forecasts.

Sadly, on the way, the toilet pump blocked so instead of strolling around the bay, I spent three hours upside down in toilet plumbing. Yummy!

Next day (Wednesday) the winds were forecast to be strongish but from the south so we should get a good sail up to Kithera. As it turned out we never saw the southerly but still had a nice beam wind all the way. Typically it started to get uncomfortably strong with a nasty swell as we approached our chosen destination - Avelomonas. It looked untenable so we diverted to Diakofti a few miles to the north. We're there as I write being blown all over the place but (touch wood) safe and with no driven waves. On the way in, we passed a spectacular wreck where a cargo ship seems to have tried to do a James Bond over a small island.
Lucifer seems to have found his sea-legs and is getting a lot more adventurous. The boom now seems to be a favorite place where he either perches on top or worms his way under the mainsail cover becoming completely invisible and panicking L who thought he had gone overboard! Now all we have to do is to stop him jumping up on the solar panels and decapitating himself in the wind-generator blades!
After a windy but safe night, we headed for Monemvasia on the Peloponnese.....

Leaving Aghios Nikolaos

Well it's been more eventful than I had hoped but at least we're off tomorrow.
We went into the water a week ago only to find out that there was a nasty grinding sound when we put here in forward gear and gave her some welly. After a sleepless night thinking about it, I figured it out. I had adjusted the position of the rope cutter on the prop shaft and it was now too close and the prop was pushing it into the cutlas bearing. I psyched myself to dive on it for three days but in the end it wasn't as bad as I expected and all was sorted in half an hour.
We had a lovely Greek Easter with spit roasted lambs and a pig. After final preparations on Monday, I went to the port police for a routine checkout only to be told by a sharp-eyed police woman that my boat registration is out of date and we weren't allowed to leave!
After a very stressful morning on Tuesday trying to sort it out and staring a delay of weeks in the face, I ended up applying for a new Small Ships registration which was e-mailed to us on Wednesday afternoon and checkout went fine.
Actually, none of this slowed us up as the weather has been awful for the past few days - gusting at 50mph (severe gale) overnight and blowing a hoolie for a few days.
Anyway, its clear for us to go to Spinalonga a couple of hours North tomorrow and than probably to do the first longish passage on Saturday.