Back to Crete

I've realised how far I have got behind with this blog. I'm afraid I've followed my usual pattern of enthusiasm early in the season with lots of posts and photographs gradually tailing off as it winds to a close with fewer and sparser posts.
So just a few highlights of the journey from the Saronic gulf down to Western Crete...
We started with a short hop to the anchorage at the South East of the Gulf under Nissos Spathi. It's a good sandy anchorage with good shelter from most directions. It cuts a couple of hours off the long hop to Milos.
We planned to anchor behind Nissos Kleftiko on the south west corner of Milos. It is spectacular but unfortunately an Easterly swell made it untenable so we motored 2 more hours to Ormos Sakoulas. This was well sheltered from the Easterly and westerly swell and we had a good nigh, planning to set off for Crete at the crack of dawn. I got up at 05:00 to make coffee but no sign of Lucifer.  I heard a noise and went out - still no sign other than a slight yowling noise. I finally found him clinging to the rudder, soaked through and frozen. I got him on board and L gave him a warm shower with no complaint. Then she took him to bed to warm him with her body heat. It took half an hour before he stopped shivering. That's down to only 6 lives left.
The journey down to Palaiosoudha on Crete was long but uneventful. We got to the anchorage as darkness fell but had no trouble anchoring or sleeping.
Just because we could, we went all down to Soudha. The advertised VHF 72 call got no answer for an hour. Eventually, I called on 16 and the NATO harbour master answered and switched us to 12. He was very efficient and gave us permission. An interesting journey through the NATA base passing submarines and other warships. The harbour visitors mooring were completely yaken by a huge coastguard launch so we anchored peacefully enough.
The rest of the journey via Rethymno, Bali and  Nisos Dhia to Spinalonga was a repetion of teh journey out.
We finally got to see Spinalonga island - by dinghy. It's fascinating and was enhanced further by an art installation entiled "the last leper - you" featuring lots of creatively arranged mirrors.
And to back to Aghios Nikolaos - felt like coming home. See you next year.

Three Gulfs - Patras, Corinth & Saronic

--> We motored in dead calm from Petalas to Oxia but then picked up nice tail wind and sailed serenly to Missolonghi where we anchored with no problems.  Turned out we were right beside a single-handing Kiwi who noticed L's new silver fern flag. Spent a plesant couple of hour chinwagging. Next morning, after L did shopping in town by dinghy, we set off up gulf to Navpaktos. Despite the promising forecast there wasn't a breath of wind so we ended up motoring  the whole way. As we approached there was a very strange noise which I thought was the engine - panic! It wasn't until I turned it off that we realised it was someone testing a very powerful sound system on shore saying "eeeeh" then "aaaaah" repeatedly. They kept it up for nearly two hours! There were also an increasing number of Jellyfish in the water. We anchored outside the tiny harbour and then had a disturbed night with significant swell and a deafening concert (presumably with the sound system) which went on till 0430!

After staggering out of bed and drinking strong coffee, we were awake enough to set the sails in a gentle wind and set off for Trizonia. A young dutch couple in a very small charter boat had also been in the anchorage and set off 10 minutes before us. As always when two yachts are going the same way, we both tried to beat the other. It was an uneven struggle though as we are 35feet while they were only 27 so we slowly closed on them. When we rounded the point though, we dropped the main & jib and let the spinnaker loose - you should have seen us go! We got to Trizonia an hour before they did and anchored (at the third try).

Next morning, we both happened to set of at the same time and got talking as we sailed side by side. Agreed to meet up in

Lovely sail to Trizonia – racing small charter boat that set off just before we did. Showed clean pair of rudders wen Spinnaker went up.

Met in Trizonia when we both set off at same time and turned out we were both heading for Galaxidhi. We got together later - a lovely young Dutch couple. We hunkered down for a day - enjoying the beach cafe  where L swam & I painted the scene - while wind whistled. It turned N overnight and blew nasty chop into the harbour. The mole & huge power boat took most of wind but the chop threw us around all night.

We waited till wind died at 1.00 before setting off to Anti Kyra. Unfortunately, we left it too late and beat up gulf for 4 hours and then realised there was no way of making it in daylight so we motor sailed. Pity.

It was a nice anchorage – sheltered & good holding. There is a small harbour (not in pilot) that looks useful and isn't full.

Sailed slowly to Saliza under a huge quarry – to find it was too deep to anchor and nowhere to go. We decided to motor as quickly as poss to Kolpos Domvrensis. The pilot recommends the gulf by Iron ore quay. It looked a bit commercial (although empty) so we motored slowly north in case there was a dog-leg hidden at the end. Then we got shouted at through megaphone and told to go away – the whole bay is now a quay. It as an our to sundown and there were only poor choices – the best of several tiny steep bays was tiny bay, very deep and line ashore. There were biting flies but (unlike another bay) no wasps. We also saw no Jellyfish

Next day checked out south East corner – again deep & difficult though just viable for 1 or two yachts. The whole gulf was very disappointing and very windy. We decided sod-it lets go to Alkionidhes islands. 3 hour lumpy sail until we could relax under monastery. Much better. Enjoyed a lazy afternoon. The only disturbance was a fishing boat that came over and tried t bum a couple of cigarettes (we don't smoke).
Early morning we set off to the canal. As we rounded the point with 6 miles to go, I spotted a cargo ship behind us heading the same way. The canal opens for commercial traffic so, as it was moving slowly, it should be our ticket through. We hammered it for an hour, getting slowly overtaken. Never-mind, they'll need a tug so we'll catch them up then. They were unbelievably efficient - 5 minutes delay and off they went still 15 minutes ahead of us. I called the canal and they said follow the ship. Yes!!!    5 minutes later, they countermanded and said we would have to wait two hours. At this point there was 35 knots of wind which would make for a nasty wait. They agreed to let us come inside the breakwater.
We did our trick of grounding the keel in the shallows to the consternation of the harbour master who thought we had run aground.
Once through, we paid up and headed for Korfos where we celebrated with a mooring and a meal in one of the waterside tavernas.

We spent a couple of days in Aegina harbour and then went around it just because we could. Strong northerlies gave us a cracking sail across the top of the island and then down to Aghia Marina under the fantastic temple. The bay is large and sand with loads of space but pretty exposed. A nasty swell got up in the afternoon and threw us around all night. Kay and Peter's flopper-stopper helped a lot but we still had a roly night. We did the short hop down to Perdika n a couple of hours and aan anchored. It was nce at first but te swell went round later and we again had a poor nights sleep. In the morning, we went out and had half got the mainsail up when there was a thump and the cat landed on the deck, bounced and luckily didn't go overboard. He was hiding in the sail and clung onto the sail as it wet up - losing his grip at about 20 feet! He was sorry for himself for a couple of days but then recovered other than having lost another of his 9 lives.
We decided to go down to Poros and spent a week between the quay, Russian bay and a couple of the bays toward Vidi.
Rob and Judit spent a week with us pottering gently to Hydra and back. When they left, L had a day doing washing and shopping and then we set off for Crete in company with John and his little white dog "Daz" on Tumbleweed.