Naoussa or not? That is the question.

Apologies for chart city in this particular blog.

I have included them to show our actual route of 33 miles versus the 16 miles as the crow flies and just less than 7.5 hours vs. 3.0 underway!

Only 16 miles but impossible

The wind and waves prevented the direct approach. Even if we had motored the slamming and banging into the waves would have been intolerable. It was tough enough as it was.

The overall passage

Originally we headed from Naxos to the south of Paros (waypoint 2) where we would judge if it was feasible to head up to our ultimate goal the large bay at the north of Paros, or take refuge for the night in one of the two bays just west of waypoint 2.in the south. The weather the next day was forecasted similar and we had to get there before the week end so if it was possible we would just get it over with in one hit. We reckoned if we short tacked up the coast it would keep us out of the bigger seas further out in the channel.

A close up of our tacking pattern up the coast of Paros

It was a long tiring day. The wind was 27 to 30 knots all day and when we reached the north of Paros the last 5 miles around the top were tortuous, the biggest seas I’ve ever seen in the Med. There is a possible shortcut through some rocks & islands on the NE corner (between say wpts 24 to 28). I’ve never been so glad I didn’t take it !

At about Wpt 26 not only big waves on the beam but a superfast ferry passed close by as well just to add to mêlée !

Lily was petrified at this point and Louise had to go down and keep her company. Unfortunately I couldn’t take any pics at the time but there are a few before we fully turned which gives only some indication of the sea state to come.

As usual it looks nothing in the pics

Talking to Bruce later he said they too had a rough time here and also told me a yacht had been capsized here last month! I am not surprised.

I never been so glad to get into shelter and put the anchor down.

At 17:30 we were anchored in the NE corner of Lageri bay, Naoussa, Paros.

It was still blowing 18 knots in the bay but what a relief.