Longish passage south past Koufenisia, Schoinousa and Amorgos to Astipalaia
Early start today it was calm with a moderate swell in the bay. I was up at 06:30 and by 07:00 we were off the 56 miles to Asipalaia.
Sunrise over Amorgos
Kalantos back on Naxos in the distance at sunrise
We would head either for Panormis, the bay on the top left of the chartlet below or Vathi a sheltered inlet on the top right.
Destination options on Astipalaia
In the end we chose Vathi because we could go into the taverna here (previously blogged) after a long day to save cooking on board – or so we thought!
On rounding the SW tip of Amorgos we took a right battering. I was expecting wind and waves but it was far worse than I imagined. 39 knots on the beam. At 11:40 I see from the log “OK now”. So very different from our previous visit a few weeks earlier. It’s not a place I would want to revisit in anything other than light airs & calm seas.
A long and tiring day rounded off by a big swell in the afternoon.
Arriving and anchor down at 16:30 to find the taverna was shut !
The next day we sailed down the east “ Butterfly Wing” of the island into Ormos Schinouda and the village of Analipsis, where while anchoring the top of the windlass guide sheared off – lucky white heather. But there was no danger just something else to be fixed in the winter.
