It’s just under 50 miles to Sigri, perched on the remote west coast of Lemnos. A few tourists visit this fishing village for the nearby sandy beaches, but for the most part life carries on much as it has always done. Sigri is noted in most guide books for its petrified forrest but most visitors are not impressed by the sight.

We have two friends who have permanently settled here, Dorothy & Mike a retired couple from Scotland and Wales respectively. We met a few years back in Myrsini the vet’s practice in Mytilini.

It was a bit of a motor sail but a pleasant enough journey in what can sometimes be a bit of a rough passage. We arrived just before 18:00 and tried to anchor twice under the fort but dragged both times. We then moved to just off the beach with another boat but both of us were asked to move further out by the Port Police. They have laid the swimming buoys further out than usual which means you have to anchor in quite deep water and poor holding into the bargain. We were anchored alongside 3 Amel yachts.

Quite far out

On the Friday night we visited a beautiful fish taverna Renezzo overlooking the bay

Remezzo

& on the Saturday had lunch with Dorothy & Mike followed by a visit to the Sigri festival later that night.

Sigri Festival

Sigri ashore

We had arranged to meet up again on the Sunday for brunch, there’s a lot of eating goes on in Sigri ! But the wind got up and one of the Amels dragged its anchor. So we all took that as a sign and had to cancel brunch and make a hasty departure.

It’s a lovely wee place but the anchorage is troublesome. They are building a new harbour which is partly finished but not yet open which should prove better.

The new harbour

We had a full genoa down wind sail 10 miles to Chrousos bay to investigate if it would be OK for that night. It was good holding in 4 metres of sand. Two of the Amels also arrived and initially invited us over for evening drinks but later having discovered a beach bar ashore they suggested we visit that. Say no more, lol. The couples on the Amels knew each other – Sabina, Uli, Paul & Karen from Australia & Germany respectively.

Well what started as a drink stretched into the small hours and we even had a taverna deliver dinner to us at the beach bar.

  A good night

Those flip flops were left behind and picked up the following morning !

We stayed a few more days in Myrini. It’s getting unbearably hot now most days it’s over 40+ degrees.

On Friday 7^th July we had a long hot motor around to Moudhros and anchored in the cove off Fanaraki beach. The water was lovely in the heat.

Fanaraki cove

The next day, Saturday we moved around to Moudhros harbour but decided to anchor outside that night because the harbour would be stiflingly hot. We will have to venture in though.

The next day we moved into the harbour initially on the outside but later squeezed into our usual spot on the inside when it became available. Pakkis, Litza & Jimmy his pal were there as well. Pakkis is a keen calamari fisherman we met the last time here & he comes in his boat from Xios every year to dive for them but the hot weather is making them scarce, so he is cutting his visit short this year

Moudhros harbour & eateries

We spent 10 days in Moudhros & slightly under the weather for part of it. What is it with Moudhros ?? Lily got her long awaited shore leave but was not able to really take advantage of it and spent most of her days under the dinghy on the deck of another boat.

We hired a car for a few days and scooted around the island visiting favourite haunts and a bit of house hunting. In the past we had been to see the famous sand dunes but weren’t impressed mainly because what we had mistakenly taken for them was just a beach ! This time we actually found them.

“He’s not the Messiah He’s just a naughty boy”

We discovered a really nice taverna on the opposite side of the bay while we were investigating the harbour at Nea Koutali. Brian & Sara had arrived in Myrina so we picked them up and took them there as well.

Nea Koutali, Brian & Sara

It was lovely to meet up with Pakis, Litza & Jimmy and Irini the wee girl from the pizzeria has had a new baby, Panagiotis.

I do like Moudhros, but on 20^th July we said goodbye to all and hope to see them in Xios, their home island, later in the season, who knows?

Camira leaving Moudhros heading off southwards

On Friday the 30^th June we moved 24 miles to the last of the Sporades that we would visit. We are missing the national marine park’s smaller islands this time Peristeri, Kiri Panayia, Yioura, Skantzoura & Piperi and confining our visit to Alonisos the biggest island in the park.

In ancient times called Ilkos. This hilly wooded island relies on donkeys as much as cars as a means of transport. The old capital Alonisos on a hill in the south of the island was destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1965 and the islanders moved to Patitiri & Votsi but have eventually returned and most of the houses on the hill have been restored.

The 1^st night we anchored in Ormos Chrissi Mili a beautiful bay with an amazing blue oasis to swim in.

On route and Limonari cove on Skopolos for a quick look to decide if we wanted to stop there for that night – in the end we didn’t

Approaching Alonisos

look at that water

The next day we moved just under 4 miles to an equally lovely bay just around the corner from Stenni Vala. You can moor at Stenni Vala but we preferred to anchor to be able to swim and it also means we don’t have to worry about Lily wandering off and getting into scraps with the locals!

In the afternoon I walked over to Stenni Vala to have a look and that night we took the dinghy around to visit one of the Tavenas on the quayside. We met the Russian lady from Loutraki again. What a difference having a decent dinghy & outboard makes we should have replaced old faithful much earlier.

Our anchorage the 2nd night in the cove just south of Stenni Vala

A walk over in the afternoon decided me on the dinghy for the coming evening !

Kalo Orexi

Well that was the end of our visit to the Sporades and on Monday the 2nd July we were up early at 05:30 for the longish sail to Lemnos where we had a few days in old faithful Myrina before Diane headed back home.

Our route through the Sporades

Anchored in Myrina harbour at sunset having managed to sail a good bit of the passage at 6.0 knots