After 3 lazy days in Oinousses on the 21st September we were off all of 9 miles across to Xios and our usual spot in the unfinished marina.

We didn’t catch up with Pakis & Litza this time as he was up in the north of Xios taking his boat out for the winter. Jimmy’s boat was still in the marina though & he popped along to say hello one day & give us a lift into town.

Nicolas was here as well waiting on his architect friend Joel who was due to arrive in a few days time for a planned trip down to Patmos, Lipsi, Arki etc, but they got stuck in Xios for a week of his two week holiday headed by southerly winds.

Some of our usual haunts prior to Joel arriving

The first picture is a pair of slippers reminiscent of our artist friend’s ceramic works that cost as much to send to her in Syracuse as they did to buy ! and the second was the cheese shop I was thrown out of for taking pictures.

Louise, still having trouble with her rotator cuff injury to her shoulders had a day trip to Lemnos to see Dr Stamiris who she had visited earlier in the season. She flew up & got the ferry back overnight.

The “marina” taken by Louise on her flight to Lemnos

Meantime we had a boy’s day out in a hire car to show Joel some of the Xios sights.

Day trip around Xios

BBQ at the marina – smoke does get in your eyes

BBQ continued

Lunch out in Xios town

Nicolas & Joel left after a week and we stayed on as Louise was still trying to sort out an MRI on her shoulders  in Xios advised by Dr Stamiris. Originally we could only book  it for two weeks hence but then were advised that Samos could do it in the hospital so on Saturday the 30^th September we left Xios heading for Samos. In the end though having waited that extra week, on arrival in Samos, we found out the hospital in fact did not have MRI capabilities and she had to book to return to Xios later!!

Talk about lucky white heather.

Sunday 17^th September

It was a windy morning in Ligonari anchorage as we prepared to leave around 07:00 for the just under 36 miles south to Oinousses.

We had left the protection of Lesvos by 07:20 and with 25 knots plus gusts of wind pushing us downwind under reefed genoa we were coasting along at 6.2 knots with big following seas.We have a video but unfortunately our version of the blog does not support video. Hopefully the stills give some idea though.

Brisk morning passage from Lesvos

Lily had exited her usual safe perch for a new one behind Louise – she was not a fan of the rolly downwind passage.

The old & new positions

It is only one of the rare occasions in 10 years or so we  eventually had to resort to hand steering as the auto pilot “Peggy” couldn’t cope too well. It was exhilarating but just before lunch time the wind started to drop and the engine was on again motor sailing.

Approaching Bilali Bay – a few rocks about to watch for,  fat boy

Normally we berth on the pontoon in the harbour of Oinousses but this time we decided to anchor in a cove just outside, Bilali Bay, the pink dot below.

When we arrived just before 15:00 there was a “music boat” full of tourists in the adjoining bay enjoying themselves as we all have done on our holidays – how dare they – but by late afternoon they had headed back to Xios town leaving us blissfully alone.

The day trip boat in the distance as we arrived

It’s a small walk over the hill into Mandraki village. Having been here a few times before I have tried to limit the pictures to  the “new” sights, but I may have failed – it’s such a lovely spot.

The walk in from our anchorage & Camira alone in the bay

Some of the locals

A wander, some shopping & lunch. It’s a hard life.

The return, the boat’s still there & a scamble down to the dinghy

One of the benefits of sailing this late in the season is you mostly get the place to yourselves. Maybe just as well ……. not to frighten the locals …

The Tokoloshe that appeared one afternoon

The next three weeks or so we planned to spend on Lesvos, with a visit home to Glasgow for Dave’s birthday. It’s just a pity it’s so complicated, no impossible, with Lily, for us both to go anywhere together. We would dearly have loved to, especially this time, but yet again it was not to be.

We chose Lesvos for a number of reasons, we love it, there are a number of beautiful anchorages (one being Lily’s birthplace) and of course the marina in Mytilini, a safe spot to leave Louise, Lily & the boat.

Our 1st stop on the way to Mytilini-  Tsilia cove, Mersini. 25th July.

Louise & Myrsini, our vet  – named after Mersini above – feeding newborn abandoned kittens in her practice in Mytilini

Originally the plan was for Louise to just lounge & relax at the marina until my return from Scotland, but as I have said in the previous few blogs the weather was very, very hot & after having spent 8 furnace like days in the marina we decided on the 3^rd August to head back out to the cool(er) ? anchorages until my departure to Glasgow.

Mersini cove, Ligonari this time, from the air & at anchor. 3rd August.

What’s your problem? – I’m just having a nap.  3rd August

 

Health & fitness regime on board.  3rd August.

Skala Loutra & on board Camira – Mathew, Piet & Clara. 4th August.

Loutra village a lovely sleepy village a twenty minute walk up the hill and our favourite wee taverna with our Dutch friends Piet & Clara. 6th August.

On returning from one of our walks up to Loutra village we stunbled across a horse who had kicked his water bucket over – it was hellishly hot so we got him a refill – don’t think it touched the sides.

My flights home were very complicated & I had booked them with the connection times far too tight. On the delayed easy jet flight to Naples where I would pick up my connection to Glasgow – the pilot on hearing of my predicament apologised but said there was no way he would make up the time. It looked like I was going to be stuck in Naples for three days and would miss the party. I was dejected. On arrival at Naples well after my flight to Glasgow should have left I noticed it was boarding – what a dash I had through security, and passport control in a very busy airport jumping queues and pushing past people. I made it with the skin of my teeth, drenched in sweat but the party was back on!

The party was great being an afternoon affair but I am easily led and Rhona, Dave’s sister in law a great hostess. I’m afraid I left early evening well under the weather and on the way back to my hotel in Glasgow could not find my way around all the barriers newly set up for that weekend’s world cycling championships. Louise had been trying to contact me, worried, but I hadn’t heard the phone. In the end I jumped the barriers to the annoyance of two policemen who gave chase. I lost them but in the flight had fallen on my new iPhone and broke it! Lol.

Dave’s birthday with Milenium Falcon cake ! & his brother’s Harley Davidson. Great day August 12th Glasgow.

The road closures central Glasgow – great for the cycling but impossible to navigate.

Some long missed treats

Monday 14^th August saw me for the 1^st time using my pensioner’s concession pass on a trip to Oban all for the price of £1.00 – plus bed, breakfast and beer of course.lol

Inveraray & Loch Fyne on the way up – I do miss sights like these !

……. and these …… Oban. 14th August.

My B&B  and tiny room

My sit in fish supper – £16.00 !!! – apparently missed happy our by 5 minutes.

Saturday the 19^th August now back in Mytilini and we are leaving the marina for the first leg of our journey south to Psarsa a small island off the NW coast of Xios, we have wanted to visit for some time now.

The planned route to Psara

The passage was to be stops at the old faithful anchorages Skala Loutra & Avlonas – at the week end – to escape the excruciatingly loud music from a new wedding venue at Skala, now on until 04:00 am  in the morning.

One of the two tavernas ashore at Avlonas anchorage. 26th August. Misty pictures due to broken iPhone camera.

Avlonas anchorage & figs just given to us one day for no reason from a wee lady in that house . 26th August

Dinner ashore Avlonas at the other taverna. 26th August.

Then it was on to Kolpos Koloni the largest of the two lagoons on Lesvos

Kolpos Koloni, the bigger lagoon were we arrived on the 27th August, from the smaller lagoon, Kolpos Yeras

Then the next morning across to Psara, the small island to the NW of Xios.

It was not meant to be.

On the morning 28^th August we got up at 06:00 to head off to Psara. I started the engine but didn’t like the sound, and sure enough, 5 minutes later the temperature went through the roof  –  turned out the engine water pump had failed.

Failed water pump

I knew I had “fashioned a spare“ put together from used parts somewhere. Two hours later we were set to go again, but motoring the five miles to the exit of the lagoon told us we weren’t going to Psara that day ! The engine was still overheating badly but not enough, I hoped, to prevent us getting back to Scala Loutra where luckily, across the bay in Perama, Dimiti Loupos, an engineer friend has his work shop.

Thankfully it kept going – it would have been fun, not ! trying to sail out of Koloni with little wind and negotiating the transits to open water.

We were anchored just behind the wee island at A Lena you can see the shoal water and the must follow transits to exit

We limped into Skala Loutra, starting & stopping the engine to let it cool where we anchored & I removed the 2nd faulty pump to give to Dimitri. He managed to rebuild one pump & provide the new parts for me to rebuild the spare. So it was after a few days and a dinghy ride across the bay to collect it all we were set to go.

Or not ………. Storm Daniel was on the way so it’s back around to the Mytilini marina to wait it out.

 Mytilini Marina 7th – 14th Sept

Off out for the evenings. 7th – 14th September.

The marina staff  – Vivi & Anastassia

and the lovely Zoe, security guard

It wasn’t until 15^th Sept we actually managed to leave the marina heading to Ligonari cove , again! and from there to Oinouses & Xios.

We had given up on Psara for this year but were on our way again at last.