Initially this year’s plan was going to be a return passage back across the Mediterranean starting mid to end April with a view to ending up for the winter in France but ultimately this didn’t happen.
Our Scottish contingent of sailing friends had, after about 10 years of thinking about it, decided this was the year to visit us and were chartering a yacht out of Kos the 1st week in May.
That being the case we decided to take a break from full-time sailing and avoid the blistering 40 degree summer heat of July & August in Greece that’s become the norm. We luckily managed to arrange with Corinna & Ton to additionally rent “Another Day in Paradise” (the house) from mid July to mid September this year. This would also let us test what it’s like to live ashore during the summer months – because who knows where ultimately we will end up?
In reality this meant we would probably base ourselves in the Dodecanese keeping an eye out for potential weather windows to attempt a trip up to Lesbos either after the Scots’ visit or after the summer break at the house in September?
Who knows time will tell?
For now we were off!
South to Kouloura anchorage on Lipsi passing Agathonisi on the way and then Leros
You can see by the chart plotter a few others maybe have the same idea. Things are definitely getting busier & it’s only the 27th April.
The wind in the morning was only 5 knots or so requiring help from the engine but later on it picked up and with a reefed main & full Genoa we managed a consistent 5 knots boat speed , not too bad. Underway for 7 hours at 17:00 we anchored in Kouloura Bay in 4 meters. Not another soul to be seen, the others must have gone elsewhere, maybe Agathonisi or perhaps around to the harbour at Lipsi town quay.
On passage to Lipsi warm enough in the sun …………
But ……… it was still cold when the sun disappeared not time yet to stow the winter woollies!
After a couple of nights on anchor it was off to Lakki, Leros. At 11.00 it was overcast and brisk. We left in gusts of 17 knots and quite lumpy seas. Once through the relatively sheltered passage between Archangelos (island) and Leros the wind had filled in some more – now a steady 23 knots gusting higher. We were surfing down the waves on the west side of Leros heading for the entrance of Lakki. When we arrived not unexpectedly it was quite busy but we found a wee spot to anchor.
Nicolas arrived with the new owner, boat delivered to the marina. He was staying on it for his final few days. The only thing for him to do was pick up the balance of the final payments (4 undated cheques) from the French Guy who had now decamped to his house in Aghia Marina. He had lent Nicolas his scooter so I hired one as well and headed off with him to pick up his money in Aghia Marina, then a scoot around to Gourna Bay, then down to Xirocambpos for lunch and finally back to Lakki. Its not a big island and you can go from one end to the other in jig time.
Aghios Marina & 1st coffee stop
Gourna Bay & small church almost in the rocks
Xirocampos for aperitifs
We had a night out with Nicolas, Eric & Beatrice, other French sailing friends. They are from Brittany and Eric loves his Scottish Whisky.
Nicolas’ last night saw us visiting the pizza restaurant and the patisserie before he said his final good byes to Greece and boarded the overnight ferry to Athens for his flight back home to France the next day.
Final eateries & a cold night
Au revoir !
The weather has been pretty miserable by Greek standards and so we were worried for the week’s yacht charter by our friends.
Arriving in Kos and meeting us in Leros would not be too much of a problem as the winds were southerly, but some of the contingent were not sailors and initially had preferred to be berthed up each night as opposed to anchoring.
These considerations meant their area to sail and stop was almost totally limited to Lakki, Leros with a couple of nights in Kalymnos, which we had recommended to break up the initial and return passages.
Stopping there on the buoys, provided by the tavernas, however allowed the non-sailors to gain their confidence & after getting their sea legs enjoyed a few nights at anchor as well. We met them on arrival in Leros , their 1st stern to mooring at Lakki quay which they handled no bother. That night we all went to “Sou V lakki” a gyros based taverna just along from the town quay. Needless to say a few jugs of wine were demolished and the following gyros discovered.
Unfortunately for them the wind continued on a settled southerly course with some strong winds forecast which made it difficult to find alternative safe harbours to moor up in.
However after Lakki we headed around to Blefoutis, a sheltered bay on the other side of Leros for a couple of days at anchor .
Short but pretty passage for the charterer’s around to Blefoutis
While there Louise and the others hired taxis to visit Aghia Marina and have lunch, while I stayed on boat watch with Lily, so at least they got to see a bit (well most) of the island before they decided to start back down to Kos again in plenty of time for another night on Kalymnos.
It wasn’t the greatest weather for them but they enjoyed it all never the less.
Neil piping us abord
At anchor on their boat in Blefoutis – later on we might have been a bit noisy !
Visit to Allindi/ Aghios Marina
Goodbyes
After they had gone we headed back round to Lakki again to stock up, get water, laundry etc. This was to prove all to regular this year I can now speak “Lakkinese”
There are a few walks around Leros, this is one, nice to stretch your legs off the boat sometimes.
A circular walk on the Sunday before our return to Blefoutis tomorrow for the “vet run”
We had discovered a lump on Lily’s back and had visited the vet in Lakki for a diagnosis on the 9th May. He felt it was probably OK but best to remove it & see. Unfortunately he wasn’t available until 15th May the following week when unfortunately a really strong southerly was forecast so we had to head around to Blefoutis yet again ! Louise had organised a car to be delivered from a lady we had used before & she took Lily for her op. Luckily after testing it was benign.
Lily in Blefoutis Bay pre ………….
………..… & post op, recovering
The weather is absolutely terrible this year now culminating in storm “Innes” which required staying on anchor in Blefoutis for 5 days. Ashore later for a walk after it had calmed a bit we heard from another crew that only 5 boats (us one of them) out of 13 held with others repeatedly dragging their anchors in the middle of the night, and 5 actually leaving in 40+ knot winds.
I note from the blog I had “penned” a record at the time on the laptop in which I had attempted to humourise the potentially dangerous series of events that occurred during our enforced 5 day stay in Blefoutis . It has a separate posting under “Mr Blobby”
