Although now nearing the end of October it is still warm enough for shorts and tee shirts.

Today we drove along to Ireon then walked through the village and up over the hill to Pappa beach.

There is a coastal walk here though we are unsure how far west it continues, perhaps right the way along to Kampos or further ?

We stopped at Pappa Beach which looks like it would be very popular in the height of summer.

Today it was shut up for the winter.

So the only recourse for a cold beer was back in Ireon.

Brian & Sara invited us to a curry down at the marina on their boat Tutela along with Wolfgang & his wife whose name we unfortunately forget only having met her for the 1^st time that night but Wolfgang on a number of occasions in the past.

He is a riot.

Excellent curry from Sara.

This will probably be a farewell evening for them before they go back to England for the winter.

Moving in day completed to Corrina & Ton’s aptly named

“Just another Day in Paradise”

It really should be another year in paradise.

This will be our 4^th year of winters here in Mytilinii, Samos.

Not sure about Roland the tree rat though who moves into the rafters with his family over winter when it turns chilly.

The last sailing legs of the season started early Saturday morning at 04:20 on 30^th September with the longest leg to Samos. Originally we planned to head for Ormos Marina at the west end of Samos about 55 miles give or take but due to a wind shift we changed our mind at 06:30 and altered course to head round the east end of Samos and anchor in Posidonio bay.

Original planned  & final actual passage to Samos

We had wind and a good sail until 14:40 after which quite an uncomfortable motor sail for an hour until the wind picked up again and we could use the genoa. We arrived in Posidonio at 17:30 tired after a long 13 hour passage. It was surprisingly busy in the anchorage for the time of year.

Posidonio 1st October 2023.

Still unsure of our winter storage plans for the boat, on 5^th October after 4 days in Posidonio we headed for Ormos marina to get prices from Aris who has a boatyard in Karlovassi. I had cleared the fouled log – but note to self  – it still seems to be reading a bit off. It was a nice downwind sail with the wind blowing out of Turkey behind us. We arrived and tied up alongside at just after 15:00 in the afternoon. We did get a very attractive price from Antonio (Aris’s son) but on balance although Samos marina would be a good bit more expensive the cost of driving to Karlovassi regularly for maintenance would off set that difference somewhat (see later posts on the driving, lol!) but the real clincher was just the ease of access from the house in Mytilini to the marina.

Decision made, after a BBQ with Mark, Sonia, Nicolas, Stefan and others, a few days later we set off on our final passages that year around the northern Dodecanese.

Originally straight south to Patmos in a lovely downwind sail but after 40 minutes the wind died & then came back from a totally different direction. We were rocking & rolling all over the place so we altered course to Agathonisi. When we arrived it was really starting to blow outside but in the anchorage only 9 or 10 knots. We stayed there until the 9^th October in lovely end of season weather.

Agathonisi scenes

Hugh & Cherry arrived near the end of our stay and we managed to fit in a drink on their boat & a meal with them in George’s

Hugh & Cherry in Agathonisi

On 9th October with it blowing a bit we reefed down and headed out towards & through the Arki channel on our way to Patmos and good old Gerimou anchorage.

24 miles covered and a cracking sail today with only just under 20 minutes of engine used lifting & setting the anchor.

We had the usual trips to the taverna & into Patmos town & bumped into Albert who happened to be blindly swimming past the boat having come from his house in Skala Patmos on his bike for a day out at the beach.

Albert on Camira  in Gerimou

A deserted Gerimou anchorage

Skala Patmos with Nicolas & Albert

It’s the 12th October now and the penultimate passage & island of the season, Lipsi was just 12 miles away and a couple of hours sailing found us anchored in  lovely Kouloura Bay.

Yet again we had the usual visits:

To my favourite ouzeri in the harbour, Manaolis Taste’s restaurant up the hill and a new wine bar also on the harbour side. Louise not having been drinking for a long time was the worse for wear after a few gin & tonics one boozy afternoon in the wine bar Casa di Vino.

Kouloura Bay & the walk in to town

Morning coffee stop by the harbour

A night in the ouzeri

Rounded off with an expensive &  boozy meze afternoon in the wine bar

We were able to move into the house on the 15^th of October this year and we had both had enough sailing by now, so on Saturday the 14^th we headed back to Agathonisi just to split the journey up, but to a different anchorage called Ormos Palon this time.  There was another German yacht there & I don’t think they were too happy about us joining them, however it was only for one night as we were planning completing the final 15 miles of the season to Samos marina early in the morning and getting settled in the house by that evening.

Fotis & Yianis had arranged for a car to be left that morning at the marina and at 09:50 the sailing for that year was ended as we berthed in our usual spot on pontoon C just along from Marcos.

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.

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