It was a 16 mile downwind sail to Agathonisi today. It took us just under 4 hours. Genoa most of the way.

We anchored in the first bay just past Ak Stifi (No. 3 above)

 A swim for me …..and

  

…….. a beer for me

From the anchorage I thought you could possibly climb up over the hill and walk down and around into Agathonisi proper. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Up …..Up ….…. and overSyeni & Camira at anchor Looking down into the next bay over, a French yacht & the town just visible around the corner in the distance.

Pretty town . At the height of the refugee crisis this place was over run and although the mini market had all but run out of food they still tried to help.

The harbour front and walkway

There are a couple of  tavernas, one specialising in fish , a small cafe and a minimarket. This is where the ferry arrives if you want a “get away from it all” spot, there’s even a little beach. Turns out George (the meat Taverna) is Kleanthis’s Uncle and apparently the best goat comes from here.

The view from George’s

 

The other view from George’s !

   

The return trip back into the setting sun.

Some remain steadfastly unimpressed with the effort !

I see from our last post the intended retrospective blogging was initially started on 7^th November 2020, last year, and nothing since!

Well having settled into “Another Day in Paradise” our home from home on Samos (ahem …. more later) you would think I’d plenty of time to catch up?

Well no …… Its now 18^th April 2021 and I’m just now tentatively re commencing.

The reasons (excuses) will unfold as we near that November date in due course.

Anyhow last year’s cruising notes and worthy pictures now follow.

As Sean Connery said to Michael Caine in the Man who would be King  – “It’s time to head south Peachy” – so that was the plan.

But first we had three weeks or so shuttling between Posidonia Bay and Pythagorio. We were looking for rental property for the winter and in addition Nicolas’s friend Denis was coming out for a week’s holiday and he wasn’t a good sailor, in fact he was downright afraid, so even moderate distance sailing was out.

We did manage to negotiate a lovely house in Posidonia but the lady then later recinded the offer. We think it was mention of Lily that was the deal breaker. In hindsight it was not a bad thing as it would be deserted in winter and even in summer this year the small mini market was closed.

The upside of Covid is that the bay usually jam packed with Turkish boats was empty except for us and a few others from time to time.

The batteries were not recharging to their full capacity on solar power as expected and I suspected that either they or the fridge was packing in. Kleanthis recharged our fridge with coolant and as it appeared OK we replaced the batteries as well. Time will tell.

The interpid Capitanos

 

An unusually empty bay at Posidonia

Walked round to Klima bay

and of course lunch

Celebrating our house rental in Posidonia just before it fell through

On board in the bay

Our only visitors, a charter from Turkey , a French couple who couldn’t get ashore as their dinghy didn’ t work .Nicolas took pity on them and gave them a lift .

It’s unusual to get pictures of your own boat sailing on passage shuttling back down to Pythagorio.

Looks like we are heading ashore in our number ones

Denis in small taverna at Posidonia

Louise animatedly holding court ,lol

Aye!  this picture makes you laugh on a number of fronts.

Just for the hell of it went down the Turkish side of the channel ……..

…… We are just devil  may care pirates.   Aaaargh me hearties

Well this year as we all know times have been strange with Covid 19 restrictions and lockdowns and, additionally for us, the impact of a “No Deal” Brexit looming meant we had no idea of where we would over-winter this year 2020-21.

Where we spend the winter to a certain extent drives our cruising ground for the preceding summer. We had bought a Turkish Pilot but with worsening Turkish/ Greek relations and the aforementioned Covid issues we decided not to visit (this year anyway).

Anyhow the reason for the opening spiel is that we ARE now settled for the winter and I am using the log book and our pictures to retrospectively write up the log that has been sorely neglected, partly because we were revisiting places already blogged previously.

Here we go………

The 3 following charts show our meandering July 6^th 2020 until 27^th October 2020. The individual blogs will follow if my early onset memory allows.

6th July – 11th September Samos, Agathonisi, Lipsi , Patmos, Arki, Samos.

12th September – 26th September  Samos, Lipsi, Leros, Kalymnos & Kos

27th September – 27th October  Kos, Pserimos, Nisiros, Tilos, Symi, Nisiros,Leros, Lipsi, Arki, Samos.

This last leg is from waypoint #3 to the red arrow (Posidonion) on the island of Samos.

We passage planned for 60 odd miles and 12 hours underway.

The boat was prepared the night before for a speedy and early departure at 07:00 obviating the need to let Lilly out, and more problematically, getting her back in. I think I need an extra column in the log for cat effects.

The forecast was NE 18-30 kts. It was going to be a rolly downwind sail.

We had all the genoa out and the cat was settled of sorts in her “berth” a 12 inch or so square shelf in the forward cabin.

At 10:00 having cleared the Chios Chanel we set course for Ak Prasson ( The NE cape of Samos. It was now 45 miles and an estimated 10 hours away.

At 15:00 as a result of a wind drop we had to put the engine on and were motor sailing. There was a distinct change in the engine revs then they picked back up again, but there was a different sound & feel from the engine. A bit more vibration, after all these years you get used to a sound.

We checked the weld repair on the engine leg and that the new feet themselves where tight. All OK.

I went over the side to check if the prop was fouled. No

Given the lack of wind we had no option but to put the engine back on, but I wasn’t happy and was glad when we could manage to sail again.

At 20:00 we anchored in Pythagorion bay; 62.5 miles in twelve & three quarter hours, and nine of them under sail, not bad.

Having had time to ponder I said to Louise I reckon its one of our fuel pumps. She remained unconvinced hearing little change herself in engine noise. But she drinks a lot more than me & I think its affecting her hearing ,lol.

However after 2 nights in the bay , 1 on Nicolas’s boat having Chablis and Louise’s pasta…..

…….we decided to go to Pythagorion, 6 miles away, and have Kleanthis, an engineer we know there, to have a look. Turns out it was indeed a failed spring in the aft most fuel pump.

One of the three pumps

Spare springs have been ordered but they are coming from Europe,via Athens to Samos. Hope they get here soon. We are hot & sticky and stuck outside the “Blue Bar” Loud music until 03:30 lol.

Boats @@@@@

There are some compensations

See what I mean all that fruit cannae be good for you. especially without alcohol in it !

None of us knows where we are going to winter this year so we are entertaining all possibilities.

As well as seeing other parts of the island we thought we could visit some possible locations for a winter layup.

Our 1^st stop was a boatyard just 9 km or so north of Chios town. It gets a good right up and personal recommendation and we were lucky to arrive when a boat was going back in the water by trolley all very capable looking.

The price is incredibly cheap for us euros 100 a month plus euros 300 for both in and out the water, slightly more for Nicolas euros 130 per month. The only problem is that it is a yard with no facilities and no shops, tavernas anything near it.

We met the new co owner’s manager and it turns out it’s the same guy who’s doing up the marina that wants to develop this yard too! The manager says the prices should be about the same as they are not in it for profit – just to benefit the island and its inhabitants.

From there we headed north to the port of Kardamyla for a morning coffee

followed by a drive around the north of the island

to Port Volissos

and ending up in Volissos village higher up for lunch.

Afternoon was the drive back down the west coast where we saw some spectacular beaches and then finally back to Chios town harbour

and finally the castle for, yes you guessed, aperitifs before dinner.

The town itself is a half hour walk away with all the shopping facilities of a big town, and has a harbour proper that you can take your boat to but the chop and swell makes it look unpleasant and possibly even dangerous. I wouldn’t want to leave the boat there unattended for any length of time. It’s also the setting off and arrival point of the big inter-island ferries who just add to the slop.

There is a large “My Market “just 10 minutes away so that’s not too bad if you need to stock up.

I’ll bet that fat bloke in the rain doesn’t eat all this green stuff eh ?

But of course we would wander all the way in, in the guise of doing some shopping and then after settle down for an aperitif or meze lunch.

It’s a hard life this wandering about I’ll have you know!

Now for said aperitifs in the castle

and then the long, hot, but pretty walk back in the sun and a dip in the marina off the back of the boat.

Little sleep and thunderstorms threatening we decided to leave Manadraki the next morning rather than stay as planned for one or two days more.

We were looking forward to meeting up with Nicolas again, anyway. He had been in Chios for about a week, having originally come from Kalamata in the Peloponnese.

So a little 10 mile jaunt across to Chios was the voyage of the day. Just like going to Rothesay.

We arrived to a totally different place from the last time.

By special regulations all of the boats had been ordered out as the place has been bought by a rich Chiot philanthropist who wants to do something for his island by developing a proper marina with shops, bars, chandlers etc.

There were a few boats in but all the old barges have gone and the little local Greek fishing boats have moved to the harbour next door.

We were told it’s alright to stay until the work starts in October, although it might be later as it’s tied up in bureaucracy at the moment.

It’s a fantastic location for a proper marina and I am sure would be very popular.

There is still no water or electricity but we saw this fat bloke taking advantage of a sudden downpower for his ablutions.

06:45 Departing Scala Loutra heading waypoint #2 on chart.

Lily knows the engine is about to start and heads for her”tent” under the boom.

07:45 Mainsail now up with 2^nd reef just in case. Log fixed but possibly a loose connection at the sender.

10:00 As expected the wind veered. Now motor sailing, swell picking up and is a lot bigger by 12:00 and on the beam to boot, a real pain, but still not enough wind to sail.

Eventually at 12:45 we can sail and it turns out to be a good sail in 18 kts of wind but an absolutely amateurish parking fiasco at the end in Mandraki harbour, chipped the aft corner, going along side, aaaargh!

Saw NATO warship coming out of Chios channel as we were going in.

Think log over reading a wee bit, will need to calibrate it later.

47.6 miles in nine & a half hours.

  

Mandraki very quiet, that is, until the one and only bar started belting out music till the early hours. Think there were 2 people in and probably staff.

At last we are off.

Rounded up Lily from her favourite spot in the grass, paid an excellent deal by the marina and headed for Scala Loutra. Wind from the south so a motor job, but only for 11 miles or so, the speed log is not working and a few minor tasks to complete.

It’s a calm night at the anchorage and a lovely sunset. Lily appears impressed with the new cushion set up, lol

    

Today we picked up our new cushions for the cockpit.

Dimitra & Pericles had done a fabulous job. The quality of workmanship is amazing.

Camira has gone through some changes since leaving Ardrossan. She is still not a Mediterranean boat but with the bimini, shades and now cushions – very comfortable indeed.

 Out with the old

and in with the new

Louise is delighted with them.

I wonder if she’ll be delighted with me when I spill red wine on them?