On the Saturday (13th July) we moved into the quay where we planned to stay for a wee while.

We had decided to let Lily loose and she fair enjoyed herself but seemed to be getting confused a few times (or so we thought) and going onto to other boats by mistake. Talking to a Turkish man later it appeared she had done the rounds of a few boats.

    

Lily on the loose

It’s a ridiculous amount of money to berth here overnight Euros 3.70 plus VAT. So since it was Saturday we extravagantly had another night out, this time to the Phonogram Taverna just ourselves this time. Very nice but understaffed however we are not in a hurry these days.

Phonogram

We had Wolfgang & Renate over a night and the Highland Park was christened at the end. Sore heids the next day !

As per a previous blog we had been here before  in the next bay over staying in the Porto Myrina Palace Hotel.

I decided to have a further mini tour of Mirina & walk over through the Romeikos Gialos (The Greek Coast) to revisit the place.

       

Sundry Mirina town pictures on the way

It was much as remembered but seems like a different life ago! Neilson are still there though seemed a bit quieter than I remember when we were there

       

Porto Myrina Palace

Early one morning Louise took a hike up to the castle and got some cracking pictures from the ramparts.

A small deer in the centre picture

Goats and deer roam freely around the castle

Lit up at night it looks fantastic

      

The harbour (Ottoman Qtr) & breakwater

   

The Greek Qtr looking over to Porto Myrina in the distance

  

 

Lily lazing about fish watching off the back of the boat.

It’s now Wednesday the 17^th and we’ve been invited onto a Swedish boat  for drinks tonight after having been on the British one next to us last night!!

We will need to give our livers a break, soon.

We have paid for up until tonight so tomorrow is decision time.

The day after the storm still on anchor we ventured ashore for dinner with Renate & Wolfgang. “Dr Wolfie” is accident prone and this evening getting off their catamaran he dropped his mobile in the water.

He immediately got his kit off tied a 10kg weight to his wrist and plunged into the depths to retrieve his phone, which he did a moment later, however it didn’t work after that.

   

The quay and Camira in the bay in the distance

  

We went for a glass of wine while he changed again for dinner

    

They had recommended the Cosmos restaurant and again it was around in the Greek Quarter. It had great views of  Mount Athos….. You can’t get away from it!   ever!

The next day we took the dinghy ashore and went exploring. We had been to Limnos / Lemnos before in 2008 on a Neilson Surf Sail & Cycle Holiday. Louise had convinced me to try Calamari here and I remembered the small tavern with the blue seats at the small inner fishing harbour.

Calamari cental 2008

Built near the site of the ancient capital, Mirina has only recently adopted its ancient name. Formerly it was called Kastro after the Genoese castle dominating the town.

     

Around the quay area the old Ottoman part of the town

It has a really nice feel to it and we both wish that we could take the boat out of the water here for the winter but unfortunately there are no lifting or storage facilities. We may look at other parts of the island maybe Moudhros might have, we’ll see.

Gordon yesterday ? …… No I dont think so !

     

The main street heading to the “Greek Coast”  the old Greek Quarter

   

The busts of the hanged men

In July 1770 Lemnos was occupied by the Russian Admiral Orlov and temporarily freed the inhabitants from the Ottomans, unfortunately on arrival of the mighty Ottoman fleet the island was returned to its former condition of slavery.

In reprisal the Ottomans razed the Holy Trinity Church and killed 300 among the elders of Lemnos. The Bishop Joachim II & Priest Monk Teacher Kosmas were hanged from the holy trinity bridge. Their busts now adorn the entrance to the Metropolitan Church of Limnos

  

The metropolitan chuch of Lemnos and just a nice building

It has two “proper” supermarkets. After all the mini markets we have been used to even I marvelled at the well stocked goodies on show. Oh boy I am losing it!

Back at the boat in the early evening the storm clouds were gathering and we postponed a night ashore with Wolfgang and Renate just in case it came in early……… It did and with ferocity.

I have no pictures as we were busy watching our anchor and transits as the wind whipped us around the bay. We had over 40 meters of chain out and we held OK but it was brutal. Winds were well over 50 knots  and forked lightning was hitting the water. We didn’t know at the time but boats were blown aground & numerous people had been killed up around the area of Nea Moudhania. A Russian man and his young son in Potidhaia , where we had just left a couple of nights ago ! It was on the Greek news that some areas were declared a state of emergency.

We stayed a further few days in Porto Koufo.

We much preferred the southern end. The water was far clearer for swimming. Another boat with a seldom seen Israeli flag had nicked our mooring buoy anyway, how dare they.

Next on our loose plan was to visit Thasos via the northern coast of Greece beyond the Akti Peninsula. However the Meltemi prevailing wind blows from the NE up here before swinging to the NW further south. That could mean a bash into it. There are also warnings of very big and dangerous seas off Akti and especially near Mount Athos. So we would need to see what the weather had in store for us.

The other option would be to head off the wind a bit to Limnos and maybe then jump up to Thasos?

We decided on the latter. It’s roughly 55 miles to Mirina on Limnos so an early start was planned, up at 03:00 and we managed to get away for 03:20, not bad!

  

Mount Athos in the dawn

The forecast had been NE 9-15 knots at first then dropping to 5 knots later.

As it turned out it was initially a wee bit stronger than forecast and we hit big seas (as warned) off the tip of Akti. We considered turning back but with a falling forecast we just battled it out.

Just for a change the weather played ball and as forecast it calmed down a bit in the afternoon.

About half way across we were surrounded with tuna hunting and jumping out of the water around the boat for 3 hours. Seagulls were picking off the small fish the tuna didn’t catch.

I tried my very expensive lure that I had bought, secretly, in Mytilini and no sooner had it hit the water I was into a big fish! My rod is a thick boat rod I used for sea fishing off of Largs when you could get big cod. I managed to get the fish to within a boats length away when the line gave way! We were really looking forward to fresh tuna. We tried again and lost another lure ……that was us out of lures so no more fishing until we can restock.

 

The one that got away

We arrived in Mirina just before 19:00 and anchored off the beach. Wolfgang & Renate were on the harbour quay and warned us off an expected storm the next day, maybe better to come in, but we decided to stay in the bay to let Lilly wander the boat and not have to lock her in (if we went stern too) after her long passage. We were underway for almost 15 plus hours with more than half of that sailing and the rest motor sailing so not too bad.

    

Approach to the bay in Mirina

       

View from our anchorage at sunset the first night

Although we would have still liked to visit Salonika we couldn’t really be bothered with the slog back up. So with the forecast for NW winds we thought we would begin our journey back towards the middle finger and then beyond perhaps to Thassos or Limnos with a short hop back through the canal (again!) and anchor for the night just off Potidhaia.

Air Photo of the canal from the Pilot

Our initial planned anchorage just beyond the bridge to the  right just off the beach.

At 18:10 according to the log we left Nea Moudhania heading for the canal. This time we had to negotiate the two big boats, normally berthed just past the little harbour, leaving for their night’s fishing. All good though and again very friendly , laughing and shouting across to us.

No sooner had we put the anchor down at the other side of the bridge the wind swung to the SE, light at first, but by about 20:30 it was up to 23 knots blowing straight up the gulf. This was not going to be our anchorage tonight. Again I see from the log at 20:00 we motored south to Fokia where we thought we might get some respite from a bight of land. We anchored at 21:00. We had just enough light for me to dive in and check our anchor. It was in but I wasn’t overly happy with it. We were on a lee shore with shallows nearby of 2.0 meters quickly shoaling to nothing.

With the wind steadily increasing, at 22:00 we gave in, it was up with the anchor and headed across the gulf to Porto Koufo. It was going to be a long and bumpy night sail.

There is nothing worse than an unplanned night sail when you have just settled down for tea and looking forward to a good kip! Hey Ho that’s sailing for you. We reached Porto Koufo and anchored (in the south of the bay this time) at 07:15. We had been underway, and some of it good sailing, in total for 13 hours. Time to sleep.

    

Porto Koufo south end of bay at sunset on Saturday night

What had been a quiet anchorage the night before, through the canal on the east side of Kassandra, was in the morning a washing machine. Bob & Andrea were also anchored in the bay. Now being an old hand at this canal transit we decided to get out of the roller coaster ride and brave the entrance to the canal. It needed a bit of power and concentration but once passed the entrance it was fine.

Nea Moudhania was  35 minutes away. It is more of a working town than a resort. It serves as a hub for the Kassandra Peninsula and the agricultural interior. The water front is a busy place, with commerce rather than tourism, and in the harbour you are in the middle of town.

We managed to secure a place alongside and a friendly old fisherman working on his boat took our lines. The people we have met are extremely friendly hereabouts (even I suppose Medusa Stella in her way). Lily made a break for freedom and I headed off to the Port Police!

Talk about night & day.

I was in and out, Dekpa stamped, in 15 minutes by a friendly female officer no issues what so ever. It seems it depends on your luck and the guys on the ground interpretation of the law?

On return to the harbour Lily had entered a yacht club under a locked fence and I had to attempt a limbo with ample girth under the gate to retrieve her.

  

The limbo , and the chinese laundry boat

The mats and towels on the gurdrails are so that lily doesn’t jump into the netting and rebound like a trampoline . She can’t see the safety netting !!!

We both liked Nea Moudhania but it was marred by a sad episode:  a young seagull had got its foot caught in a lamppost and was hanging upside down. The fire brigade did turn up after a while but their ladder was too short. They sent for a cherry picker which then took ages to arrive. The poor young bird died as it arrived. Louise has a picture but I can’t bring myself to post it. Very sad.

We did go out that night , just for ease of not cooking but it was a bit downbeat.

Tuesday 2nd July we headed for Aretsou Marina skirting the Traffic Separation Scheme for the large cargo vessels heading for Thessaloniki.

Salonica in the distance

I had visited Thessalonki many years ago in my youth and Louise had recently seen it from the air when flying home from here in May. We were both looking forward to a few days exploring the city.

It was not to be.

I should have taken the worst directions and assistance we have ever encountered in a marina as a warning from the fates.

The marina staff in the rib supposedly directing us in changed their minds at the last minute, pulled a lazy line across our stern as I was reversing in nearly wrapping our prop.

However safely in and relaxing, Lily ashore on the grass for a play, we were approached by a French guy on a boat near us who asked us if we were intending to / needing to visit the Port Police and if so – today would be the best day as he had had a terrible experience the day before culminating in the possibility of his boat being impounded. He hadn’t slept but when he went back today the people on duty were far more reasonable and helpful. I didn’t fully understand his issues but it was enough for me to decide to visit immediately to get my Dekpa stamped. As previously explained in an earlier blog this is an annual stamp required on your cruising permit. It should just be ….and has been in the past…. a formality.

NOT this time…….

In the interim it transpired there had been a shift change at the Port Police and “Medusa “was back.

At first all went swimmingly until the Tepai was asked for. This is the New Greek cruising tax.

It came into being in May and you have to pay for those months you are navigating. We paid for Jun through to October. We confirmed with the Port Police in Mytilini this was the correct procedure and we had a Marina receipt & a letter from them proving we were not moving until 2^nd June.

To cut a long story short she (Medusa) wanted us to pay a fine of 300 Euros because we had not paid tax for May. Eventually working my charm (Yes, sometimes I have some) I managed to get her to phone the PP and the marina in Mytilini.

My situation confirmed, the best she could do was talk to her boss and I should come back tomorrow. Four hours of my life I’ll never get back. However at least I wasn’t in handcuffs.

We went out that night with Wolfgang and Renate who where in the Marina as well, just to a local taverna it would have been 25 minutes by car in Thessaloniki proper.

On return to the PP office the next morning the guy on duty was aware of the situation but didn’t speak a word of English so he phoned “Medusa” Stella, and passed the phone to me. We were on 1^st name terms by now.

Her boss still wanted to fine me but to be fair to her and her colleague they suggested a solution. This was that I should go on line and pay for May retrospectively then travel 40 miles back south to Nea Moudhania and get my Dekpa stamped there! They couldn’t do it here because “They now knew about me”  and “only come back when my Dekpa was stamped “ Eh confused? Yes.

We didn’t think the solution was good idea as it looked like we were trying to hide something, when we haven’t done anything wrong.However we decided to go back South and try a different Port Police Office.

So marina fees paid , no visit to Thessaloniki proper, we set off again just before 13:00 all the way back down and through the canal to anchor for the night . We just made it after sun set but with still enough light to anchor . What a palaver

 

Approching & entering Aretsou marina the only pics we have of Thessaloniki, lol

After 4 very pleasant nights in Nea Marmaris we were now into July and we set off for Thessaloniki almost 60 miles to the north west through the Portas Canal.

  

This shallow canal near the village of Potidhaias cuts the Kassandra peninsula off from the mainland it is over ½ a mile long and has a minimum width of 36m. A bridge spans the canal at a height of 17m. It is dredged to 2.5m but is subject to silting particularly at the Western entrance and the edges. Having assured ourselves with help from a local couple, Tanya & Thassos, who charter out two Elan Yachts in Nea Marmaris that we should be OK to transit it we set off early at 07:00.

OK for us that is! but  …

They forbid their charterer’s to go through it! lol. We discovered this talking to a Russian journalist on one of the yachts. She writes about animals and most recently about a Greek dog who has attended all of the political rallies in Athens.

She was taken with Lily and her story so she took some pictures and is going to do a piece on her for a Moscow publication and has promised to send us details.

Better brush up on my Russian…. Da?

James Bond: “ What do you want?”

Spectre:         “Vee vont you to die Meeesterr Bond”

We reached the entrance to the canal around 10:00 am. No matter how carefully you have confirmed the height restriction it’s almost always looks closer than it probably is.

         

Lily came up to see what all the fuss was about

On exiting the canal the wind was beginning to go south. We had full sail up to take advantage of it but it was unlikely we would reach Arretsou Marina, Thessaloniki before late so a suitable alternative was sought.

  

The western exit and view back to the bridge

This turned out to be Nea Mikhaniona, a fishing harbour in the large bay under Ak Megalo Emvolon (Big Cape Emvelon – for youse keepin up wi’ the Greek Speek).

 

As it’s a fishing harbour it’s not designed for yachts and the mooring bollards are head height and have to be lassoed. Unfortunately Louise’s rodeo skills have lapsed somewhat so it took a few attempts to successfully catch a bollard.

Yes….. Yet again the air was blue, lol.

       

Nea Mikhaniona Harbour peaceful at sunset

Peaceful as night fell , but that was before the fishermen arrived , not the professionals but the amatuer fishing rod guys who line the piers and chatter, all night , lol

However it would be a short hop of 12 miles to Marina Aretsou tomorrow morning.

The plan for today is a gentle day sail after 5 nights in Porto Koufo we are heading 10 miles up to Nea Marmaris.

 

Passage plan 10 miles hopefully not across land though

What started out as a 7kt breeze quickly changed to 17kts so it was quite a fast passage.

I have often seen on the charts “Sea Plane Landing Area” but today was my first live sighting (Louise was snoozing below and missed it). A yellow plane with floats circled above us then descended about a mile away and performed a touch and go.

On the way to Nea Marmaris you pass Porto Carras Marina developed along the lines of the posh Marinas in the South of France by Greek shipping magnate John Carras – hence the name. It houses two hyper-hotels, squash & tennis courts, swimming pools, boutiques, theatre and a casino. Importantly they also have resident Port Police (Hellenic Coast Guard). These are the people I need to get our annual cruising permit “Dekpa” stamped and it’s due soon. If you don’t get it stamped before the anniversary date it’s a 500 Euro fine.

Air photo of Porto Carass from the Pilot book

Now, just for info, historically the Greek harbours nightly charge can be about 4 to 10 Euros but more often than not no charge at all and that sometimes even includes water & electricity. The pukka marinas on the other hand can be around 20 to 30 Euros. So we expected a quote of a wee bit higher from Porto Carras but not the 84.00 Euros plus VAT (24%) plus 10.00 Euros for electricity, plus a metered charge for water! So not for us ! Although in anticipation, I had dug out my black dinner jacket for the casino. Ah well, maybe next time Mr Bond ?

Nea Marmaris was a settlement in ancient times predating the Byzantine settlement. In 1922 Greeks from Turkey were settled here in one of the exchange of populations and the village was renamed Nea Marmaris. It has developed into a large resort town and the original village around the natural harbour now climbs up and over the steep too hummock behind the harbour.

We arrived past the broken breakwater at 10:00 am dropped our anchor and slotted stern too into the last available berth on the pontoon. Bob and Andrea had been alongside the fishing dock for the previous few nights; he’s not keen on the Mediterranean mooring as his boat having bilge keels doesn’t go backwards that well.

   

The harbour and submerged wave breaker pontoon at night

  

Heading out the 1st night

Having safely negotiated all the dangers on approach, the restaurant recommended by Bob & Andrea was to prove more troublesome to the skipper!

  

Ooops ! new  t shirt as well.

T shirt changed, the next night we were joined by Bob & Andrea for a Friday Night Gyros, this has become a habit since our meeting in Kalamata.

  

No …… I’ve no idea what I am doing ?

   

Gyros here we come

Some interesting sites along the way:

 el

Ducks outside the Dire Hotel

The 1^st day I had visited almost all the mini markets in Nea Marmaris unsuccessfully looking for cat sanitary supplies – cat litter to you & me & more importantly Lily. Ever tried miming cat litter to a non English speaking Greek?

The 2^nd day Louise has success on her first hit, lucky white heather, I say. I was getting ready to dig up the beach.

Cat sorted we can think about moving on.

Saturday 22nd we set sail heading around to Porto Koufo about 16 miles.

Porto Koufo is a magnificent natural harbour at the western foot of the Sinthonia peninsula (2^nd finger) of Khalkidhiki.

 

Passing Cape Ampelos

     

The entrance opening up to the bay

Sheer red cliffs at the entrance open up to a large land locked bay bordered by cultivated fields. Once a small fishing harbour now caters for a few tourists in summer, a lot of them in camper vans. In the winter it is a base for the tuna fishing boats.

   

Calm evening in the bay

Both Dorado & Meerkat where there when we arrived.

 

The village and the small fishing boats at dusk trawling

Wolfgang & Renate pointed us to an unused mooring buoy which they said a large yacht had been on some days prior so we picked it up. I dove down to check it and it seemed OK albeit we usually prefer and trust our own ground tackle.

Anchoring however is difficult here with the depths swinging from very deep to very shallow within a boats length. Bob and Andrea eventually left the next day because they were not happy with their anchor.

We managed to replenish our water supply again dinghy-ing ashore with the 25L jerry cans

We spent 5 nights here one of them ashore in the fish taverna recommended by Wolfgang and Renate, our tour guides.

Fish Taverna a mere dingy ride away

Mmmmm Calamari

 

Pffft…… fish restaurant for them & I get Friskies

I can smell those lovely fishies …..Aaaaargh!