Lower Greek Islands

On the way down to Ios, we saw a black tower like figure in the water coming at us. It turned out to be a Submarine, semi submerged and steaming along with what looked like Diesel smoke coming out of the stack. First submarine Id ever seen out on the water and even though it was obviously an older type, it was still very menacing looking.

Ios-

We arrived in Ios to find it was the Anchor out option, so had a go at this and didn’t do too bad for the first time and considering the side wind. Price was 15 euro a night here.

We met an Australian couple with two friends on board a  Beneteau Oceans 43 with a  huge cockpit and we had the proverbial reciprocal drinks on each others boat. That went on to Dinner at a Local restaurant and another late night.

Next day we hired 4 wheeler bikes and went exploring, went to the Far Out Beach which was beautiful and  had a drink at  the Beach Bar. The waitress couldn’t believe what we were doing re the Trip when she asked, and proceeded to tell all the other people at the beach Bar. Then went to Homers tomb, having a laugh with two up on 50cc bikes and trying to get up the hills.

Next day Shelly and Sue were going to the local beach with plans to go to the far end where it was more sheltered, but didn’t make it past the first part of the beach that happened to have a Bar by it.

That night we went to a Local bar/Hotel called Cheers which is been run by Paul and Jose, a couple we met from England. He was the splitting image of Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones and a laugh a minute with his quick wit. We watched the World Cup opener here with Croatia vrs Brazil. Paul backed Croatia, so we had a wager on it just to make it interesting with me taking Brazil. Brazil took it out 2-1 but I couldn’t take the money off him as the game was a Rout that Croatia  should have won, but I suppose it would not have gone down too well, Brazil losing their opening game at Home ( I think the Ref is retired on a beach somewhere in Brazil now)

Santorini

We motored all the way to Santorini as the wind was not favorable and it was a messy sea. At Santorini, I was a bit disappointed. The houses are all built on the edge of a Volcano and it was very deep close in with very little options in Anchoring.  The marina entrance was not deep enough to get Falshator into and there are few options there for safe Anchoring as the Island is virtually a Volcano with rocks and Lava everywhere.
Amazingly, we stumbled upon our Ozzie friends again while out on the water just south of Santorini who echoed our thoughts on the low water at the marina there

                 Just after this encounter, we decided we didn't have enough Flags on Falshator!

We found a bay down the south end of  Santorini that was probably the best option around. I set a trip line on the anchor as it was a rocky bottom and anchored.  We decided to have a cat nap as it had been a bit of a hard night before hand, and then wake up for an afternoon swim as the bay was deserted.

So anyway, we are sitting in this bay all on our own and after having a swim and enjoying the serenity, when all of a sudden around the corner came a flotilla of catamarans filled to the brim with Back packers and we were under serious invasion. They were all around us with people swimming, BBQs going and the music was cranking.  So much for the serenity!

Crete

We made for Crete and with very little wind ended up motoring most of the way.

Got some local wind approx. 10  miles out and got the Gennaker up running it very shy.  Close to Chania we went to pull it down and had trouble with top of the Sock getting a twist in it and wouldn’t allow it to come down so the whole lot had to come down and we would have to repack it in Chania

Chania was very hot and we had to stop outside the Marina for a swim and showers on the back of the boat.

We moored stern to the local dock with the one front mooring line and the  dock very high, making it not easy to go up the Gang plank

It is a very busy downtown there with bars/ Restaurants all along the waterfront,  people everywhere and going on into the early hours. Met Paul and Audrey, an English couple who had sailed around the world and spent the last 5 years in the Med. They had wrote a book called ‘A Leap of Faith”

Great people to talk to, had a wealth of experience and very Hospitable.

We drove a Rental car to Elafonisi Beach-unbelievable, crystal clear water, shallow, out in the middle of nowhere and it was chocka full of people, don’t know where they all came from!

Next day we tried to find a place to fill Gas Cylinders, we went on a wild goose chase, drove for miles and found nothing! Finding someone to fill Gas cylinders on Crete is a mission. Gave up and went back out with the boat to get out of the city, as driving around it was driving us all crazy.

Went to an anchorage up the NW end of Crete at an Island called Gramvousa, had drinks after Swimming that went on quite late. Got woken early as the wind had changed and decided to move the boat but were still close in.  Gramvousa was a Pirate hide out originally and it has an Incredible Fortress up on top of it so we thought we would go and explore it, on this secluded Island.

Just as we were going ashore a Large Boat turned up and what looked like thousands of people came off this boat on our own deserted Island so we turned around and retreated to the Boat.

On the way back Shelly was complaining of pain in her foot but we couldn’t see anything. After a couple of hours the pain was still there and the ferry with all the people on board had left so I decided we would go ashore and get an opinion on the pain from one of the locals. It turns out she was bitten by a small tiny fish who are poisonous, nothing to worry about and the pain will go away after a few hours, nice to have some local knowledge.

The wind had died so we decided to overnight back over at the original Anchorage as it had far better holding there. We went ashore and went to the local Taverna there for dinner and drinks. Its amazing how you come across these remote Islands with what looks nothing else on it but a Taverna right on the Beach!

It was getting dark when we left the Taverna and went to make our way back across the what was shallow Lagoon to our Tender. By now though, the tide had come in and even though I mentioned this to Barry, Shelly and Sue, they decided to still go across it, while I was carrying the bag and chose to skirt around the outside. It was a bit of a laugh watching them getting deeper and deeper and eventually having to swim across the Lagoon in their clothes and come out looking like drowned rats the other end. At least the water was warm. J

We sailed back to Chania and encountered some strong gusts coming down close off the Hills, some gusting over 30 knots. Then 10 minutes later the wind drops to nothing, 20 mins later, its back up to 20 knots making the Docking interesting. Its crazy how variable the wind is up here.

We are about to leave Crete and the Greek Islands and make for Malta, our longest leg yet which should take around three days. There’s a weather window open and she supposed to be blowing favorably in the next few days so we plan to make use of it!