We need not have worried as to the forecast difficulty of sailing north into the teeth of the Meltimi as 5 July we cast off at 0600 and immediately hoisted the main and motor sailed through the gap between Samos and Turkey.
Enterd a small but modern marina just north of the main city of Samos
David got a rental car and we spent the day driving a big loop up through the mountainous country roads to the isolated villages and the odd long abandoned castle.
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The little streets in the mountain villages were fascinating and we wished we had a lot more time. Actually we felt a bit like we were intruding on the continuance of the evolution of history.
Two homes side by side, guess which one is loved by its owner and the one that could do with a bit of TLC.
Jenny and Elizabeth abandoned ship in Samos preferring the luxury afforded by the local ferry to transport them to Chios for 12 euro each.
Back to the sailing, as we rounded the north-eastern extremity of Samos we indeed came onto the wind with 10 knots meaning that we were unable to sail the direct course, however, it was not the expected exact dead beat so it looked like we were going to get away with only having to put in a couple of boards, this was not the Maltimi. (Interpretation: A dead beat is when the wind comes exactly from where we want to go while a board is a change of course, not the yacht falling apart. A new board puts the wind on the opposite side of the boat meaning that we are still obliged to make a zig zag type of course, but for us the zig was to be about 6 times the distance of the zag so one hour in six will have to be on the opposite tack.)
Ten miles up the course and the wind direction changes to allow us to make an even longer zig. Managed to tack near the big blue Ferry containing our loved ones, keepers of our credit cards, the girls managed to fire off a lot of photos while making quite a stir on board with their use of the handheld VHF. I am pleased to report that the use of the VHF has got a lot more formal and Jenny no longer calls me darling over the airwaves, so I can hold my head up in port! Wind pressure now about 18 knots and we are creaming it at 7.5 knots of boat speed. Yipee!
This was turning into a fast trip, David and I had smiles right around our faces as we settled into one of the best days sailing that we have ever had in the Med. Plenty of other boats out and about for us to chase, visibility, due to the Mediterranean haze, was no more that 8 miles so as we caught up and passed slower yachts another would show in the distance to track. All the while we were being sucked in towards the Turkish coast and indeed we could have even have swum ashore at the upper end of the track.
At 1800 we enter the narrow gap between Turkey and Chios and change tack dramatically to avoid a couple of fish farms being slowly towed north by small tug boats, the tugs are at least 300 metres from the fish farms with steel hawsers joining them ready to take the keel off the unwary. The wind turns a bit chilly, so we need to put on a shirt, start the motor and have happy hour before entering Chios Town Basin to find our boat girls again. We had to stand off the entrance while we flaked the main (Folded and secured the mainsail onto the boom) and waited as a motorised super yacht left. The motor yacht was followed out by a 60 foot tender manned by what must have been a New Zealand couple, we know this as they nearly fell off their boat waving to us. We have noticed this phenomena of really zealous waving on a couple of other occasions so we now believe beyond a shadow of any doubt that it is the Mediterranean working New Zealanders' equivalent to the Haka, a reply was duly performed and all were happy. Europeans do not wave first, not ever, you may observe on occasion an Australian making similar gestures to the NZs.
Our girls were standing on the wharf waiting to take our stern lines as we dropped our anchor in the basin and reversed into a likely looking spot. We told them of the terrible strenuous passage we had just made and of the depravation we had to endure along the way just to get their beds to them, yes them who had had the luxury big ship trip. Some how I think our smiles and happy, slightly rum induced, demeanour gave us away! They, Elizabeth and Jenny, had had to spend the afternoon poolside at the best hotel in town and they didn't have their fancy shoes with them, the poor wee things, so we quietly sipped another rum in sympathy while they savaged a dry white from our fridge.
Happy hour number two took place however let me assure you that we do not very often fall from the discipline of one happy hour a day!
Next day 0500 and slip out of Chios, destination, Mandraki on the island of Oinoussa. This was just a short motor sail and we were tied up alongside by 08:00 and off to the wharf police and bread shop.
Such a pretty little island that was a must visit for us as it has the best maritime museum to be found. In this museum can be viewed exact replicas of 16th Century sailing ships elaborately carved out of whale bone and ivory by French prisoners of war from that era. The Greek shipping bosses mostly from this island controlled 2/3 of all of the European shipping at the outbreak of the second world war. Magnificent homes are around every corner, elaborate affairs that in the main have been left to the elements as the owners have either died off or moved to Athens. The younger generation find it hard to live in the outer islands due to the lack of the types of excitement that appeals to them.
In the evening David jumped ship and went crewing on a teeny Greek fishing boat (about 16ft), he could not even speak greek and the owner couldn't speak english, however, he returned at 0100 next morning bearing gifts of a half a bucket of squid, we accepted the gifts and graciously allowed him to return to the Elixir crew and all was forgiven as cooking duties will mitigate our need to extract a savage and bloody revenge. Besides blood tends to make an awful mess of our sailing lines and sheets.
David having achieved one of his stated goals on this trip and that was to go out fishing with a local.
0600 7th July and we go west some 10 miles to Marmaro back on the northern extremity of Chios.
There we met a Greek Australian who was home from Australia to visit family. He helped David to prepare the calamari which was mostly consumed in the first sitting. What a feast the fresh calamari cut into rings, crumbed and fried was too delicious to describe, we ate it, accompanied by a cheeky little wine under the full moonlight sky.
I take it as read that the statue at the entrance to Chios is just as concerned for us as she continues to wave for all of the fishermen that leave from this little Greek town of Marmaro.
Sigh, sigh! we have indeed found our Utopia? By the way on arriving in Marmaro I visited the Port Police to sign in only to be told that in the three years that this particular officer had controlled the port we were the very first New Zealanders to enter, he waived any berthage or port dues, nice man, and wished us a pleasant stay.
0300 8th July and a sleeping Marmaro is left to the feint echo of our departing exhaust as the wind was now 0 knots and the motor offered us 6.5. At 0400 we are overtaken, close to, by a large cruise liner all lit up like a Christmas tree , this was a magnificent sight in the mist of a cool morning as the ship proceeded towards Ismir in Turkey located down a deep seaway and some 40 miles to the south west, we rippled our way on towards Lesbos.
0800 and we anchor in a small deserted lagoon in the southern part of Lesvos. Breakfast swims, dingy in the water and outboard reconnoitre revealed nothing of note so once again we get under way and half an hour later entered the inland sea of Kolpos Yeros. Anchored at Kopos Yeros for some shore exercise.
Lonely pelican has lived here for some years apparently after losing his mate.
After spending a few hours nosing our way around we returned through the pass and sailed north east to the main port on Lesvos called Mytilini which we entered at 1900. Nothing out of the ordinary Greek coastal town.
Stern to again and off to organise the legals and sort out the rules. A Very noisy buzzy place with unceasing traffic passing within 20 metres of our stern. Next morning a quick trip to supermarkets, chandeliers, gas suppliers and hardware stores to replenish dwindling supplies. A revisit to Port Authorities, I have now got the drill... on arrival have a copy of the Crew List pre typed out in full, names addresses passport numbers, Ships details including tonnage, home port and shipping registration number, have the travel log duly stamped by the last port authority and stamped again on leaving, pay the berthage, electricity and water usage all up usually around 8 to 10 euros plus tax. 0100 and we once again at sea on a very, very, hot day showing 42deg, clear the coastal shipping and harbour boundary and we cut the motor and all and sundry jump overboard to cool down.
Top foot or so of water is tepid like a bath but once you get below that it is really cooling and refreshing. So we spent a pleasant half hour playing fishes before reverting to the motor and northing once again.
We spot a few dotted islands just off the coast which only just show sketchy on our navigational systems and the pilot book does not even mention them.
We closed them with caution using number one eyeball for navigation and picked our way into a lovely sandy encourage of some 6 metres deep, we thought it would be safe in the Meltemi but exposed to the south and south west. We settled in for the night and enjoyed this spot immensely, what a change from the city ports, not a sound other than seagulls and the odd passing fishing boat.
I spent the whole night sleeping on deck, the Islands, sky and sea were so enchanting. 0600 on 10 July and we pick our way out amongst the rocks and head for Molyvos some 20 miles distant.
It is from this little port of Molyvos in Northern Lesvos that I write and send this blog.
Magic under the castle loom.
Sail maintenance must be a part of every sailors life... Careful with that needle!
Hope you enjoy the account of travelling north by yacht in Greece.
Ted
