Homeward Bound

Vessel Name: Integrity
Vessel Make/Model: Bavaria 37 Cruiser
Hailing Port: Corpus Christi
Crew: Bob and Cris Gerlach
About: Starting a new life living aboard on June 1, 2011. We are retired but not tired and we're off on an adventure of a lifetime together.
25 March 2012 | Simpson Lagoon, St Martin
13 March 2012 | Portsmouth, Dominica
22 February 2012 | Atlantic-Caribbean
08 November 2011 | Lanzarote, Canary Islands
24 October 2011 | In the Shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar
14 October 2011 | Fuentarabia/Hondarrabia, Spain
12 October 2011 | Northern Spain
08 October 2011 | Granada, Spain
03 October 2011 | Almerimar, Spainish east coast
28 September 2011 | Mahon, Menorca, the Balerics
11 September 2011 | Missina Sicily
04 September 2011 | Corfu Greece
25 August 2011 | Ay Eufimia Harbor
20 August 2011 | Corinth Yacht Harbor, Greece
14 August 2011 | kalamaki Marina, Athens, Greece
07 August 2011 | Today, Kalamaki Marina, Athens
04 August 2011 | Monemvasia, Peloponnisos coast
27 July 2011 | Milos Island, Greece
19 July 2011 | Serifos Greece
14 July 2011 | STILL in Syros
Recent Blog Posts
25 March 2012 | Simpson Lagoon, St Martin

A new delay, such is life

Hello all you blog followers. We begin this entry on March 19, 2012. We are tied to a mooring in Falmouth Bay right next to English Harbor on the Island of Antigua. We are surrounded by mega mega yachts, the sort that only Bill Gates or Tiger Woods could dream of affording.

13 March 2012 | Portsmouth, Dominica

The Leewards

It’s surprising how little distance can be covered in so much time. Sailing is a slow business at the best of times.

22 February 2012 | Atlantic-Caribbean

ARC 2011 Gran Canaria to St Lucia

Wow! Time sure flies by it has been over two months since we made it across the Atlantic, albeit second last in the Rally and there hasn’t been much thought of adding or updating the blog. In fact we apparently got so wrapped up in preparations we forgot to post some of our travel. We left Lanzarote [...]

08 November 2011 | Lanzarote, Canary Islands

first long passage accomplished

November 6th, Marina Rubicon, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

24 October 2011 | In the Shadow of the Rock of Gibraltar

Ten days away, ten days to the next post

21 October

14 October 2011 | Fuentarabia/Hondarrabia, Spain

If you water it, it will grow

14 October

In Greece it is hard to run out of Islands

27 July 2011 | Milos Island, Greece
Still hot and humid
In Greece it is hard to run out of Islands.

We did leave Karamas later on the 24th and moved to Vathi Bay about 45 minutes south, or as it is called here Ormos Vathi. A more idyllic place you would be hard pressed to find. The entrance is a narrow one from seaward, but once through it opens into a large round bay of turquoise waters and sheltered anchorages. There are maybe 25-30 or so buildings, most sit literally at water’s edge. Some Tavernas, a mini market of sorts, and rooms and apartments to rent. The rest is beaches loaded with a compliment of beach worshipers. We took a number of pictures but being cheapskates and not wanting to pay for a premium membership in this blog we can only post one per blog so your best bet is to zoom on it to get the impact. This place obviously hasn’t been discovered since there is little commercial development, so if you can get there before the secret gets out.

Anyway, after several days there in Vathi, kicked back relaxing and swimming in the warm bay waters we had to move on again and moved to the Island of Milos. Arriving in the main port in early afternoon we quickly tied up and were looking for the little guy to turn on the electric and water on the quay when along comes the Port Police to tell us that in an hour or so the winds are going to kick up to Beaufort 6-7 which for you non sailors … it ain’t good, and that since it was from the south the Quay would become dangerously untenable. So we grabbed a frozen pizza and a six pack and loosed the lines, lifted the anchor, and raced over to a bay on the south end of the area to anchor for the night and ride out the winds. And windy it was! But not too rough on the south end. We had drinks aboard “Silver Fern” anchored nearby, out of New Zealand at the invite of Martha an American Married to a New Zealander and their guests; a charming and gregarious bunch that has been sailing around the world for about 6 years now. Also, Pierre from Belgium joined us off of “Chloe”. He had been anchored near us in Vathi coincidentally. A nice enough fellow… but very European, after his morning swim he strips it all off and showers on the back end of his boat, just out there in front of God and everybody (leaving nothing to the imagination) and his preferred method of relieving himself is over the rail. He sails alone (perhaps for obvious reasons?) and is headed north eventually to Norway I think he said. Despite his less than puritanical habits he is still a very amiable chap.

This morning we moved back to the quay and a happy Cris has water and electricity galore.

We expect to stay here until about midnight on Saturday and then start out on the 85 NM trip to Kithnos Island. All things being equal the trip should only take about 18 hours. So we should arrive in daylight which is always preferable and especially when it is a place you have never seen before.
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