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We arrived back on Kalymnos after our UK trip late on 17th September after a 'seamless' journey with all connections on time. Surprisingly the Meltemi was still blowing fitfully but the boat was fine and in the next few days we watched the weather and set about re-stocking the fridge and food cupboards. It was good to be back and we felt quite 'at home' because we had become friendly with one or two cafe and shop owners. The sun has now lost some of its ferocity although it's still very hot and we still look for the shady side of the street to walk down.
Kalymnos is quite a large island, mainly rocky and barren which, incidentally, makes it a Mecca for rock climbers. We had explored the SE side by boat before our UK 'holiday', so before setting off again we took the bus and explored some of the small and attractive coastal hamlets on the West coast.

24th September - Anchorages at Kamares, Kos and Yiali: Sad to leave such a friendly place, but with a good forecast we set sail for a small bay on the SW tip of Kos. The wind was perfect and we rounded the west end of Kos managing to sail right up to the anchorage. We were pleased to find that the sea temperature was still 26C so dived in to check the anchor and cool off. In the morning we were enjoying breakfast in the cockpit when we noticed a large shoal of fish swimming around our boat; their backs were deep blue and they appeared to be a type of pipe fish with long 'snouts'. The water was crystal clear so we could even see the yellow of their eyes! I still haven't found a guide to Med flora and fauna so they remain unidentified to date!
Later we continued on to Yiali/Giali (the Greeks have several versions of most place names!), a tiny island between Kos and Nisyros. The anchorage here was on the south of the island, and well sheltered from the prevailing northerly winds. The water was crystal clear over a sandy seabed - perfect holding for us, not to mention perfect for swimming! Quarrying works on the island had exposed a hillside of white pumice, sculpted into attractive shapes by the excavations and the sunset cast pink shadows creating beautiful effects . With only two other yachts for company we spent 4 nights here relaxing, swimming and reading. I even made bread when we'd exhausted our supply!

29th September -Pali/Palon/Paloi, Nisyros: With dwindling fresh food supplies we reluctantly motored across to the small port of Pali on the north coast of Nisyros. The harbour is very small and shallow so we had to moor stern-to for the first time. Luckily there was no wind and we managed the manoeuvre perfectly - Quilcene doesn't go astern too well and if there's any wind she won't go where we point her!! Pali is a picturesque village of 'sugar cube' white and blue houses set around the small enclosed harbour, all nestling under the imposing hulk of a volcano.
The island of Nisyros is literally a dormant volcano complete with steaming craters, so early next day we hired a car and followed the route that Michael, the car hire man, recommended around the island taking in the volcanic cauldera, the tiny hilltop hamlets of Emborios and Nikea and the main town of Mandraki. On such a small island the whole trip was only 35miles! On Michael's instructions we stopped on the side of the road at a small cave and stepped inside - it was a natural sauna created by volcanic steam escaping through fissures in the rock and in seconds we were bathed in sweat! The volcano may be dormant but it is still mightily hot! We wound up and up on the narrow road until finally arriving at the craters, which look like a nuclear bombsite. At this early hour there was only one other car in the car park. The attendant/ranger was a young man with a strong American accent who told us that like many Greek islanders, his parents had emigrated years ago and now he has returned to his family's birthplace. This is a common story and we have met many islanders whose families emigrated to Australia, America and Canada after WWII and civil war left the country in a political and economic mess. Many have since drifted back, but numerous families still have relatives in far-flung places. We spent an hour walking around the volcanic craters, which are hot, steaming and sulphurous, then made our way back to the car just as seven or eight coaches arrived bringing lots of day-trippers off the Kos ferry - it pays to be 'early birds' sometimes!
We wandered around the narrow alleyways of Emborios and Nikea, enjoying the views over Nisyros and out to the surrounding islands. We couldn't help wondering how on earth these remote places survive; indeed many of the tiny dwellings are derelict. At the one cafe/bar in Emborios the owner told us that the population overwinter is only 20! We spent a few days in Pali as it was so pretty and peaceful. Tony and Lynne on 'Lord Anthony' arrived on our last night, we had last met up in the Ionian so enjoyed catching up with our news over a few drinks in the quayside tavern.

5th October - Tilos: Our next destination was Livadhia on the island of Tilos just a short hop south from Nisyros. Livadhia, the only port is set in another pretty 'picture postcard' bay lined with white and blue houses. We anchored for one night off the beach but it was a bit rolly so next morning went onto the quay. Tony and Lynne were 'next door' and invited us for sundowners along with another English couple, Norman and Chris. Norman and Chris were coming to the end of a 5-week holiday aboard a chartered yacht to see if they might take to a cruising life. Naturally we four had plenty of tips to pass on and could answer many of their questions; I hope we didn't put them off!!!

7th October - Khalki: Khalki/Halki is a tiny (6 x 2 miles) island lying almost unnoticed just off the NW coast of Rhodes/Rodos. The wind was light but in the right direction so we hoisted the MPG (brightly coloured Multi Purpose Genoa) and had a lovely relaxed sail south to Khalki. As we approached the wind suddenly increased, which often happens as we close land, and Kit had to run up on deck and quickly pull the MPG in, as it is too large to have out in strong winds - all part of the fun!
We made our way around into the delightful port of Emborikos/Emborios and tied up to a pontoon, being hassled all the time by a local lad who demanded �'� 12 for the night. It may not seem much but �'� 12 is a high charge for these islands, if we tie up it is either free or costs around �'�5 per night. Kit eventually agreed to pay but only if we got a receipt, whereupon the lad disappeared and we didn't see him again!!
Khalki was almost abandoned in the early 1900's but has recently seen a revival of interest as a relaxing holiday destination. It is very relaxing too as there are only one or two summer tavernas and little to do except chill out, take short walks, swim and read! - which is exactly what we did!!
The small horseshoe bay of Emborikos is lined with very grand, former sea captains' mansions, many now renovated and very smart with blue and brown shuttered windows, some in disrepair and others undergoing repair. I know that we keep mentioning the amazing clear blue water but make no apologies for doing so again as the water in this small port is ultra clear! The yachts and little fishing boats appeared to be floating on air as we could see every stone and pebble on the seabed beneath them!! (photos posted on the internet). There are only a handful of cars on the island but even these few are banned from the harbourside once the ferry from Rhodes departs, so Emborikos remains a very quiet port.

9th October - Lindos, S Rhodes: Rhodes is a large island but has a rugged coastline with few safe anchorages. We wanted to take the long route to Rhodes Town via the south western point of the island, so picked out a possible place to drop anchor and break our journey. With the weather less settled it seemed prudent to set off early - which proved to be a good strategy! The wind was from the north in the morning giving us a terrific sail around the SW point of Rhodes. However it seemed to follow us round and was blowing straight into our anchorage, so we had to continue on to Lindos, about half way along the south coast, making the trip almost 50 miles in total.
Lindos Bay is a superb natural harbour overlooked by the remains of an acropolis and castle perched high above a pretty village. It has a lovely beach, although this is somewhat spoiled by a covering of hundreds of sun loungers - mainly unoccupied! There is no usable quay and swimming buoys prevent yachts from anchoring on sand so we had to find a spot in the boulder strewn northern bay.
We dropped anchor in 7 metres and could see the anchor disappearing between two large rocks. It looked as though it would hold quite well but rocky ground is always a worry as the chain and anchor can get stuck if the wind turns the boat around. Luckily this didn't happen and we spent two peaceful nights here. The setting is stunning with blue water, sun gleaming on white medieval houses and the castle and acropolis, which are floodlit at night, above it all. We took the dinghy ashore and were a little disappointed to find the narrow streets lined with touristy shops and teeming with people. We were charged the outrageous price of �'�3.50 for an iced coffee - we have been more used to paying �'�1 or �'�2 at most! Nonetheless it is a pretty place and we trekked up in the heat to the hilltop castle and ruins, where we were rewarded by wonderful views over the bay and island.
An Australian boat 'Sunburnt' was anchored nearby so I rowed across in the dinghy and had a coffee with them. They (Tony and Annie) had left Australia in 2008 and are also heading for Finike in Turkey to overwinter. It seems that we'll have lots of good company this winter!!

11th October - Rhodes anchorage and on to Mandraki Harbour, Rhodes Town: The forecast was for strong southerly winds in two days time, along with heavy rain (!) so we decided to head up towards the sheltered harbour of Mandraki in Rhodes town. Leaving Lindos there was no sign of wind and we had to motor for 22 miles along the coast. Our Dutch friends on 'Zeezwallau' had recommended a safe anchorage south of Rhodes town, so we headed in past two large US NAVY supply ships and found the spot just as they'd described - a small beach in a sheltered bay. Pleased to be at anchor for another night we took advantage of the situation by having a lengthy swim, and sat in the cockpit to watch the sunset - perfect!
In the morning I jumped in again to have a final splash before motoring around to Mandraki harbour. This is the principal yacht harbour for Rhodes and very busy with charter boats, ferries and motor boats. We had heard that it can be difficult to get a berth but as luck would have it there were several empty spots so we chose one, dropped a stern anchor and tied up. The berth actually belonged to a charter company who said that we would have to move before the weekend when their yachts came back in (it was now Monday), but we were OK for a few days and hoped the bad weather would soon pass.

Rhodes Town is a bustling, lively place and it felt strange to be in such a busy town again after the peace of the other islands.
The island has a chequered history: The new town was largely built by Italians during their occupation of the island in the first half of the 20th Century. It is spread around the massive walls of the well preserved old city-fortress, built by the Knights of St John who were masters of Rhodes for two centuries before being ousted by the Ottomans in the 1500s. The old city is quite an amazing place, built on a grand scale and interlaced with narrow thoroughfares, squares and serpentine alleyways. Although many are lined with touristy shops and restaurants, there are still large areas where people live in the medieval houses and carry on with everyday life. Walking through the winding cobbled streets felt like a walk back in time.
After a day of sight-seeing we set off for Lidl (!) to stock up the cupboards before leaving for Turkey. We have heard that many of our favourite things may not be available, or are very expensive in Turkey so just to be sure we did some serious shopping and had to get a taxi to take it all back to the boat!! Later we found a brilliant vegetable market, where produce was roughly half the cost of that in mini-markets, so bought lots of fresh fruit and veg. Too!
The threatened heavy rain did not arrive, just a few drops. The wind did come up tho' and one evening we were amazed to see a large water spout just out to sea - lucky that we were not out there!!! The forecast looked OK to sail across to Turkey on Thursday so we plotted our course. Again on our last night Tony and Lynne arrived on 'Lord Anthony' but had awful trouble finding a berth. They had to settle for rafting up to a boat at the harbour entrance with the hope of a place next day. We invited them over for 'sundowners' and goodbyes as we were headed for different winter berths in Turkey. As ever it was lovely to see them and we hope to visit one another after New Year in our respective Turkish Ports.

15th October - Turkey, Fethiye: We were up at first light and ready to set off, but when Kit tried to pull up the stern anchor he found that the large catamaran in the next berth had laid their anchor chain across ours! We knocked on the side of the cat and a bleary-eyed Turkish guy appeared. Our hearts sank when he said they weren't leaving today, but then he suggested passing a rope, attached to our anchor chain, under his chain. This seldom works but happily it did on this occasion - the Turkish guy then jumped ashore and helped cast us off!
Soon Rhodes was left behind as we tacked back and forth in variable winds. Later the wind settled from the south and picked up, so we reefed in and had an exciting sail across to Fethiye in Turkey, which is a port of entry. Again the wind and waves increased as we closed land and we were a bit anxious as we entered Fethiye Bay with the wind howling in our rigging. Further into the bay the wind just stopped abruptly - one minute we were heeled over and speeding along, next the sails hung and we rolled about on a sloppy sea! As we motored around the final headland to Fethiye town we saw a sheltered cove and decided to anchor for the night and have a swim, leaving the checking-in process until tomorrow. This is not strictly legal but after a long days sailing we didn't relish the idea of reams of paperwork!
It was a perfect spot with terrific views out across the bay and its rocky islands, to the mountains beyond. We were struck by the green of the wooded slopes after the mainly barren Greek islands. The swim was lovely although the water was not very clear and we both felt tiny stings - we could see no jellyfish but maybe there were tiny ones, or small tendrils in the water - I could do with a microscope!! Undeterred I jumped in again in the morning before we motored around to the marina.
Fethiye marina seemed enormous after the tiny Greek ports we have visited, it holds 400 yachts! We were met at the entrance by a friendly macho man in a marina rib, who showed us a place to berth and gave us a tailed mooring before zooming off at high speed. Checking into Turkey wasn't too difficult. We'd heard that you have to pay an agent to take your papers around to the various offices but we bought a transit log at the marina office, got it typed up by a yachting company then visited Health, Passport Control, Port Police and Harbour Master to get the appropriate stamps and visas. It took less than an hour so we celebrated with a Turkish beer at a quayside bar, and gazed out into the beautiful Fethiye Bay. Another Country to explore!