The original passage plan was to get away by 10:00 but as the Russians wanted to leave at 09:00 for their day in Santorini, we went with that after hosing the decks down to get rid of the dirt they had tracked all over Trilogy.

We headed slightly SE to Nisos Anafi, the southeastern most of the Cyclades. Trilogy had made good the passage and a revised passage plan had us sailing for the port of Skala on Nisos Astipalaia, to the NE of Nisos Anafi. Trilogy sailed 50 nms and in the prevailing wind made good speed on a comfortable beam reach. Nisos Astipalaia, according to Rod Heikell's comprehensive pilot, describes this island as ' lying like an almost forgotten part of the Dodecanese, consisting of two mountain ranges joined by a slender isthmus. Until the Romans and later the English suppressed piracy in the Aegean, the island was a natural lair for pirates, with good shelter and a strategic position to pounce on merchant shipping!

Now that it is considered the low season for tourism and we were getting more remote , we had no trouble getting a safe sea wall berth in the little harbour for €15. We immediately felt inspired to explore the township that wrapped high around the port and a castle (for a change) perched on the highest point. We planned an expedition to the castle next morning, to stretch our climbing muscles and checked out the three local mini supermarkets for fresh provisions before dining to celebrating Brad and Heidi's wedding anniversary at the beach side taverna. We relaxed and enjoyed the local taverna's food and house wine, with a beautiful warm evening embracing us. The guys checked the weather forecast before going to bed and it was not at all promising, so we went to bed uncertain of what the morrow would bring.

Sure enough, the sky had changed from it's brilliant cloudless blue by the morning and we made hasty plans to depart, not before a hurried shopping trip for fruit 'n veg and bread at the local bakery. The forecast was for gale force winds for several days in two days time and we needed to position ourselves well for that daunting prospect. The sky had already delivered rain before we set sail and on an 8-9 knot beam reach we charged across the swell and got hit by two squalls that delivered lightning, winds of over 30 knots across the deck and some very tricky sail downsizing and helming gymnastics. The guys donned their foul weather gear just in time and Trilogy sat tight through the onslaught. Sally and Heidi bunkered down below, with Heidi using the 'business as usual' strategy for Sally and her response was that we were riding on see-saws!

With another big day of 55 nms covered, we were all delighted to make landfall at Nisos Nisyros, in the relative shelter of ferry port of Mandraki, relative because it is very exposed to the NE, from whence the prevailing meltemi beckons. Luck was with us and the forecast held true, allowing us a safe stern to mooring for the night. The port policeman took his job seriously and greeted us with a firm request to the skipper to present his ship's papers, along with log book. With all formalities completed we went off to explore this pretty white washed township that climbs elegantly across the hillside and narrow winding streets with tavernas along the sea wall. A cooling Mythos beer watching the beautiful sunset and red sun soaked cumulonimbus rising high with flashes of sheet lightening dancing around finished the pleasant wander. Heidi cooked a delicious pork pot roast and potatoes gratin to end our day.