Been back in Greece for a few weeks now, getting my head around this sailing malarkey after nearly ten weeks away from the boat, what did I do for ten weeks?

1. Went to work, needs must and all that jazz, was back working at the Macedon Gas Plant at Onslow in Western Australia, just as well really, I fuelled up the boat the other day and nearly had a fecking heart attack when I found out how much they charge for diesel here, Christ Almighty!! I have been spoiled further east.


Macedon Gas Plant.......not as many flies this time!!

2. Went and visited my wee human Layla, man, she is getting big, fast on her feet now, likes to bump her gums but not talking properly yet so maybe she gets that from me!


Selfies wae the Wee Yin....

3. Went to Bali for a month on a teacher training course so I can teach Qigong, you know, the exercise all the old Chinese oxygen thief's are doing in the park in the mornings, which was kind of like I imagine Jedi Academy would be, we even had classes on levitation! No shit! Suffice to say I have a ways to go, could get my arms and legs up but couldn't get my fat arse or big heed off the deck!.......practice needed.


This is where I stayed in Bali.....pretty flash eh!


See! snapshot of the training program.....Levitation!!


Came across this Balinese Monster, had to use my new found Jedi tricks to get away!!

So, back in Greece, spent a few days in Rhodes getting Confidence ready to go swimming again, nice new shiny refurbished propeller was fitted and her bottom was freshly painted before she went back in and we were off............


Confidence going swimming again.....

Sailing Northwest through the islands near the Turkish coast the first stop was at Panormitis in Symi, which is a big enclosed bay with the Monastery to the Archangel Michael, who must have liked a tipple as they make honey liquor there that would blow your tits off! I had a wee sample so I didn't upset your man Michael. The Island takes its name from a water nymph called Syme, Beautiful place, noticed a few old German gun emplacements at the entrance to the bay, apparently quite a few of those boys came down here on holiday in the early 1940's and liked it that much they stayed for a few years.


Symi, I'm away over behind the floating gin palace.....


Old German holiday villa..........and a windmill!

Next was across to Kos, and anchored in the harbour at Kamari on the SE coast


Kamari Harbour in Kos.

Sailed away round the top to Vathy Bay in Pserimos next morning, Jesus! Got my first taste of just how busy the Med is with other pleasure boats at this time of the year, it's like whacky races in some places with heaps of folks charging around at full speed, no sails up to get to the next Taverna before lunchtime, I'm not judging mind you, I realise that most of these people have probably chartered a boat for two weeks and just want to see as much as possible before they go back to work in some office! So fair play to them, makes for good sport watching some of the busy anchorage antics.


Pserimos Sunrise.....

Palionnisos bay in Kalymnos the next day, I've been to this Island before and love it, it was a super busy bay with two Tavernas that sold great lamb chops, left there the next morning fat and happy....


Kalymnos, I'm on the far left...busy busy.......

Short hop to Xerokampos on the South coast of Leros the next morning which is the image at the top of the post, bumped into Dave, mad as a hatter old single hander from the American yacht Meander as I was sailing up there, last seen him at the bottom of the Suez Canal, small world indeed.

Patmos was next, just an overnight stop and the last Island in Dodecanese Islands before I turn west to head across the Aegean and the Cyclades Islands.


Patmos..

In the Summer months they have a wind called the Meltemi which blows down through the Aegean and can get fairly boisterous at times, the Islands in the Cyclades are famous for being windy and produce Katabatic winds off their lee side which I encountered big time on the way into the anchorage on the South side of Mikinos, this just means that they intensify any winds coming down the slopes so it took a while and a lot of tacking to get into the bay, as it went from 25 - 35kts in a matter of seconds, I was meeting my mate Mark here and he was on the beach waiting, wondering what an earth I was doing going back and forth for ages, got in eventually to anchor where I still am now, had a couple of days going round the Island by bus and leaving the boat here as its been blowing a hoolie, Its well known as a party Island so I was surprised at how beautiful Mykonos town was with all its white washed buildings.


Mykonos Town

So just waiting for the winds to calm down to a frenzy before I head west again Island hopping towards the Greek mainland and the Corinth Canal where I'll sneak through to the Ionian Sea...........Hopefully!

See you on the other side.....................


Aegean Sunrise.....


Darth Sunset........