10 July 2011 9:00 We check out of Kos with destination Pandeli on Leros being a sail of some 40 miles North dead to windward meaning about a 60 mile sail allowing for tacking.





So we put in a long board towards Turkey to reach close to land north of Bodrum and then tack on to starboard with a long leg to Kalymnos for a sheltered lunch stop anchored just off Palionisos.



Fresh bread with salad and a cold beer, I even managed to get in a swim. Back out into the big blue wobbly stuff with spume and spray smashing out from under our bow as we, with a reef in the main and also in the genoa, smashed our way northward in the raging Maltimi.



9pm right at dusk and we anchor off Pandeli, still a favourite of ours with the half moon on one side and the ancient castle on the hill above on the other and its array of windmills below. Restaurants line the shore and a bevy of yachts and launches bunch around the harbour entrance. There is a distinct smell of Grecian cooking wafting in the air and many children and teenagers are playing in dinghys and on the shore.





David and I launched the rubber ducky and secured the outboard thereon. After two years the 4 stroke Mercury started with the fist pull of the cord! David was keen to get some "real" milk for his tea and I was equally keen to secure a few photos for the blog so off we went for a bit of a putter and a look see.















11 July 2011 08:00 After a lovely comfortable night laying to our anchor under the shadow of the castle we set off for the 18 mile sail to Lipsoi. We think that Lipso should spell the end of the hard Maltimmi slog to get northing in, before easing sheets and laying off to the west.



We had a lovely view of the castle on the hill on the way by

It is a truly wonderful sail along the north east side of Leros past numerous colourful and inhabited islands with lots of activity from little blue and white fishing boats interspersed by other yachts either beating hard to windward like us or sailing straight down wind with sails billowing to Pandeli or beyond to who knows where.













David has the bridge!

All in all it was a fun sail and although it was work to make good true distance in strong winds it was not as tiring as one where you are alone on the sea.















We put into Lipso at 11:00 and dropped our anchor in the little marina by tying stern to the jetty alongside a half dozen other cruising boats.



Jenny, Elizabeth and David grabbed their togs and were off to the beach for a swim while I stayed behind on watch, this watch I might add was conducted from behind my eyelids!

Lots of comings and goings and chatter from us all as we continued to really enjoy this little gem at the upper end of the Dodecanese. No traffic anywhere as all the streets were stepped and the absence of day trippers and cruise ships meant that Yachties like us were welcomed as the only income to the island other than was earned from the picturesque small fishing boats.









We slept well after eating a big meal of octopus and other yummy local food at a street restaurant complete with beers and wine all up price NZ $65 for the four of us.

12 July 2011 09:00 Slip moorings hoist sail complete with single reef in the main and a double in the genoa and we head out into the wind again for an exhilarating board reach to Patmos which is a distance of some 12 miles.







We totally blasted over to Patmos doing 8.5 to 9 knots passing on arrival two tall ships which were anchored in the bay at the entrance to the harbour.



Time to drop sail and proceed to the wharf area still with 35 to 40 knots of wind over our decks.

I was more than just a little anxious as to how we were going to complete our mooring manoeuvre with the sort of professional precision that we have practised in the past.





I need not have worried as a spot opened up where a yacht had just left so we once again dropped anchor and moored stern to, no mean feet in a 35 knot cross wind. David and I went about our chores of tidying the ship from all the running rigging and mooring chaos to find that Jenny and Elizabeth, who had remembered the good shopping to be had here from the last time we visited, abandoned us and disappeared in the throngs heading for the desired shops.
During the day the wind built to gale force with yachts and launches arriving and looking for shelter with lots of yelling and gesturing as prime positions along the waterfront were filled. Stress levels on the faces of the skippers were plainly evident for all to see as various mooring techniques in the wind were tried and those with untrained crew had to abort several attempts before abandoning the area and heading off trying to find shelter elsewhere.

The lesson again is that the early birds get all the worms.