We have a few 'boat issues' to deal with (you really don't want to know) so the morning after our arrival in Kiato, the first order of business was to make contact with techs who could help us. Assuming that we would be here for a day or two, Jackie and I gathered up our laundry and schlepped it from the marina into town and wandered through town looking for a laundromat, (and I'm ashamed to say), without having checked it out first. Yep. No laundry...either manual or service. This is the real deal of Greek life here: no tourists (or tourist facilities): just locals doing what locals do (and laundry at a laundromat is not one of those things). We took a taxi back to Moonbeam, dropped off the still dirty laundry, and then Jackie and I wi-fi'd at a cafe while Ken and James went off in search of parts and technical service. They were back too quickly...no parts, no service. The nearest place to get either would be in Patros, 108 k away. It was already 11 AM, so there was no way we could make the trip in one day. Captain Ken found an anchorage 2/3 of the way, and we set off. It was fortuitous that there was no laundromat. Otherwise, we would not have been able to leave.....what I call the lucky side of unlucky.

The seas started off dead calm (or dead clam, as Mike Fauser likes to say) but in short order, we were watching the winds climb through the 20's, 30's and into the 40's...on the nose. Our speed slowed to a snail's pace, and it was clear that we could not make the midway point before dark...and we don't do nighttime arrivals. What to do? The best option was to do an overnight; James and Jackie, being novices but great sports, were in. As it turned out, the winds abated somewhat...and so did the seas. It was one of those lovely overnight sails with rhythmic seas, stars galore, and a delightful temperature.

We deliberately slowed down even more in order to pass under the newly built bridge (probably one of the causes of the Greek economic decline) at first light. It's quite an impressive suspension bridge. 4 kilometers later we reached our destination: Patros, which is a cosmopolitan, university town. Ken called ahead and (of course) George, (but it could have been Stavros) met us to help us in. It was the first real Med mooring (picking up the bow line) that we've done, but team Moonbeam crushed it.

Now....here's the best part. While I've discussed the mooring/docking issues several times, I never discussed the part about getting from Moonbeam to the pier. Once we are secured stern-to, we tie our 12 inch plank to our stern and rest it on the pier. To get on or off, we literally have to walk the plank. In the best of times, it's not too bad, although some of like to have a helping hand. However, after a few glasses of wine at dinner, carrying all of our toys (iPads, smartphones, cameras), and sometimes some wave action, it gets dicey. To me, it's only a matter of time until one of us ends up in the drink, with drowned electronics. Here in Patras, they have tires affixed to the pier, and we are tied up right up against them. It is so civilized to just walk from our transom to the dock. I could stay here forever!!!! Wouldn't it be ironic if one of us got too cocky and fell in here!!!!!!!