We lifted the anchor and motored towards Poros at around 11.00 hrs when we thought there would be space on the quay. It still looked very busy but luck was on our side and as we approached a cat left the quay outside the 'Sailors Taverna' on the south quay which was exactly where we wanted to be. We slid into the space whilst he was still playing with his anchor further out. With strong northerly winds forecast having our stern to the wind, with the shelter of the quayside buildings and the hill behind them, it was a good spot.
The waiters demonstrate Greek dancing outside the sailors Taverna
We stayed on the quay for two nights whilst the northerlies blew past. We were comfortable but when you walked around to the more westerly facing quay they had the wind on the beam of their boats and even the larger boats were struggling with significant pressure on their anchors and lines.
Poros quay from Splice's bow
Poros is a busy harbour and there were numerous ferries and fast hydrofoils ('Flying Dolphins' as they are called locally) constantly charging past and creating wash.
A 'Flying Dolphin' hydrofoil passes at around 20 knots as we leave Poros
We wandered around the small streets and alleys of the place, much of which is squeezed into the area of the waterfront as the hill rises steeply behind. Narrow alleys wriggle up between the properties as you climb towards the highest point on which a clock-tower has been built. It's a pleasant enough place but rather on the touristy side for us, the front is only cafes and tavernas but as you move back from the harbour there are some interesting shops. One caught Carolyn's eye and when we entered the interior was beautifully constructed with traditional wood shelving and panels and the plaster ceiling had a attractive painted design. The shop owner explained to us that she had inherited the place from her Grandfather. Having got her granddaughter to 'help us' (and practice her English) we bought a small bowl for snacks from Carolyns 'birthday money'. They were very friendly and it's great to see the traditional shop being carefully looked after.
We dropped our lines from the quay wanting to move somewhere we could swim as the heat was oppressive. A couple of miles across is Ormos Vidhi, a bay with suitable northerly protection, so we headed there. It was fine to anchor but the water was not that clear and through the day it became clogged with motorboats dropping anchors over each other and tying back to the rocks. We only stayed the one night and went looking for a more attractive mooring.
Main photo: the small ferry quay in Poros, note the clock-tower above the town