6th -10th August
We spent 4days on the floating pontoon until the weather cleared so just relaxed and swam, then sailed across to Skiathos and anchored in the bay around the corner from the town pier, Ormos Siferi. Went ashore and wondered around the town, did some provision shopping and had Dinner.

11th August
Sailed and motor sailed 35nm to Ormos Vathoudhi (Volos Gulf) stopping for lunch and a swim at Platania we ended up on Achor for 2 night sitting out a storm, 40 knots Plus on anchor. We watched in disbelief as a fisherman wove his way between anchor boats dropping his net. He dropped right over a neighboring German boats anchor. The next morning when he came back he started picking up his nets and when he got to the German boat and shor enough his net was tangled around the chain and anchor. He just shrugged his shoulders and cut the net and drove off. As we were leaving we circled back and warned them about the fishing net on their anchor.

13th August motored 18nm to Velos staying 2 nights on the Town Pier. we were helped to moor by a rather enibriated Irishmen who informed us that he was the unofficial Harbour Master. He was very good in the end he had our gas bottle replaced and connected us to electricity their is no charge by the port authority for the mooring and he had put €5 on the power meter he survives on tips so we tipped him €20. We had fun exploring on our bikes.

15th August
Traveled 38nm to Ormos Vathikelon where we stern tied. Only managed to get in 5nm of sailing. It was a lovely spot and we had a quiet evening.

16th August
Traveled a distance of 33nm not a lot of sailing again. Stopped for lunch at Nisos Likhades at the northern end of Evia, and spent the night on Anchor at Kolpos Atalantis. It was a beautiful little bay with a couple of Tavernas and holiday homes. Would ha liked to stay longer but we needed to move as there was some big winds on the way.
More to come
The photo is a model of an Ancient Greek boat.

25th July
Today we moved onto the Marina Pier to pick up Anna and Paul. The marina was in a very run down condition and full of very bold stray cats. The males would come on board and spray and we were constantly shooing them away. Paul resorted to throwing his shoe at one and he turned around and sprayed it😬. We shopped for supply's and bought diesel. Ready to leave the next morning. When we woke all our mosquito nets were on the floor, the cats pushed at them and we found more spraying so we're pretty pleased to get out of there. We set course for Nea Moudania and squeezed side on to the pier. After dinner went ashore for ice cream. Next day we had a quick walk around town then set sail for the three peninsulas at top of Northern Greece. They look like the prongs of a fork and are called Kassandra, sinthonia and Akti. We anchored for the night in Porto Korfos on the west side of the centre finger. We saw a Kiwi boat Shallimar and swam across to say hello went aboard for a drink and caught up with there travels since we had last seen them at the Olympic Marina in Lavrion. Cooks night off and dinner at a lovely Taverna on the water front.

29th July
Today we set sail for Nikitas further down the coast anchoring just outside the Marina as this was full (forgot it was Friday, charter boat day). On the way we stopped at Neos Marmaras for lunch and a deep water swim. Steve took Anna ashore for an explore and charged the laptop at a cafe while he waited. Next morning Steve and I went ashore for an explore and a Frappe (Greek iced coffee).
Later that morning we sailed around to Skala Sikias which is on the tip of the eastern Side of the middle finger. It was a tiny bay that offered us good protection. There was just holiday accommodation and tavernas managed to buy a bag of ice from one of the Tavernas for €4 the most expensive yet. Next morning we headed further down the Gulf of Singitiki and anchored in a beautiful bay called Ormos Kriftos on the island of Dhiaporos very peaceful and quiet. Next morning we motored across to Panayia for some supplies and then back to a bay on the other side of Dhiaporos called Koumaroudhes.

2nd August
Today we crossed the Gulf and motored down the western side of the Akti Peninsula. "This rugged peninsula has for over 10 centuries existed as a world unto itself. Divorced from the modern world, the holy community has no roads or electricity and few telephones. Time is still reckoned by the Julian calendar (13days behind the roman calendar) and day is reckoned by the Byzantine clock with hours of variable lenght." Access was denied to every woman including female animals and smoothed face person, although they now allow female animals and males don't have to have a beard. A bit archaic but themselves the rules. Officially a yacht with females on board is not allowed to approach within 1mile of the shore and there is an exclusion zone of 500 meters around the peninsula.
We of course went as close as we could and it was magnificent. We did note that there were roads and vehicles also a lot of satelite dishes and solar panels, so I think that the are not quite as cut off from the world as reported. Apparently there is pressure mounting from the European Parliament to lift the ban on women visitors.
We headed back to Skala Sikias for the night.

3rd August
Sailed across to Limnos Island for the night and stayed on the town pier. Cooks night off so had a walk around the town and dinner. After looking at weather forcasts, we have made a change to our plans and will not be heading for Lesbos a bit disappointing but thems the breaks. So we decided to head towards the Sporades Island group. Had a lovely sail to an uninhabited island with this stunning bay. Anchored at Kira Panayia on Plantis island. It was a nor row opening that opened up to this huge bay with great protection from the Meltimi. Very peaceful night. We are so lucky with our guests as for them like us it is about the boat and all the places that we get to see that land based tourists don't get to. Sure we enjoy the touristy places but it is very special to go to bays where ther are no,piers or tavernas and just enjoy the peace and quiet of the wonderful scenery.
5th August
Had a lovely sail across to Alonnisos and went on the town pier then caught the bus up to the Chora, the village was stunning we had lunch at a taverna with the most amazing view across to Skopelos our next destination. Next morning we sailed across to Skopelos and went on the floating pier at loutrakior Glossa which is the Chora up the hill. Anna and Paul went off to explore the Chora and visit the church made famous in the "Mama Mia" movie.
Unfortunately we had some bad weather coming in and we were unable to get a booking on the town pier at Skiathos so Anna and Paul made the decision to catch the ferry across and spend a night and explore before their flight home. We sadly waved good bye, we will miss them both.
The photo one of the many magnificent monasteries we passed as we went along the Akti peninsula.

10th July 2016
Had a great sail across to Kea Island and anchored at Ormos Voukari for 3 nights didn't go ashore as Steve did not want to leave the boat as we were having very strong gusts.

13th July 2016
Returned to Olympic Marina to pick up our new Bimini and shade curtains 👍 No more trying to hang towels to keep out the sun. We did some shopping & washing, and got the cabin ready for our next guests.

15th July 2016
Left Lavrion after topping up the diesel and headed for the southern tip of Evia. We anchored for the night then headed for Skyro Island where anchored in a lovely little bay, Lanaria. We caught the public bus up to the "Chora" but unfortunately it was Sunday and nothing was open but the village was beautiful.

18th July 2016
Started sailing for Skopelos in about 30kn of wind, all of a sudden we were getting gust the strongest being 47kn so quick change of plan and we headed for Evia and anchored behind the break water at Kimi. Next day we headed for Skopelos but we couldn't find a spot to Anchor that night that Steve was happy with so we crossed to Alonnisos Island and anchored in Ormos Tzorti.

20th July 2016
Headed back to Skopelos and stayed on the pier, well a floating pontoon that they put out every summer cost €6 for the night.😄
We hired a scooter for the afternoon and headed up to a village up the hill had a lovely walk around the village but was very hot so stopped for a beer.
We walked back to the scooter and headed towards the little church made famous in the "Mama Mia" movie. I made it up the 300 Steps. It was worth it. The view was spectacular! The church was tiny so I'm not sure how they managed to get so many people in there, ahh the wonders of movie license.

21st July 2016
We headed back to Evia and continued sailing up the eastern coastline stopping at Koukounaries, Skiathos for lunch and a swim. We arrived at Ayios Ioannis, mainland Greece, on the town pier, if you could call it that. The pier was collapsing and we were on the very end, as it shallower out further in. The pier manager then proceeded to tell us that the cost would be €30, Steve said it was very expensive and reminded the guy that we only wanted to stay the night he in formed us that they charge by the month. We just laughed and paid putting it down to experience.
We continued further up the coast the next day and anchored out side the breakwater at Platamonas. Steve went ashore and checked on the Marina the marinara said we should come and he would only charge us for one of the two nights we stayed. It was very busy town with lots of tourists mostly all from the Balkans.
We had a great walk around the shops and stumbled onto a show of Greek dancing. Went into a shop to buy Steve a leather belt, the shop owner asked us where we were from and when we told him from NZ, he told us that he had lived in Tiahape and gone to School in Wellington. He insisted that we have a beer with him.

24th July
We sailed to Thesaloniki and anchored outside the marina moving in the following morning as we were meeting our next lot of guests Paul and Anna Higgins.

Left NZ on 15th June and Arrived at Messolonghi on 17th June, a lot later this year. Poor Split Enz was in need of some tender loving care. She had half the Sahara Dessert on her. Upon arrival we were informed that we were not allowed to perform any work on the boat as the marina did not have its environmental certificate. The port police were on patrol and if caught doing anything it was a 100 Euro fine. Not what we wanted hear as we had lifted SplitEnz out of the water to do the Antifouling and had been persuaded by the Marina to stay saying they would have said certificate by the time we returned.
We decided to take the risk and proceed with the work that was needed to get Split Enz ready, I sat at the bow with Binoculars and gave Steve advance warning that the port police were on their way. He would put all the tools away and hide coming out to carry on once they had left the marina. Steve managed to get all the antifouling done and we were lifted into the water on the 24th June. We caught up with our old neighbors from last year Bruno and Jan and went to see a festival that happens every year at this time it is to do with the war of independence from Turkey. The parade of horses was magnificent and it was lovely seeing all the men and boys parading in their traditional costumes. Rob and Lynne our first Guests arrived on 26th June and after showing them a little of Messolonghi we left the marina on 29th June and started our journey towards the Corinth Canal. We stopped at Trizonia for 2 nights and then onto Itea for 2 nights. While in Itea Rob and Lynne caught the bus to Delphi the home of the Oracle, Steve and I had visited this last season so decided to have a day of chores on the boat.
3rd of July
We left early in the morning to make Corinth Canal by lunch time we had a short wait and then were called through it is still amazes me every time. Once we paid our fees we anchored in a bay just outside the entrance and cooled off with swims and went ashore for some ice cold beers.
4th July
After much discussions about wind direction it was unanimously decided to head for Poros, big grins all round especially Rob and with an excited high five we were off. It was lovely catching up with some of the friends we had made on our last visit. Especially the staff of the Gais Restaurant & George our favourite waiter, it was so lovely being greeted like long lost friends.
5th July
Wind conditions and direction were perfect for our crossing back to the north eastern part of the mainland with Lavrion being our destination we had a great sail until we were hit by strong katabatic gust coming off the land so we took shelter for the night in Sounion bay. The Temple of Poseidon is on the headland and at night it is lit up, a lovely backdrop for our dinner that night.
6th July
We motored 5 nautical miles around the headland to the Olympic Marina in Lavrion we caught up on some chores mainly washing and planned the next day. We decided to hire a car and went into Lavrion and explored the Markets then drove to the Temple of Poseidon. It was magnificent and was the inspiration for one of Lord Byrons poems, we even found the pillar with his name inscribed on it. We were later told that this was not by Byron, but by his many Greek friends who held a commemorative ceremony after his death. He is a very special person to all Greeks because of his support in the battle to regain independence from the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). A quick swim in the bay and then back to the marina to meet the sailmaker. Our Bimini has finally given up the ghost and starting to fall apart at the seams literally. Another cooks night off and dinner in town at the port.
8th July
Today we said goodbye to our friends Rob & Lynne as they head back to Athens for the long flight home. We will miss them. We have really enjoyed their company this is the second time that they have joined us on Split Enz. We continue with our stay at the Marina, as the meltimi winds are very strong at the moment. The weather looks more favourable tomorrow, so hopefully we can get out and do some sailing until we come back to pick up our new Bimini.

The new season isn't too far away now. We returned home last October having had 7 months away on Split Enz . We left Croatia in April and sailed to Greece via Italy.
With so much to see here we just had to come back as the year before we felt like there was still so much to see. We sailed back around the Peloponnese on to Crete and up through the Dodecanese and back through the Corinth Canal having an extended time in the Ionian thoroughly enjoying the sights.
Split Enz is currently on the hard at Messalonghi. We are due to fly back mid June, spend about a week to get her ship shape and slip her back in the water.
Time schedules have had to be put back this year due to Ange having a total knee replacement. Recovery is going really well considering she only had the operation 5 weeks ago.
So it's count down now. It will be 8 months since leaving Split Enz back in Oct 2015...can't wait!