Elixir NZ - The Leaving the Eastern Aegean

Posted at 4:39 PM, 23 August 2009

20/08/2009

15/08/09 We move out of Petalioi and finaly leaving Evia to port we sail full and by on to the next large land mass island of Andros where we put in to Gavrio 37 53.087N 24 44.05E for a planned stop, however it turned out to be suitable only for lunch as there was no room at the pier as all the local boats where seeking shelter from the wind and there was no room at all. We just anchored off the town pier and enjoyed the comings and goings for an hour or so while.



Deciding to make a hurried break for it when we spotted a rather large ferry heading our way that would need our space to maneuver.



We sailed further south passing a anchored Greek frigate looking menacing in the bay by Kypri we moved on enjoying the sail as we proceed south to Batsi where we found a good space on the south side of the town pier that proved to be a winner of a spot for the night.





16/08/09 We leave early morning and sail on south now leaving Andros and passing on to the next large land mass of Tinos going across the boisterous gap between the islands enjoying the fun of being in the close company of an overtaking ferry.





These ferries, by the way, are bloody big monsters the size of ships the likes of which we have only one back in New Zealand, which NZ ferry is entirely used for transporting cars, freight and people between the North and South Islands. This Greek one passed us about 50 metres off, it was fun waving to all the people who must have looked at us thinking we were quite stupid to be out sailing in such conditions. Just a day in the park for us though and we were thoroughly enjoying our adventure.





End of the day 18:00 and we put into the thriving large town of Tinos itself 37 32.2148N 25 09.72E. Still blowing a gale we drop an anchor into the town basin and go sternto, to the Town Pier all under the directions of a referee's whistle blowing port captain who looked to all the world like Hulk Hogan complete with the red handkerchief covering his bald head and big blon mostache. He told us we could stay 36 hours as a large annual religious festival taking place on Sunday and the whole of the space was required for a Greek gunboat that was scheduled to be there to show the flag. It was to be a case of Gunboat in Elixir out! We enjoyed the next day and a half though watching the festivities and all the people who had gathered to get the blessing from the church up the hill and hopefully be cured of whatever it was that was ailing them. Lots of fun was had by all as there were street vendors everywhere, colour and people.





Few foreign tourists were evident so we just mingled and merged in the crowds. A confused SWMBO and another woman both captured working out what they can do for tea incorporating dried tomatoes, or perhaps just bewildered for choice...or something!



In the late evening the next day we watched with concern as several storm damaged boats entered the harbour, a modern yacht with a blown genoa and a launch belonging to a Russian who had had quite a bashing trying to go north. We ended up joining up with a friendly and highly experienced Aussie skipper, jumping onto the Russian boat when he came close and mooring it for him as his stress tolerance was not coping at all with his low experience level and hi crew were not handleing the whole anchoring then backing in thing at all well in the heavy breeze. All was well with him in the end and he will have learned a lot from finding himself in that position. We di however turn downhis copius pleadings to deliver the boat to Russia for him. David and I did not contain the courage that would be required to suggest it to the Admirals, no matter what the money!






18/08/09 05:00 and we slip quietly out of Tilos in the dark with destination the tourist Mecca of Mykonos half a days sail away.


37 27.94N 25 19.48E Other than witnessing a wonderful sunrise and enjoying sailing some of the way in company with a yacht that materialized out of the darkness and finally disappeared on the other tack it was a rather uneventful crossing. We were however looking forward to arriving at Mykonos as David and Elizabeth had visited there on an earlier cruise ship visit and related to Jenny and I how they had really enjoyed the experience. We pulled into a cruise terminal and wharf situated about 4km from town and found a spot on the inside highly protected from the blasts of the wind that were still a feature. David and I immediately hired motor scooters, picked up our two bikie girls and headed off to the bright lights. Well David and I had fun for two days touring the island and the girls had to put up with eating out and shopping of which the island provided plenty. Riding Scooters around the Island was a very enjoyable way to get up close and personal with the Island and it's inhabitants, however we were just another couple of tourists of which there were hundreds.



20/08/09 10:00 We bash out of Mykonos into a rough sea and blustery wind, hard on the nose for a couple of miles and then turn south again destination Naxos. 37 06.288N 25 22.48E. We approached at a great rate of knots, furled sail as we entered the marina and were delighted to be directed to the only vacant spot left at the end of a Pier in the centre. However this town marina had large pipes opening to the sea and a swell entered the marina which made the mooring an uncomfortable one where we were forced to keep a watch out at all times to ensure that boat was kept safe from other boats coming and going in various states of control. There was the added danger of boats around us dragging on their anchors, banging against the pier and without crew posed a constant threat.






We survived the environment however for a day as we took turns to explore this historic town and it's small labyrinth type streets and many small and intriguing shops and eating places.







We were however happy to leave Naxos due to the danger of suffering damage in the marina and were happy that we were indeed intact, not having been hit by anything. We had now decided that to proceed on to Amorgos which was our original plan is not a good thing to do as the stories of dragging anchors and 50/60knt gusts had reached us in Naxos. The wind was now a tiresome obstacle getting between us and the essentail cruise enjoyment, so a course was set off over the horizon eastward to get the heck out of the windy side of the Aegean Sea and put smiles back ont he faces of our two adorable admirals. Over the top of the Island we sailed putting in two tacks a short 3 miler to start then a long one to the North Eastern end of the Island. We dropped off the wind and made a comfortable 8knt+ downwind slide to the Island of Donoussa which offered a sheltered bay on the south side 37 05.794N 25 48.2333E. Which bay, incidentally turned out to be a favorite camping destination naturalists of which there were at least 100, not that I was counting!



They were not put off by us anchoring very close to shore to get out of the wind and we tried not to take too much notice while we enjoyed the safe anchorage and happy hour drinkies.

Elixir NZ - Khalkis Astern heading South

Posted at 4:30 PM, 14 August 2009

11 August 2009 We left Khalkis at 07:00



 We all waved a fond goodbye to Paddy and Carolyn who had brought Kristiane alongside us for the last day at the marina. We did not know it at the time but this was the last we would see of them this year. 



Under handsome full sail  heading south we passed under a huge new-ish big bridge with 36m under being plenty of clearance for us.




The wind started to build after the bridge and although this gulf is fairly narrow at the northern end it opens up in to a wide seaway of some 3 miles width and plenty of depth.  On our starboard side we passed what looked to us to be a storage area for large freighters, a dozen of differing sizes and various states of condition all tied together looking very forlorn indeed.  The breeze built and built until we found that we must put a reef in the main but as we were now heading downhill so to speak with the wind just in our aft quarter we kept with the full genoa and enjoyed the exhilaration of warm wind, flat seas and a lot of speed averaging 9 knots.



After a couple of hours of this we followed a line of ferries into Eretria (38 23.21n 24 07.06e) and Jenny and David went ashore to find a bakery while Elizabeth prepared the salad and I went over the side with snorkel and flippers and gave the waterline a good scrub, it having built up a bit of grubby slime line and oil marks from Khalkis.  Our game plan on leaving Khalkis in the morning was to spend the afternoon and night here at Eretria as it promised to be a pretty little must see town but it was so busy with ferry activity causing a lot of wake to the extent that it was actually very uncomfortable.  So out with the old and in with the  new plan which was devised during lunch to sail some 16 miles further on southward and stay the night at a little rural bay called Boufulo  38 18.12N  24 07.1E   which looked like it would offer good protection from the still building wind which was now blowing 25knts going 32 in the odd sharp gust.  A boisterous downhill slide ensued and we made it into Boufulo at 15:00 after heroically retrieving the cap of she who must be obeyed who lost it into the briney as we were furling our main outside the bay's entrance. 



We all saw the cap go overboard but as we were in the middle of dropping the main Jenny was assigned to keep pointing at where the had should be whilst we made tidy. Suddenly from the relative calm of sliding downhill we turned into the 22knt wind on a man overboard exercise to retrieve said precious cap which we were now some 200 metres off wind spray and water everywhere.  Spotted the cap on a wave top and retrieved turning downhill once more to motor into the anchorage and flat water.  There were four other yachts anchored and we found a nice little spot close to shore where our anchor took a good bite.  It was fun spending the afternoon nicely sheltered with a little bit of onshore activity to watch as locals were painting the hull of a boat and going about their quiet business.  David went and visited an American family on a large catamaran moored ahead of us and found that they were into their 5th year of a global circumnavigation so David returned to Elixir with a lot of stories to amuse us during happy hour. 
12/08/09 We awoke to find the wind still howling in our rigging however after we had stowed everything securely we slipped anchor and headed out into rough water. Destination an Island called Nisida Stira 38 10.2N 24 10.1E We were thankful that we were not heading north therefore although the wind was strong we were enjoying the sail and stayed relatively comfortable despite the choppy sea from abaft.
After wending our way along the coast southward we arrived at Nisida Stira and promptly dropped an anchor and tied stern to the rocks for lunch.  Very little activity around as this Island is very historic and somewhat of a sanctuary so no landing permitted.  The wind keeping all the day trippers at home.  Being buffeted quite a bit by the odd squall blasting through we had a bit of a huddle and decided that this was not where we could have a comfortable night so lines and anchor retrieved and off we went again at about 14:00.   A study of the chart showed a promising bay called Elafolimano 38 05.7N 24 14.7E which should have an offshore wind and good holding, so that is where we headed and in two hours we were setting anchor once again.  David and Elizabeth went ashore to scout while Jenny and I stood watch and kept an eye on the clock as happy hour approached.   Nightime came and the wind built and was howling in our rigging with the anchor warp stretched out almost parallel to the water we were yawing a lot and Elixir was snapping at her anchor chain.  At 22:00 we decided to set a second anchor so after setting it up on the foredeck and shackling it on we motored up at a 20 degree angel to the existing anchor and when we judged that we were adjacent to the existing one we let the new one go and fell back.  Just like magic the wild yawing and anchor warp sailing that we had been experiencing with one anchor ceased and we settled into a peaceful night. 



13/08/09 brought some more of the same wild winds so we stayed until 15:00 when a bit of a lull gave us the opportunity to skedaddle out of there.  It only took us half an hour to fly down to Marmari 38 02.85N 24 19.2E and  secure lines to a large fishing boat tied to the town pier.  We were well protected here but the wind still howled.  We were astounded to see large steel rubbish skips being pushed along the wharf  by the forces of wind alone and then to see them fall off the edges into the sea, we were just thankful to have a secure and safe mooring so off into town we went for walks and dinner.  This proved to be lovely little town devoid of all the touristy trappings however offering excellent restaurants and supply stores. We enjoyed it immensely.



14/08/09 found us heading from Marimi to an Island called Megalo and a sandy bottom very pretty anchorage in an inlet on the south side 37 58.9N 24 15.15E where we found the American catamaran that we met up with in Boufulo Bay anchored again.  Just the two of us boats there for the night.

Elixir and the Khalkis Bridge

Posted at 6:33 AM, 10 August 2009

    

Elixir with Kristiane alongside.

04 August 09  1000hrs and we haul in alongside the town quay  and within 200 metres of the Khalkis Bridge. This bridge spans the gap between Evia and Mainland Greece 39.3metres in length and uses an ingenious sliding method with each half sliding back under the road on it’s respective side allowing boats to traverse the channel. As the current runs through the small gap at up to 7 knots at times causing huge overfalls and whirlpools that in themselves look very dangerous and  terrifying, it is important that the bridge gap be accessed at slack water and due to it being so busy with road traffic the authorities will not allow it to open during the day, opening only once in 24 hours, usually around 1am in the morning.   One has to approach the port authorities during business hours, pay the prescribed fee and obtain a pass.  An attractive young woman, in an official dark uniform, asked me if I had been through the passage before then on obtaining an answer in the negative she proceeded to give me my instructions… You will pay attention. I will call you, channel 12 vhf 10 minutes before the bridge opens and you will answer me. You will wait in the area before the bridge right away from the centre.. I will call you again and you will come when I say, in the order that I say.   I asked her at what time will the bridge be opening… It will only open when I decide.. anytime after 10pm and perhaps as late as 2am you will be ready because it will close quickly and should you miss your moment you will have to wait a further 24 hours.  I asked her why the time is not set more accurately and she looked annoyed and rolled her eyes skyward and snapped.. we have no way of predicting exactly when the slack water will be and rely on eyesight.. She did not tell me I could, but I thanked her anyway, and proceeded to head back to Elixir in company with David Hicks and Paddy Mitchell. Paddy had also just received his instructions and paid his fee.  What made this traverse an unusual and exciting event was not actually the young woman in uniform, although the observation was not missed by me, but the actual historical significance of the bridge gap and it’s ancient history, the dangerous currents in the channel obtain mention in historic documentation and sources like, Livy, Cicero, Pliny, and Strabo.  Tradition also has it that Aristotle flung himself into the gap after being embarrassed by not having an answer as to why the currents run the way they did so unpredictably.  The first record of a bridge was one that was built in 411BC. In 1896 a iron swing bridge was built and remained in use until 1962 when the existing structure was completed.  Unknown to us at this time was that the opening of the bridge each night was one of Khalkis’s top entertainments and tourist attractions which resulted in hundreds of people turning up in the middle of the night to enjoy the revelry and to observe the action.  

   

All along the waterfront are bars and restaurants which as the evening turns to the blackness of night creates a vibrant hum of excitement and with the black swirling waters of the dangerous currents creating a ominous backdrop a heightened sense of anticipation.   Engine oil checked, fuel levels checked, navigation lights checked, we are ready by 10pm, 11pm passes, still no info.. 12pm and the tension mounts, the tide gets angrier, the night gets blacker and wind starts to howl in our rigging.. 1am when is the bloody thing going to open, 2am and we begin to wonder if they have forgotten us! 3am and the vhf startles all as it suddenly crackled loudly and spat into life. We are informed that there will be 14 vessels passing south to north and that they will go first,  Elixir will be the third vessel to traverse north to south.  The bridge will open in 10 minutes.

Kristiane is the first to cast off..

We cast off away from the warmth and perceived safety of the bar lights and our strong line to the quay and into the black void of the night.  Paddy and Carolyn of Kristiane have been given the 1st position so we station ourselves close by them and with engine idling at a gentle throb to turn the prop just enough to maintain steerage we await our moment of glory. 

The black bridge ever slowly starts it’s slide back under the approach roads getting faster the further it slides then the first vessel from the south approaches out of the gloom for the apparent teeny little gap and what-oh it is a ruddy great freighter and it is steaming at some 15 knots, such speed no doubt needed to allow for it to maintain steerage, it is 80 stories high

( well.. it looked that big to us.. writers license damnit!) black and menacing with the light reflected off its bow wave and it’s navigation lights glinting angrily amongst the stars in the sky as it squeezed through the gap with just centimetres to spare, I could swear it was breathing hot steam out of it’s anchor pipes as it was bearing down on us to pass so close we felt that we could just reach out and touch it. The monster was followed by a line of yachts then motor yachts.   

Well chaos then erupted because there is only room at the North Town Quay, just vacated by us, for about three large motor yachts and around seven of them wanted a position there, those missing out will have to motor a further 8 mile in the dark before being able to anchor in flat water and their paid skippers will have to bear the consequences of failure.  These positions at the quay on the north side of the bridge are not allocated and it is a matter of biggest, fasted, boldest and first there, best dressed! These multi million dollar fancy blocks of flats literally raced, high pitched engines screaming, right through the south bound waiting fleet, barreling like demons possessed northwards right between Kristiane and Elixir creating a lot of wake, with a spot at the quay being the prize for the boldest and fastest. Blasting loudly on their horns, flashing their bright searchlights menacingly and yelling angry abuse through their claxons, (well.. it sounded like abuse… in Italian, Greek, French or any language you might like!) what an absolute circus.  Fascinated as we were with the drama being played out behind us by the super yachts, it was now our turn to traverse the gap.

Adrenalin now pumping through our veins,

Kristiane was called up as No1 and was off like a robbers dog followed closely by us called in at No3. We had to try and pickout  in the blackness where the hell No2 was in order that we could fall in behind. 

No2 turned out to be a motor vessel who had been waiting in the dark on the other side of the channel from us and he duly fell in behind Kristiane right at the bridge

Mr Cool..Calm. and mentally in control..Yeah Right!

with us in our proper place, line astern,  the lady in the dark uniform will not have to give us a round up, full revs were needed as the tide had now turned and we were needing to push against a rapidly increasing current. 

We shot through the gap and out into a large bay on the other side.  The VHF crackled into life .. Jaguar! Jaguar! where are you?… we are just approaching from the north came the instant reply.. Well Hurry Up! snapped the uniformed lady.   There must have been a few red faces on Jaguar as it was easily the biggest and fanciest super yacht traveling in our direction and the one who’s Australian skipper we had passed some time and pleasantries with us at the bridge headquarters earlier in the day, Jaguar must be worth in the millions of dollars, we could not resist a little chuckle now that we had established a passed though demeanor and wallowed securely in our position as perceived teachers pets. Paddy had already sorted out where he was going to anchor Kristiane for the night however David had been for a walk earlier as is his habit and had discovered a marina half a mile south of the gap which he recommended for us due to it being well lit and free, so we made our way there and duly tied up around 4am in ripple free flat water.  Hot cup of tea and off to our bunks, no drama really!  Piece of cake!

Ted

Elixir - Sporades and the Evia Chanal

Posted at 11:50 PM, 5 August 2009

 

 

0700 18 July 2009 after visting the cave on Alonissis  A study of the charts showed a promising bay about 3 miles away at the bottom of a nearby island and indeed it was here that we lay at anchor for the afternoon with only minor inconvenience from the occasional wake left by speeding craft.  1600  we sail back over to Alonissos and stuck our nose into a small village called Steni Vala, it looked a delightful place and so we decided to take the opportunity to go stern to at the town wall.  When going stern to one is required to drop ones anchor in the small harbour’s fairway and motor backwards keeping the anchor chain rolling only to have the brake applied at the last moment when the wall gets close to the stern just allowing stern lines to be attached to whatever bollards are available and then the anchor tightened to make secure.  I am free here to impart my observation that this is often the most stressful part of a cruising family’s day and many a rowdy argument in lots of differing languages rebound over the water as various expensive craft make this maneuver with widely differing skills in evidence.  One tries to take no notice as normally lovely sane men turn into some stress filled monster looking to weaker members of crews to take a piece out of.  Luckily for us we have this maneuver fairly well under control and I can (mostly) act quite calm while ignoring the anxious looks of adjacent boat owners and all the ondeck advice coming like staccato from all of our own crew, as we try to fit a 4 metre wide Elixir into what appears to be a 3 metre wide slot at what seems like an unholy speed which speed is required to maintain some semblance of steerage.  This slot is indeed just wide enough but whoa! The bottom is coming up too quickly and I realise that we will not have enough water under us to clear Elixir’s rudder next to the wall.  No time to explain to crew as gearing is thrown into full forwards and we stop dead in the water from our own thrust and not that of rock. Without hoisting the anchour we have a quick team huddle and decide to go in again but this time to tie 4 metres off the wall, which we did and had to use the dingy as a very wobbly but convenient bridge to walk across to reach the wharf.  We got good wifi at the taverna 50 metres away, fresh bread and some fruit and veggies, no water or power though but we are ok onboard for those items anyway.  We settled into a goodtime happy hour watching all of the other boats comings and goings and the dramas being played out thereon.  Mr Meltimi decided at around midnight to pay this coast a visit and 30knot winds whistled in our rigging and an uncomfortable swell fetched into the anchorage.  We had a metre of depth between our rudder and the bottom so the swell was not a safety concern for us as our anchor was well bedded in, a concern was however raised as I caught a bit of a meaningful glance from she who must be obeyed (SWMBO) which did I admit send a slight chill down my spine but I needn’t have worried as her several glasses of wine consumed during happy hour ensured that she was too sleepy to really notice that much.   Up and down the pier there was movement as all of the fiz boats spilled their sleepy crew onto the wharf due to seasickness caused by the sometimes violent rocking that they were being constantly subjected to.  Many endured the rest of the night wrapped up in whatever garments they had, huddled in little heaps on whatever seating could be found.  Elixir’s cockpit was my bed for the night as I needed to stay aware and available instantly if required.  David would come up from down below from time to time to ascertain if I wanted a break but I was actually quite comfortable and was enjoying all of the fuss and activity.

0730 19 July we slip out of Steni Vala  and move further down the coast to the Islands main town of Patitri this is a bustling and obviously thriving resort town with ferrys coming and going along with all manner of pleasure craft and fishing vessels.  There is a good wharf setup in the town basin however it was devoid of a space for us.  We left to lay at anchor in the bay next door and commuted by rubber ducky to shore where Shanke’s pony was put to good use.  Dinner ashore that night followed by a further day there as we enjoyed it so much.   Good supplies were available from the main shopping area.

0700 21 July we set course for the Skopelos of recent Mama Mia fame and duly tied stern to in  Skopelos Town Basin at 0900.  Girls stepped ashore as soon as we were tied up as this was definitely a shopping opportunity.   A bustling friendly town with lots to look at and do.  Next day David and Elizabeth hired a motor scooter and did the touristy thing around all the sights, Jenny did her shop gazing, and talking to locals thing while I enjoyed being at one with Elixir.  I watched as a particularly amusing unloading of a very large ferry took place just near Elixir which event had me off the boat to watch.  A very zealous wharf policeman with a referees whistle tried to control the flow of cars off the ferry but…  mayhem.. people and cars trying all to get off the one ramp at the same time..  Cars were only allowed to drive off with the driver and only one passenger so the first car drove off at pace followed closely by others but … the first car needed to pick up it’s passengers so it stopped on the wharf which was only wide enough for one vehicle at a time.  Whistle..Whistle.. Whistle.. no notice taken.. the policeman rushed over.. put his head through the drivers window and blew his whistle right in the drivers ear.. well that got his attention..  Greek swearing sounds a lot like a back blocks shepherd.  Gesticulations! Obvious obscenities as the cars passengers rushed to board the car and it was off to be quickly replaced about three vehicles later with the next wally.. lots to amuse the by the now growing interested bunch of yachties.  Next came the trucks.. well the first huge lorry got bellied on the slope out of the ferry so a lot more whistling and gesticulating as it inched forward and back as overly large doormats were eased under its front wheels until it was high enough to reverse back on to the ferry.. Policeman runs down the wharf continuously blowing his whistle at everybody he could see to the vehicles waiting to board the ferry for the backload..  about 15 of these cars were ordered onto the ferry and parked just inside and at the aft end leaving a narrow passage-way for the truck..  The combined weight of the cars lowered the back of the ferry so that the truck could roll off without bellying this truck was followed by four of five more until all of the inbound vehicles had left the wharf.  Then the loading continued.. a lot of the car drivers had obviously not taken a sharp right turn into the dark belly of a ferry before… the slightest hesitation while the driver took stock resulted in the man with the whistle adding his full blow to the situation providing a good deal of panic and caution being thrown to the wind.. drivers preferring the chance of landing in the briney, or entering the black void rather than face the wrath of the whistle..  As the last car was approaching the ramp the ferry men were already untying their lines and literally within seconds the ship was pulling out while the ramp was being raised.   Some of the best entertainment  I have found available anywhere just for the looking of and absolutely free.  I wandered back to Elixir well satisfied that I had had the best day of all finished off by real live drama.  I noticed the policeman walking past Elixir, bathed in sweat, with a grin from ear to ear, he had obviously enjoyed his 20 minutes of power and felt that he had been the main player in the afternoons entertainment.  Paddy and Carolyn arrived with Kristiane and tied stern to 3 boats away from us. Jenny returned to Elixir just as did David and Elizabeth, Elizabeth complaining as to her numb bum from the bike saddle, a fun happy hour ensued as we heard of Kristian’s voyage and all imparted our days adventures before deciding what to do about tea, which event I did expostulate had become an urgent need.  I have decided that a whistle could be put to good use on board, if I was brave enough, or stupid enough, to suffer the perceived consequences of ever using it. 

0800 22 July Elixir moves out of Skopelos Basin into a stiff breeze where all all enjoyed the sail around the northern tip of the island to wend our way down the south eastern shoreline observing the many nice anchorages and beaches.  We put into one of these, Stafilo, at 1000 for breakfast which was by now well past being due.  The scenery too good to miss by someone having to prepare it on the move. Blue Blue sea, clear sky, huge cliff faces and us just 100 metres off most of the way.  After breakfast and a swim we continued under headsail alone around the coast making stops here and there for a look or a swim until we reached a lovely sheltered bay, Panoramu, with very still water reflecting the greenery of the shoreline and that of the few local fishing boats and yachts.  We anchored by a couple of charter yachts and ran a shore line in deciding that here we would stay very comfortably for two nights. 

Winds were forecast to blow strongly on the 25^th July so we decided that to find a sheltered stronghold would be advisable.  A sail further around the coast revealed a new seawall construction making the little village of Elios as our choice to weather any blow.  The blow came that night and built to over 40 knots there was spray flying over the seawall as the wind growled and whistled in our rigging, making rags of our NZ fern flag and our Greece courtesy flag both flown from our spreaders about 20 feet above deck.  Other boats had come in and we were packed like sardines all swaying together in the wind as one while totally reliant on the strength of our combined sternlines.  The sea outside was a turmoil but in where we were was calm with just a small fetch making its way around the seawall just to keep us on our toes.  Next day it blew until easing around 1500 but with the sea outside still running we opted for another night tied to the concrete.

0800 28 July 2009 Cast off for Skiathos and made for a the main town of the same name.  The charter group that operates out of Skiathos were kind to us and offered us a berth for the night but no water or power would be available.  We had a comfortable night there and enjoyed the buzziness of the place along with thousands of tourists.  I reunited my love affair with a Gyros, a sort of donner kebab, Greek style,  costing about 2.3 euros, pita bread stuffed full of chunks of pork carved off a gas spit and mixed with salad and chips and smothered in mustard and tomato sauce with some mayonnaise chucked in to cover all bases,  1 million calories! Yummy!

29 July and we are off stopping only for a swim and walk ashore at a beach on Skiathos.  Our destination the mainland on our way to the Gulf of Volos.

Put into a bay called Andriami where we, at it’s northern extremity, were the only boat except for a little runabout that belonged to a lovely Greek couple that were there with their two children building a holiday home in this isolated bay.  We so much enjoyed meeting them and spent the evening in their company under a tree ashore before returning about midnight to Elixir and our, by now, welcome bunks.  David and I had gone ashore during that late afternoon for, a rather arduous I might say, walk through the olive groves under the cliffs, I was puffing along, about half a kilometer behind David, admiring the all the centuries old olive trees with accompanying stonework of walls and small block mounds that were the sole remaining evidence of past occupiers when out of the corner of my eye I caught a movement.. I stood stock still and over a wall about 20 metres away trotted, straight towards me, a fox.  Well of all things I did not expect to come face to face with a fox.  The fox likewise was not at all expecting to come across me! He stopped dead in his tracks looked straight in my eye, made a instant decision between fight or flight. Well he turned that fast I was sure his head went through his backside! bounding off at a great rate of knots.  It is hard here to put in words how seeing this lively bright eyed little wild fox, so close in that environment, married me to the moment and is a poignant memory of that environment that I will treasure for a very long time indeed.  After a good sleep we sailed out of the bay and entered the Gulf of Volus stopping only to see if we could score some fresh bread at a fishing village, but no the bakery was five kilometers away up a steep hill… result we would have to saw up day old stuff from our cubboard.  Greek bread is not famous for it’s keepability. 

The sea around here is full of these strange noisy animals!

On we sailed to a Island in the Gulf called Trikeri where we tied stern to in a small bay and spent the afternoon swimming and observing the comings and goings.  The next morning we sailed a further six miles across the bay to the village of Milina where we put into the town basin only to find there was no water to be had there so we departed to go the further mile to the charter base for Sunsail Yacht Charters.  Well the Sunsail people welcomed us, gave us all the water we would need and allowed us to use their wifi to contact family and all the while tied to their pontoon.  They were all so good to us that it has given us a really good impression of them so that we would not hesitate to recommend them to other yachties looking to for a charter.

We sailed across the Gulf again to a little island where the only inhabitants were a rather lonely donkey (who incidentally scoffed a lot of our newly acquired water).

31 July  we sail into Pigadhi, famous as the place where Achilles embarked upon his search for the Golden Fleece.  We enjoyed breakfast on board then all but me went ashore for a look see.  After a couple of hours we left the Gulf of Volos back into Chanel of Stenon Oreon where sailing by was our friends on Kristiane.  Paddy, being a Navy man, had seen us firs and would have had missile lock on if he was on one of his old destroyers,  Yacht wise he didn’t scare us a bit as we outgunned him two women to one..

We enjoyed sailing in company with them and would continue to do so over the next few days as we approach Khalkis.  

We hoisted our spinnaker and enjoyed a lovely run for three hours in that mode.  Our chosen anchorage for the night turned out to be the place where the local disco was situated ashore so on hearing the big base music we out of there..Pronto!

and sailed a further six miles to anchour behind a little hook at Kinaion that would protect us against any likelihood of a visit from the Meltimi where we spend a pleasant and quiet night.

01 July sees us tied in the town basin at a seaside village of Atlantis to be joined later in the day by a fleet of seven yacht that had raced their from Limni.  This was worrying for a start as everyone rafted up to eachother including us due to the limited room available.  I was not so worried bout the rafting as we are well used to that but the worry was the gravel on the wharf being tramped over our teak while all crew came and went.  I need not have worried as the crews were lovely, fun and polite, removing their shoes whenever they traversed our decks. 

The morning of the 2^nd July and we are invited to join the fleet for the race back to Limni, which invitation we were flattered to have received so we immediately accepted, however, we said that we did not wish to interfere with their race but would sail along keeping clear of the dedicated.  Well when came the time to leave all the fleet cast off including us but lo and behold we were stuck fast in the mud!  A small racing yacht came to our rescue and a line tied to our spinnaker halyard and pulled sideways lifted our keel enough for us to motor away from the wharf.  For the first two hours we enjoyed our racing but due to the wind dying completely we ended up pulling out to motor the 15 miles left to go.  We tied to a steel wharf sticking out inot the sea off Limni and marveled at the town. 

It was just so lovely, the people so friendly, and that night a local children’s folk dancing group put on a performance for the locals right on our wharf.  Jenny was in seventh heaven and spent the evening dreaming of our own grandchildren. 

Carolyn and Elizabeth watch as David prepares the evenings meal of free fish supplied by a local storeowner.... We love these people!

Elizabeth in racing mode..  Notice internet dish in background.. Obviously a higly skilled technition on board..

3 July and having said goodbye to our newly found yachting friends we in the company of Kristiane sailed a further 15 miles south down towards Khalkis and anchored for a peaceful night half a mile to the east of the light at Mnima.   4 July and today we approach Khalkis to traverse the famous gap under the sliding bridge..exciting as the tide can run at 6 to 7 knots there..but we go at slack water tonight probably around 0200.  This promises to be an exciting litlle diversion.  Join us next week for the next excitying episode..

Ted

 

Elixir - The Northern Sporades

Posted at 3:34 AM, 20 July 2009

10 July 2009  At the end of a great days sail around the Northern side of Lesvos we found Molyvos to be a delightful little port with the facilities that we need, like water, a steep hill to climb to another ruddy castle (Yeah right!) and a lot of excellent little suppliers.  It was here that I found a nice little shop run by a local artist and managed to secret (yeah right once again!) away a little something for the upcoming most important birthday of the year.  Actually to be perfectly candid Jenny does not have a birthday she has a birthmonth! Anyway we did the obligatory hard climb to the castle,  half way up I had fun writing my epitaph, I could see it etched in marble on one of the steeper lots of steps, and I QUOTE.. Here died Ted unenthusiastic and reluctant climber of steep castle hills, his devoted (but decidedly bossy) wife labored only under the mistaken belief that it would be good for him to get the exercise.  Sadly missed by SWMBO who must now carry her own water! UNQUOTE. Yep I can see it now as I swallow yet another hand full of blood thinners to go with this evening’s rum.   The other concern that was crossing my mind, not during the climb which time was self pitying, was that we had now been three whole days in Lesvos and if we stayed another two days Jenny and Elizabeth might start eyeing each other up!  I understand that it only takes 5 days to fall victim to the lands greatest call to fame! I will be watching carefully for hardening of muscles and deepening of voices.  No electricity was available as the provided electricity boxes on the wharf had been blown to bits by arcing and I can only assume that some clown had tried to run his personalized welder through the devices,  the welding worked but only within the said boxes, they were just a molten mass and a danger to walk near.  Cast off early in the morning of the 12^th June on a course set to take us to Sigri another 25 miles around the coast to the North-Western side of Lesvos. 

We were reminded at the entrance to the bay to remain ever vigilant of the rocks that lurk in these waters looking for their next unhappy victim.

On entering Sigri Bay at 08:00 we noticed Kristiane laying at anchor so we neatly anchored beside them and formally offered them a cup of tea. Paddy, being a retired Australian Navy officer and all, we made sure that our maneuvers looked very smart and up to regulation, I shot down below decks and had a quick shave, just to complete the picture. 

I am sure nobody noticed that we put the rubber ducky in upside down! What a time to do it!

Paddy tried, vainly I might add, to look like he had swabbed his decks at least twice this morning and had unfurled his flag at sunrise… Humph.  The Girls, being girls, Carolyn, Elizabeth and Jenny, just all squealed with delight and enjoyed the encounter immensely and made no pretenses at any noticeable seamanship, that’s good, that’s good, Lesvos has clearly not yet cast its spell!  Paddy and Carolyn had sailed up the 40 miles or so from Oinoussa the day before and reported that they had had a good sail.  We all loved Sigri and think it is a must for a quiet stopover even though we had a very social time there.  I even fixed the closest restaurant’s wifi for them and thus we were able to take advantage of free wifi from Elixir and Kristiane during our stay which was an unexpected but welcome bonus allowing us all to talk extensively to our home teams.

A good time on board Elixir, no lies were told... well......

The many free beers given by the restaurant owner was also well received during the heat of the day.  14 July at 03:30 we slip our moorings in the darkness and quietly leave a very still Sigri Bay and sleeping Kristiane behind once again to sail North.  We had a 50 mile sail ahead of us to the Northernmost port on our planned destination of Lemnos.  The day’s sail up to Lemnos was uneventful as the expected strong headwinds failed to eventuate and we spent most of the time motorsailing.  We entered the inland seaway of  Moudros.  Moudros is where the ANZAC’s were stationed as a shore base during the Gallipoli campaign being just 40 miles from the Front Line.  It was with somber hearts that we looked around the empty bay and tried to envision what it must have been like filled with troopships and various battle cruisers all billowing smoke from coal fired steam engines with the continual flotilla of support craft going back and forth from the wharfs, the camps, the barking of orders and the clomping of heavily booted feet marching in the tiny cobbled streets, young fresh faces grimly coming to terms with the reality that they may never be returning home to country and loved ones.  We visited the war memorial and grave yard and noticed the many NZ and Aussie graves with no name on them just ..Known only to God.. in the inscription.  All young men some even as young as 16 that died for King and Country who no doubt went only for the comradeship, excitement and adventure.  It was a hot sweaty walk to the Cemetery and one was left with the feeling that no matter what recognition we could give to them it could never be adequate, all of us were, however, moved and deeply saddened.

We spent the night tied to the Pier at Moudros having watched as the red sun departed a peaceful and tranquil day so in good old seamanlike fashion we drank a large rum to the departed countrymen both our own New Zealanders and our mates from Australia and Britton that suffered  the same tragic fate so many years ago.  06:00 on 15 June 2009 and we motor quietly out of Moudros and hoist sail for a short but fun sail around the coast of Lemnos to Mirina a delightful town and now capital of Lemnos containing a good modern harbour with lots of people and a bunch new places to visit. 

Tied up by 11:00 and started a most enjoyable day and a half of celebrations for Jennifer’s birthday. 

Birthday girl on way to dinner..

Delightful little dinner venue by the sea with castle background.. Sigh

Now to the other side of the Agean Sea wind supposed from here on to be behind us.. What Wind Where?

17^th June we set sail for the Western portion of the Northern Sporades and our first broad reach sail right across the Agean to the uninhabited Island of Pelagos. 

No sooner had our anchor hit the sand and we were buzzed by a huge and very noisy Hellenic Coast Guard helicopter.  My first reaction as it literally powered down the side of the cliff was that it was in trouble and was about to tragically crash in this out of the way place so it was with a sense of relief when we discovered that it was just doing what appeared to us to be a yacht count. 

The way that pilot threw that machine around you would think he was at an airshow, put on just to impress us, well we were certainly impressed at his skill and daring, but wondered at the relevance of the obvious expense. A very peaceful night ensued but due to the lack of a breeze I spent the whole night sleeping under the stars on the deck.   

Next day we visited several islands and a set of caves..

 Elixir just can not keep out of the picture!

That is it for now.

Ted

Elixir to Lesvos

Posted at 3:21 AM, 12 July 2009

 

We need not have worried as to the difficulty of sailing north into the teeth of the Meltimi as 5 July we cast off at 0600 and immediately hoisted the main and motor sailed through the gap between Samos and Turkey. 

Jenny and Elizabeth abandoned ship in Samos preferring the luxury affored by the local ferry to transport them to Chios for 12 euro each.  Back to the sailing, as we rounded the northeastern extremity of Samos we indeed came onto the wind with 10knts meaning that we were unable to sail the direct course, however, it was not the expected exact dead beat so it looked like we were  going to get away with only having to put in a couple of boards, this was not the Meltimi.  (Interpretation: A dead beat is the wind coming exactly from where we want to go while a board is a change of course, not the yacht falling apart. A new board puts the wind on the opposite side of the boat meaning that we are still obliged to make a zig zag type of course, but for us the zig was to be about 6 times the distance of the zag so one hour in six will have to be on the opposite tack.)  Ten miles up the course and the wind direction changes to allow us to make an even longer zig.  Managed to tack near the big blue Ferry containing our loved ones, keepers of our credit cards, the girls managed to fire off a lot of photos while making quite a stir on board with their use of the handheld VHF.  I am pleased to report that the use of the VHF has got a lot more formal and Jenny no longer calls me darling over the airwaves, so I can hold my head up in port!  Wind pressure now about 20knots and we are creaming it at 7.5knts boat speed. Yipee!

This was turning into a fast trip, David and I had smiles right around our faces as we settled into one of the best days sailing that we have ever had in the Med.  Plenty of other boats out and about for us to chase, visibility, due to the Mediterranean haze, was no more that 8 miles so as we caught up and passed slower yachts another would show in the distance to track.  All the while we were being sucked in towards the Turkish coast and indeed we could have even have swum ashore at the upper end of the track. 

At 1800 we enter the narrow gap between Turkey and Chios and change tack dramatically to avoid a couple of fish farms being slowly towed north by small tug boats, the tugs are at least 300 metres from the fish farms with steel hawsers joining them ready to take the keel off the unwary.  The wind turns a bit chilly, so we need to put on a shirt, start the motor and have happy hour before entering Chios Town Basin to find our boat girls again.  We had to stand off the entrance while we flaked the main (Folded and secured the mainsail onto the boom) and waited as a motorized super yacht left. The motor yacht was followed out by a 60 foot tender manned by  what must have been a New Zealand couple, we know this as they nearly fell off their boat waving to us.  We have noticed this phenomena of really zealous waving on a couple of other occasions so we now believe beyond a shadow of any doubt that it is the Mediterranean working New Zealanders’ equivalent to the Haka, a reply was duly performed and all were happy.  Europeans do not wave first, not ever, you may observe on occasion an Australian making similar gestures to the NZs.  Our girls were standing on the wharf waiting to take our stern lines as we dropped our anchor in the basin and reversed into a likely looking spot.  We told them of the terrible strenuous passage we had just made and of the depravation we had to endure along the way just to get their beds to them, yes them who had had the luxury big ship trip.  Some how I think our smiles and happy, slightly rum induced, demeanor gave us away!  They, Elizabeth and Jenny, had had to spend the afternoon poolside at the best hotel in town and they didn’t have their fancy shoes with them, the poor wee things, so we sipped another rum in sympathy while they savaged a dry white from our fridge. 

Happy hour number two took place however let me assure you that we do not very often fall from  the discipline of one happy hour a day!

Next day 0500 and slip out of Chios, destination, Mandraki on the island of Oinoussa.  This was just a short motor sail and we were tied up alongside by 08:00 and off to the wharf police and bread shop. 

Such a pretty little island that was a must visit for us as it has the best maritime museum to be found.  In this museum can be viewed exact replicas of 16^th Century sailing ships elaborately carved out of whale bone and ivory by French prisoners of war from that era. The Greek shipping bosses mostly from this island controlled 2/3 of all of the European shipping at the outbreak of the second world war.  Magnificent homes are around every corner, elaborate affairs that in the main have been left to the elements as the owners have either died off or moved to Athens.  The younger generation find it hard to live in the outer islands due to the lack of the types of excitement that appeals to them. 

In the evening David jumped ship and went crewing on a teeny Greek fishing boat (about 16ft), however, he returned at 0100 next morning bearing gifts of a half a bucket of squid, we accepted the gifts and graciously allowed him to return to the Elixir crew and all was forgiven as cooking duties will mitigate our need to extract a savage and bloody revenge.  Besides blood tends to make an awful mess of our sailing lines and sheets.  David having achieved one of his stated goals on this trip and that was to go out fishing with a local. 

0600 7^th July and we go west some 10 miles to Marmaro back on the northern extremity of Chios and there we met a Greek Australian that helped David to prepare the calamari which was mostly consumed in the first sitting.  What a feast the fresh calamari cut into rings, crumbed and fried was too delicious to describe, we ate it, accompanied by a cheeky little wine under the full moonlight sky.  Sigh, sigh! we have indeed found our Utopia?  By the way on arriving in Marmaro I visited the Port Police to sign in only to be told that in the three years that this particular officer had controlled the port we were the very first New Zealanders to enter, he waived any berthage or port dues, nice man, and wished us a pleasant stay.  0300 8^th July and a sleeping Marmaro is left to the feint echo of our departing exhaust as the wind was now 0 knots and the motor offered us 6.5.   At 0400 we are overtaken, close to, by a large cruise liner all lit up like a Christmas tree , this was a magnificent sight in the mist of a cool morning as the ship proceeded towards Ismir in Turkey located down a deep seaway and some 40 miles to the south west, we rippled our way on towards Lesbos.

0800 and we anchor in a small deserted lagoon in the southern part of Lesvos.  Breakfast swims, dingy in the water and outboard reconnoiter revealed nothing of note so once again we get under way and half an hour later entered the inland sea of Kolpos Yeros. 

Old Pelican could not care a less about us..

Anchored at Kopos Yeros for some shore exercise.

After spending a few hours nosing our way around we returned through the pass and sailed north east to the main port on Lesvos called Mytilini which we entered at 1900.  Stern to again and off to organize the legals and sort out the rules.  Very noisy buzzy place with unceasing traffic passing within 20 meters of our stern.   Next morning a quick trip to supermarkets, chandelers, gas suppliers and hardware stores to replenish dwindling supplies. A revisit to Port Authorities, I have now got the drill… on arrival have a copy of the Crew List pre typed out in full, names addresses passport numbers, Ships details including tonnage, home port and shipping registration number, have the travel log duly stamped by the last port authority and stamped again on leaving, pay the berthage, electricity and water usage all up usually around 8 to 10 euros plus tax.  0100 and we once again at sea on a very, very, hot day showing 42deg,  clear the coastal shipping and harbour boundary and we cut the motor and all and sundry jump overboard to cool down. 

Top foot or so of water is tepid like a bath but once you get below that it is really quite cooling and refreshing.  So we spent a pleasant half hour playing fishes before reverting to the motor and northing once again.  We spot a few dotted islands just off the coast which only just show sketchy on our navigational systems and the pilot book does not even mention them. 

We closed them with caution using no one eyeball for navigation and pick our way into a lovely sandy encourage of some 6 metres deep, we pick it would be safe in the Meltimi but exposed to the south and south west.  We settled in for the night and enjoyed this spot immensely, what a change from the city ports, not a sound other than seagulls and the odd passing fishing boat. 

I spent the whole night sleeping on deck, the Islands, sky and sea were so enchanting. 0600 on 10 July and we pick our way out amongst the rocks and head for Molyvos some 20 miles distant.

It is from this little port of Molyvos in Northern Lesvos that I write and send this blog.

Magic under the castle loom..

Sail maintenance must be a part of every sailors life... Careful with that needle!

Hope you enjoy the account of traveling north by yacht in Greece.

Ted

 

Elixir at Samos

Posted at 8:41 AM, 5 July 2009

28 June 2009, Late in the day we move the yacht into Kos Marina for water before returning to our anchorage off the Kos Atkis Hotel.  

Over the two days that we had been laying to anchor there I was delighted to be able to welcome Paddy and Carolyn Mitchell who arrived in their Yacht Kristiane, having sailed all the way from Sydney.  

Kristiane on the left Elixir to the right with Tactical Direction to the right and behind.

Ausi - Carolyn Mtichell (nee Peacocke) with NZ cuzzie-bro Ted

All enjoyed the reunion and on this our last night in Kos we adjourned for drinkies, oh yes and story telling, on Tactical Directions a catamaran belonging to Tony Roberts also from Sydney.  

Tactical Directions. 

29^th June 05:00 and we ship our anchor and head off under motor northward to Pandeli on the east coast of Leros.  

Pandeli with Castle and Windmills - A picture postcard into which we sailed.

Anchored by the entrance to the town basin and with a sternline ashore it was off to investigate our surrounds which from seaward had looked magic and we were not disappointed in the reality.   Decided the next day would be spent here also and to hire motor scooters to promulgate a greater exploration.  Off around the Leros with Jenny on the pillion I was back to my bikey best with a full 80cc under us.  Bit embarrassing when it literally ran out of grunt and we had to walk the last little bit of hill to the castle.  Have had a word to Jenny about the ballast but she informed me that ballast was integral to my free board.  Nothing further one could say.  

David and Elizabeth - Born to be mild!

We even had time to visit the odd small church along the way.

We were delighted when at the northernmost part of Leros we observed Savana with just Keith and Pam aboard making sail in the bay below. 

You just can't keep the boatgirls away from the sailors

Back to Elixir at the end of the day and into the anchorage came both Savarna and Perfect Lady who’s owners Tim and June Perfect are from Leamington, Cambridge in the Waikato making it a three NZ ship line up along the embankment.  Lots of fun on Savarna for drinks her having rugby field sized cockpit and all. 

Savarna Under way and about to peal off to the South while we head Northward.

First thing next day 01 July and we set sail north to Lipso and the other two yachts sailed off into the distant south.  All onboard Elixir feeling a bit sorry that we had to leave Kristiane behind as they were still catching up on their correspondence in Kos and we need to keep a bit of a hammer down to achieve our northing.  Lipso has not lost any of its charm despite us being away for a year.  Quick turn around in Lipso leaving at 10:00 on 2 July with the wind now being very boisterous 18 – 23 knots in gusts with a mean level of 17knts.   Two reefing points rolled into the genoa and we are doing 7knts on a lay to Agathonisi where we were one of 7 yachts sheltering for the night.  Lots of Coastguard and Naval activity as this is one of the closer Islands to Turkey and as such is a favorite destination for refugees making a precarious landfall for souls full of hope for a brighter future.  05:00 3 July and we slip out of Agathonisi in the dim light of the new day and face a good beat into the Meltimi to clear the Island in an accompanying short steep sea making exhilarating sailing all the while enduring a very uncomfortable bash into the breaking sea with decks awash.  It took about an hour to clear the island however now on a port tack we are still not able to lay Samos but now a lot more comfortable.   As the morning progressed the Meltime decided to stall out and we found ourselves motoring the last five miles into Samos Marina near Pithagorian, Electricity, Wifi, Showers and all the comforts.  David and I walk the very hot steep incline before a downhill amble into the town to organize a rental car to explore Samos, it being about a 3 hour drive we had been informed by SWMBO that bikes were not appropriate here.  We were surprised to find, for the first time I might add, that our NZ drivers licenses were unacceptable and that we should have had International ones.  At last we found a rental car firm that didn’t ask about our licenses so we rented a grunty 1800cc Daihatsu shopping cart to provide the next days entertainment.  Saturday 4 July did the touristy thing and toured Samos. We did the high towns and the beaches getting back to Elixir at 1800 to set the boat up for the next days sail, 67 Nautical miles to Chios and all of it up hill may extend the distance needed to be sailed by a further 30 miles.  Good sleep needed.

Bye for now

Ted

Elixir in Kos for......Shopping for essentials!...

Posted at 5:26 PM, 28 June 2009

Sorry guys but pressure from our Amelda ruddy Marcoses means that they must have their moment in the sun.  Back to yachting next week


Negotiating with the Harbourmaster..


Some heavy weather sweaters...



Wet weather boots .. essential yachting equipment


And for Northern Hemisphere Artic conditions ... Ice Picks


Life Jackets...


Rain proofing...


Spare crew perhaps ...Noooooo... Boyancy vest..


Flippers....


Boat Gear Bags... by the dozen.. Colateral Damage perhaps!

Nah.. it must be just a real bad dream, Perhaps Greek salad does not agree with me..

Ted

Elixir to Kos

Posted at 2:08 AM, 25 June 2009

09:00 20^th June and we slip our moorings in Bozburun intending to sail as far as Knidos. 

The track sailed

Before leaving Bozeburun Bay however it was decided to look around where there is a large Gullett building boatyard.

It looked to us as if it also is suffering a downturn in trade due to the economic situation however it was all very interesting as we noticed three large boats in various stages of construction. 

 

Passed this in Bozeburun Just another F***.. Gullett.     Turks don't spend a lot of time learning to spell...

Fish farming is strong in these parts meaning that we had a lot to look at as we made our quiet way.  It was a beautiful morning with just a slight breeze from the south to start off with.   As Knidos lay 35 miles to the north west, we were hopeful of getting a good sail in before the Meltimi built which we did indeed expect to arrive within an hour or two meaning a rather rapid drop off in comfort. 

 

 

attractive sailing conditions.

The Meltimi in this area blasts down from the north west usually blowing between 20 and 30knts but can at times get a little bit more boisterous than that.  Short steep seas are the order of the day with the Meltimi so in the meantime we sipped coffee and dreamed of cream cakes and enjoyed the sail as indeed the first half hour of the passage was delightful, then the wind dropped altogether and we motored onward.  Under motor we can point very well indeed (sailing term for upwind performance) so we clocked off 14 miles in the first two hours straight towards our mark.  Our course suggested a slight kink to take us through the little passage on the north eastern end of Simi, both to put us in a good position for a longer reach once the Meltimi arrived but mainly to allow for an interesting, picturesque waypoint on our trip. 

 

Lots of “are you sure it is deep enough” looks of concern from the less brazen, however, having sailed the same gap last year I had all the confidence in the world as the depth sounder started to rise from 130 metres to 50m to 10m to 5m with the bottom clearly visible underneath our keel before rapidly dropping off  again to the dark blue of extremely deep allowing David to be rested from the bow where he had been stationed to monitor the bottom for the unexpected.   We exited the gap into the newly arrived Meltimi blowing 18 knots allowing us to still use full main but we rolled to our first reefing marks on the genoa as a precaution.  White caps starting to show in the distance. Now hard on the wind, no longer able to lay the desired course but doing 8 knots David and I were in seventh heaven.   Meanwhile Hera was just starting to tune up her eye flashes.  We were forced to lay more north towards Datca than east to Knidos, after 9 miles on the port tack we had banged our second reef in the main which felt quite comfortable to David and I.  A tack onto starboard brought with it a steeper sea with a lot more white water showing and after an hour of this we tacked back again and although we had made good progress towards Knidos it became increasing apparent that we should look to our navigational system and leg pre planning to provide a bolt hole for the night, just to keep the peace.  Having made a scouts honor pledge that this would be a lovely cruise for the ladies I was not about to lay myself open to the threat of an all out mutiny.  The sea kept getting shorter and steeper as we approached the headland north of Datca meaning comfort levels took a rapid turn for the worse.   To bash on to Knidos had become not an option however, a little bay just south of Palamut called Kalaboshi, looked like it could provide the appropriate shelter sought.  Indeed it did and within minutes we were anchored with a stern line to the shore under a cliff offering great Meltimi protection with just a small side on slop to keep reminding us of how bad it had got outside.  Within the hour for or five other yachts turned up and our little anchorage had got quite crowded.  We ate a good dinner under the stars in our cockpit and retired for the night.  The Meltimi had vanished by morning as we nosed out at 06:00 however it had left a slight sea which was not uncomfortable so we were under motor once again and as we had got a good start we just bypassed Knidos, we had all been there twice before so this was not a great sacrifice.  I did however think of it as being a bit sacrilegious as to call in and pay homage to the great astronomers memory and to dream of Venus (She was carved in Knidos) should be compulsory.  After rounding the Cape we pointed our bow towards Bodrum and the delightful scenery and shops that would work at dimming the Hera look and inspire a more Venus like demeanor. 

Savarna and Bodrum

 

Outside Bodrum Marina was anchored Savarna which event we had not expected as the last we saw of Keith and Pam Goodall was at Marmaris.  14:00 We anchored aft of them and set about making ready to enter the marina.  Keith and Pam arrived a short time latter having just cleared customs to go to Kos so we had a good chat before they sailed off into the distance and we entered the realm of the Bodrum Marina at 16:00.   Two nights 120 euro plus 50 lira bond for the power and water key plus power and water usage.  Well over two days we used 17 lira of water and power and got our 50 Lira bond back.  Girls were in seventh heaven. 

Girls? where girls? Oh hot Go Go girls on a truck! No didn't see them!

Our Girls were apparently there too (but I didn’t see them either!) Surprised?

Started exit procedures from Turkey to go to Greece at 12:00 hours and completed formalities at 16:00 hrs.  New setup! Now one has  have to pay a shipping agent to type up exit papers when before you could print it yourself. Apparently there is a new national computer system only available to the agents for entering all details – cost 30 euro!   17:30 hours 24 June and we put to sea. 

Great sail over to Kos from Bodrum

Arrived at Kos Town Basin at 19:30 and tied stern too.  09:00 23^th June and I was off to the Port Police to finish my entry paperwork.  I was sent by the Port Police to the tax department to pay another 30e before they charged me a further 17e because we had come from Turkey and then gave me a Transit Log.  11:00 back on board having a coffee. As a matter of interest we have used 100 litres of Diesel so far this voyage so I am very happy about the economy of that.  Please bare with me while I deplore the robbery and extortion by Vodafone. They sold me a SIM card in Fethiye and 70 lira of credits without telling me that the phone will only work for two weeks in Turkey and then I would have to buy a Turkish one, I had sent about 6 txts and had two short telephone calls before it went dead..  They have effectively scored 70 lira off me! Damn their rotten hides, that is the second time that I have been ripped off by Vodafone and they refuse to give any refund!  They hide under the guise that each country has a totally different company and they have no control.  I say bull**** to them!

Catching up on catching up with all...

It has been lovely to get all the fun messages expressing interest from around the world but especially from our collective families family in NZ.  

Bye for now.

Ted

Elixir to Bozburun

Posted at 12:46 AM, 20 June 2009

Picturesque Lighthouse on way into Fethiye

Tuesday 27^th June Remained all day in Fethiye a city that is not so touristy so that you can not get a good feel for the ordinary people of Turkey and in my opinion they are the closest anywhere to New Zealanders.  They seem to enjoy our company and have the same  basic principals of fair play.   We had checked into the marina overnight $107 for a nights stay with water, electricity and Wifi, however when spread between all of us the per capita cost does not break the bank.  It could of course get quite prohibitive if limited to just one couple.  Showers were modern and extremely  clean with copious amounts of hot water.   Far better than we see around the coast of NZ, I need to comment.   World class facilities are still a figment of imagination in good old NZ.  David, as is his habit, headed off before any one else was awake to visit the sights to be obtained around this historical Mediterranean trading city.  Castles, walls and remnants of the different occupiers from centuries of different conquerors  making it delightfully intriguing.  I, as is also my habit,  waited on board for David to come back and report before deciding to pick the eyes out of his experiences and head off myself to see the best thereof. Hotter than Hades, some 43 degrees, with sweat dripping from every pore and icecream sellers on every corner I made my way to the far side of the Port area and back in pleanty of time to check out of the marina before incurring another 24 hour fee.   We motored the two hours over to Seagull cove in Skopea Limani to spend our last night in the area.  We were unable to contact Christiane so we will have to arrange to catch up with Paddy and Carolyn further up the line.

05:00 on 18^th June and haul our anchour and head off under the moon and nearby Venus to make our way in the relative blackness to exit the Limani and head West, destination Serce Limani 46 miles away.  We sould arrive around lunch time.   Another yacht joined us as we approached the small passage leaving the Limani and stayed with us until after we passed the 5 mile point whereupon the wind increased to 23 knots so off we trucked doing 8.7 to 9 knots with full main and two reefs in the roller headsail.  As the day wore on we dropped the reefs out of the headsail and eventually had to resort to motor to keep our average speed slightly above stopped.  Each crew in turn dropped off watch to get some sleep as we clocked off the miles in a straight line, but being about 10 miles offshore the scenery was nothing to write about, mainly all just blue and wobbly!  Jenny did not complain so the wobblyness must have been slightly within copeable boundries and my expertise as a navigator where not called into aggressive question.    Entered Serce at around noon we dropped our anchour and tied stern too to the rocks.  All immediately dived into the warm tropical waters in an endeavor to cool off, a repeatable activity that was well used during the hot afternoon.   After around 17:00 the wind strated to blast with increasing ferocity threatening to drag our anchour so that we could conceivably be put on the rocks so a quick retrieval of our shore line and anchour ensued with a move to the opposite side of the bay to reset.  We hauled in alongside a magnificent Gullett Boat of about 120 feet in length with copious brightwork and a lot of boatboys polishing and scrubbing.  Two boys were dispatched to escort a doggie to the beach for poo poos so as far as we were concerned our lot was a whole lot better than theirs.  Lovely chat in the evening to my sons, James and Ali in the evening by phone.  Dinner of spaghetti and salad washed down with Brandy, yes brandy as all of our Rum had evaporated under the hot hot sun!  Bugger!  A wakeful night with many a strong gust welcoming us back to the Meltimi nights just to keep an anxious skipper from getting his much needed beauty sleep. 

Thought first of all it was Indians on the ridge but no on second look it was donkeys!

 07:00 on 19 June and we depart Serce for Bozburun about 16 miles away for which we must pass close to Simi all the while avoiding the desirous eyes of the lady members of the crew who have very vivid memories of the shopping to be had at Simi forever interlaced in their genes from last year.  We decided to definatly go to Bozburun after reading the Blog of Savarna wherein Keith gave it his overall approval.

Elixir handily placed behind the shrub

Bozburun is a lovely little town and we have anchored in the basin with our stern line attached to the harbour wall right beside a little restaurant with Wifi and Cold Beers wherein we have just enjoyed a traditional Turkish Lunch and I have returned to the yacht to catch up on my blog.   The girls have come back from the shops, hot, bothered and wishing to go for a swim,  so off they go again to search out a hotel with a pool.  Maybe they will let them swim there if they take along a couple of beer drinkers to pave the way,  for which job David and I will need to volunteer.  

Ted

Elixir at Skopea Limani

Posted at 5:12 PM, 17 June 2009

Having in the past enjoyed the sailing in many of the South Pacific wonder cruising areas like Tahiti, Northern Tonga, Fiji and Villa, I have to admit that this little set of Islands on the south coast of Turkey of Skopea Limani takes a lot of beating.  The only thing removing it in my mind from being a sailing Utopia would be lack of good fishing which pleasurable pastime could be had in all of the other mentioned locations.  

The scenery is spectacular and there is enough of a language problem just to add a bit of an exotic feel to the place.   On our first day after obtaining a pancake breakfast from a passing enterprising couple we made our way slowly by engine to the bay that is bordered on its shores with ruins of Roman Baths and other artifacts from the pre Christian era.

Little restaurants were evident in most of the bays but the proprietors left us alone other than to offer us a berth at their variously rickety piers in the hope that we would stay.  A polite not today thankyou was invariably accepted with good grace and a wave.  Stopped for a swim and lunch at the entrance to tomb bay and it was there that we had a good chat to a group of Australians who had chartered a local boat for two weeks and who were lamenting the fact that two weeks in this location does not do it any justice at all. 

After lunch a motor into Tomb Bay to observe from the deck the various social status degrees of tombs carved into the cliff faces.  These are apparently dated from the Lycian era 600BC.   Jenny was busy writing postcards, I assumed tomb it may concern.  Eventually we made it right into Gocek where we were not expecting to find anything as delightful as the reality it is.

Large trees with ample foliage shade the clean swept walked areas that are adorned with comfortable and well furnished eating and drinking establishments taking advantage of the shade to offer refreshments at reasonable prices.   Wifi was free from the restaurant where we stopped for coffee and so we sort of made this our base.  We anchored off just to the West of the main town marina and sat very comfortably there for twenty four hours.   Sunday morning and off we all went to the Sunday Markets. 

Large canvas awnings had been hoisted over a local parking lot under which there were literally hundreds of traders selling all manner of fruit, vegetables,  clothing, toys and even Turkish delight.   The exotic smell of freshly ground spices mixed with that of food being prepared was enchanting.   All around deals were being noisily struck with the usual haggling being conducted in a friendly and non aggressive manner not seen in other parts of the world.  Yes I enjoyed it immensely.  Returned to Elixir around 13:00 and cast off for the offlying islands once again.  

After finding yet another great ancourage where we tied stern to the rocks. After sunset  I spend a couple of hours rowing Jenny in and out of the little inlets along past ancient ruins and my mind drifted to be delights of accepting the hospitality of ancient spirits of real people floating in the long soft shadows and the gentle breeze of the warm nigh.  I felt that we were welcome here and that far from disturbing their peace we were indeed just another raindrop in eternity that was passing their way. To pause, to properly recognise and then move on.  It is now 04:49 on the 17^th June and having just been on Skype chatting with Brother Steve I am amused to hear a Mexican wave of calling to preyer from the minuets of the Mosques situated along the coast. 

It is today that we intend to put to sea again and make our way West to Serce Limani a little bay some 52 miles away and from there on to Bozburun and expect to be there by about Friday.  So until then just keep those home fires burning.

Ted

Elixir to Gocek

Posted at 8:28 PM, 14 June 2009

10 June 2009. All marina formalities completed and with departure certificate in my pocket, said goodbye to Pam and Keith Goodal who are going north as we go east for a start, two new fenders under my arm it is back to Elixir to help Demir Marine to run our new main topping lift.   The main topping lift is in effect a spare main halyard that is used (in the main so to speak) to support the outboard end of the boom when the mainsail is not hoisted.   Without a topping lift (topper for short) when you let the mainsail down you could well give someone a rather nasty bonk on the head.  Thus comes the little known historical fact that a sailor who drops the main while standing under the boom could well be said to have topped himself!  Seriously though in the event of breaking a main halyard then to have a spare will mean that the crew can keep sailing without needing immediately to put in for repairs.   The process being that we hoist a man to the mast top who will thread a string rat line, with a small weight on it, down inside the mast and someone retrieve it with our trusty wire coathook from the exit point about two metres up from the mast step.  In theory a job that should take about 20min, well an hour later it was announced by the Demir man that this mast was unable to allow a ratline to run.  I had tried several times to give him advice but he made it clear that he was the expert and that I knew squat.  I refrained from telling him that son Chris went up the mast in Spain and that David and he had a new ratline threaded in under 15min!  The man wanted to rig an external topping lift but I would not hear of it and decided to put to sea and sort the matter out on our own in due course.  The main halyard would itself be used for the topper when the main was furled.  We left the marina and proceeded under motor over to Marmaris to top up our fuel, 80 litres 211.35 Turkish Lira (one lira = nz $1.16 aprox).  No choice here as without diesel our little motor becomes heavy and useless cargo and our freezer would not function meaning no ice in our rum or cold wine for SWMBO!  Marmaris is an exciting place to go into by boat under the battlements of the ancient castle and along the line of beautiful gleamingly clean Gullet Boats all touting for tourist custom right along the waterfront.  

On leaving Marmaris and heading for the bay entrance the ladies, bless them, decided to make some sandwiches only to discover that during the last minute shopup, all the bread had been left on the shop counter!  No choice now but to go back to the shop, two or three days without bread for the sake of a quarter of an hour of motoring was not an option, besides our dingy and outboard could do with bit of a run after the said outboard having been stowed for 10 months.  We hove too just off the Marina while Jenny and David did the dingy dash to the shop and retrieved the bread.  Finally left Marmaris Bay about 16:00 and pointed or bow east towards Ekincik where we arrived some 3 hours later. 

Sun had just set as we stuck our nose into a small anchorage called “My Marina”  very crowded and too much like what we had just left to be of interest to me so went across to the western side of the bay and anchored in 6.5metres with three other yachts.  This was a beautiful spot with green trees and foliage right to the water on one side and sandy beach on the other.   The wind dropped out altogether once dinner was out of the way allowing Elixir to conclude that to lie side on to the slight swell would encourage friendly pillow talk in the main cabin, not!  I slept like a log but SWMBO had an uncomfortable night with Hera from time to time influencing her demeanor and enhancing her ability to snort.

Up anchor and move three miles to the the entrance of the Dalyan river, up which you can get to the ruins of ancient Caunos. This reed lined river meanders down to the sea from the large mountains which are evident all around.  The ancient Lycians that inhabited the area were reported to be a sickly race of people that seemed greenish in colour, our Pilot book surmises that this is consistent with a malaria outbreak.  Such outbreak nearly decimated the race but their tombs remain as permanent reminders of the race that once was.

On motoring slowly up the river in our rubber ducky Jenny was delighted as we spotted a large turtle swimming just ahead and asked me to take a photo of it when it surfaced.  Jenny stood at the bow and pointed enthusiastically towards the turtle so I would know where to focus the camera.  Well the activity of pointing attracted the attention of a boat load of locals who had a very different fate in mind for the hapless turtle, like say soup! Much to Jenny’s horror they headed our way with a large net,  Jenny without changing her expression started pointing at a sunken stone, which stone then attracted the fishermen who no doubt will live forever more with the certain knowledge that blond sailor’s wives don’t know the difference between rocks and turtles and wandered off elseware looking decidedly resigned.  Jenny sat very quietly with a wry smile on her face while we made our way back to Elixir lying quietly just off the rivermouth.   

12:00 and we sail out of there heading for Skopea Limani which is a group of Island with Gocek at it’s northern end and about 12 miles to the west of Fethiye.

We were delighted of finding a beautiful anchorage about an hour before sunset in Seagul Cove. 

The delight came from recognition of the large rock relief of a seagull, a photo of which I am sure we have seen from Joe and Annabelle Wright’s old blog. 

No slop hear so Hera shall have no reason to visit, it is sooo nice to be back with the goddess of calm!   Picked up a good feed of fresh fish from a friendly Turk fisherman, 4 large fat fish 30.00tl all up making made a yummy dinner. Okay, okay okay so there is the odd mosquito with deadly intent and a noise like a stukka bomber!  Throughout the yacht during the night from time to time you could hear the “Bugger!” Slap bang thump, “got the bastard” as some hapless mosquito meets it’s untimely demise.

Turkish McDonalds? Pancakes from the boatin for breakfast absolutely yummy!

Lots of contact with Carolyn and Paddy Mitchell off Australian Yacht Christiane, they have sailed up through the Red Sea.  Carolyn is my second cousin and we have essential supplies and family news for them so are looking forward to catching up next week in some bay or another I know not yet where.

Ted

Elixir of NZ in Turkey

Posted at 2:40 AM, 10 June 2009

 

Elixir is the white one with a mast!

Hmmm..pity! Same marina wrong boat!

Right type wrong size!


Thats her right in the middle with the radar dome!
And all that is in the daylight!

Here at last back with our dear Elixir at Yat Marine Marina in Marmaris Turkey.  A arduous flight with some stuffups on behalf of our carriers meant that it was also quite stressful at times with She Who Must be Obeyed regaining that look in her eye that suggests that love can be tried to the nth degree but one step beyond that limit and she will turn into a demon of profound aggression and extreme hostility that would forebode dire consequences upon the touch thereof.  Actually I did get to wonder, her being blond and all, if she could be some sort of direct reincarnation of Hera the Greek Goddess who was also known for the odd toys out of the cot episodes.  I am of course just joking, just joking, just joking I tell you!  David and Elizabeth met us about 10 minutes before our internal flight was due to depart from Istanbul to Dalaman because that is when our flight that had been delayed due solely to a considerable boo boo by the Dubai ground crew arrived.  A mad rush ensued the four of us running with overly large trolley bags in toe through Ataturk Airport looking to all other travelers like we were completely looney.  I avoided the eye of SWMBO with a lot of skill I thought.   Arrived in Dalaman whereupon  the ground crew insisted that we board the bus to go from the Domestic Terminal to the International one situated conveniently about 3 minutes away.  Protests by us made not the slightest bit of difference, however, they quickly realised their mistake in time to prevent our bags from following us! Oh dear!  Another hour and a half of trying to secure a reunion thereof.   Basil’s driver who had been waiting for us at the Domestic Terminal finally decided to try the International one, thank heavens! So just as we regained our bags we found our transport.  Arrived at Marmaris to find Elixir looking pretty and very welcoming in the pitch black about three quarters of the way out Juliet Pier approx where we left her some 10 months ago.  Nobody could locate the key,  once again I spent my time in avoiding the evil eye and making myself busy with the marina security man who could not speak English but was a very helpful person at 1am in the morning.  Eventually the key was located at the workshop of Demir Marine who had just replaced Elixir after a haulout, scrub and antifoul.   Time to collapse and sort it all out tomorrow.  But no! our water had been drained for the haul out and power disconnected so I did the only reasonable thing and connected it to the most convenient plug which happened to be occupied by the German boat next door who was not at all amused next day and nearly had a heart attack on the spot.   NZ trade with EU might take a bit of a bashing over this and I would not be at all surprised to read about it in the NZ Herald. Water here is 2 euro a tonne and I think we would have used two kettles full and had a bit of a wash.  I gave him a Turkish Lira to try to calm him down which did not work even though it would have been about 1000% return on his investment!  Next day David, Elizabeth and Jenny caught the ferry into Marmaris while I stayed at the yacht and wore out the concrete between here and the toilets sorting out a particularly nasty bout of deli beli!  (Struck down no doubt by a damn vengeful Hera!)  They returned at the end of the day in a delivery truck loaded with essential supplies.  Now all we have to do is make ship shape and hit the briney once again. 

Our initial destination being Fethiye which is East about 65 miles.   I have recovered from the deli beli but David and Jenny have now got it in sympathy. 

From further off where you can see the overall location..

Ted

Elixir of NZ outwards Marmaris

Posted at 10:43 PM, 14 May 2009

Winter is upon us here in New Zealand,  The rain is cold and sun is losing it's warmth.  Time is ticking on and the leaving home date looms, we have rented our house out and packed up our office, now we look forward to Emirates taking us From Auckland to Melbourne, Singapore, Dubai and Istanbul.  A change of carrier in Istanbul for the Turkish Airlines flight to Dalaman where Basil will be waiting to take us right to Yat Marin in Marmaris late in the evening.  That is were we will be reunited with Elixir and will continue with our Turkish and Greek cruising.  The hours of poring over charts, looking up on Google World and talking with other cruisers will no doubt have a great bearing on where we will go on the water.  I do not give a damn where we go so long as the wind blows, the sun shines and Elixir is in good nick.  Will again do my best to keep the blog alive, with lots of pictures for family and friends.  Ted

Elixir of NZ. Kos to Marmaris and Cruise End (for now!)

Posted at 5:54 AM, 31 August 2008

 

Chris being the one with the dark glasses.

26^th August 2008 Sailed South from Kos with Chris and Natalie now on board after doing a bit of a sail past of David and Elizabeths hotel in order to give all a farewell wave.  David and Elizabeth to catch a plane today for Peru to meet up with other NZ friends to do the Machu Picchu thing.  Caught a handsome breeze to clear the Eastern end of Kos on a reach turning to a run all the way to Nisos Nisoros.   Found there was room as we hoped in the town basin for another yacht and were soon sternto and off to rent a couple of scooters to explore the mountaintop villages and the crater.  We had been recommended a little Greek Restaurant in the first mountain top village and it was there that we ended up for dinner much later that night.   Magnificent scenery and the service and presentation was top notch however I made the mistake of ordering a steak, medium rare. Being so late at night and us perhaps being their last customer of the day I think that the chef got confused and cooked me a jandal instead.  I did not complain as I did not wish to put a damper on an otherwise magic evening.  Next morning 27 August Jenny and I went to the neighbouring waterfront village to fetch fresh bread before returning our scooters and hitting the briny once again.  The scooters cost 12e for 24 hours but come without petrol another 4e from the station about 2km away, still quite a good deal I thought.  Fluky winds were the order of the day on our way to Nisos Tilos varying from 20knts down to nothing and from a run to a beat (with engine) so lots to occupy all crew and a rather confused sea. 

We hauled into a very small volcanic bay at the entrance of Lividhia the main harbour of Tilos where we just hoveto so all could have a swim. 

Beautiful clear, clear water, and just cool enough to take the heat off a bit. 

Into Lividhia to find that the town now has a new yacht basin with electricity and water laid on, however, we chose to anchor off as to be in a concrete enclosure in the heat of the noonday sun would have been unbearable.  So we sat there with two other boats and ate our lunch while debating the merits of an overnight stay.   There did not look to be very much to do at Tilos other than go to another taverna so all elected to hit the BBWS once again and press on to Panomitis in Symi, a further 25 mile sail.  We had the wind averaging around 15knts on the beam so our boat speed was good although the lumpy sea was quite a test for poor Natalie who was feeling it quite a bit.  The bucket was still unused at the end, however, it is no shame to feel the effects of the BBWS.   Panomitis was entered at 18:00 and after all the oohing and aahing about the picturesque monastery we found a good anchorage on sand. 

We remembered our last stay here a year ago when the wind got up to such a force at midnight that we were forced to stand anchor watches for the rest of the night. 

Elixir with Abbey background - Fab!

We were not looking for a repeat and such was the case as a very good nights sleep followed a good meal on board for Jenny and I while Chris and  Natalie decided for the terra firma approach and ate ashore.   Jenny had unfinished shopping that was vital to be done at Symi town so we upped our anchor at 08:00 on 28 August and headed off around the Island stopping halfway for the swim and lunch break at a bay called Thessalona which boast huge cliffs falling directly into the sea most of the way with a lovely little beach at the head. 

Both Chris and Natalie found it a fascinating spot as it was obvious from markers placed on the cliffs that it is a favorite for rock climbers.  Chris has vowed to return to this spot to next year to do just that.  

Just another day with motor on under the hot, hot sun.

16:00 Once again into Symi to tie sternto and here we stayed the night.   10:00 29 August. Next morning and I found myself having to the legal thing and clear Police and Port Authorities as we were to depart Greece for Turkey.  Once again, and like the Savarna experience from their blog I found myself feeling sorry for the small huddle of refugees that had been rounded up for processing at the Police station.  11:00 and we are headed for Turkey a short sail South East and a overnight stop at Serge. 

Another sail that didn't last the distance!(Yes! yes I know it looks a lot like my shorts!)

The wind was howling down the hills into the little bay and as we tried to put a stern line ashore my reverse gear decided to jamb in the reverse position.  A bit of brute force as eyes turned white approaching astern to the rocks forced the gear into neutral, just switching off the motor could have worked if we had been a bit further off. We abandoned the line ashore idea and found a good place to just lay to the anchor instead.   Chris and I pulled the main covers off the area housing the gear cable and found some corrosion had occurred.  I could use forward easily but would not be able to use reverse until we had the cable replaced.  The wind that we were prepared for in Panomitis found us here and decided to come in at 30knts from the opposite direction to that which we had set our anchor for. 23:00 29 August No moon, black as pitch and I was glued to the GPS as each gust hit us as being the best indication of any anchor movement and all of a sudden we got hit by a real doozy about 36knots and bang back on the anchor and we were off.  Everyone immediately on deck to retrieve the anchor and we abandoned the bay in pitch darkness by running the torch light along the cliff edge.  I did not fancy having to re anchor while watching for shore waves and having no reverse.  Much relieved to get the hell out of there and have a bit of sea room once again.  Just a pocket handkerchief of a headsail and no main as we make the 25 miles to Marmaris at a sedate speed allowing all to get some sleep in turn as the wind was off the land so the sea was relatively flat.  We of course stayed close to the shore line due to the sea situation and enjoyed the sail picking out the different constellations and planets.  Clear night and even Rhodes seemed just a mile or two away. No hurry as I did not want to make it into Yacht Marine Marina in the darkness as I would require assistance from the pilot boat to help us moor due to the reversing challenge.   07:30 30 August and we tie up at the end of our 2008 Greek Island and Turkish Coast Cruise.   We have a couple of days here before flying out of Bodram on the 2^nd for Istanbul overnight then on to KL and home to NZ.  Jenny says it is her favourite  recipe  for dinner tonight  - reservations!

I hope you all have enjoyed our blog as much as I have in writing it.

Good Luck and Great Sailing

Ted Peacocke  30 August 2008.

 

Elixir of NZ Med Cruise 08 - Astypalaea to Kos

Posted at 9:47 PM, 24 August 2008

Captains Log upload date 24 August 2008

 

18 August 2008 Stayed the night in Livadi (the delightful bay under the south side of the Castle on Astypalaea) to find that our choice of an overnight anchorage was fatally flawed due to the steepness of the road, beside the bay up to the castle, being just the bees knees for the boy racers on their motorbikes after midnight.  Such fun went on until the wee small hours determining that we were out of there at first light having scratched this place off our list of further overnight possibilities.   All this was offset to a degree by the magnificent appearance of the full moon and to get the big orange moon and the castle together in the one view segment was a thrill.  We voted it a great place to go if we ever wish to stay awake all night! We had noticed as we came in a wee group of uninhabited islands just 3 miles to the east which looked like they would be good as a get away, so off we went by motor early in the morning.   Being very sketchy as to GPS mapping and indeed even sketchier on paper chart we resorted to good old reliable #1 eyeball, everyone on board seconded for the job of picking our way amongst them until we found a deserted little beach with a sandy bay in which to settle in for the day.   Just lovely, David, as is his habit, went ashore to explore to, I think, to ensure that there were no unfriendly natives, or, to find the elusive and unguarded potato plot!.

I, on the other hand, which is my cultured habit, decided that having used my eyes to ensure that we were not going to hit anything hard they (my eyes) needed to be thoroughly checked over from the inner eyelid side and a good sound morning examination suitably ensued, apparently complete with an accompanying noisy appreciative chorus!  It took until early afternoon for the day trippers to decide that we had made a great choice of beach and they descended thereupon. The beach being only about half a cricket pitch in length soon became overcrowded, so we upped our pick and were out of there, back over to Maltezana for the next night where we dropped our anchor in the town bay and tied sternto to the outer end of the fishermans wharf.   Also tied alongside  this wharf was a large abandoned tug boat.  This Tug looked intriguing to David and I, so we decided to board it and check it out.  Bit of a mistake there, as it turned out to have become the local emergency toilet and the existence of syringes with needles still attached lying around the place was a reminder that even idyllic places like Astypalaia are not without their share of modern day problems.   I had suddenly become very uncomfortable being tied to this particular wharf but by now the Meltimi was blasting and we were at least very securely tied for the night.  We never actually saw any addicts, the evidence however regarding the addicts being indisputable.  David and I slept with one eye open this let me tell you is a further reason why a cruising man gets a sound sleep whenever the opportunity arises.  Dragging ones anchor is not the only danger.  That was a very good point and one that I shall use on many an occasion to come, I am sure.   Accepting the risk of getting a bit boring I must, for the sake of the log, record that the next morning we went back into Hora and reprovisioned to find that the town offered good space at the marine wall where we loaded with good water (1 euro per 100 lt) and we hit the briney once again.   Clearing Astypalaia headland we pointed our bow towards Kalymnos  38 miles away with a 30 knot  northerly Meltimi ensuring that we kept a reef in the main and down to the second reef marker in the genoa, the wind being 40/45 deg off our bow.   A great sail was assured and 8 knots of speed became the mean while Jenny rapidly turned green.  35 miles later we passed a small (about 25 acre) islet. 

We had noticed an indentation on the GPS chart on the south side of it that might make a good lunch stop. Yes we anchored in 10 metres onto a sandy bottom, out of the wind and waves.  Jenny quickly regained her colour and stopped making barely disguised remarks about divorce and settling down  with a race horse owner, any racehorse owner!  Her theory being that racehorse owners wont be able to afford a yacht as well.  After lunch and a swim we enjoyed a further boisterous sail into Vlihadia a small bay just three miles East of Porthia the main shipping port in Kalymnos.  

This was a little gem and we had it to ourselves as far as other cruising yachts are concerned, enabling us to push right into the 5 metre mark and drop our anchor into a nice sandy patch, be backed the anchor in and found that we had a very good hold (despite the Pilot Book advising to cautious of the contrary) so we stayed put for the night.   Several Tavernas on shore but no shops and all but me went off to discover the town.  Later at nightfall a couple of other yachts came in and rafted together about 50 metres off us.  We all had a good night swinging back and forth as the winds funneled one way down the valley and then later back up it again.  Once again we experienced the very hot and dry midnight wind of some force that we had first experienced a year ago at Symi.  Next morning and we are off into Porthia and I texted my son Chris who was due to be in Kalymnos by now, of our intentions. The Pilot book not have anything to suggest Porthia would be anything other than a reprovisioning stop, indicating that it was a bit like any other busy seaside shipping port in the world, a bit dusty and grubby, without much going for it although looking quite spectacular from seaward.   Wrong, we found it to be quite delightful and enjoyed our stay with the hustle and bustle being all quite in keeping with a vibrant holiday spot.  The girls assure me that the shopping is out of this world for menswear but not exciting for women unless size 8 or 10 (not REAL WOMEN according to Jenny!) although the prices were such that stuff had to apparently be bought to save us a lot of money.  Both Jenny and Elizabeth even conned me into getting a new pair of shorts to replace those that had split on me. (due only to the cotton becoming rotten over the hard years, not my size, not my size! I tell you!)

The main street needs mention, there is no footpath and being just 3 metres wide and the existence of many walking shoppers was not a speed deterrent.  The only thing that can slow traffic is apparently other traffic!  A real experience as all the shops had large window displays for looking into if you could just risk it! They did have large steps into their doorways which offered immediate refuge from any passing truck or motorbike.   Much of the goods carriage here is done by little three wheeler utility type scooters and these are just everywhere.  Great excitement as Chris and Natalie (his rock climbing partner) unexpectedly showed up for lunch on board.  

A great reunion though I think he was more pleased to see Elixir than me, but that is good old NZ fellow behavior! We could not find the wharf waterman who also controlled the shore power, however, we had plenty of water and the ships own power was enough for us anyway so this small anomaly did nothing to dampen our enjoyment of the place.   Chris and Natalie headed off after a couple of hours to rent a scooter to get back to the cliffs that were beckoning them as that was the main reason for their visit to Kalymnos .  We set off to return to our previous nights anchorage for the night.

Just another Meltimi sunset..

This time on returning to Vlihadia our space at the head of the bay was occupied by two other yachts and we would have to anchor further out.  Well we dragged incessantly, as warned by the Pilot Book, and could not get a decent enough hold to risk an overnight stay.  We bailed out and returned to the town wharf in Porthia at about 22:00 and had a good nights sleep after eating dinner on board and going for a night walk up town to view all the people. 

Elizabeth has the Bridge..

6am on 22^nd August and we leave Porthia and head east along the coast of Kalymnos then north a wee way to a small inlet on the north side of Varthy Bay.   This was a tiny little spot and no room to swing on the anchor but just as we were getting a line ready to attach to a shore rock we noticed a small mooring bouy, we tied sternto to that.  

We had a lovely few hours here swimming and enjoying this totally landlocked little refuge until, once again, we were tracked down by the day trippers, of which there were many and the small beach got swamped.   It seams that there is a good business of water taxi type the are buzzing the bays dropping off people for picnic type activates and calling by regularly to pick up those wishing to move on.  This is all done by the Taxis with powerful outboards, as if there is no tomorrow, so high speed right into the beach is the order of the day, throwing into reverse just when they look like putting a furrow up the beach deep enough to plant potatoes.  Spectacular but not given to a restful existence due to their noise, wash and wake, taking no notice at all of one of Elizabeths best scowls. We pulled out at a very sedate 1, building to 5, knots and just stuck our nose into Rina just to see what is there.  Huge high cliffs on either side of the entrance, from which according to Lonely Planet there is a lot of high diving activity of which we saw none.

A couple of large (say 60 foot) yachts were tied bow and sternto to the cliffs between small indents.  We will remember this for future occasions if the chance to come here again ever presents itself, as a really good place to tie up for a while. 

At 14:00 we turn once again to Dodecanese  and sail off to a little island south east of us called Pserimos where we intend to stay the night at the head of a south eastern end bay. 

One of the ships chefs turns out a couple of loaves.

This bay has good holding and was to be a great spot to spend some time, if a little crowded with other cruising and charter yachts of which I counted 13 on arrival one and a half hours later.  Apparently most of the yachts had been kicked out of Kos Marina this morning due to there being some organized regatta where the room was needed for competing boats.  With this information at hand it may not be prudent for us to show up in Kos ahead of our booked marina dates of the 24^th and 25^th of August.

Log time 10:30 24^th Aug 2008.  We are tied stern to at Kos Marina.  We spent the last two nights very comfortably at Pserimos, not the main Port but at the bay on the South Eastern corner and motored across first thing this morning on a mirror sea.

Heavy Cruiser and Ferry traffic meant that we needed to keep an A1 watch during breakfast.  Refueled at fuelling pier just south of the main marina. Diesel 1.40 Euro per litre (about $3) and it took 100 litres to fill our tanks replacing all the fuel used over the last 4 weeks.  Not bad, I say.

Signing off Crew David and Elizabeth Hicks having enjoyed their company to date, they will be sorely missed.

Thats it for now.

Ted

 

Elixir NZ in the med - Patmos to Astypalaia

Posted at 4:51 AM, 18 August 2008

Left Patmos 14:00 14th August 2008 after completing all of the legals with Meltimi running on medium 25knts but as the sail to Levitha is a downhill slide of some 22 miles we should be assured of a good sail.   First off however we sailed to the far Southern end of Patmos Island to the boatbuilders who had been repairing our bow roller fitting. 

Boatbuilders yard, we lay off while we got the roller picked up.

They had done a really good and professional job even polishing the stainless steel weld so that the whole fitting looked better than new.   David and I refitted it in just a few minutes with me balanced in the rubber ducky underneath the bow to hold the washers in place while David did the contortionist thing and leant over the top to tighten the bolts. No, we didnt lose anything as all the spanners were attached to lanyards, of course.  Off we go having raised our main with a cautionary single reef while on the mooring and unfurling our genoa to the first reefing marks too.  7.8 knots out of the bay and Elixirs nose pointed southward, bucking off the waves, yahoo!  Amused ourselves over the first hour watching Patmos disappear over the stern into the haze and then nothing all around before spotting the land of Levitha low on the horizon ahead.  Love leaving the tethers of a mooring behind and all the dust from the wharf being washed from our decks.

Did somebody say Dolphins?

The sea was alive with them.

There was the odd reminder not to go to sleep on watch!

Levitha is very barren from windward and it remains so as one sails around the eastern end and along the southern coast about 3 miles to the entrance to the harbour.  Chart only shows a couple of rocks to watch out for, however, with the water here so clear and the sun being still faily high in the sky shallow water is very easy to pick out.   We entered the harbour which has a very definite West and East end and just a rock wall to the north.  First we looked up the West end and decided that it was way too windy to stop unless we had no choice (then we would have slung a line ashore) so we were off the 1 mile to the eastern end where there were two other yachts that had picked up available moorings so we did likewise and picked up another mooring.   This end of the harbour was very obviously farmed by a capable family who seemed to be the sole inhabitants of the Island.  One of their sons rowed out to inform us that it was 7 euro to use their moorings which we thought was quite reasonable as they looked strong and were hopefully well maintained, (and so did the moorings!) besides we appreciated their manner and wanted to foster continued good relationships between yachties and isolated communities.

Shelter was good from the Meltimi and we settled into a comfortable night with only slight rigging whistle and the distant clang of the goat bells to brake the silence.  Slept the sleep of the gods.

Loving downwind sailing!

Early breakfast after the sun came up and we are off to Astypalaia, some debate as to how to spell it with some books referring to it as Astipalaia.  I dont really give a tinkers how you spell it, I was just looking forward to getting there as it is where we really enjoyed our stay last year.  We noticed that there is a isolated harbour on the North Western Side of Eastern end of the Island so we decided that it should be worth a look, being closest to us and all.  Wind built over the morning and a boisterous downwind slide took us at speed towards our haven 13:00 hours and we are moving into the cricket pitch wide entrance to the chosen harbour depths reduce to 6 metres at the narrowest point but we were going very slowly to see any bricks however all was clear and a large, but shallow harbour of about 40 acres opened up.  One other yacht present, a small cluster of houses and a derelict cement factory

Factory with Elixir in background.

(we assume cement due to evidence of broken and rusting machinery being of the sort that would be needed for that activity).  We anchored in 6 metres and settled in for the night.  David and Jenny went ashore for the obligatory reconnoiter and Elizabeth and I stayed with the Yacht as we still were not game to leave it unattended in the Meltimi, we need not have worried as we were well spudded in and the holding was firm.   Sitting on the yacht in casual observance it appears that there are rock walls every where.   Elizabeth and I passed a bit of time discussing the reasoning for so many walls as the ground was so barren that it would be impossible to farm.   We have come to the inescapable conclusion, having studied all of the evidence, that before the invention of tavernas, men, needing, no doubt desperately, to escape their domestic obligations, must have called each other across the rocks something along these lines of.. Hey, Xcapeawifos,   lets go build a wall  to which Xcapeawifos would have replied  Where, Zeroxmetoo? I dont know, how about over there?   Great idea, but why should we build a wall?  Cos we got rocks!  Oh! Okay, but bring some lunch!..Righto, you bring ouzo!.    Thus the walls were built being very higgledy piggeldy in places.  The evidence can not be disputed.   Would you believe it there are two families living here and they have a mile of quite powerful street lighting dinky die, I kid you not.   Another good night accompanied by the dinging of goat bells.   At 6am and the very grumpy looking female members of the party are informed that we are to enjoy a bracing beat to windward in the BBWS (big blue wobbly stuff) for an hour then we will slide off to a more sedate broad reach for another hour then a comfortable short sail into a picturesque  anchorage on the southern side of the eastern part of the island for a lovely breakfast.  Now wouldnt that be just the ticket.   That turned out to be a pretty precise prophesy and such was the result. The late morning of Saturday 16^th August we drop anchour in Maltezana Bay with a Dutch, Daneish, English and a German yacht accompanied by a vista of small islands dotted all around.  A quick swim and brunch.  Late afternoon and into a small resort to beg access to their WiFi which access was graciously granted so we felt we must buy a drink there.  Just as my computer was getting loaded a vision leant over me to deliver my beer, looking every bit like a Grecian Goddess this young woman floated around on an aura of beauty and allure.  I was going to ask her if she had ever been on a sailing vessel when I remembered that  SWMBO (she who must be obeyed), sweet woman controller of yachting account, was sitting right by my side, Sigh!

To cap it of just after the sun set a huge full moon and by the time we arrived back at Elixir after eating at a small beautifully decorated taverna the moon was quite high in the sky leaving a shimmering track of silver light amongst the Islets,  the anchour lights on the yachts also leaving a shimmering glow upon the silken harbour.  Sigh! And double sigh!

Sunday 17^th  at about 03:00 a rooster had a bit of a crow, (probably had a Greek barmaid back at his yacht!) which crow started a Mexican wave of rooster crows right around the island and just as they started to die down one would start off again and so it would go on, interspersed by the sudden clanging from time to time of a goat bell.   Dead flat and not a ripple of wind on the water.   Nothing else for it but at the first crack of light I beat David to it for once (keep it on record) and put on the billy for a cuppa.  Cup of tea put out of the way and we weighed anchour to get over to Hora (The port) where we reloaded with water and found a small shop that sells camping gas which takes care of any worries that we might have in the hot food and cuppa tea department.

My next yacht!

Astypalaea Port

The Castle on Astypalaea.

Duly repovrisioned we move around to the bay on the South side of the Castle to spend the day.  David headed of to the castle, Elizabeth and Jenny into the small shoreside village and me to write up this log.   Bye the bye I can sit on deck and see the whole of our anchour chain laid out on the seabed and our anchour on the end, all in 11 metres deep water. Clear as crystal.  We received welcome texts from Ali, James, Kieran and Cathy.

This Blog has been sent from a little internet cafe at the top of the hill just under the walls of the castle, T & J will sleep like lambs tonight as it is a big climb in very hot conditions with no wind!

Thats it for now.

Ted

 

Elixir NZ Lipso to Patmos 08

Posted at 9:11 AM, 14 August 2008

Captains Log   23  Aug 2008

 

At Lipso after dinner

As it was Sunday we had to wait until 11:00 for the Man to release us from the power and before you scoff, understand that the end of our cord has been locked in his little power cupboard.   Ah! Yes the ultimate control of the wharf official, he also controlled the key to the water hose, so it is everybody be specially nice to the wharf man day.   Water arrives at Lipso at noon on Sundays by ship so there would be no water, we are told, until then except for a trickle that we coaxed the man to allow us access to, the trickle filled our tanks.  11:30 and we leave by motor heading north, we pass a few little islands and there was quite a lot of southerly heading boating traffic.  The terrain being steep to we were able to hug the shoreline which allowed us to observe the various mobs of livestock.   The water traps made of brushed clean stone leading into a stone cistern were quite ingenious.  Two and a half hours late we found a tiny islet just off Arkoi called Marathi with a picturesque little south easterly bay where we decided to stop for lunch.   The wind was just a whisper by now and before long there were speedboats (mainly rubber ribs about 25 feet long with large outboards on and lots of fun loving people (from Patmos I expect) poring into the beach at the head of our bay.   All the rest of the afternoon there was much to watch and do as we swam, went ashore for a walk, and generally acted like true holidaymakers.   16:00 hours and a permanent mooring came free at the back of all of the other moorings that had been taken up by yachts of sizes 25ft to 65ft long.   We felt comfortable and reasonable pleased with ourselves that we had a good spot in which to spend the night.   Dinner on board and off to bed for a while before we heard the wind starting to howl through our rigging.  It was about 00:30 and both David and I were on deck, mooring watch!.  01:00 by which time David had headed back to bed to leave me to do the first watch and a huge 65ft Dutch ketch that was in the immediately upwind mooring to ours started to drag his mooring I yelled for action stations and gave one of my best dog whistles to wake the crew of the ketch who number only 2 and both came running up from down below rubbing sleep from their eyes, they quickly assessed the situation and flew into panic of movement.   The stern of their boat now between us and the rocks about 20 metres off.  One of the men jumped to the helm station and fired up their engine and motored up on his mooring, David and I held our breath as we believed that he must be just centimeters from fouling his prop.   They still had not let go of their mooring and a 40 knt gust hit us all, they shot back a further 10metres dragging their concrete bloc and gunned their engine but by now their bow had fallen off and was aimed at our midriffs.  Luckily the skipper could see the consequences and threw his bow thruster into gear which rounded his bow away from us so that he was now broadside on and half a metre off when the next gust hit.  We by now had all crew on fender duty and called urgently for David to release our own mooring as I threw our prop into gear and helmed down to avoid the warp.  A glance over my shoulder showed the ketch heading for us with speed and very dark intent.  Thank goodness for a good motor as we cleared out.  Having disposed of the Ketch who followed our lead and dropped his mooring meant that there were now two boats loose in a howling gale and the pitch black of a moonless night  and other secure yachts snapping and jumping at their mooring all around.  Time now to consider the longer term consequences of casting off with the immediate danger of being t-boned by a big ****** put to rest.   All attention had been to the immediate and not to what do we do now! So picture if you will white spume of sea spray everywhere the loud whistle of the wind and the utter blackness of the night and we are not tied to anything.   Time to take immediate stock.  David who was on the bow with our large 6 volt storm lantern managed to spot another mooring over on the windward side of the bay which side affording some shelter being a windward shore.  David decided not to shine the torch actually on the mooring buoy as the big ketch was still hanging around looking every bit like a big vulture seeking to get spudded in somewhere and might just be cheeky enough to beat us to it.  I would have got very waspy indeed and done a great deal of harm to the NZ  Dutch relationship if they had not left it for us.  I need not have been concerned as we picked up the new mooring and a good nights sleep ensued.  The big ketch just lay by her own anchor close to us.   06:00 and the ketch left the bay without even a wave in our direction.  I must say that I was a bit miffed at their rotten bad manners and a wee thank you would have been appreciated.  We moved out at about 08:00 and after a bit of a look a round the adjoining island we enjoyed a boisterous 2 hour broad reach across to Patmos.  

Patmos is of course famous as the place where St John was banished for many years and where he reportedly wrote some famous works that I am unable to spell.   We managed to score a good spot in  the town wall for Elixir and were duly and handsomely tied to with our cool calm Kiwi mana intact. When good luck is on your side in a strong wind and you are backing a 45 foot sailing vessel into one of these slots (without a bowthruster) you can look very competent indeed but should a gust grab you at precisely the wrong moment then it is hard to look quite so accomplished.   We didnt get any unexpected gusts.   Next day and it is Ted and David off to pick up a couple of scooters,  I go for a very blue powerful 75cc little number with two hard hats and was off to pick up SWMBO for some sightseeing.  SWMBO has no trouble changing, seamlessly, from being a sailing master to one who knows the intricacies of back seat driving from a scooter which must now stay on the wrong side of the road, even at, it seems, around roundabouts!   In fairness I must say she was very forgiving and assured me on my visiting her in hospital that most of the other drivers were clearly in the wrong! (Only joking).   Well first trip was up the steep 4.5k hill road to the Castle of St John and more icons than you could shake a stick at.

A cute fishing boat so common in these parts.

Entering the bay

The scooter made it all right but at one stage I did think that I would need to put Jenny off to push.  As it was with her knees sticking out so wide with her being behind me she was in great danger of side swiping the mirrors off passing motorists.  One hour of this icon stuff and I started to think I was back at Clongows Wood College in Naas, Ireland and all the Greek Priests looked a lot like my old Jesuit teachers, excepting of course the funny party hats.   I had had enough and eased off at the first opportunity to get back to the heady excitement of my large powerful blue motorbike, with contrasting red helmets.   All together once again and a quick buzz  (I mean roar!) down the hill to the seaside for lunch and subsequent coastal trip back to Elixir.  All in all a great day was had.  In the late afternoon David and I departed the good advices of our spouses and headed off for a bit of cross country exploring on the great hired beasts.   This was also a lot of fun and took us until 7:30 at night to find our way home again.  We found the local police very reasonable and quite helpful.  On getting back to the boat we decided to address the situation of our bow fitting that had given in to all the hard work and the roller had parted with its axel and taken a dip, we know not where.    I stripped the balance of the bow fitting off this morning, only loosing one washer to the deep and David headed off to the boatbuilders on the far side of the Island to coerce an action to initiate rejuvenation.  David has arrived back at Elixir assuring me that they have the fitting and will deliver it back today, or not.    Jennifer and Elizabeth have been up town since the crack of dawn, apparently something to do with overcoming the traumas of being bikie moles, its a woman thing and something that a male could not ever understand, I am told!.

We will this afternoon replenish our water tanks, we can not get gas for the stove here so will just go on trust that we do not run out and as soon as our bowfitting reappears we will hit the briney once again. Destination Astipalaia, with a planned half way stop off in Levitha just for lunch or for overnight depending on conditions encountered.

I would have included some photos of our bikey pack but apparently there were only photos taken of a couple of fat people on a punny little scooter, of no interest to us at all, who must have been going by just as the shutter clicked! Bummer (no pun intended)!

 

 

Elixir NZ in the Med (Kos - Lipso)

Posted at 5:31 AM, 9 August 2008

Captains Log date 08 August 2008

 

The Lady Chemist that was so kind to us in Kos had a husband that owned and Australian Pub and an Irish Restaurant about a 2 klm walk from the boat and SWMBO decided that we must at the least call there for a drink.  So the intrepid four headed off about 8pm to find this pub, which was a bit of a anticlimax as it was so Aussi! But what should we expect!  We settled for a good cold beer and in true Australian fashion it was in iced glasses, yippee! So on we went by various back streets to another Greek restaurant that we thought might be good.  Found the restaurant but was once again disappointed as the prices were pretty steep and the food fairly flat!  Back to the yacht at about 1am.  4am in the morning and the gullet next to us decided it was time to move so started his motor which must have been seconded from a second world war tank with the noise it made, startled the kiwis out of their nests it did!.  Actually I was going to say with a jump but you may have all got the wrong impression!  The gullet then decided that to tangle our anchour would be fun so the next half hour was spent with wild gesticulations and agitation until he managed to let us loose.  As he was the last one into the mooring it was his job to ensure all was well.  No harm done but after he lifted our anchour and moved it it was untenable for us to stay put.   We decided to slip our own moorings and head out to the BBWS (big blue wobbly stuff).  

Sunup on leaving Kos

A 24 mile slog to windward was the order in our endeavour to get some Northing in I decided to head for Leros and a small harbour on its southern end called Xerokambos, those of you with Google Earth can have fun looking that up. 

Xerokambos (I can spell it but not pronounce it!)

10:00 and we drop our pick in a lovely little harbour and a bit of a late breakfast cookup.  Stayed the night there. 

Laying at anchour overnight

09:30 Left Xerokambos and made our way up the western side of Leros about 5 miles to the main port of Lakki there was no room at the new marina but we had room to tie sternto the town wharf.  Jenny, Elizabeth went off to the supermarket, about two streets back while David and I found a internet café in which to send off urgent emails and make contact with those looking to get responses from us.  The cost of this was to be 3 euro for 2 hours but I found that if we bought a beer for 3.5e then internet was free.  Need I say more! David left to be donkey for the girls whilst I finished off all the beer and wrote the last of our emails.  I went straight back to check on Elixir just as a coastguard boat pulled in.  My next half hour was taken up by watching as some 30 refugees were disembarked from the Coastguard Vessel by the army and were lined up on the street, what a sober moment and a reminder at how well off we all are as this poor lot were herded off.  I must comment however that nowhere did I see any instances of bullying or mistreatment and each of the refugees had been given a full plastic 1 litre bottle of water.  One refugee in particular had to be helped as he was so week and it looked like a puff of wind would just waft him away.  There but for the freedom fought for by our own troops over the years, could have been us.

Once all were back on board and groceries stowed we headed out once again to bash to windward another 5 miles, which incidentally took 2 hours, to a little group of islands off the top of Leros where we anchoured for the night with line astern to a rock situated just inside the bay of an island called Archangelo and there we lay very comfortably all night.  My brother Ian allowed me to pinch the music files off his computer when we were in KL and these files were given a good hearing late into the night.  David, as he is prone to doing, woke early and headed off up the hill to check out the place whilst I continued to check that the inside of my eyelids were functioning properly.  David found sheep, black and white, like friesians, complete with bells. Perhaps he was so deeply asleep that he was imagining it!  The sheep however were suspicious that David may have been looking for a free bit of mutton and so beat a hasty but noisy retreat. Jenny and I were on breakfast duty and bacon eggs, chipped potatoes with carrots and onions were delivered to the cockpit where a lot of discussion ensued as to what this day may bring.   We upped anchour around 10am and headed into the little fishing village of Partheni were we found the remains of a military establishment complete with an abandoned tank.  The tank had no motor, so my unlikely, and therefore unbelievable by the very by now sus crew, theory was that this is where the Kos gullet had gotten his horsepower!   David and I wandered around the place like a couple of schoolboys let off for the afternoon and discovered all manner of things but no watering hole.  On reaching this, not welcome, conclusion a hasty retreat was made back to the boat where it was explained that there were some very compelling reasons to stow things securely as we were now off to the next port of Lipso on the Island of Nisos Lipso . 

Jenny and David doing it hard! a tough day in the office!

The two girls who had decided that a nice day in the country was just the picnic and that a return to the BBWS was not at all what they had been led to believe was to be their lot.   Somedays a skipper just has to get his own way and so off we bashed.  Well! It tuned out to be well worth the one hour bash with warm and salty water being sprayed over the boat on every wave.  Jenny did not even start to go that tender pale look that proceeds the green pale look that I have observed on occasion.  I do believe that she now has her sealegs! Yippee more exciting sailing to come.

Approaches to Lipso

  Found Lipso to be the sort of Island and town that picture postcards are made of.  The water is free, the mooring secure, electricity 5e, free internet wifi at the end of the wharf, beautiful clean streets and just a few people. 

View from Elixir of Lipso

Local girls so happy to pose for Jenny. They were very excited as they were joining all the kids on the island to go to Elio's birthday party.  (The same the world over)

Someone's Dad has the good life!

A typical Lipso Street on a busy day.

All are agreed that this is the best stop to date.

Ted

Elixir NZ in the Med (Bodrum - Kos) 08

Posted at 9:12 PM, 7 August 2008

Spent 2 hot days in Bodram. 

Picture of Elizabeth looking out for invading Crusaders from battlements of Bodram Castle

Reprovisioned but didnt load water as the water available is not potable.  We all had a great time in Bodram, the shopping was fantastic and even the marina had its own Masseratti and Skoda dealerships. No need to bring your own stereo as the nightclubs could deafen a person at two miles distant.  Sleep through the noise would have been impossible but as I spent the night with an electric fan going flat out sitting on my chest I didnt really get the best out of the music!   We all however would not have missed the experience of Bodram and consider it a must if ever passing by this way again.  After spending half a day clearing out of Turkey with visits to all of various departments, Harbormaster (nz$10), Immigration and Customs we duly had all our papers stamped and loaded150 litres of diesel (nz$3.30 litre) and sailed off  South East at 15:00 hours into the teeth of the Meltimi hoping to get an easing of the wind in the late evening but in the meantime we could get as far as Akyarlar before heading north once again.  Wind building to 30 knots meant that we decided to anchour off Akyarlar but our anchour had a different agenda and would let go in the larger 40knt gusts.  We were obviously not going to get any sleep here and the thought of bashing to windward during the night was not a popular option so we hauled the anchour on board and decided to poke our nose into the very small local fishing boat harbour that boasted a rock wall to tie to.  

This harbour consisted of about  an acre where there were some gullets on the outer end and all small fishing boats elsewhere. 

Obvious to me that we could not stay there until a local fisherman and another yachty beckoned us in close, the fisherman asked our depth and on discovering that we only draw 1.8 metres said there was room for us.  Well I am blowed if I could see a gap in the wall of small boats but with a bit of pushing and shoving the two of them made a gap that we could just stick our bow into.   This is a hair-raising exercise as there are mooring ropes everywhere and a big boat like Elixir without a bowthruster and huge gusts of wind that like to take control in any unguarded moment and have a big influence even on the guarded moments.  David and I managed to look calm (I think) and we manoeuvred us about with no damage to Elixir, the fishing boats or our collective egos as by now we were the one big :In town attraction.   We stuck out about half a boatlength from the fishing boats looking a lot like an ostrich with its head in a rabbit burrow but we were going to be safe for the night.  

Jennifer contemplating getting back on board across the little fishing boats.

A quick little reconnoitre of the township revealed a sleepy village with half a dozen waterfront restaurants with only two or three patrons each leaving Jenny and I with the impression that to be a small businessman in Akyarlar did not equate to instant riches.  We retreated back to the Yacht where David and Elizabeth had been busy with dinner duties.  Duly fed and watered (well not exactly water but you get the drift) we all set out once again to find an internet cafe to check emails.   Well what a transformation it was now about 9:30 pm and the place was swinging, it was like someone had said it was time to boogie.  All the restaurants were chocka with people and excited faces of little kids running everywhere,  there were icecreams and BBQs going in all directions, we felt that we were the only non Turkish there.   Festivities went on right up until 4am when fishing boats started up and it was time to clear out.   Apparently this is just a normal Monday night in Akyarlar.  Jenny has developed a small challenge with her ears as she had a bit of a cold when flying up from NZ and she was suffering some pain.  A bit of a discussion and it was decided to make for Kos where reliable medical facilities were available.  

Leaving our little gap in the wall on the first light of dawn!

A lovely 7.5 knt sail ensued and we were safely tied up to the castle in the town basin of Kos by 09:00.   Jenny and Elizabeth off to find Doc while David went on a patisserie expedition for his and my morning tea.  I found the marina man and paid him 30 euro for an overnight berth including power and water (unfortunately no WiFi).   Lots of good water saw all the salt washed from the yacht.  After our cleanup with still no sign of the ships officers David and I were playing the Irish disc that we had acquired in Dublin when an Irish voice from the dock said he approved of our choice of music.  An Irish tourist on a bike had stopped to listen to the music with a far away look in his eye. We were of course flying our Irish colours as Ireland being a EU country means that vessels registered there have some advantage over NZ or non EU boats. He and his wife, she was a Welsh lass, were invited on board for a cup of tea but we decided in the heat that it would not be very sociable of us not to offer a beer so we of course had to join them.   2pm and the officers have returned so lunch was the order and then afternoon naps.   Jenny's ear it seems was of some concern to the local chemist who immediately made an appointment with a expert to have a look.   A thorough examination and a prescription later has made all feel very happy with our choice of destination.

More later

Ted