MAY 18th 2015

Since our last blog. we have had some pleasant cruising around the Cyclades Islands.

Initially early in our journey we encountered very few other boats but now the season seems to have started, with crowded harbours and anchorages.

We have met and made friends with many other fellow sailors, of various nationalities, a French family, Dutch, Danish and Australian. Surprisingly we have neither met or seen many British boats. We did wonder if everybody had stayed at home for the "General Election" ?

The inevitable Cyclades weather again struck. A well predicted blow from the North saw us bolting for Naxos and shelter. We were concerned that with the forecast that it would be crowded, and have little or no room. However we had timed it right and we arrived to be helped into what was probably the best berth in the harbour. The nautical equivalent of the Royal Box at Wembley !!

Appolos Gate Naxos, 530BC

Naxos is one of our favourite Islands and harbours. It is a good job, as the forecast two day blow lasted for Severn days, Beaufort force 7, day and night.

Sitting in our "pound seats" we were then entertained by dozens of boats arriving in search of shelter, and then struggling to squeeze  into the few and increasingly more difficult spots in the strong wind.

Our dock was crammed to capacity on both sides, and no body was moving. A sense of community soon developed,and before long we were taking it in turns to have "happy hour" parties on each others boats.

As a result of this blow, and our similar experiences last year, we have decided to slowly make our way back to the calmer waters of the Ionian, exploring the Saronic gulf on the way.

We have greatly enjoyed the Aegean side of Greece, and hope to return, as there is still so much to see and explore. However the windy season is due to arrive soon and so whilst disappointing we feel that it is wise to move on.   

RAY & MANDY

Poros 37.31.6N x 23.25.25E

April in the Eastern Peloponnissos.

We have had some lovely sailing this last month the wind has been lovely although not always the way we planned to go often we would leave a port or town quay with a destination in mind to find the wind good for somewhere else so we enjoyed the sail and changed our destination!!

This a view from a lovely walk around the old area of Ermioni alovely small port as we made our way to the Peloponnisos. Wespent Easter sunday here and at night were treated to a procession of fishing boats with flares and later fireworks!!

Watching the procession.

Well after that we sailed on to a large bay Porto Kheli and spent the night the pilot says the water on the quay is brackish so we passed on that but went shore to shop for food and drink for the next few days as we planned to move towards Navplion by anchoring in bays over night as many of the habours are only small fishing ports with not much ashore especially so early in the season not alot open.

     We spent 2 days sailing and the nights in nice bays called Koiladhia and Khaidhari and our final sail up to Navplion.

  Navplion is an old city and many centries ago was the capital so this area of what is now Greece.

View up to the old Fortress

We spent a few days exploring the old town and the new, had one very windy night on the quay we were getting low on water and there was no sign of any water on the quay so we made plans to move on and sail across the bay and down the other side .

   Our 1st destination was Astrous a new place for us and it had a very new quay but as yet not complete so NO water and we are down to our last 100 litres or a bit less!! So next day we did not stay but left on our quest to get water. We set of for Leonidhion south of where we were and the wind was southerly and a fair swell so after an hour of fighting the weather we opted to sail on a broad reach towards  Porto Kheli good sailing however we stopped in a small bay just before the port as it was getting late and decided we would check the weather and make up our mind where we would go for water the next day!!

  After a pleasant night we woke early as the wind had changed a was causing Josephine to rock so check the weather a good southerly breeze so set off back across the bay towards Leonidhion had a great sail and made it by lunchtime and yes there was WATER  1 euro for 100 litres.

Well that was April and we are now in May and back in the islands again will write about that soon.

At present in a beautiful bay known as Sand Bar Bay on the Island of Kithnos

37 degrees24'N 24 degrees23'E

till next time Mandy and Ray