Closing the circle

As planned I berthed Kurukulla stern to on the yacht pier at Adhamas, the port of Milos, at 1000 next morning. Sea Cloud had already departed. The conditions were a blustery north wind, to back up to the jetty against, but there was plenty of space and two French guys in an adjacent yacht very kindly took my lines and offered up the holding off rope (AKA Lazy line). Several boats along the jetty was also White Sands, the yacht who had invited me to dine onboard when in Faro, Sifnos.

Kurukulla stern to in Milos

The town is not large but has three moderate sized supermarkets and a plethora of bars and restaurants, all of which seemed to be doing a fair trade. I decided to go off in pursuit of a replacement gas bottle which the pilot advised was available here. A very friendly German couple, who operate a small travel agency on the waterfront, came to my aid and after several telephone calls advised that nowhere in Adhamas was gas available but at the next village, a few km away, is was obtainable. As one of them was going in that direction they even gave me a lift to Vato and stayed to interpret at the agricultural agents that also sold gas. There was only one problem, my gas bottle was “Camping Gas” and their contract was with Greek Gas! The bottles are identical and in the past have been accepted in exchange, irrespective of provenance; however, as a result of a recent court case (which they lost), Greek Gas now only accept their own bottles in exchange! No mine could not be refilled as they did not have the connections needed to do so. In other words, a wasted journey. I headed back to Adhamas, carrying the still empty bottle and consoled myself with a cold beer in a café whilst waiting for the bus!

That night Melvin, a friend who has sailed in Kurukulla every year for the past four years, arrived at mid-night, off the ferry. After a couple of glasses of wine in a local bar we both decided we had had enough and headed back to the boat. Next day it was shopping at the supermarket, lunch ashore and then sail at 1600 to head to the south side of the island. As we departed we said goodbye to White Sands and her crew who were planning to head west the next day. We sailed off the jetty, drawing some complimentary comments from our neighbours, and headed for the exit from Ormos Milos. Between leaving the jetty and getting to the entrance the wind went from northerly force 4 to variable force 0, just our luck. For the next hour we part sailed, part motored, towards the south coast in some horrid residual seas! Once on the south coast it was a flat water sail and much improved.

Departing Ormos Provatas, south side of Milos

We finally arrived at Ormos Provatas at 2000, anchored in a delightful bay, in 3m of water, went for a quick swim to check the anchor, and then set about producing lemon chicken for supper.

The next day there was a gentle northerly breeze which carried us off the Folegandros in good style, departing at 1000 and arriving in the anchorage at Vathi at 1530, not a fast passage but a pleasant one.

Ornos Vathi, Folegandros

We spent the next three hours swimming and reading after which we decided to research the small hamlet ashore. A brief walk, a bit of photography and a plate full of calamari plus a beer each and we were ready to return aboard, (in fact it was two plates full of calamari but the portions were so enormous that we gave one away to a table full of locals!). This was followed by a film on deck and a relatively early night.

Next morning we had a gentle sail off the anchor and an even more gentle sail to Ios passing along the south coast of Sikinos in the process. If being honest we did resort to the engine for a total of one hour or less, finally ghosting into Ormos Negros, my favourite bay in Ios, at 1800.

Entering Ormos Negros, Ios

A swim followed by green chicken curry and a film on deck completed the evening. All was not to remain so tranquil though! At 0400, out of nowhere, arrived a swell from the south-west accompanied by a gentle breeze (as forecast) from the north. The combination turned Kurukulla across the sea and had her rolling onto her beam ends! Quite enough to wake all onboard in minutes. After a few moments surveying the situation I decided that this mysterious sea, that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, was not going away; there must have been some serious wind somewhere to the south-west of us but no evidence of it where we were; hence we would have to move. We motored out of Ormos Negros, and southwards to the southern tip of Ios which we rounded and sought shelter from the seas in the NW corner of Ormos Manganari, anchoring on sand, in 3m of water, just as the sun rose. Even here the swell was creeping round the corner, not enough to keep us awake though!

Five hours later we sailed again in a light southerly breeze and set off to sail up the eastern (sheltered from the swell) side of Ios. We were heading for the bay at the north end of Epano Koufonisia, just SE of Naxos. The trip was a bit like the proverbial “Curate's egg”. Initially enough wind to sail followed by rolling arround in the swell becalmed and then a good flat water sail up the east side of Ios before losing the wind again as we approached Koufonisia and eventually motoring into the anchorage.

Sunset at Epano Koufonisia

The bay was delightful and although there were several other yachts anchored there when we arrived only two opted to stay the night.

Departing northern bay of Epano Koufonisia

It was an anchorage where we would have stayed longer had it not been for a flight booking for Melvin out of Astipalaia, only days away.

Next morning we decided to wait for the wind to set in before heading to Amorgos; the sail across was again good in parts but we eventually conceded defeat, when the seas got up again but the wind did not; ultimately we motor-sailed the last four miles to Katapola, the main port of Amorgos. On arrival we anchored off a beach, in a bay, on the north side of the harbour before moving to anchor off Katapola itself an hour before sunset.

The anchorage at Katapola

Our luck was in! Shortly after we had anchored inshore of the other boats in the anchorage the Port Police arrived and invited all of those outboard of us to move because of a ship coming in; we were OK! The ensuing melee lasted about three quarters of an hour whilst all those dislodged joggled for a position nearer the shore; we watched with interest, occasionally warning off those that tried to anchor too close to us or across our anchor cable. One Italian boat in particular had eight or nine attempts to re anchor, on each occasion either too close to others or he dragged his anchor too near the shore by motoring astern too hard trying to get his anchor to take; in the end he anchored close to us, despite our protests, and settled for the night.

Supper at "Caramel"

We went ashore to eat in an eatery I had discovered on a previous visit, Caramel, and returned to find that they had moved yet again in the dark; obviously, at some stage, they had swung close enough to us to worry even them! Next morning we discovered they had re-anchored 200m away. We went ashore to purchase victuals, replace the empty gas bottle and then returned onboard to head round to the anchorage at Ormos Kalotiri, which was to be our departure point for Astipalaia next day. Before sailing off the anchor we put two reefs in the mainsail and as we got under-way left ten rolls in the genoa. We were not to be disappointed, as we exited the shelter of Ormos Katapola we were in big seas and 25 knots of wind gusting 35. It was an exciting sail, albeit only an hour and a half in duration; by 1600 we were ghosting along in the lee of Nisos Nikouria, inside the protected anchorage at Ormos Kalotiri and struggling to make headway. We finally anchored at 1630 joining three other boats sheltering in the bay.

Departing Amorgos, Ormos Kalotiri

We had decided on an early start next morning to ensure a timely arrival in Astipalaia. We motored out of the calm anchorage at 0730, heading out via the narrow northern exit, and into large seas but little wind. The only way to make progress was to motor sail at least as far as the NE tip of Amorgos. The environment onboard was rather like being in the drum of a washing machine! An hour and a half later we rounded the northern tip and headed east, the motion was somewhat easier but still there was little wind and hence we kept the engine on. All the flogging of the sails had also contrived to cause one of the batten cars to detach from the mainsail, hence despite the sea we had top drop the mainsail to reconnect it, not a difficult task provided you are not rolling onto your beam ends whilst you try to do it. Fortunately we were able to tuck ourselves into the lee of the SE side of Amorgos for the few minutes that it took but after that any complaints of lack of wind were silenced; once on the southern side of Amorgos we were dead downwind with 15 gusting 35 knots of wind and making 9 knots! As we left the island behind the seas built up so that we were surfing at times and enjoying a roller-coaster ride downwind. This lasted for the four hours it took us to arrive at Astipalaia but as we approached the island the wind again started to drop such that as we rounded the SW tip we were again forced to resort to the engine. We decided to lunch in a bay just round the SW tip of the island, and motored in in an almost flat calm. The bottom in this anchorage is mostly rock with a thin covering of sand, not good holding but only intended as a lunch stop. Needless to say before we had even got halfway through lunch the wind had got up and the anchor was dragging. Just our luck!

Approaching the anchorage in Ormos Livadhi

We bailed out and headed for Ormos Livhadi, just SW of the main port of Skala We motored round in the flat water but strong gusting winds along the south coast of Astipalaia, anchoring in Livhadi at 1700 on good sand and excellent holding.

Kurukulla stern to on the repaired jetty

This was a secure anchorage for the night despite the wind!

A liquid lunch in Skala

Saturday dawned bright and clear with the wind still blowing but somewhat less fitfully. We motored the mile and a half round to Skala port and berthed stern to on the newly refurbished jetty, a very different condition to that which it was in last year!

View across Ormos Agrilithi, Kurukulla in the distance

Melvin caught a taxi to the airport at 1230 to catch his flight to Athens and then UK and I settled down to a lazy evening in port, preceded by an afternoon beer on the waterfront. One night in harbour is enough for me and so the next day I set off for the anchorage at Ormos Agrilithi; this is described in the pilot as offering good holding and I assumed I had been unlucky on my last visit not to have got the anchor to hold first time. (it is a Bruce type anchor, notoriously bad in weed). This time it took me four attempts to get it to set and even then I dragged the next morning when the wind (average 20 kts) started gusting over 30kts. Fortunately I was reading on deck and realised immediately what was happening; without waiting for the anchor drag alarm to sound we got under-way, left the bay and headed for the, less protected but more open, eastern beach of Ormos Maltezana where even if the anchor did drag there was plenty of room to recover. Tonight I move back towards Skala and will enter the port early tomorrow in anticipation of the next friends arriving at mid-day. Then we just need to await a weather window to commence our passage east towards Marmaris.

More when I leave Astipalaia.......