From the anchorage
south of Astypalaia town we moved into the port, now fully
refurbished and being run efficiently it would seem. The dues are now
collected by a representative who visits the boats on arrival and
water and power is controlled and available at every berth. We chose
to berth at the outer end of the mole where there is a single
alongside berth. At the time we were the only yacht in the harbour!
Inevitably, shortly after securing Kurukulla for the night we were
asked by the Port Police to move and Med moor further along as a boat
was coming in that required access to the fire hydrant, which was
sighted alongside our berth. My immediate reaction was that I have
heard some reasons for having to shift berth but this stretched the
imagination; however, we moved as requested. Less than an hour later
an Irish yacht, a member of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, pulled into
the berth.  |
| Kurukulla at Panormos, Astypalaia |
It was immediately apparent that the Port Police were not
joking! They had had a major fire in the fore-peak, caused by the bow
thruster electrics, which had also resulted in the bow thruster
battery exploding. Nasty business! The boat was a beautiful Beneteau
50 footer and, I suspect, verging on a write off.
That night Yorgos, our
next crew member was due to arrive, at 0340 in the morning. I set the
alarm for 0320 and retired early, intending to meet the ferry and
show him where the boat was. Mistake! I wandered down to the jetty,
only to discover I was the only person there, and realised that with
the southerly swell, albeit moderate, the ferry was unlikely to berth
in its usual place. The problem was I was unaware of any alternative
on the island! With no one to ask and after waiting an hour I went
back to the boat and checked my cell phone;
 |
| On the wind. |
Yorgos was marooned on
the north coast of the island, at a jetty with little or no
civilisation nearby, and was waiting for the one and only taxi in
night-time service on the island to come back for the umpteenth time
to shuttle people to the main port. What organisation!
Next day we
re-victualled the boat and prepared to head for Ormos Panormos on the
NW corner of Astypalaia, an amazing and deserted anchorage in the
most remote part of the island. It did not disappoint; there was not
a dwelling to be seen anywhere and only one very small chapel.
After a night and a
morning relaxing in Panormos we sailed across the northern bay to the
inland sea on the NE arm of the island. Here we anchored at the far
end in 5m of water and in the company of four other boats. A more
popular place to be! Again this was to be for only one night as we
only had two days left before Lorella, our next crew member, was due
to join and this was to happen at Amorgos.
 |
| Nisos Gramvousa, Amorgos |
Our sail across to the
SW tip of Amorgos was a great passage, somewhat misty but with a west
wind that meant we were on a close fetch and doing over 6 kts all the
way. With the wind set to stay in the west we opted for the anchorage
on the SE side of the deserted island of Gramvousa, well sheltered in
a west wind and stunningly beautiful. Our night was calm and the
morning clear and bright. We spent the fabulous morning
exploring the island before setting off to sail into Katapola in the
early afternoon. Katapola is the main port of the island, and it was
here that we intended to hire a car in order to collect Lorella,
again at 0200, from the secondary port of Ayios Annas;
 |
| Amazing what you find in the smallest of chapels |
a port which
is OK for the ferry but not protected enough for us in a forecast NW
wind. After a tour of the Chora (old capital) and a trip north to
research the ground for the pick up later that night, reconnaissance
which included supper in a local taverna, we headed back to Kurukulla
to await the 0100 departure to collect Lorella. In the event the
ferry was 45 mins late but otherwise all went well.
Next morning it was
victualling again (amazing how much a crew can eat!) and then we
departed for Ormos Kalotiri, a good anchorage in a NW blow and one
where we had sheltered last year from a SE wind (with less success!).
 |
| Ormos Kalotiri, Amorgos |
This was Lorella's first experience of sailing and perhaps not the
best introduction with F5 winds and lumpy seas but at least it lasted
less than an hour!
Next day, the wind had
abated slightly and we set off for either Skhinoussa or Koufonisia,
our destination depending on the wind. In the event it was Skhinoussa
that won being a somewhat bumpy but exhilarating close reach away
instead of the beat to Koufonisia, Koufonisia would have to wait for
the day after!
 |
| Anchorage east of Nisis Agrilos, Skhinousa |
We spent a quiet night in the most southerly bay of
the main island of Skhinoussa, in the shadow of someone's estate,
which seemed full of workmen constructing a number of follies as well
as further accommodation. Obviously there is still money in Greece,
somewhere!
Next morning was flat
calm and, having exhausted our patience waiting for wind, we motored
across the 6 or so miles to Koufonisia where we anchored in the sandy
bay on the NE end of the island. A delightful spot and a quiet place
to spend the night.
We awoke to the
forecast, gentle, easterly breeze and after a morning of swimming and
sunning ourselves we set off for Naxos looking for shelter for the
following night, it was forecast for much stronger SE winds. The
first two hours of the passage were a gentle sail but in steadily
increasing wind.
 |
| Dawn departure, Nisis Agrilos, Skhinousa |
By the time we entered the Naxos - Paros channel the
wind was astern and blowing 20+ kts over the deck, 27 kts true, time
to seek out our night refuge. We chose the shallow, sandy, bay to the
north of Ak Kouroupa, an anchorage with good holding but not one that
is well charted. After a careful entry we anchored in 3m and
following a swim around the boat to check the anchor and the
surrounding bottom for obstructions, we were set for the night. The
next morning dawned with 25kts blowing still from the SE but as the
day went on it abated to 15kts or so. With this respite we decided to
make the passage to Naoussa, on the northern end of Paros, and
enjoyed a very pleasant sail downwind to the entrance followed by a
short beat to windward in order to enter the bay and
 |
| Anchorage N of Ak Kouroupa, Naxos |
come to anchor
in Ormos Ay Ioannou, in the NW corner of the bay.
Our reason for visiting
Naoussa was to make use of the two very good supermarkets on the
outskirts of town, plus the wide variety of other shops available.
The following morning, a Sunday, we moved into the marina expecting
to be greeted by the manager, exactly as Kurukulla had been the
previous year. Not a bit of it. The management has been withdrawn,
the power and water isolated and the majority of holding off lines
vandalised. The only improvement was that it is now a free facility!
Not quite what the EU had in mind when they invested some €2.3M in
its construction. That night we had supper in the Mediterranean
taverna, (same as last year), which was excellent and followed that
with a nightcap onboard.
Monday dawned bright
and less breezy as we set off on a major victualling trip assisted by
Yorgos borrowing his sister's car (He is a resident of Paros). After
supermarket, bakery, ironmongers (for gas) and several other stops we
were fully provisioned.
 |
| Naoussa Marina |
The afternoon was spent touring the island in
Yorgos's car and at 1800 we finally departed the marina for Langeri
Beach, on the east side of the bay, where we anchored for a late
evening swim and an easy departure the next day. From here we said
goodbye to Yorgos, who had to return home to assist on the family
farm.
From Langeri the
remaining three of us set sail next day for Mykonos. Our plan was to
go into Mykonos Marina and drop off Lorella well in time for her
flight home the following morning. The best laid plans. On arrival in
the marina, in a brisk southerly wind, we were waived off and
informed there were no free berths at all! It was evident that the
refurbishment by the new management, which had been started last
year, had paid dividends! There were power points, water was
available and the marina was full. Last year no power, intermittent
water and half empty! What a change. The alternative was to go to the
anchorage south of Mykonos Town in Ormos Korfos. A good anchorage in
southerlies and already occupied by seven or eight other yachts. Here
we spent a quiet night at anchor and then dropped Lorella off in the
Old Port at 0800 for her to get a taxi from there to the airport.
Normally yachts are not now allowed to enter the Old Port and I was
quite expecting to get shouted at by the Port Police or some of the
tourist boat boatmen, as it was I think the early hour caught the
majority of them asleep; we got away with it. And then there
were two!
 |
| Departing Rhinia |
Christoph and I decided
that in the southerly winds it was pointless going back to the same
anchorage, (the wind was due to go westerly anyway), and so we
decided to head for Rhinia. In the northern bay we settled to the
anchor an hour later and enjoyed a day of total quiet and solitude.
The following morning, after a late start, we sailed round to Elia
Beach on Mykonos in preparation for the northerly winds forecast
later in the day. We enjoyed a brisk sail past Delos and along the
south coast of Mykonos and by 1130 we were anchored off the beach
where the film “Shirley Valentine” was shot many years back. Here
we stayed for the next 24 hours, tied back to the rocks, close in to
the beach.
 |
| Kurukulla anchored off "Shirley Valentine" beach |
The night was calm and
peaceful such that we were even able to keep the line ashore to hold
us bow on to any slight swell coming in from the south. Next morning
it was an early morning swim to let the line go and a sail back along
the coast and a return to the marina to pick up Malcolm, the next
crew member. At this hour the early leavers had gone and there was
plenty of space for us to go stern to on one of the jetties. Our plan
was to stay for about an hour and then head south to make best use of
the north-westerly breeze. With Malcolm plus water and victuals
embarked (never miss an opportunity for either) we set off for Paros
and beyond.
More when we are
further down the track ….......
