T and J Sail Away

We had chosen Lakki Marina in the island of Leros as the place to take Mossy Joe for its annual bottom scrub, repair and general renovation! We discovered last year that Lakki is the only marina in this area that has lift out equipment wide enough for our boat.

It really is the most enormous place, with hundreds of boats either here for the winter or like us about to be put in or taken out of the water.

After two days in the marina, the weather was declared calm enough to haul Mossy Joe out of the water and onto the dry dock where the mammoth task of cleaning her would begin!

It is quite a heart stopping moment to see your 15 ton boat/home being lifted up in the air, controlled by a man with a small joy stick that resembles Charlie’s X Box controller, and with nothing more than a couple of straps to support it!!

Part of the service of the haul out is the provision of a pressure washer hose down to the get the first level of scum and barnacles off of the boat. This is such a fun thing to do and so rewarding but local laws dictate that only the marina staff get to do this – shame!

We left the marina at this point, nerves and hunger getting the better of us! The staff had said that it would be at least two hours before the boat would be put on its stilts and ready to inhabit. We headed off for, you guessed it, a souvlaki!

When we returned, Mossy Joe was safely installed in a plot of its own, complete with a dodgy ladder and luckily for us, as using on boat facilities whilst in dry dock is not possible, not too far from the communal toilets and showers.

The first part of the cleaning process was sanding off all of the very stuck on yuck! This was predominately Charlie’s job – could you guess??

Whilst Charlie was sanding, Jacques examined the boat to see which areas needed ‘touching up’ having received a few knocks and bumps during difficult moorings! Once identified these are ‘made good’ by a marvellous yet horrendously difficult to work with product called Gelcoat. It puts me in mind of a combination of Tippex and that nasty glue we had at school that took weeks to wash off your hands!

To overcome the disappointment of not getting to use the mega pressure washer on the boat’s bottom, we took some time to hose off and scrub the fenders using our own (slightly less industrial) pressure washer. Charlie and I had great fun, like a grown-ups water fight and after the first couple we had a pretty good system going of hosing, scrubbing and hanging them up to dry!

Some of the fenders were very disgusting having spent the winter dangling in the detritus of in the Kos Marina. Horrid!

In amongst all of this our friends from Let Go, Let’s Go arrived and we were so happy to see them. We allowed ourselves a traditional workman’s Friday early knock off and went to meet them at the beach. The boys have grown so much in the last six months and they were happy to find a new friend to play with in Charlie! And perhaps an old friend to play with too!!

We had a couple of lovely evenings out in Pantelli and got introduced to anther South African family who have spent the last eleven summers holidaying in Leros and had now bought a boat here! That is a whole other story!

That weekend, after the sanding and more cleaning, the polishing was able to commence. Jacques and Charlie spent many (happy?) hours doing this, it was really hard work but the end result was stunning!

As an aside to the main purpose of us being in Leros I was startled and then curious about the fact that Leros has a controlled asylum seekers facility. We had spotted a large building complex on our arrival and wondered what it was. After a week or so, seeing people who were obviously not Greek out shopping or walking, coupled with the evening view from Lakki town with the ‘camp’ lit up it became obvious.

Many of the Greek islands are the first port of call for those seeking refuge via Turkey or the north African coast. Leros is one of five Greek islands with designated asylum facilities.

I tried to find an article on the background to the camp, why here? how many refugees? etc. and this was the most interesting. It tells of the background to the buildings, although this was written three years ago and it appears that there have been improvements in the accommodation. It also tells of the positive attitude the islanders have towards the camp and the refugees.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2021/05/21/leros-new-migrant-detention-centre-brings-back-old-ugly-memories

The symbolism of millions of pounds worth of yachts alongside a refugee centre in the distance was not lost on me.

Since Charlie left earlier this week, the last few days have been devoted to coating the boat with antifoul paint – which is an ironic name for it because it is really foul!! It sticks to your skin like tar!

My special project was the propeller! Very proud of my priming capabilities and the choice of colour – ha ha!

After the joys of antifouling, we decided to treat ourselves to a meal out at a tiny Italian restaurant we had been recommended. You might roll your eyes and say ‘you’re in Greece – eat Greek food’ and normally I would be rolling and tutting with you BUT 1) we have been eating Greek food for over ten months and 2) this part of Greece was once ruled by Italy so there are very strong Italian influences. The food and wine were superb. Gabriella, from the Pugla region of Southern Italy, runs the place and in fact she cooks everything, serves everything and then cleans everything! Incredible lady!

This weekend in Greece marks Orthodox Easter, so to accompany our meal we had what appeared to be the entire population of the Island in a procession to the Church (right next to the restaurant) carrying the symbolic tomb of Christ. It was quite a sight as well as a fully immersive experience with two hours of broadcast on the Church’s loudspeaker system of chanting of scriptures only drowned out by the sounds of rapid explosions of firecrackers all around us in the roads and streets!! Now we understood why the other patrons at the restaurant were sitting inside!!

With our time in Lakki Marina nearly over, I am not sure I will miss the challenge of the ladder and the layer of soot and dust everywhere inside and outside the boat but it has been an adventure. Overall it has taken two weeks, Jacques working every day, Charlie here for one week and me helping at weekends, to get the boat ready. It has really been an extraordinary feat!

This is our ‘OMG the second coat of antifoul is done and so are we’ photo shoot today!

There will be photos of the finished and clean boat in all its glory once it is back in the water. Whilst the boat may be sparkling, photos of Jacques and me might still feature Gelcoat and Antifoul.

I am looking forward to being able to use my own toilet in the middle of the night and to heading off to new places but right now mostly I am looking forward to the arrival of darling friends next week in the knowledge that they will not have to climb the ladder (only to get into the sea!) and they will be welcomed on to a boat that is clean in and out, top and bottom!! Hooray!

Sail safe, be kind.

After promising you a last update before the winter, back in November, I have been shockingly lax so whilst still in the peace of Kos Marina a summary of events since then!!

On arrival at Kos Marina on 1st November, ready to take up our spot for the Winter, we were greeted by the lovely reception staff who were so pleased to see us as they desperately needed the space in their store room back and our deliveries were taking up half of it!!

The most amazing moment came on opening parcel number 23 – it couldn’t be? Could it?? After six months…..THE WINCH HAD ARRIVED!! Hooray!!

Jacques got straight to work to install it, donning this special item of face wear – mostly to protect him but also to make me laugh!

The following three weeks we were on countdown to the day of returning to the UK and there was so much to do. Some of it was ‘admin’ (therefore tasks for me) and some tasks were more practical, therefore not in a million years requiring my involvement!

We had been advised to find someone locally who could look after the boat whilst we were away e.g. check the lines during bad weather, handle any maintenance issues etc. Upon receiving the list of recommended candidates, one name almost screamed at us – ‘Pierre Dumont’ ! Pierre has lived in Greece for over 30 years, married a Greek lady but gave up sailing his own boat a few years back after surviving cancer. He has turned out to be a gem of a man!

Providing great local knowledge, very experienced in all things ‘boaty’ and a general ‘fix-it’ man, the benefit of him being able to converse with Jacques on subjects including the intricacies of dinghy mounts and bimini repairs was just an added bonus!

As if the excitement of the winch wasn’t enough for us, the following week saw the fulfilment of another ambition – to be able to be independent of scarce, expensive or sometimes packed transport options as we continue our travels. During the last summer, if we needed to buy big items or just to go out and see the island our options were cabs or hire car. We had often spoken of another solution but the chances of finding what we wanted outside of Athens we thought were impossible. But no!!!

Our fold up, electric bikes (on special offer no less!) were the last two to be found in a local bike shop. The staff were very knowledgeable and helpful, delivering the bikes to the boat for us to ‘try before we buy’. As you can see, the trial was a big success!

Even for Kos, the weather in mid November was unseasonably warm, so with our new found mode of transport we spent some time enjoying the town devoid of the crowds we had in September. At one of the few remaining cafes open around the harbour we were ‘accused’ of being the last two tourists in the entire island!

On the 20th November we headed back to Hertford via Istanbul (as you do!) Sadly, we didn’t take the weather with us, never the less it was an incredible adventure and experience.

Back home with family and friends for Christmas and then avoiding the very wet month of January in Kos, decision was made to reunite with Mossy Joe in February……more to follow next time including an unexpected reunion, harnessing the power of the sun and plans for reconnections with old friends when we head to the idyll of Leros!

I leave you with a Kos Marina winter sunset……

Thank you for reading,

Love, hugs, be kind and sail safe

Tracey xxx

Once arrived in Tilos we decided pretty quickly that we would stay for a few days even though it was much quieter than our previous visit two weeks before.

The first excitement was caused by the mobile fruit and veg van which came right up alongside the boat and had some wonderfully fresh produce. It was such a joy to choose the items we needed and the chap did not seem too disappointed when all I bought was a honeydew melon and two cucumbers!

The following day, Saturday, started with the ringing of church bells which was slightly abnormal and there was as an air of something unusual going on! I looked out of the boat over to the small plaza and there were people beginning to gather. When I looked at the end of the quay there were groups of children, from as young as five to late teenagers, all waving flags and banners.

I sensed that this was not just a local celebration and much though I would like to profess that I was well aware of the significance of the day for the Greeks, alas I had to look it up!

Oxi Day, the “Day of No,” is an important part of modern Greek history celebrated annually on 28th October. It marks the day in 1940 when the Greek prime minister, Ioannis Metaxas, rejected an ultimatum given by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini during World War II. Effectively, Mussolini was asking for permission for his forces to enter Greece and occupy certain strategic locations and Metaxas said ‘Oxi’ thus bringing Greece into WWII.

It is reported that Churchill at the time said something along the lines of “We will not say that the Greeks fought like heroes, we will say that heroes fought like the Greeks…….”

I felt very honoured to be able to experience this moment of remembrance, which was solemn yet joyous, knowing that the same parades and speeches were being made in every Greek town, village and island.

Our next stop the following day was to Nisyros where we had visited previously years ago to see, and walk across the top of, the famous volcano! This time instead of heading to the main harbour we moored up alongside ‘Let Go’, in Port Mandraki where the mooring and electricity were free (very unusual!) and it was a short stroll to the beautiful old town.

The ‘Let Go’ crew were keen to get to see the island that day and after a close up inspection of the red option by Sarah and Jay and then the yellow option by the rest of the family the yellow beach buggy was chosen – leaving the red one for us the following day!

Jay also thoroughly investigated the racing car option!

Having ‘walked’ the volcano last time, we decided that we should get a different view on this visit so we drove to one of the many fabulous viewing points by the local church next to the village of Nikia.

These are a couple of shots of our last visit in 2016, including a close up of my finger!! The crust was very, very hot in places, bubbling and gurgling and I will leave you to imagine the smell!

We headed down into the village for lunch to the restaurant recommended by our the lovely car hire lady who was also the font of all local knowledge and very handy at tying up a boat!

As we ambled up the hill and into the small plaza I had a ‘ooh, where have we been somewhere that looks like this before?’ moment! I was sure that I had seen a set up very similar to this on a previous adventure – weeks, months or years ago and who knows where!

The pristine church overlooking the restaurant’s terrace, the stone seating around the edge were so familiar but something was not quite the same – where could the ‘other’ place have been??

This ‘other’ place, of course, turned out to actually be this place but in the heat of summer in 2016!! It dawned on me that this was the restaurant we had come to seven years ago after our volcano tour. The difference was that on that occasion it was mid August and we had eaten there with ‘the kids’, Kay, Chris and family and around 100 other people taking up every seat and space available!

That mystery (!) having been solved we had a fabulous lunch and chat to the staff there who were already making preparations for closing for winter. We would be their last lunch customers of 2023!

The drive back was mostly uneventful but there were a few colourful moments.

Like us, the ‘Let Go’ crew would be heading north in a day or two to safe harbour for the winter, they to Leros and us to Kos. We agreed that for our last evening as boat neighbours, the adult crew would come on board Mossy Joe for post dinner drinks.

Dinner was over for both boats, the boys were happily asleep and we were preparing for the arrival of our guests when the evening ferry arrived. The previous night it had caused a ‘wash’ and some movement of the boats but this evening the effect was of a supersonic tanker coming into harbour! Apart from us and ‘Let Go’ the only other boats were two monohulls whose crews were both off and out to dinner ashore. The strength of the wash from the ferry turned into very strong waves causing all four boats to move violently both towards the quay and towards each other. There was much checking of lines and discussions of moving further back from the quay – it may seem over cautious for just a few minutes of movement but the effect of wave after wave causes each one to increase in power and it really is terrifying. Multihulls like Mossy Joe and Let Go move differently to monohulls so it was no surprise once the waves abated to see the monohulls in quite a state. It was dark by this time with limited light from the onshore buildings but we could clearly see that the masts of the monohulls had become entwined.

This situation is not immediately dangerous and the waves had ceased but any further wind or waves could be catastrophic bringing down one or both masts and the possibility that the masts could fall on neighbouring boats i.e. us!! Jacques, Jon and other onlookers tried to fathom out how to untangle the boats using boat hooks or other techniques from the ground but it was clear that someone would need to go up and survey the situation from close up. But not tonight!

Knowing we had done as much as we could and with the return of the monohull crews we resumed our planned evening and an interesting experiment of Ouzo versus Mastika! It has amazed me how ‘marmite’ like these two competing Greek spirits are – I (despite a terrible experience with it when I was 19 on my first ever holiday abroad to Corfu) love Ouzo but Mastika makes me gag! Everyone we have had these drinks with fall into one camp or the other with a definite preference.

The following morning brought more ideas on how the co-joined masts could be separated and this culminated in the arrival of a local chap with his ‘cherry picker’ equipment. We decided we should get going – once the masts were released the ‘spring’ intensity and the proximity to our mast could mean a massive knock on effect for us!

We said a hasty goodbye to Let Go and headed to Kos and back to Kardamena bay for a last night at sea before the marina. We hoped we would see our friends again – they were heading to Kos too but we had left so abruptly there was no time to agree plans. Happily, later that day we saw them heading towards the bay and exchanged ideas to make Hallowe’en as much fun as possible for the boys!

We went ashore to buy some perfect trick or treat gifts! We had just sat down for a drink to review our purchases and plan their application when we were spotted by the scary pirates!

We set off back to the boat to prepare to be trick or treated! It was soon dark and knowing that our trick or treaters would be arriving by dinghy we used our candles and lanterns along with the red lighting to create a spooky look! It worked – the boys were amazed! They were slightly more amazed when their first ‘treat’ was a bulb of garlic!!

We almost let Kai sink his teeth into it when he asked ‘can I eat it??’

More devilish moments, mostly cause by Jacques uplighting his face with a torch, and a great deal of laughter were had!

The next morning we waved off our friends on Let Go and took our time to move the 15 miles around to the top of the island and into Kos Marina.

Our time in the marina these last few weeks have been calm yet busy, incredibly hot days and then almost chilly evenings, new friends discovered and many news things experienced, plans made and some put in motion.

Sad that we are leaving our sailing life for a few weeks or months but so looking forward to hugging family and friends and preparing for ‘that which cannot be spoken of before 1st December!’

There will be a short P.S. to come covering the ‘wintering’ of Mossy Joe including the great people we have met to assist with this and also the preparation of ‘wintering’ for me and Jacques!

There is certainly a huge amount of sail to remove!

Thank you for reading.

Take care and sail safe.

Love Tracey xx

Our voyage to Rhodes, after our escape from Symi, was uneventful and it was fun to be back in a big marina and enjoy being tourists for a few days!

Rhodes old town is magnificent, remnants of so many influences, Turkish, Latin, Byzantine dating back as early as the 3rd Century and all still intact and carefully maintained.

We made our way around the imposing walls of the town, took in the fabulous architecture and then had drinks in the ‘almost’ rooftop bar of ‘La Veranda” restaurant.

After sunset drinks on this beautiful bougainvillaea drenched terrace, we headed to dinner. You will not be surprised to know that we didn’t walk too far for our evening meal!! Can you guess where we ate!!??

We had also had the chance earlier in the day to revisit the wonderful restaurant we had eaten dinner in seven years ago but which Jacques had not had much chance to appreciate after his release from the custody of the Port Authorities! It was as charming as I remembered!

We were now on our last two weeks before the final leg and winter stopover in Kos so deciding what to do and where to go became big decisions! We decided that there were a couple of places we had fallen in love with so on leaving Rhodes we headed back to Halki. Hooray!!

Back in Halki, I took some time to get closer to the fabulous colours and buildings, wandering the back streets we had not seen on our previous visit.

Another showpiece of Halki is possibly the busiest restaurant menu ever seen!!

In the days before we arrived at Halki, Jacques had been in Navily ‘conversation’ with a fellow sailor who was asking about the available space in the harbour. Jon from ‘Let Go, Let’s Go’ was due to arrive the day after us and we looked forward to putting a face and a boat to the names! Jon and family, his wife Kirsty, Kai age four and Jay aged two, along with Sarah who was with them to help with the boys were an absolute delight! Jacques had met them all during the day but I had been working so when we were invited on to their boat for drinks that evening I was really pleased and hoping to make a good first impression! That turned out not to be the case!

Earlier in the day, the harbour master had spoken to all boat owners (about ten of us) advising us to move further away from the quay as big winds were forecast for that night and there was danger of the boats smashing on to it.

We had no gangplank in place as, previous to the move, I had been able to ‘step’ fairly easily from the stern of the boat on to the quay without any need for a hand to help or the performance of any particular athletics! After the move, taking us over a metre away from the shore, the ‘step’ became a more challenging ‘leap’ but with Jacques’ help I made it off of Mossy Joe and safely on to terra firma! The ‘leap’ on to Jon and Kirsty’s boat looked no more challenging and for my right leg this was the case but my left leg could not keep up!! Thanks to Jacques having my hand I was spared falling without grace into the water but I did fall in a heap on the port side platform of the Catamaran and sat in a state of shock, bleeding and mumbling my apologies!

Thanks to the very comprehensive First Aid kit on board (always a must with kids) Kirsty patched me up with anti septic cream and an almost indiscernible sticking plaster!

After Halki, our routes were to be the same, as ‘Let Go’s’ destination was Leros, the island 25 miles north of Kos. I was so happy to spend some time with, and get to know better, this lovely family along with Sarah.

Jon and Kirsty’s story is one which I admire immensely, having sold up in Cape Town, buying the boat and starting their trip in Barcelona earlier this year. The boys may be missing conventional social and educational experiences but the vast array of opportunities and learning they are having are priceless and enriching in a way that could never be achieved in ‘normal’ circumstances.

The boys were a delight, even at 7am when we could hear them start their day in their fabulous inquisitive fashion. I think being with our new friends led me to a small bout of homesickness, missing my family and especially Frankie, my three year old nephew but Kai and Jay kept us busy and laughing whenever we got to spend time with them.

We had a few more days with the ‘Let Go’ crew visiting Tilos again, then Nisyros and then back to Kos for Hallowe’en and some further adventures, none involving real blood, were had!

One adventure was truly terrible but thankfully not involving our boats…..more about that next time!

P.S. Stay tuned for the next instalment as we have ‘exciting news’ about the winch!! Could it possibly have caught up with us? Was it the right one? Has it been installed??? Do we like the colour?? All this and more next time!

Take care and be kind.

Love and hugs

Tracey xx

The island of Symi is closer to Turkey than any part of Greece. For years when we were sailing the coast of Turkey, Jacques would say ‘that’s Symi, its four miles away, it’s Greece and we can’t go there!

Thus began the legend of Symi.

In 2016, after 10 years of longing, we made it to Symi but it was a whistle stop into the main harbour, repairs for Chris’s boat, dinner and off first thing the next morning. Sailing away we could see the beautiful coves and beaches and promised we would be back! And now we are!

First stop was to the bay of Panormitis with the extraordinary structure which at first glance appears to be some kind of elaborate Government building. Surprised to find out that it is actually The Holy Monastery of Archangel Michael!

After a quiet night at anchor, the following morning brought the excitement of heading to Symi Marina in the bay of Pedi, perfectly placed away from the frenzy of the main port but just a short walk to the main town. However, we woke to see strange sights in the sky…..black clouds and in the distance, sheets of rain!!!!!

We decided to wait it out in the dry of a bay just south of the marina. The rain was heading away from the marina but was coming in short bursts which made it hard to judge when the optimum time to approach it would be. We took a chance and set off, it was only ten minutes away, and we were confident that we would get to safety before we got soaked.

As an aside, getting rained on whilst at sea is not necessarily dangerous but it is pretty uncomfortable when you are not fully dressed up in wet weather gear. What is more dangerous is that bursts of rain are usually accompanied by gusts of wind. I have only sailed a couple of times in a downpour and it is something to be avoided if possible!

Just as we turned into Pedi bay I remarked to Jacques that if I had the choice I would rather get rained on when under way than when trying to tie up and secure the boat and didn’t it look lucky for us that it was not a choice we would have to make that morning and in fact I was now hot as the sun was shining so best take off my rain jacket and Oh Wow Look there was another Neel 51 in the marina!!

An then just as we lined up and threw the first rope to the Harbour Master this happened………

We were absolutely drenched through – Jacques had kept his jacket at hand and put it on over this already soaking clothes whereas I just decided to carry on in my now second skin of shorts and T-shirt! You cannot stop half way through mooring up and wait for the rain and wind to stop – you just have to get on with it.

Once secure, and of course this took much longer than normal with wet slippy hands and my rope having a knot in it (my fault!) so that the whole process on port side had to start again, we rejoiced in a hot shower and a well deserved drink!

The rain disappeared as swiftly as it had arrived and we took a walk around the bay and to the small beach on the other side.

This is the view of the path down from the beach! I promise you we did it for real! No fake photoshopping here – just some very tired legs and creaky knees!

And then as usual, Mother Nature gave us a sunset as if the earlier wind and rain torture had never happened!

The following evening we took a walk into the main town of Symi, a 20 minute walk as the crow flies but with the many ups and downs and back streets our journey was slightly longer!

The walk was definitely worth it! Like Khlaki, Symi came under Italian rule for the first half of the last Century and the evidence is clear in the architecture.

We stayed in town for dinner and a stroll around the backstreets. This led to the highlight of the trip, a visit to a ‘supermarket’, not the biggest one in town but one full of odd things you wouldn’t expect to find, a bit like an old fashioned chemist! And there, on a very dusty shelf, squeezed between the Martini and the Pernod was………..Ricard! Two bottles!! Hooray!

We did consider hiring Securicor to take us home but we plumped for the local bus coupled with Jacques’ ‘don’t touch my Ricard or you’re dead’ look!

All in all a very successful shopping trip!

The following day we hoped to meet the owners of our twin, Extancy, the Neel 51 moored next to us. It had been in Symi for two weeks, locked up whilst the owners were away and today was the day that the covers would be taken off and life would return!

As it turned out, the owners were still in England but their skipper, Dmitry, had arrived to prepare the boat for the following week’s trip in Turkey. We of course, as sailors do, had a drink together and discussed the merits of this anchoring method and this brand of winch!

We headed for dinner together, to a small place we had passed on our walk to town. The Secret Garden had some great reviews on the Navily app and it did not disappoint! I had been concerned from reading the small poster outside the entrance to the restaurant advertising ‘Live Music from Clare and George’ that both the food and the music might a) not be authentically Greek and b) might be terrible! Both fears were unwarranted! The menu was limited but all the dishes we had were superb! Coupled with George on guitar and Clare singing jazz and blues versions of classics such as Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Summertime and Valerie! They were talented and entertaining musicians, sat in a small courtyard with four or five tables of patrons sitting around them.

Fabulous food, relaxing ambience and overall great evening!

During dinner, Dmitry explained that the owners had bought the boat new in March and he, with two other crew, had sailed the boat from La Rochelle to Barcelona to meet with the owners. He went on tell us of an horrific event! On their way around Spain, as they headed past Gibraltar they were attacked by six Orcas who completely demolished the rudder meaning they were stranded and had no means of steering.

I cannot imagine the terror that this event must have caused. The Coastguard arrived after an hour and towed the boat to harbour!

Dmitry took a short video, after the Orcas had finished their work and were then just ‘playing’!!! The first picture is the Orca under the hull checking that there was no more rudder to bash against! The second photo is his mates waiting for him!

I had heard plenty of stories about this happening but never before met anyone who had actually experienced it. According to the Gibraltar Coastguard, this is now a daily event, mostly no one has been hurt but a few boats have sank because of the way their rudders are constructed i.e in the process of breaking the rudder, the force of movement on the rod keeping it in place means that a hole in the hull develops. Luckily for Dmitry and his crew, the Neel rudder is fairly flimsy so it shattered quickly before the Orcas could inflict further damage. Truly Terrifying!

https://www.livescience.com/animals/orcas/orcas-have-sunk-3-boats-in-europe-and-appear-to-be-teaching-others-to-do-the-same-but-why

A slightly less scary animal encounter was had the following day!

Marina the cat had decided that she would enjoy a walk around the boat, and happy though we were to see her, the worry was that she would hide away and end up in Rhodes with us!

Dmitry took photos as we left as proof that she was not our latest stowaway!

We waved Goodbye to Dmitry and Symi, setting direct course for Rhodes when five minutes out I realised we were being chased by the Harbour Master in his dinghy, shouting at us and threatening us with the Coastguard!!

There had been a ‘misunderstanding’ shall we say! We headed back to Symi Harbour, sorted out the admin that had not been dealt with in the way that suited the very grumpy Harbour Master and then set off……again!!!

Despite the not exactly auspicious events of both our arrival and departure, we really love Symi and hope to return next year.

Our last trip to Rhodes in 2016 had resulted in Jacques and Chris being arrested and interrogated for five hours so we were hoping for a more sedate experience this time!!

We made it to Rhodes Marina without further incident and thankfully, no undue intervention from any Greek Officials! Hooray!

More about Rhodes and beyond next time….

Thank you for reading.

Stay safe, be kind.

Love, Tracey xx

In our last visit to this part of Greece we did not have the time to visit the island of Tilos, so with great anticipation we left Kos and navigated the 24 miles, 4 hour journey to anchor in the port of Livadia. A wide sweeping bay with a pebble beach, a smattering of late season tourists and very few boats.

I couldn’t help think of Jo and how she would have really appreciated a dinghy dock with such an easy landing spot and steps to save the rather undignified landing that usually accompanies any exit from a dinghy!

Just one day and night in Tilos to catch up on jobs and do food shopping but we enjoyed the walk around the bay all 7,227 steps. The evening drinks were had in a funky bar (their last night before they closed for the season) and dinner in one of the two restaurants that remained open. I had been longing for one of my favourite Greek appetisers, Fava, but had no luck in Kos – hooray they were to be found in Tilos – perfect with fried courgette!

Our plan for the two weeks between leaving Kos and returning there on 1st November was to visit the triangle of islands between the coast of Turkey and the shores of Rhodes. With Tilos ‘done’ we were off to Khalki of which I had heard such wonderful reviews and then to Symi which I knew was stunning from our short visit in 2016.

Khalki was absolutely stunning! Huge influence of the Italians from 1912 until the end of WWII means that this is the Greek Island equivalent of English Chocolate Box cottages and I make no excuse for the amount of photos!

We decided to take a walk up to what looked like a fort just below a line of three Windmills. Following the labyrinth of lanes and steps through and behind the cute houses we found a path out of the village and up towards our destination. We passed a very secure looking compound with scary intimidating signs designed to deter any idea of getting too close! Inside the compound were a couple of officials, police? soldiers? who did raise their hands to say hello, or possibly they meant clear off! We were about to change direction and head directly to the fort across some gravel and wasteland when we quickly realised that this was also a ‘no go’ area based on more unfriendly signs and also the fact that the ‘fort’ was actually the island’s comms and satellite station!

After a few twists and turns of path and direction, we were eventually rewarded, arriving at a secluded beach where the water was Caribbean clear and the small bar still open serving us a mid afternoon Ouzo!

After our excursion, we were charmed by the views on our return trip, taking an alternative route back and happy to see Mossy Joe in the distance.

And to top off the day the most wonderful sunset!

Many of the restaurants were either closed or had limited menu choices so we had dinner on board after a very delightful cocktail in the local bar.

The following day before heading off we visited two of the three ‘supermarkets’ stocking up on vitals like tomatoes, peanuts, ice and……just as you would find above the fresh produce in Tesco……a chain saw!!!

Our next port of call I was very excited about – heading back to Symi which we had been to briefly seven years ago and then only to the main port to sort some repairs with no time to visit the fabulous coves and beaches.

Symi and the adventures we had there deserves a blog all of its own. One of the highlights was meeting our twin, which after seven months at sea we had not encountered before!

More next time!

Thank you for reading and wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Be kind, be safe.

Tracey xx

The arrival of Jo and Sara was, as expected, a whirlwind of chatter, laughter and the drama of getting in and out of the dinghy!

We picked them up in a new place for us, Kardemena bay in Kos, close to the airport, touristy but more authentic than Kefalos.

There were a few moments when the possibility of Jo not making it on to the boat looked very likely – not because of the challenges of leaping from the dock on to the rolling dinghy but because her footwear of choice for the trip was a pair of white crocs!! That having been dealt with we celebrated the girls arrival and planned the following four days of activities!

We decided to go ashore for dinner and to the restaurant that Jacques and I had been to the night before where we had been made very welcome by the restaurant owner and restaurant manager. Both of these gents were from Albania which I have to admit struck a cord of anxiety with me when I first heard this. However, they explained that they had lived in Greece for several years, started the restaurant from scratch and generally were just hard working family men. This coupled with their warmest and sincere welcome (along with profound discussions fuelled by the free after dinner ouzo!) changed my mind, perception and pre-conceived ideas about Albanians.

The welcome on our second visit with our friends was just as warm, even though it transpired that Sara had come to dinner dressed as the restaurant crockery!!

And as the night wore on, some not very traditional Greek dancing took place!

The next morning we headed the 22 miles from Kos back to the secluded bay on Pserimos. Ahead of our departure the girls decided that despite no previous sailing experience (although there was some mention of the Norfolk Broads!) they would like to take an active role in all things ‘boaty’. This meant that they started the day with their coffees watching Jacques do everything whilst handing out advice to him!

I was very happy to have another day and evening in Pserimos, the tranquility and remoteness poles apart from the bustle of Kos. We had planned the day for swimming, fishing and fun with the motorised sea scooter! It was truly joyful!

With the lack of the promised fish for dinner it was left to Jacques to whip up sweet and sour chicken for dinner! Another ouzo fuelled evening, putting the world to rights and trying to identify the zillions of stars and planets in the clear, un-light polluted sky – perfect!

After our short stay in the wilderness, the elements of time, weather and logistics meant we had to head back to Kos and we had a perfect sail with the wind a pleasant 10 knots for most of the journey.

Our destination was to the harbour in beautiful Kos Town which we were keen to see as this is close to the marina where we and Mossy Joe will be spending the winter.

Getting into the harbour was the girls’ first experience of what can be the quite fraught, and sometimes dangerous, task of mooring up. There was still a fair bit of wind in the harbour and a busy mix of other sail boats, ferries and tourist day tripper craft. Jacques, as usual, overcame all of the challenges of getting us safely secured, including the one posed by the mixed ability of his new crew!

We had a quick walk around town to stretch our legs and start to offload the feeling of ‘land sickness’ that prevails when you have been at sea for over 24 hours. On our tour, we found a small ‘cat aid’ area where there are cats beds, bowls of water and cat food. Like most of Greece, the stray cat population is very apparent, here in Kos the overall number of cats is 35,000 most of which are stray or feral. Some islands, not just the bigger ones, have a ‘trap, neuter and return’ project and Kos is amongst these.

https://animalrescuekos.weebly.com/cats-and-kittens.html

And as ever, Jacques can’t help but make furry friends!

That evening we hit the town and headed to a small restaurant off the main drag but not before the obligatory tourist photo!

The next morning we were so, so excited, like kids at Christmas as we planned to head to Kos Marina where already a collection of parcels had built up ready for our official arrival in November. As we were within half hour walking distance, we dusted off the BIG trolley and set off for the marina and the treasures that they been storing for us! Would it include the top up to the depleted Ricard situation? Would my ‘working in bed’ tray table be there?? Could it be possible…..could the WINCH be there???

The good news is that my tray table, specifically engineered for laptops, was there….it was obvious that there was no Ricard but we had high hopes that this box would contain the Globe Trotting winch!!

But it was not to be………..sadly, and not as glamorously, it was a water pump!

On our return to the harbour, we had a last mooch around Kos Town where Sara made a friend and the girls ‘talked me into’ buying a beautiful tan leather backpack!

We left Kos Town the following morning to head back to Kardamena where the girls would leave us later in the day. Leaving the harbour was another chance for the crew to show off their new skills! Actually, those lines (ropes) especially after having been in the water, are really very heavy!

Sara and Jo had stayed up late the previous night, as we are all prone to do on our last night away, and amongst their many topics for discussion were some ideas to improve Mossy Joe which they kindly shared with us…..

Back in Kardamena and successfully in and out of the dinghy we had a quick bite to eat before the taxi arrived to take Jo and Sara to the airport. We said our goodbyes, sad but happy after five fun packed days.

We thank Jo and Sara for our fabulous matching T-Shirts, behind which there is a story for another day!

When friends and loved ones leave us, the quietness in their place lays heavy with me and I find the best cure is to move on to the next adventure.

Tilos, Halki and Symi here we come!!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, be kind and stay safe.

Love Tracey xx

Having said Goodbye to our guests we left Kos and headed slightly north to the island of Kalymnos some 24 miles and 3 hours away. What a wonderful surprise it turned out to be! The harbour was situated in the main town which was a fabulous mixture of beautiful venetian architecture, quayside bars and restaurants along with ‘normal’ shops selling kitchen equipment and children’s clothes. Touristy but not tacky!

The plan was to stay a couple of days and take advantage of the fact that it was a relatively large town to get some boat work done i.e. engine to be serviced and the pesky mooring light to be fixed!

The mooring light, as it suggests, is the light at the top of the mast that you put on at night when you are moored (well actually anchored) outside of a harbour e.g in a bay. It is important so that at night other boats can see you as they approach or leave. You may remember back in August we had a number of people (including Jacques whilst I was away!!) going up the mast in an attempt to fix it but to no avail.

The wonderful Harbour Master, Giannis, racing about the quay on his moped was a gem, helping and advising on all matters be they boat or life related! He organised an engineer, Kostas, for us within a matter of hours of arrival and once he had assessed the situation and ordered the required parts said he would be back in two days, three at the most! Well true to his word Kostas did come back three days later to tell us that the parts had not arrived. Five days after our arrival, the engine was serviced but by then the wind had kicked in and we could not move on.

In many ways we are lucky that the boat, us and Kostas are still here to tell the tale as unbeknownst to me (and Jacques was too amazed to tell at the time) Kostas was down in the engine room, moving oil from one receptacle to another with one hand whilst flicking his lighter to ignite his roll up with the other!!!!

In the days we waited for Kryptonite Kostas to service the engine, we employed the services of a another, non smoking, specialist to go up the mast to try again to fix the mooring light! This time with success!! Hooray!

We ended up almost taking up residency in Kalymnos, when you are somewhere for nine days it starts to feel like you live there. We had been to watch the football in one bar, had marvellous meze and ouzo in a ‘salty dog’ sailor bar, tried the local pizza (I know, I know!) and as expected it was not good, had numerous gyros pitta souvlakis, visited the local fishing shop and got to know the local supermarket checkout staff very well!

With the realisation that we would not be moving on very soon we decided to rent a car and go see the rest of the island. I am sure if we had not stopped to see the sights we would have been back at the boat in twenty minutes. It turned out to be even more beautiful around the rest of the coast and inland. We even climbed up to see the ruined Kastro (Castle) complete with the settlement which was inhabited from 1495 to 1812 and the views were magnificent.

We had planned to do this island tour on the previous day, Saturday, but what with engineers and washing and the urgent need to get my nails done we postponed for a day. Never been so pleased about a decision in my life!

Saturday when Kostas arrived I took myself off to the winding back streets to find a nail salon hoping to book an appointment for the following week. When I came upon Fani’s beauty salon I found the owner undertaking some DIY on her pedicure basins and when I showed her my hands she ushered me to a seat and commenced with the manicure. She spoke very little English and my Greek has not significantly improved to have the traditional salon conversation so we just smiled and nodded and I stood up to look at the shelf with the colour options choosing a vibrant purple! Fani had just started applying the varnish when then there was an almighty shaking and rumble as if an enormous juggernaut had gone past the building, which was impossible as there was barely room for two mopeds to pass each other! I was speechless as was she for all of three seconds then she smiled and carried on painting. Wishing I had got to the section on Duolingo that covered Earthquakes I let it go but my heart was racing and I was keen to get back to Jacques on the boat!

Jacques, of course, had felt nothing given the gentle rolling of the boat and it was not until we visited the fishing shop where the owner spoke perfect English and he confirmed that it had been an Earthquake and that they happen regularly the last having happened in July this year! He said all of his fishing rods were swaying in the stand and almost toppled over. It measured 4.1, not catastrophic but not to be sniffed at! Might have been a different story had we been 600 feet up at the top of the Castle!!

Earthquake with a Magnitude 4.1 Strikes off the Coast of Kalymnos, Greece

I was brave enough to go back to Fani the following week to get my toenails sorted out and although she was very lovely and didn’t attack me with a range of power tools like the Naxos experience, there were still some parts of the procedure that were a little unusual!

We were sad to leave Kalymnos but we had definitely seen all there was to see and done all there was to do and it was time for the next adventure and to have some downtime in the spectacular bay in the south of Pserimos.

Little did we know how much we would appreciate this solitude and peacefulness along with the chance to mentally prepare ourselves ahead of the arrival a week later of a couple of last minute guests!

We had the most funny, happy, laughing, irreverent and perhaps a little too much drinking of a time!

More on the escapades of Jo, Sara, Tracey and poor Captain Jacques next time!

Take care, be kind and laugh whenever you get the opportunity!

Tracey xx

We packed our overnight bags and waited one last time for the ferry to take us to Thira to spend our last day and evening with Jeanne and take the chance to see some of the less well known treasures of Santorini.

We had organised a hire car to be delivered to the port so that meant we did not have to make the 300 step journey by foot to get to the town again – I was devastated as you can imagine!!

We set off away from Oia to the south of the island and our accommodation for the night in Pyrgos. The town of Pyrgos and surrounding area were charming and despite the name of our Airbnb the ‘Love Leopard Caves’ it too was fabulous! Although it was a little odd to sleep somewhere that doesn’t rock gently all night long!

After settling into our caves in the old castle walls and grabbing some lunch on the go we were back in the car and heading south west to visit the site of Ancient Akrotiri which is in many ways the Greek equivalent of Pompeii.

The enormous volcanic eruption that destroyed the Bronze Age settlement of Akrotiri took place around 1,650 B.C. The entire town was covered with ashes and lava, which preserved Akrotiri almost intact through time. The excavation started in 1967 and still continues to uncover its history and treasures.

One of the most incredible finds was the structure for their sophisticated sewerage system, seen below, 100s of years ahead of the first terrible attempts in England!

After a quick trip to the local black sand beach we headed back to Pyrgos and to watch the sunset from another viewpoint.

For our last dinner together we headed through the labyrinth of lanes and steps, a smaller and less crazy version of Oia, to a tiny but wonderful restaurant with a fabulous view. Plus George made some new friends!

Not wanting the evening to end, I suggested (unlike me I know!) that we find somewhere for a nightcap. I had read about Franco’s restaurant, at the top of the town, which was known for its inventive cocktails so we hiked another couple of flights of steps and wandered in. We were welcomed and ushered to a terrace where I imagine at sunset, the view and ambience would have been marvellous but at nearly 11pm it was starting to turn chilly! They offered us blankets and those of us with jumpers or fleeces on only needed a light covering. Some people who were not wearing any second layer needed something more all encompassing!

The next morning we said a sad goodbye to Jeanne, only slightly cheered up by a trip to a Carrefour supermarket and then headed back to Mossy Joe. On the return ferry trip I was sitting next to a local lady who I had heard speak very good English and I asked her about a structure in the rock that had puzzled me every time we had gone past it. I thought it looked like some kind of MI5 training camp!

I was informed that in fact the building was created from the remains of one of the old mines that were prevalent all around Thirasia for 100s of years – the pummice that was mined here was exported to contribute to the building of the Suez Canal.

The building began as a private holiday home for a rich Greek businessman who then decided to open it up as a luxurious villa. Amongst its visitors have been Brad & Angelina and Putin!!! Presumably not all at the same time!!

We made good use of our early start to the day by lifting anchor and leaving the Cyclades and into the Dodecanese Islands heading to one of our favourite islands from our previous trip, seven years ago, Astypalea. On the journey we were absolutely delighted to be treated to a stunning display of dolphins, six or seven of them all around the boat! Magical!

Astypalea is such as beautiful and friendly island, with another example of the Hora up in the hills complete with the remains of its castle.

On our second day we managed the hike up to the castle and stayed there for the evening to eat, drink and recover!

And after Sunset, the lighting up of the Windmills was really charming.

And we loved this…….found on the wall of one of the street bars.

Two nights in this fabulous place and it was time to head to our final destination with Lily and George, 34 miles and 5 hours away, the island of Kos. We had four more days of fun in the sun and the sea and even though we were not in the main Kos Town, the area around the bay of Kefalos was fairly touristy, albeit quiet in late September. The upside of this was the huge range of food options!! Someone was very happy especially after the exertions of kayaking!!!!

It was very sad (again!) to say Goodbye to family but looking forward to our next set of adventures………

In Kaymnos, where we intended to stay for two days and ended up almost taking up residency after nine days!! No surprise when you have sights like this to see…..

More soon……

Stay safe, have fun, be kind!

Tracey xx

PS. The winch is with our friends in Athens! Hooray!!