WHERE ARE WE ANNE?: DRIFTING IN THE BLUE, BLUE SEA OF GREECE

SWIMMING BLISS AND SOMETHING AMISS

MONDAY 26th AUGUST 2013

We considered our next move from Vathi and opted to relocate with 'Annecam' to Scotaryia Bay around the other side of Vathi for some swimming and a change of scenery.

A short motor later we positioned ourselves in the centre of a sparkling Greek postcard and dropped anchor before we dropped ourselves in to the clear blue waters of a pretty bay then to surface and hoot with pleasure at the temperature of the water. This was our first swim in Greece and the water was a good five to seven degrees warmer at 28.9oC than our last swim in Srebreno Croatia. It was perfect.

I was an instant convert to the pleasures of cruising Greece just based on water temp and clarity.

Campbell anchored with us. I borrowed his goggles and snorkel for some amazing swimming, diving and lazily watching fish. Anne and I swam and then swam again. We swam in to beach and sat on the pebbles. I asked Anne to pinch me to check I wasn't dreaming. We swam back out to the boat, around the boat, played on the anchor chain and jumped in again and again from the transom. It was delicious fun and I got more than my dose of rays for the day.

Campbell and Annette came over to Pave later for a pot luck dinner. We chose to eat up on deck despite a blow developing. Lucky we did. It allowed us to spot Campbell's boat Annecam drift away, dragging it's anchor on the strengthening wind towards the rocks.

Campbell is a fireman and not unused to the quick thinking response. He leapt out of the blocks and put in an olympic rowing effort during the tense moments getting back to his boat in time while Bill and I readied Pave's dinghy as backup. Campbell motored back to reset the anchor but to no avail until we all realised that there was a black windcheater neatly wrapped around it. His new, fantastic 'Mantus' anchor had landed on the windcheater and never set in the first place. That removed, anchored safely again, Campbell came back to relax and enjoy dinner although we all kept a good eye out for the rest of the night 'til the wind died down.