WHERE ARE WE ANNE?: PLUMPED IN PEDI

ANNE WALKING IN PEDI BAY. TURKEY IN THE BACKGROUND

12 DAYS OF PEDI CURE

25August 2015

Once the Meltemi threat had passed we motored around to Pedi, just around the corner from Symi harbour to take our chances anchoring in the bay notorious for bad holding. On arrival, we found the centre jetty completely empty and took up alongside knowing we'd be weatherproof against any gusts. It was just dumb luck that we chose the southern side of the jetty. It turns out the yachts tied up on the northern side have to vacate at short notice anytime a cargo ship or oil tanker comes in. We were alongside for 12 nights and had four ships come in during that time. Man, I'm glad I chose the south side!

During our twelve days on the jetty in Pedi we said goodbye to Pip, took many swims and exploratory walks, picked ripe figs, caught up on innumerable boat jobs, took many other boat's lines as they docked and welcomed my brother David and his wife Jane on board. We got into the rhythm of things as we took the Pedi Cure. We got to know George the water taxi man with his sizable wake, the local tavernas, where the best grog shop was, who had the best wifi, what the local shipping timetable was and we took many walks in the cool of the morning over the hill to Symi port to buy fresh Spanokopita. The village on the saddle between Pedi bay and Symi seems to avoid the tourist throng and is very authentic, run down, rambling and grows on you despite a large Brit expat clique.

We had one particularly gusty bout of weather. I noticed an unattended boat dragging it's anchor through the anchorage with no one else nearby seeming to realise. I dinghied over and got on board to do something about it but the other boats thought I was the owner and had it sorted. Little did they realise in my haste I only had my sunnies on and in the failing light and no reading glasses I couldn't work out how to start the keyless ignition. As I dragged past fending off one boat they asked do I need a hand? I said yes and it dawned on them that it wasn't my boat. With three others on board I learnt how to start the keyless ignition and we re anchored the boat with a lot more than the twenty metres of chain he had out.

While most Syrian refugees arrive in Symi port, there were six men that arrived in Pedi bay near us. They had a brand new reliable little dinghy and motor. They were clearly asking a fisherman where Symi port was as he pointed to the walk over the hill. In the meantime the Greek port police swooped in a joint effort Austrian loaned boat with machine guns drawn and ordered them into their boat. This six had at least made it safely to Greece.