WHERE ARE WE ANNE?

Saturday, 15 August 2015

A MOMENT OF MAYHEM

PETE AND ANNE RIDE OUT THEIR FIRST STORM IN AN ANCHORAGE

LEVITHA

We met up with Finike boats 'Macnoon' and 'Gumnuts' in Lipsi harbour. Macnoon became our resupply vessel with a precious cargo of a dozen Australian red that they were kind enough to buy for me when they were in Lidl in Samos. Our red stocks were at critical level and the prospect of dodgy Greek wine was unthinkable and undrinkable.

We all sailed/motored the short hop south to Arkhangelos. I even flew 'Big Purple' the asymmetric spinnaker for a moment. That evening a pot luck dinner on Gumnuts was cut short when we became aware of lightning and storm clouds over the hill. We scurried back to our boats to prepare for the worst. Of the twelve boats in the anchorage, we were one of four who didn't drag or have dramas in the 35 knot gusts that hit us. Macnoon and Gumnuts held fast too. The lightning and rain passed well east of us which made it easier to contend with spotting boats in the dark as they motored about criss crossing each other avoiding collisions, catching chains and being blown on to others. Suffice to say it was mayhem for a while. Prior to the storm with the prevailing wind we were at the back of the anchorage pack of boats. With the wind shift we became the head of the pack and avoided any boats dragging down on to us. Everyone had every light on in order to be seen. Earlier in the day I had idly experimented for the first time with putting a float over my anchor to mark it. So glad I did. Anne kept it spotlit on the bow while I jockeyed the boat towards it to avoid straining the anchor and possibly dragging down in to the pack. I'd be looking forward at the float then suddenly realise a boat was narrowly missing my stern as they zig zagged about the anchorage. Some fled the anchorage, some motored out and returned but after two hours peace reigned once more as gradually the deck lights and nav lights were turned off while the reshuffled anchorage settled down again.

From Arkhangelos, the three of us sailed west 20nm to Levitha for a couple of nights. Levitha is a two family island and off the beaten track. Anne and I climbed the hill at the head of our bay to pick up a signal for a weather forecast and a top view. There is an ancient battered steel buoy next to the restaurant that I'd love to have in my garden in Australia. Not sure I could manage the postage though.

BIG PURPLE FROM GUMNUTS

LIPSI TO ARKHANGELOS

JUST BEFORE THE WIND SHIFTED

NOMINATION FOR WORLD'S SMALLEST CHAPEL

SUE FROM MACNOON NOODLES OVER FOR A CUPPA

THE BEAUTIFUL ANCHORAGE OF ARKHANGELOS BEFORE THE STORM

FOURTH DIMENSION AT THE BACK OF THE PACK BEFORE THE WIND CHANGE. THESE THREE DRAGGED.

AUXILIARY FUEL TANK WITH DIESEL???

THE GORGEOUS RUSTY BATTERED BUOY

WANDERING AROUND LEVITHA

PETER, IT'S TOO HEAVY, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!

DOWN TO THE LEVITHA MOORINGS

TOP OF THE HILL, ANNE GETS A SIGNAL

MUST BE UP HERE FOR THE SIGNAL TOO

WELL, WELL, WELL.

Friday, 14 August 2015

LOUISA'S VISIT

SHORT TRIPS AROUND LEROS, PATMOS AND LIPSI

WALKING AROUND THE CHORA ATOP PATMOS

We had Anne's friend Louisa and daughter Meg join us in Leros for a week. Louisa timed it perfectly with great weather, anchorages, crystal clear unruffled water, nice water temp, swims, good tavernas and a full moon!

We stayed one night on Patmos quay giving us time for a swim, refill the gas bottle and head up to the Monastary of St John with it's surrounding white cube houses of the 'Chora' which is the big attraction for cruise ships and tourists. My only bible is the cruising guide but apparently St John dictated some wild poetry of the apocalypse in a cave here and one thing led to another which is the Monastery. Being savvy travellers we waited til the cool of the afternoon to take the racing driver taxi through the S bends up the hill only to find the monastery closed ten minutes earlier at 6.00pm. Maybe not so savvy. Instead we had a scenic cafe stop and a dreamy walk around the Chora in sunset light bouncing off white walls that we would otherwise have missed.

It's August and that means peak season is nigh. The crowds have arrived pretty much as the clock ticked over into August. The beaches and restaurants are heaving with tourists on Lipsi where there are good ferry connections, but away from those spots the August crowds haven't been an issue. Boat numbers haven't been a problem yet though only early August. We haven't had stifling heat either like our friends in Turkey are getting. In the Dodecanese you can usually count on a breeze and it can be five to ten degrees cooler than the coast of Turkey. The Meltemi has behaved itself lately and with the water temp hovering on 26oC it's been a great time to be in these parts.

COAST GUARD SWOOP ON JALANO FOR A CLOSER LOOK ON OUR WAY TO PANDELI

LOUISA, MEG & 4D. XEROCAMPOS, LEROS

ARKHANGELOS

SUNDOWNER TIME

ARKHANGELOS CAT RANCH

ARKHANGELOS STIGMA TAVERNA. HOMESTEAD OF THE CAT RANCH

ANNE STEERS US OUT OF ARKHANGELOS

PATMOS TRAFFIC SNARL

YOURS TRULY BACK FROM THE CHORA VISIT

ANNE HAS A SPECTRAL VISION AT THE MONASTERY OF ST JOHN, PATMOS

CHORA, PATMOS

ANNE AND MEG STYLE UP LIKE THE RUSSIAN TOURIST SHOTS

ABOVE SKALA PATMOS

ANNE AT THE THROTTLE LEAVING PATMOS

FULL MOON RISING OVER LIPSI HARBOUR

MEG AND LOUISA JOIN THE THRONG LEAVING LIPSI

HELPING MY NEIGHBOUR, A SOLO TURK SAILOR WHEN HE CROSSED MY ANCHOR ON LEAVING LIPSI

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

LIPSI LAYOVER

Guests, Gusts, Getting Older and Gushing Fine Blue Powder.

The log says we've stuck around the Lipsi quay for 12 days. Some of that was sheltering from the annoyingly excessive Meltemi wind gusts and watching for a weather window. Some of that was waiting for two lots of guests to arrive. Some of that was having fun on my birthday. Some of that was waving off guests on the ferry, some was boat jobs, some was in no rush and the last day was because Anne threw herself down the companionway carrying two bags of laundry, landed heavily on the fire extinguisher and managed to break the pin and squirt fine blue powder over herself and the boat. Severely winded and spluttering, she was unwrapped from the fire extinguisher and dragged out of the powder to clear air above deck. This time we had another Australian doctor named Mike on hand from 'Skedaddle Again'. A cracked rib was considered unlikely but the captain called an extra day quayside for recuperation and vacuuming. Anne seems to be much better although very tender. The carpet needed a vacuum anyway and we now know the fire extinguisher works well.

Lipsi is a nice island. Not over run with tourists and plenty of diversions from whatever you were meaning to do. We've taken on three guests here, Anne's brother Doug and Larry and Miwa from Brisbane who made it to help celebrate my 60th birthday. We've been swimming everyday though the water temp is still on the chilly side at 18o-19oC. Throw in some bike rides, walks and being ever vigilant for new neighbours reversing in alongside, our days have been full. In fact quayside life is always exciting, there are always crossed anchors or someone's tricky or outrageous mooring manoeuvre to take your attention.

The 'Meltemi' wind picks up in the afternoon and typically blows about 20-25kts with gusts up to 40 knots. Some nights it dies down, others it just blows and blows. Last year the Meltemi was not too bad. This year it seems to be making up for last year's poor performance which is the main reason we have been here so long.

I turned 60 on Lipsi. We all had a great day cycling the island, swimming and tasting some very passable Greek sparkling with my birthday dinner at Dalaila's Taverna, a lone taverna on Katsadia Bay overlooking the sheltered anchorage. Very special spot.

Alan on 'Jalano' joined us in Lipsi from Didim in Turkey where he was having teak work done after an unfortunate smouldering incident involving a mosquito coil. We said goodbye to Lipsi and motored with 'Jalano' in little wind but a confused sea the short distance to Arkhangelos, a very beautiful island anchorage. So nice to be on anchor again!