It's too hot

The problem with light winds is that you have no cooling breeze, so the last week has been sweltering.
We came back to Lakki for shopping on Monday 23 June and tied up on the town quay. That afternoon a brand new Hanse 575 on a skippered charter came in alongside us. Just as they reached the quay a cry rang out 'the anchor has gone'. It turned out that the anchor chain had not been tied on, so the chain all just ran out. £300,000 worth of boat and they didn't even tie the anchor on! The skipper phoned for a diver, but he was off training, so Simon put on his weight belt and jumped in to tie a rope to the chain so that they could recover it - it was only about 6m deep, so not any problem. Once he was back aboard three large gin and tonics were thrust into our hands.
On Tuesday morning we motored round to the south of Leros and picked up a mooring buoy in Xerokampos, where we spent two days, swimming from the boat. Soon after we arrived Lin heard a loud hissing noise from the engine room. One of the hoses to the watermaker had sprung a leak - the reinforcing wire had broken so that the pipe ballooned and burst. Luckily Lin found it quickly and Simon was able to put an old non-return valve on the end of the pipe to stop it leaking. That afternoon we put the outboard on the dinghy and it would not start. Simon took off the carburettor and cleaned a lot of gunge out of it and switched from the external to the internal fuel tank, and it still would not start, so he had to row to and from the shore. Next morning Simon started to walk over the hill to Lakki to get a new hose for the watermaker- luckily he got a lift after about twenty minutes because it was sweltering, and he got a taxi back and fitted the new hose. But that was not the end of the story.
On Thursday we motored (no wind) down to Paleonissos, on the east coast of Kalymnos. We had passed it many times, but never been in because it is open to the south and the pilot says it gets strong gusts with a north wind and it is bad holding, but friends had told us that there are now laid mooring buoys and two tavernas, but you only see them once you get round the corner and go up the fjord.
We picked up a mooring buoy

and it is an idyllic place, beautiful colours and towering mountains (600 metres on one side and 300 metres on the other).

Soon after we arrived, Lin noticed that the water pump was running - Simon had not fixed the new hose on tightly enough and it had fallen off, water gushing into the bilge. He refitted the pipe, this time with the Jubilee clip really tight, but we had lost a lot of water!
We went up to the taverna for a beer at lunchtime and they told us that the fishing boat below had just brought in a catch, including three small lobsters, so we reserved a lobster spaghetti for the evening, which was delicious, with Symi shrimps to start with, and not ridiculously expensive. The son of the taverna owner had a ten-day old goat as his pet, which he was bottle-feeding.

In the afternoon we walked along the southern edge of the fjord - Lin and John along the coast,

while Simon scrambled up to check out the climbs, in the vain hope of persuading Sam to come and test his mettle on them.

On Friday morning we walked a couple of kilometres up the road to see the view and almost drowned in sweat. On the way back we stopped for fresh orange juice at Nikolas's taverna, a couple of hundred yards back from the beach. Nikolas is a one-time sponge diver and diving instructor who had been born in the stone croft across the road from his taverna and had taught Greek in London for a few years before returning home. He showed us his photo album and told us what a paradise it had been ten years ago, before the road, electricity, water, tavernas, the beach cafe and mooring buoys had arrived. Lin bought a Mediterranean sponge from him after he explained that the America sponges, that he also sold, would not last seven months.
We spent a quiet afternoon, mostly in the sea, which is now too warm, as the wind went round in circles and the boat did likewise, tying its mooring line in knots.

We left early on Saturday morning, visiting the beach that we had seen on our walk and admiring Sikati cave, a climbers' paradise with its stalactites and stalagmites

and returning to the Lakki town quay because the wind is forecast to get up again.
Just after we arrived the coast guard boat came in, towing a small (about 8 metre) Russian-registered yacht.

It turned out that they had picked up two young Russian men trying to smuggle twenty five Syrian refugees, who had been crammed in the saloon of their yacht and were now on board the lifeboat. The coastguard told John they had stopped the yacht because it was so low in the water. They must have been very naive to try to land their refugees in Leros, where there are no deserted beaches on which to drop their cargo and get away, which is why the traffickers prefer Agathonisi or Farmakonisi.

The coast guard seemed to be treating the refugees, men, women and children, very well, but the Russian men objected to being handcuffed as they were led away.

No sooner had the costguard dealt with the people traffickers than they went out again to a large cruise ship anchored just outside the bay to bring back a sick passenger, who came back with very smart doctors, nurses and friends to be whisked off to hospital.

That evening we had the devastating news that John Belgrove, Jade and Kai's other grandfather, had died of a cerebral aneurism. John had a full and happy life surrounded by a close family, but we will all miss him very much.
Now we have a couple of days to pack up before we all fly back to England on Tuesday.

Just chilling

We have had a pretty uneventful ten days.

Lin’s brother, John, arrived early on Monday morning, June 16^th, and Lin went up to the airport with Richard, our Canadian neighbour who had hired a car to meet his friend David off the same flight, to fetch John. We pottered around Lakki, did some stocking up shopping and went to To Petrino for giant steaks with Simon and Christiana, who were going home on the Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning we had a nice sail in a gentle breeze to the anchorage by Arkhangeli, at the top of Leros. John had brought out replacement screws for the propeller, but when Simon dived to fit one it turned out that the screw had not fallen out at all – it had just been screwed in so far that he had not been able to see it  - panic over.

On Wednesday 18^th there was no wind, so we motored up to Arki, where we anchored off Tiganaki, the blue lagoon, in two and a half metres of water. 

Occasional RIBs arrived for a swim, but otherwise we had it to ourselves. In the early evening the wind got up a bit so we decided to move, because we were a bit vulnerable with the water so shallow, so we motored round to the anchorage south of Port Augusta on Arki, where we spent the night, and next morning, after a short thunderstorm, motored round the corner to tie up on the quay, where we got a good spot in the middle.

There were a lot of crossed chains, with boats leaving pulling up the anchors of those who remained. We had a lot of chain out, so we decided to re-anchor with less chain to make us less vulnerable.

We had a quiet time in Arki, meeting people, reading, swimming and eating at Nikolas’s tavern. On Friday 20^th we woke to thunder and menacing dark clouds to the south. We then noticed what looked like small tornadoes coming down from the cloud – eventually there were three of them. 

It turned out that they were tornadoes that had swept across the harbour in Lipsi. Some people walked to the top of the hill so see them better. Everybody cleared their decks, but the storm passed us by, with just a few drops of rain and, by the afternoon a blistering hot sun in a clear sky.

Lin bought herself some fancy new shoes in the little cafe/boutique.

A theatrical performance by a group from Samos was advertised in the square for 9 pm Sunday evening, so we decided to stay for that. Chairs were borrowed from the tavernas and laid out in two rows. At 9 pm the performers were still sitting around drinking and the auditorium was empty. At about 9.20 three of the performers took up seats on the chairs and a few people, mostly kids, dribbled in so the performance started at 9.40. It consisted of an accordionist providing background and linking music and a series of dramatic monologues (and one dialogue), which looked impressive (and we were told by Greek friends were very good), but which we did not understand. The first was Tchekov's 'On the harmful consequences of tobacco'.

On Monday morning, June 23^rd, we set off for Agathonisi. When we came to pull up the anchor we found that two boats had anchored over us – our anchor came up with one anchor and one chain hooked over us. Once we had got free and had got round the south of Arki we found ourselves close reaching into a Force 6 wind with big waves, which was uncomfortable, so we turned south and went back home to Lakki.

Summer at last

In Lipsi bay on Sunday 8 June Simon noticed that the locking screw had fallen out of the propeller. This should not be a problem when going forward, since the propeller tightens, but there is a slight risk of the propeller falling off in reverse, though the nuts should be good and tight. We immediately emailed Bruntons to send replacement screws to Lin's brother John, who comes out next week. We  came back to Lakki, reversing gingerly onto the town quay.
Next morning, Monday, Jo and Ian came for their early morning tea at the end of their walk and we did a bit of shopping before setting off to motor down to Xerokampos in no wind, where we picked up a buoy. We went ashore to the taverna for dinner, which was rather disappointing after all the excellent meals we had had over the previous two weeks.
Early on Tuesday morning, with no wind forecast, we motored round to Agia Marina, where we anchored in the corner,

off the excellent seafood taverna Milos.

 We rowed ashore and walked around the bay to Alinda, where we went to the Bellenis museum,

which was exactly as we had expected it! The ground floor had lots of portraits of distinguished citizens and benefactors of Leros, with all of their certificates, and a room full of bits of old clothing, china, old agricultural tools and machines. The upper floor was devoted to the battle of Leros, with one room of rusty bits of the cruiser Queen Olga, sunk by the Germans, and fading photographs of the crew and the other room full of rusty bullets, helmets, radios left from the battle.
We had coffee at the Hotel Alinda, where Claudio and Olga stayed last year, then walked back to Agia Marina and up the hill to Platanos, only to find the Archaeological Museum closed. After buying some goodies from the wonderful cake shop we went back to the boat for an afternoon swimming, before rowing to Milos for a slightly disappointing dinner (maybe because we ate too much!). But wonderful views from our table on the terrace.

On Wednesday morning, June 11th, still with no wind, we motored back to Lakki and went back on the town quay. The anchor did not hold the first time. Simon swam out to see if he could set it, but it was too deep to get down without flippers and/or a weight belt, but he could see a clump of weed and muck, so we went out again and re-anchored. On Wednesday night Jo and Ian, having sold their boat, were driving home, starting by getting the ferry Diogenes to Piraeus. They parked their heavily laden car by Mia Hara and we all went to To Petrino for their last supper, having enormous and delicious fillet steaks (he says he only gets his carefully selected beef from France and it is tender and delicious). We waved Jo and Ian off and collapsed into bed.
On Thursday we left the town quay and went into the marina as we needed water for washing the decks. Simon got the storm jib out and spent the morning dealing with the corrosion and freeing the brass hanks - the storm job had probably been in its bag unused for 25 years! In the afternoon Lin oiled the teak and Simon worked away at all the little marks on the deck with a stainless steel wire brush, which worked a treat. In the late afternoon a lot of soldiers arrived in two RIBS, each with two machine guns, no doubt for mowing down refugees, and parked in the marina.

In the evening we went to Tacis and Marietta's shop, where they now serve drinks in front of the shop, and had ouzo and the best selection of mezes we have ever tasted. Already well filled, we decided that an omelette would be enough for dinner.
We decided to stay in the marina for another day to finish all our jobs, bringing our contract forward so that we would not have to pay. 

A drowned rat

On Tuesday June 3rd we walked up to the church and ruined village at the top of the hill behind Arki, passing a goat perched on a wall on the way back.

In the evening Mama's rooster was delicious!
Wednesday June 4th was the day when the strong southerly winds were forecast, though the latest forecast was for the heaviest winds to pass further South. Simon and Christiana had 47 knots in Nissiros and the taverna owner said this summer was the worst weather she had known in 55 years. We had only 20 knots, gusting to 28, and everyone was well dug in so there were no problems. We washed the boat down, which was covered in red dust from all the rain.
On Thursday we walked over to Tiganaka beach at the south of the island for a swim. The water was very cold, having been churned up by the south winds. Lin swam, but Simon went in up to his knees and chickened out. When we got back for lunch we found a bite taken out of our peach. Simon reassured Lin that it was probably just wasps (though it is too cold for there to be many wasps), but next morning a big bite had been taken out of our apple and there were droppings on the worktop. They were very small, so we hoped it was just a mouse, not a rat. There were also droppings on the floor and on the top bunk - it had obviously climbed up the mooring rope (we had put out a thick rope for the blow) and got in through the little hatch over the bunk. We couldn't find it in any of the accessible places, so we hoped it had gone home after eating its fill, but we set our rat catcher that night. At 3 am Lin heard a scuffling and a small rat was in the rat catcher.

 It looked plaintively at us with its little eyes, to say "let me out!". We thought of releasing it up the hill, but now it had learned to get into boats it would just come back to us or somebody else, so we put the rat in the ratcatcher with a couple of rocks in a polythene bag and lowered it into the water. Next morning we had a poor little drowned rat!

After putting him in the bin we emptied the dinghy, which was half full of water from all the rain, and set off for Lipsi to get water, do some washing and get some of their delicious chocolate cake.
On Sunday morning, 8th June, we motored down to the bay at the bottom of Lipsi and picked up a mooring to have a swim, before setting off to get back to Lakki.

Windy days

We left Lakki for Agathonisi early on Saturday morning, May 31^st. The previous Thursday evening, just after I wrote the last blog, the wind blew up from the Southwest, as forecast. Waves were sweeping down the bay and crashing on the front, but we were sheltered from the waves by the ferry quay , but not from the wind, which came in vicious gusts. The French boat next to us, who had clearly not dug his anchor in when he came in tried to pull his anchor tight, but it just kept coming. He decided to leave and go into the marina, but as he left his keel ran over our anchor chain then, when he lifted his anchor he pulled ours out, just at the height of the storm. Fortunately we had a lot of chain out, so we pulled off the quay and held ourselves off on the engine, pulled the anchor and within a few metres it set again. Now the French boat had left we could put on a spring to give us more security.

As we were getting everything together, Jo and Ian arrived for a drink before we went out to dinner to celebrate their last evening as boat owners, as they were due to complete the sale and hand over the next day. We had a drink below, as it was too windy to sit in the cockpit, and decided we could safely leave the boat and go for dinner at To Petrino as the wind had dropped, though Simon took a bike so that he could go back and check if it blew up again. We had a good dinner and everything was fine when we got back.

On Friday morning we met Jo and Ian in Tacis’s grocer (now a delicatessen) and Ian was fretting a bit as the money for the sale had not come through, and he insisted he was not letting Graham, the new owner, aboard until the money was in the bank. They picked Ian up off the ferry at Agia Marina t midday and we got a text at teatime to say the money had arrived. They all came over for a celebration drink and we then cooked a tuna stew, with some tuna that some neighbours had given as, as they had caught a huge tuna and could not eat it all.

On Saturday morning we set off for Agathonisi, as planned. Outside Lakki harbour there was a big swell but almost no wind, though the swell dropped once we had got round the north of the island and we motored all the way, arriving at midday to find only one yacht there, alongside on the ferry quay, but a float of high-powered RIBs, each with 500 horsepower of engine. It turned out that they were from a club in Athens who toured the islands to see how the other half lived and to bring presents for the children, including toys and new bikes. We went on the end of the ferry quay and went for a beer at Yanni and Voula’s tavern. Their son Yiorgo was there, having come home after his military service, and Yanni and Voula arrived soon after, Voula hobbling and inWindy days

We left Lakki for Agathonisi early on Saturday morning, May 31^st. The previous Thursday evening, just after I wrote the last blog, the wind blew up from the Southwest, as forecast. Waves were sweeping down the bay and crashing on the front, but we were sheltered from the waves by the ferry quay , but not from the wind, which came in vicious gusts. The French boat next to us, who had clearly not dug his anchor in when he came in tried to pull his anchor tight, but it just kept coming. He decided to leave and go into the marina, but as he left his keel ran over our anchor chain then, when he lifted his anchor he pulled ours out, just at the height of the storm. Fortunately we had a lot of chain out, so we pulled off the quay and held ourselves off on the engine, pulled the anchor and within a few metres it set again. Now the French boat had left we could put on a spring to give us more security.

As we were getting everything together, Jo and Ian arrived for a drink before we went out to dinner to celebrate their last evening as boat owners, as they were due to complete the sale and hand over the next day. We had a drink below, as it was too windy to sit in the cockpit, and decided we could safely leave the boat and go for dinner at To Petrino as the wind had dropped, though Simon took a bike so that he could go back and check if it blew up again. We had a good dinner and everything was fine when we got back.

On Friday morning we met Jo and Ian in Tacis’s grocer (now a delicatessen) and Ian was fretting a bit as the money for the sale had not come through, and he insisted he was not letting Graham, the new owner, aboard until the money was in the bank. They picked Ian up off the ferry at Agia Marina t midday and we got a text at teatime to say the money had arrived. They all came over for a celebration drink and we then cooked a tuna stew, with some tuna that some neighbours had given as, as they had caught a huge tuna and could not eat it all.

On Saturday morning we set off for Agathonisi, as planned. Outside Lakki harbour there was a big swell but almost no wind, though the swell dropped once we had got round the north of the island and we motored all the way, arriving at midday to find only one yacht there, alongside on the ferry quay, but a float of high-powered RIBs, each with 500 horsepower of engine. It turned out that they were from a club in Athens who toured the islands to see how the other half lived and to bring presents for the children, including toys and new bikes. We went on the end of the ferry quay and went for a beer at Yanni and Voula’s tavern. Their son Yiorgo was there, having come home after his military service, and Yanni and Voula arrived soon after, Voula hobbling and in obvious pain as she had burnt her ankle on Yiogo’s motorbike and then hit it on something. We had heard that Voula had stood against the incumbent in the mayoral election, the first time he had faced opposition in years, and she only lost by 58% to 42% and they now form an opposition group of five on the council of 13, so they can try to keep the mayor in check. The last straw was his roadbuilding programme, in which he spent three million euros of EU money building high class roads to nowhere (see last year’s blog), which are now tarmacked, with white lines and crash barriers.

One road, which also has street lighting, leads half a kilometre round the bay to Spilia beach, which now has an enormous car park behind it. The other road leads three kilometres to the abandoned village of Katoliko, with a side road down to a single farm.

On Sunday we walked round to the excavation beyond Katoliko, where they are also building a small museum, but it was closed, as it was Sunday.

We stayed two nights in Agathonisi, but because strong southerly winds were forecast we left for Arki on Monday morning, June 2^nd, to be sure of getting in there before the winds came on the Wednesday. Fortunately there was plenty of room on the Arki quay when we arrived, though it filled up during the day.

In Arki Alexandr played on his electric bike.

Nicolas’s dad has built him a little marina in the harbour, full of model boats.

On Tuesday morning the charter boats left Arki and some more owner boats came in to ride out the storm, so there seven British and two French yachts on the quay. Arki seems to attract the Brits especially, perhaps because it is so peaceful. Nicolas’s mum, Maria, was cooking a rooster, so we asked if they could keep us two portions for this evening. It turned out that they were cooking this for themselves, not for sale, but Nicholas promised there would be enough for us, if we did not tell anybody else.