Happy families

We left Agathonisi for Pythagorion on Monday 21^st into a northerly force 6 wind on the nose. However, as we motored out of the bay we found that the engine was shaking like mad and we could only get low revs. We motored slowly back into the bay and anchored. When Simon dived to check the propeller he found about 5 metres of our webbing mooring line and the 1 metre chain on the end wrapped around the prop shaft. He had thought that he had put the line safely in the dinghy when he had retrieved it, but at some point it had fallen out and fouled the prop. Fortunately it all unwound fairly easily and we set off again, with a wet and bumpy ride (motoring) up to Pythagorion, where we found a space on the quay – as everywhere else in the Dodecanese it was much quieter than usual – room on the quay and just a few boats anchored off.

In Pythagorion we cleaned up the boat and did the shopping ready for Becky, Andrew, Jade, Kai and Charlie’s arrival on Wednesday morning. They arrived just before 8 on Wednesday morning after a smooth but tiring trip, flying into Athens at 4 am and out again at 6.30. 

We decided to get away from the noise and crowds of Pythagorion and motored straight to Agathonisi into a light southerly wind. Charlie was soon taking his favourite position behind the wheel.

Halfway across we had our first proper meeting with dolphins. Andrew saw them a long way ahead and when we reached them they swam for a while on our bow wave before swimming away.

When we got to Agathonisi we found the water tanker and fuel tanker on the quay and the little harbour sealed off, so we had to go and anchor in Spilia, which is a beautiful peaceful little bay. Kai and Charlie had a good time in the hammock, 

though Kai decided not to sleep there after all, because of the rocking.

The mystery of the new road to Spilia, built at huge (EU) expense appears to be solved. Someone (a friend of the mayor, what a surprise!) is building something at the back of the beach. The building will cut off the cooling breeze that comes down the valley, but the locals hope that it will be washed away by the stream that turns into a torrent with the winter rains. Again there were very few yachts in Agathonisi and very few people staying in rooms, so the tavernas are almost empty, with depleted menus, and the little shops have very little stock, putting them into a vicious circle of decline.

Under pressure from Jade and Kai we decided to move on to Arki after one night in Agathonisi, motoring as again there was no wind. Charlie and Andy slept

while kai listened to music on the boom

and Jade on the bow

In Agathonisi we found that the rear toilet would not pump out. Simon dismantled it and all the valves were OK so there was nothing for it but to remove the outlet pipe and clean it out to clear the blockage, which took the best part of the first day in Arki. Fortunately it was the rear toilet, which we only use for peeing because it does not have a holding tank, but the stench was still pretty awful. Simon got out about 5 kiles of limescale, which had built up over the year since we had installed a new pipe. We obviously have not been flushing enough sea water through to prevent the build up of limescale.
We had two nights in Arki, where Charlie loved the little beach and playing with Alexandr. Charlie walked (and ran) up the steep hill to the farm with Lin and Simon

to see the goats and sheep.

He was a bit wary of the goats.

Of course, Jade and Kai wanted to move on again because they complained that they were bored – not surprising as they played with their phones all day (they managed to us up a month’s data allowance, 5Gb, in less than two days) – but we got them to the beach and into the sea.

The wind blew hard from the north on Friday and Saturday. We left Arki early on Saturday morning, before the wind got up, for a fast sail down to Lipsi, where again we found space on the quay. Eventually everybody got off to the beach, while Lin and I stayed to tidy up and fend off new boats coming in. In the evening we went up to Manolis for a good meal, with his usual enormous portions so that we left a lot of food!

On Sunday we filled up with water and went over to Katsadia beach for the day. Lin and Simon walked over, while the others took a taxi.

Charlie continued to be reluctant to go into the water until we dragged him in with his rubber ring, after which it was almost impossible to get him out of the sea.