We spent another day chilling in Palionissos after Frank and Lin had left, feeding the ducks.
We left Palionissos on Tuesday, June 23rd, to sail down to an anchorage on the east side of Pserimos, but when we got in the wind was blowing quite hard so we decided to go straight to Kos marina, where we were picking up Jade and Elliott on Thursday evening. As soon as we arrived Simon went to find an engineer to look at our overheating engine. He came that afternoon, checked everything over and took out the heat exchanger - problem solved, it was clogged up with debris from the impeller that was destroyed in April last year!
He took away the heat exchanger to clean it and brought it back next afternoon. He also changed the coolant, telling us that we should only use Yanmar coolant.
Simon got a lift to Lidl with an English couple, who had a rented car, and stocked up for Jade and Elliott's visit.
Jade and Elliott arrived on Thursday evening - having spurned the Resorthoppa transfer we had booked for them, they shared a taxi and arrived, starving, about 10.30pm, so we took them straight to the marina cafe.
We were parked next to a Polish charter boat, who had arrived noisily the night before and now kept us awake till 1 am talking very loudly.
We had to leave the marina on Friday morning, although it was still very windy, because they needed all the spaces for returning charter boats. We set off at 8 o'clock and motored up to Palionissos in strong wind and big seas, with waves breaking over the deck - Jade did not like it! But our overheating problem was solved so we could make a good speed.
Jade and Elliott soon got into their sailing routine, playing with their phones
and sunbathing.
As we passed Kos town we heard an American boat radioing to the Greek coastguard that there was a rubber dinghy with about twelve people in it, paddling towards the shore.
Next morning we motorsailed up to Lakki, where we had booked a place in the marina. As the forecast for Sunday was Force 7 northerly, we decided to stay two nights in Lakki and hire a car for the day.
Everyone is suddenly very worried about the crisis. People had been queuing all night at the cash machines, which soon ran out of money. The butcher told us that he is having big problems with supplies. The wholesaler has to pay cash in advance for his meat, but he has a cash flow problem. A taverna owner told us that he had problems paying for his meat because he had to pay cash, but he could not transfer cash because the banks were not working, so he just had to send it in an envelope.
We got the impression that there will be a massive NO vote in the referendum. Some people said that they had not decided how to vote because they had not seen the question, but a lot of people, even conservative ND supporters, say that 'we have had five years of it and we cannot take any more'. There have been a lot of cancellations of holiday bookings. A big rally of RIBs, which would have brought over 1000 people to Lakki over two or three days has been cancelled, as has the tour of the islands by Athens doctors, who travel round in their RIBs treating people for free and staying in the islands.
On Saturday evening Simon drove Jade and Elliott up to the cafe in the windmill on the ridge above Pandeli.
On Sunday we drove Jade and Elliott round the island to see the sights (mostly the beaches at Xerokampos and Pandeli) and went to see Sue and Steve, who had just arrived in the boatyard. Sue had forgotten to get any euros, so they only had 20 euros. Fortunately we could ask John to bring some out for them when he comes on Friday.
At Pandeli Jade not only went into the sea, despite her fear of sharks, she even swam a couple of strokes!
On Monday, June 29th, we motor-sailed up to Lipsi in another strong northerly wind, arriving at midday. There were only a couple of boats on the quay when we got there. It turned out to be Jade's least favourite place, not least because it was windy and cloudy so no good for sunbathing or the beach, but Lin needed to do some washing because water had got into the forepeak on the drive up from Kos and soaked all the bedding.
We left Lipsi on Tuesday morning to motor sail up to Arki, where we arrived at half past ten, again to find it almost empty. Nikolas told us that there had been very few boats the last week or more, which was a complete mystery because we would not expect sailors to be put off by the talk of crisis.
Elliott bravely dived into the harbour
and he and Jade rewarded themselves with ice creams.
After lunch in Nikolas's taverna,
in the afternoon we went to the beach, which was almost deserted.
We left Arki early on Wednesday morning to motor sail back to Lakki in light northerly wind, arriving about 11 and picking up a hire car for the day. Jade wanted to go to Crithoni Paradise so she could swim in the shark-free pool, and Simon and Elliott had disgusting burgers. We then drove over to the windmill cafe for a drink before coming back to the boat. Simon drilled out the fitting for our new bow anchor light, burning up two drill bits getting through the stainless steel.
On Wednesday evening Elliott treated us all to a steak dinner at To Petrino. Jade and Elliott thought they were the best steaks they had ever tasted. We had planned to go to a concert after dinner, which was to have been in the castle but was moved to the school in Agia Marina, but after dinner we decided we were all too tired to have a late night.
On Thursday morning, July 2nd, Simon drove over to the airport to pick up John and we went straight to Poppy's for breakfast. Then we all drove over to Agia Marina to put Jade and Elliott on the catamaran to Kos to get their flight home.
After a club sandwich
they got on the catamaran
and sailed away
We left Palionissos on Tuesday, June 23rd, to sail down to an anchorage on the east side of Pserimos, but when we got in the wind was blowing quite hard so we decided to go straight to Kos marina, where we were picking up Jade and Elliott on Thursday evening. As soon as we arrived Simon went to find an engineer to look at our overheating engine. He came that afternoon, checked everything over and took out the heat exchanger - problem solved, it was clogged up with debris from the impeller that was destroyed in April last year!
Simon got a lift to Lidl with an English couple, who had a rented car, and stocked up for Jade and Elliott's visit.
Jade and Elliott arrived on Thursday evening - having spurned the Resorthoppa transfer we had booked for them, they shared a taxi and arrived, starving, about 10.30pm, so we took them straight to the marina cafe.
We had to leave the marina on Friday morning, although it was still very windy, because they needed all the spaces for returning charter boats. We set off at 8 o'clock and motored up to Palionissos in strong wind and big seas, with waves breaking over the deck - Jade did not like it! But our overheating problem was solved so we could make a good speed.
Jade and Elliott soon got into their sailing routine, playing with their phones
As we passed Kos town we heard an American boat radioing to the Greek coastguard that there was a rubber dinghy with about twelve people in it, paddling towards the shore.
We got to Palionissos by 11 and went to the beach bar for beer, burgers and kebabs. In the evening we ate at Pothitos's taverna, with beautiful views of the anchorage and the evening sun on the cliffs.
Everyone is suddenly very worried about the crisis. People had been queuing all night at the cash machines, which soon ran out of money. The butcher told us that he is having big problems with supplies. The wholesaler has to pay cash in advance for his meat, but he has a cash flow problem. A taverna owner told us that he had problems paying for his meat because he had to pay cash, but he could not transfer cash because the banks were not working, so he just had to send it in an envelope.
We got the impression that there will be a massive NO vote in the referendum. Some people said that they had not decided how to vote because they had not seen the question, but a lot of people, even conservative ND supporters, say that 'we have had five years of it and we cannot take any more'. There have been a lot of cancellations of holiday bookings. A big rally of RIBs, which would have brought over 1000 people to Lakki over two or three days has been cancelled, as has the tour of the islands by Athens doctors, who travel round in their RIBs treating people for free and staying in the islands.
On Saturday evening Simon drove Jade and Elliott up to the cafe in the windmill on the ridge above Pandeli.
On Sunday we drove Jade and Elliott round the island to see the sights (mostly the beaches at Xerokampos and Pandeli) and went to see Sue and Steve, who had just arrived in the boatyard. Sue had forgotten to get any euros, so they only had 20 euros. Fortunately we could ask John to bring some out for them when he comes on Friday.
At Pandeli Jade not only went into the sea, despite her fear of sharks, she even swam a couple of strokes!
On Monday, June 29th, we motor-sailed up to Lipsi in another strong northerly wind, arriving at midday. There were only a couple of boats on the quay when we got there. It turned out to be Jade's least favourite place, not least because it was windy and cloudy so no good for sunbathing or the beach, but Lin needed to do some washing because water had got into the forepeak on the drive up from Kos and soaked all the bedding.
We left Lipsi on Tuesday morning to motor sail up to Arki, where we arrived at half past ten, again to find it almost empty. Nikolas told us that there had been very few boats the last week or more, which was a complete mystery because we would not expect sailors to be put off by the talk of crisis.
Elliott bravely dived into the harbour
and he and Jade rewarded themselves with ice creams.
in the afternoon we went to the beach, which was almost deserted.
We left Arki early on Wednesday morning to motor sail back to Lakki in light northerly wind, arriving about 11 and picking up a hire car for the day. Jade wanted to go to Crithoni Paradise so she could swim in the shark-free pool, and Simon and Elliott had disgusting burgers. We then drove over to the windmill cafe for a drink before coming back to the boat. Simon drilled out the fitting for our new bow anchor light, burning up two drill bits getting through the stainless steel.
On Wednesday evening Elliott treated us all to a steak dinner at To Petrino. Jade and Elliott thought they were the best steaks they had ever tasted. We had planned to go to a concert after dinner, which was to have been in the castle but was moved to the school in Agia Marina, but after dinner we decided we were all too tired to have a late night.
On Thursday morning, July 2nd, Simon drove over to the airport to pick up John and we went straight to Poppy's for breakfast. Then we all drove over to Agia Marina to put Jade and Elliott on the catamaran to Kos to get their flight home.
After a club sandwich
they got on the catamaran
and sailed away
We had a really enjoyable week with Jade and Elliott and all wished they had come for longer. Elliott was really interested in the sailing. It was a pity that there was either too much or too little wind to give him a proper sailing course.
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