Sounion to Nisos Siros - Into the Aegean

Off early into a lively breeze.  Rob and John put all the sails up and we went off at a good pace.  Did several man-overboard exercises in a lumpy sea - have to admit that Rob was the best at these! Guess he has had a lot of practise with his job as an outward bound instructor.  We had thought we might stop at the first island we came to but we were going so well we decided to keep going, and apart from losing the wind in the channel between Kea and Kisnes – where we spent the time dodging the big tankers that use the strait, we managed to sail the whole way to Siros.  The wind really picked up as we approached Siros and with Rob on the helm we made over 7 knots – pretty good.  We anchored in Finikas and Rob and Sam took the dingy ashore and had a meal in one of the tavernas.  They had thought they would leave us here to go camping but they weren’t particularly impressed with the place!  A long day – over 10 hours sailing – just over 200 miles to go to Marmaris.

Escape from Aegina - Aegina to Sounion

Finally launched at 11.30 am onto a flat flat sea.  Strong northerlies are forecast for the foreseeable future so today is the last day we could put the boat back in the water.  4 people all very pleased to be away from Aegina.  The thunderstorms of the past few days finally died away and we motored eastwards towards the mainland south of Athens.  No water, no oil leaking from the stern gland –a bit early to tell but looking good so far.  Crossed the shipping lanes – missing all the big boats going to Piraeus, then put all 4 sails up and had a fabulous sail on flat seas – really nice to have Rob and Sam with us.  The wind died just before we got to Sounion and we anchored in the anchorage there just before it got dark.  The old temple ruins were lit up at night on the hill above the anchorage – very nice.

Rob and Sam Arrive

That evening was Emma and Cara’s last night so we got a taxi into Aegina town and met up with Rob and Sam (my sister Sue’s stepson - 22 - and his girlfriend).  Went for a really good meal but it was obvious that Sam was not well so in the end they both came back with us as well and slept out on deck as there was no room in the saloon.  Next morning we got an early taxi into the town and Emma and Cara said goodbye and caught the flying dolphin to Athens before heading back to Scotland. We then headed back to the boatyard and spent the week rebuilding the stern gland and antifouling the boat.  Not much fun for Sam and Rob – stuck in the back of beyond in a scratty dirty boat yard with little to do, no decent beaches and raining half the time.  We suggested that they should go off for a few days but they decided the best thing to do was to help us finish the boat work as quickly as we could and get off the island so they got stuck in and helped – Rob with the engineering work and Sam with a paintbrush antifouling the hull.



Leaving Porto Heli and meeting Emma and Cara

Emma and Cara arrived on the Flying Dolphin just before midnight having got off at the wrong stop and nearly been left behind on Spetsi Island! We put them and their luggage in the dinghy and returned to the boat in the anchorage for a few beers and some food. It was great to see them, even though they were shattered and Emma was obviously running a temperature, so the next morning I took her to the pharmacist and got her some antibiotics. Then we sailed across to the bay opposite Porto Heli and Cara snorkelled and Emma slept. But on the way back we saw a pod of dolphins which made their day, and as we entered the anchorage at Porto Heli again we saw a large turtle – pretty good.

The next day we sailed and motored to Ermione and anchored in the port. After a quick lesson in how to use the dinghy the girls went ashore to explore and then in the evening we went out for a meal. The next day we motored most of the way through bigger and bigger waves to the anchorage at Poros, where we stayed for 2 nights. To our dismay when we checked under the bed we found oil rather than water dribbling out of the newly fixed stern gland again – John was really despondent and worried, so we sat in the anchorage trying to work out what to do whilst the girls went ashore. Finally decided to haul out in a boat yard on Aegina and put the girls on the Flying Dolphin to Athens from there. So we went back to Russian Bay for a sunbathe on the beach then a night of thunderstorms before a great sail north to Aegina island. We anchored 5 miles south of the port in Perdika bay and that night we went out for a meal to the taverna on the edge of the bay. The next day the girls took a bus into Aegina town and John and I had lunch in the same taverna. Emma and Cara returned early – not much impressed with Aegina town – and joined us for lunch. Then the wind changed and waves started to roll into the bay so we raised the anchor and motored 3 miles north to Ormos Marathones - an exposed rolley anchorage with little to recommend it other than it was not in the direct winds!

Monday 27th September - Ormos Marathones to Kanonis Boatyard

We weighed anchor early, glad to leave the exposed anchorage, and motored past Aegina town and along the north coast of the island. Saw the promised boat yard’s mooring buoy we had been told to pick up and were about to tie up to it when a bloke started to wave at us from the shore and point to another buoy. So we dropped the mooring line and motored over to this buoy. At this point my phone rang and we saw another bloke pointing to the original buoy. The neighbouring yard was trying to poach us!! We had to reverse into the narrowest slip I have ever seen with rocks either side of the channel – made a real pig’s ear of it but didn’t hit anything. Only 10 cms water below the keel – we were cheerfully told we can only launch in flat seas because it is too shallow and the waves pound in if there Is a northerly wind! Scruffy sort of boatyard miles from anywhere with horrible showers and loos but quite friendly.

Leave Kouladia with replaced Stern Gland Seals

We arrived back in Greece on 3rd September with Petronella’s chief engineer Chris Brown. We hired a car at Athens airport and drove to the boatyard at Kouladia. Next morning we made a quick trip to Lidl to stock up with heavy stuff –well beers and more beers and some wine and tins of tomatoes before returning the car to Ermione, some 10 miles away. Then Chris and John spent a week taking the whole of the stern gland to pieces and cleaning the various parts and re-assembling them carefully. Meanwhile I antifouled the hull. We launched on 13th September, checked that no water was now coming in through the propeller shaft and then spent the afternoon swimming in the anchorage and looking for a geocache in the caves to the west of the anchorage under Chris’s experienced eye. Found it and left our name in it. Then we took the dinghy ashore for a drink and a meal in Kouladia town – a very pleasant way to spend the first night in the water.

The next morning we motored and then sailed round to Porto Heli and the next afternoon Chris caught the Flying Dolphin to Athens and home. We had 3 days to kill before meeting Emma and Cara so we explored the bays around Porto Heli and found some fantastic anchorages. Then on Saturday we made our way back to Porto Heli to get the boat ready for the girls.

Back to Greece

Today (6th September) is our last day in the UK. Tonight we are back to Greece to complete the stern gland work, have a holiday with Emma and her friend Cara and then sail across to Turkey with our new step-nephew Rob and his girlfriend Sam.

Back in the UK for Family Events

July and August are busy times for us.  We are back in the UK for:

Emma and Jenny's graduations

Our 30th Wedding Anniversary

..and Caz and Sue's Weddings - who would have believed it!