The Excitement of Sailing, Anchorages, and Touring in the Greek Isles

June 18th - 19th                                                            (Photo credit: Some pictures by Pierina and Neil)

Our adventures in Greece continue, as do the meltemi winds I wrote about previously. At times the winds can be almost non-existent and then, in a moment, gusting to 25 knots or more. During one passage, we can sail in winds of about 5 knots and then a short time later be sailing in winds of 25 knots, gusting to 30. This is the case as we leave our private anchorage and make our way to the island of Paros. Both MP and I were a little apprehensive about the high winds and seas, but it turns out that the boat handles them very well and as long as we are keeping our movements to a minimum, we are both doing great. With the guys it is a different story. They are ecstatic with the sailing, barely containing themselves when the boat hits a speed of nine knots, hooting and hollering into the wind. 

Then, to top it off, they are in complete awe as they have a front row seat when the Maltese Falcon approaches and sails past. This is "one of the world's most complex and largest sailing yachts at 88 meters".  A square rigger, it is the largest carbon fibre sailing vessel in the world. If interested, you can charter this yacht in the Mediterranean for about 500, 000 euro per week for you and 11 of your dearest friends. I do admit, it was an impressive sight!

We arrive safely at an anchorage, complete with a private beach club (basically a restaurant/bar and lounge chairs) much to Al's delight. A short dinghy ride brings us up close and personal with a cold cocktail and some great tunes! Puppy precious was a little tired after the windy day, so he enjoys a nice nap at the bar.

The next day, MP makes arrangements to rent a car so that we can tour the island of Paros. Renting a car in Greece is a little different than doing so in Canada. She makes arrangements for the car to be dropped off at the beach bar at a cost of 29 euro for the day. What a deal! We learn we can tour the entire island, along with Antiparos which is the smaller island next door, in a day. The winds are up again so I am a little apprehensive about leaving the boat at anchor, but everyone does it. So, we pack up and head out in the dinghy to leave it on the beach for the day.

Our first stop is the village of Pounta to board the ferry to Antiparos. There we find a small village with vacation rental properties, restaurants, expensive shops and some beaches. The bougainvillea are absolutely gorgeous in full bloom, especially next to the traditional white buildings with blue trim. We are intrigued by the practice of hanging fresh octopus out on wood or wire in the sun. This is a means of tenderizing them. First they are beaten on the rocks and hung to dry before they are fried and served up in one of the many restaurants.

Next stop is Naousa, another small fishing village on the north coast of the island. We tour the port and then hike up to the church at the top of the hill. This takes us meandering through narrow "streets". We discover that there are quite a few rental properties available, some that require deep pockets and a lot of time and energy to renovate. What do you think, Tracy and Jeff? 

At one point in time, this place would have been quite beautiful. It makes me wonder who lived here in the past and what their life stories are.

We enjoy a meal at a Greek taverna and a rest in the shade.

The drive back to the boat takes us over the mountain roads once again. As we approach the anchorage over the top one of the hills, we are met with quite a shock. We can see the boat below with one of the headsails starting to come unfurled at the forestay. The wind has caught the end and started pulling it open. This is not good. If it continues to unfurl, the entire sail will open and be blowing against the mast while the boat is at anchor. Driving as fast as possible, yet keeping us all safe, Al gets us to the shore where our dinghy awaits. The motor to the boat in the dinghy seems to take forever, but we get there and Neil and Al jump into action bringing the sail down. All I can think is, thank goodness Al is here to help out so that it is not all on me to assist Neil. The damage is minimal, with some tearing on the edge of the sail. Everything else is fine and the anchor has held the boat in place. The guys feel that the sail was not furled tightly enough because there was no wind when we rolled it in. I am a bit shaken up after the drama, but MP gives me a big hug and we all have a couple of cocktails to finish off an otherwise amazing day exploring the island with friends. It really is not as bad as it seemed.