Syria..... Oh What a Place!

T

Photos in order of appearance:

Damascus back street

Roman Theatre at Palmyra

Triumpual Arch Palmyra

Krak de Chevaliers x 2

Breakfast at Lattakia Marina

The brochure I am looking at says "Syria The Cradle of Civilization"... and we have certainly seen some sites in this country which back this up.

First of all though we must say that from the food, the wonderful welcome we have received from all the people we have encountered and the places we have visited, this is definitely a must see. No sign of the axis of evil did we feel or see.
The only bad thing which has happened is that although we have security guards on 24 hour watch, someone has stolen Richard's Teva leather sandals during the night. We are moored so that we have to climb over another boat to get to Ibis II, and everyone leaves their shoes on the dock beside the gangways. Obviously they are the right size and style for the thief, but Richard is greatly inconvenienced by this loss until someone from another boat loans him a spare pair.

In one day - 28 May 2008 -we leave from the Lattakia Marina at 8.00 am and visit Krak de Chevaliers, breathtaking Palmyra and arrive in Damascus to stay the night.

Krak de Chevaliers - a crusader fortess built in 1100 AD on the Silk road so that it can dominate the Homs Pass. We walk through it and imagine the lives lived and lost here.

Palmyra - Age wizened sandstone example of wind eroded Roman majesty built in the 1st century AD. The Roman Theatre, Triumphal Arch and temple to Baal are parts of the huge site which we visit - we barely scratch the surface before we move on to lunch in a Bedouin tent where the heat is nudging 45 degrees and we are sure we will be cooler outside!

Damascus - The oldest continuously occupied capital city in the world dating back to the 12th century BC, where we visit the Damascus Museum - a magnificent museum housing an underground tomb discovered in Palmyra and relocated here, see the origins of our alphabet found in Urgarit and created by the Phoenician people... hence phoenetics. We only have an hour here and would like to have spent a day at least. We move on to the Temple of Jupiter and associated mosque, Church of St Ananaias where St Paul (Saul) story from the Bible is based and an opportunity to wander the city and do some shopping.

Syria leaves us with so many lasting memories and wonderful photographs but it is soon time to move on to Lebanon and we depart 3 pm 31 May for Jouneih near Beirut for our next stop.

Weather is very settled and we have dolphins around the boat on my 4 am watch. I can hear them in the darkness breaking the surface from time to time. We are just about off the Syria/Lebanon border when it starts to get light and I notice a faint grey shadow on the horizon. Closer inspection with binocs reveals a warship checking the fleet out. They soon disappear as I reflect on the previous evening's drama. Around 9.30pm and very dark but lights of all the EMYR fleet are all around us. I am alone on deck and I spot an unusual set of lights off our port bow. I see a couple of white lights v close together and a very faint starboard light which is almost non existent. It resembles one of our EMYR yachts and at this time we are overtaking quite a few as are motor sailing. As we rapidly close on these lights I am uneasy and take the helm off autopilot and have it in my hand. Suddenly from out of the darkness looms a huge ship crossing in front of us at an angle from port to starboard. I send us shooting away to port and call for Richard to "get on deck now!" Before he has a chance to make it up the companionway the ship slides less than 50m past us at speed and he just glimpses it as it quickly disappears into the night. We see a couple of other ships during the night, but none come as close as this one.

Iskenderun - Antakya and Hatay Mosaic Museum

24 May 2008

Photos:

Site of Church of St Peter and surrounding caves and stone monument.
Images from Hatay Museum, Antakya

At 8.30 am we depart via minibus and drive over majestic mountains to see the fertile plains laid out below us as far as the eye can see in a patchwork of golds and greens made up of crops of wheat, barley, cotton, maize, onion, garlic, potatoes, apricot and olive trees. We pass by a huge military camp and police training school as we cross over the plains to our destination of Antakya (referred to as Antioch several times in the New Testament - Acts Chapter 11, verse 26).

We visit the Church of St Peter, an ancient natural cave sanctuary with 23 km of tunnels honeycombing the mountains nearby, used in 47 AD so that worshippers from the first Christian community can study the apostles of St Peter, St Paul and St Barnabus. Unfortunately St Peters Church is closed for maintenance, but we climb the hillside and imagine the people living here during the beginning of Christian times.

We move on from here to the Hatay Mosaic Museum where mosaics from throughout the region have been excavated and recreated here maintained in safety for perpetuity. This museum is a must see and leaves us in awe of the work which has been done to preserve these wonderful artefacts. Excavations first started in 1932. Classification of the mosaics took 9 years. The museum first opened in 1948 and was extended during 1973, reopening in 1974.

It contains Hittite and Assyrian Mosaics, golden artefacts and stone exhibits.

On to İskenderun...

This morning we leave Mersin. Each place we visit becomes a little more difficult to connect to the internet and İ am posting this morning from an internet cafe. The Turkish keyboard is a bit of a struggle so please forgive any errors.

We are contactable on SMS txt only +6421723200.

We are loving news and feedback from home.

We have put an offer on a boat this morning... it will be a goodie if it comes off!

Tshikula e Derim!!!

Photos
Berthing (stacking) Iskenderun
....Zia and Rumpus have a close encounter for a photo shoot as we round Karatas Point and the sun goes down. See more on the Rally at www.zialater.com
Capn Buck and Pippy thriving on this experience.

Our EMYR book tells us that our next destination, Iskenderun is the terminus for the Iraqi oil pipeline and main port for the southern province of Antakya (Antioch). Consequently there is a lot of shipping (oil tankers) coming and going which we do not wish to tangle with in the dark, plus we would rather sleep than sail overnight.

In any case, we decide to stop and anchor overnight on the western side of the Iskenderun Gulf and cross over to Iskenderun early the next morning. The moon is very late coming up and it is a dark night as we carefully find our way to our choice of recommended anchorages well up the harbour of Yumurtalik, past the unlit fish farms we see on the chart. Zia follows cautiously some distance behind us. The breeze is light and we are under main only making around 5 knots in very calm water.

There is a moment of drama as we tangle with an unlit fishing buoy and line despite the fact that I am on lookout on the bow and do not see it, and the orange ball of the moon suddenly appears from behind a bank of black clouds off to the north east, slightly improving our night vision. It is not a major and we are soon free and dropping anchor for the night around 11.30 pm, tucked into the southern part of the inlet behind a large expanse of salt marshes.

23 May 2008

We have a peaceful night and are awake early for a swim and depart 7.30 am but not before Zia reports sighting turtles in the water around their boat. We sight Iskenderun around 10.20 am as a high mountain range appears suddenly out of the morning mist. We read in the EMYR 'bible' that this region was "given" to Syria after WW1 and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. It is still indicated as part of Syria on Syrian maps, but was taken by Turkey in 1939. There is no marina here for us to use so we moor in the fishing harbour. The fishing boats have kindly moved over for us and are moored several deep on the southern wall.

The local people extend a warm welcome to us with open curiosity as this is a large city but not a major tourist destination. For the first time we have difficulty finding someone who can speak English as we explore the back streets looking for an internet cafe. We buy a large pot of yoghurt for around NZ$1.50. There has been quite a high incidence of stomach problems on the Rally but Richard and I are fine so far and wonder if our daily dose of yoghurt is helping.

Sunday 19 May

Photos:

Gennaker run Girne - Cyprus to Mersin - magic moment!

Our welcoming party ties us up in Mersin - sorry Richard but İ could not resist!

The dancing!

Girne/Kyrenia, Cyprus to Mersin Turkey
108 NM
Depart 5.00 pm – Arr 10.00 am
Stunning conditions: Blue sky, light wind from South West, gennaker hoisted early as we watch the sun go down and the moon come up.

Highlights:

Skimming across the sea back to Mersin in Turkey as the sun disappears in a bright red ball over the horizon – this is another one of those magic moments! Here we go again! 9-10 knots and Rupe and Richard are having fun with their toys! Wind dies around midnight and we motor to a calm soft hazy morning. As I write Richard and Rupe are up on deck untangling the gennaker which wrapped itself into a huge twist as the wind came aft around 9.30 pm.
Yet another official reception hosted by the Mayor of Mersin (pop 700,000), Turkish dancing and colourful costumes, more dancing for us.. Oh boy!

Experiencing yet another wonderful Turkish city and its gracious people and oh the food!

The Antiquity and the Dancing goes on and on...

Photographs:
Cathedral/Mosque at Farmagusta Cyprus datıng back to 12th century as does the fig tree planted by the entrance.
Pottery dating back to 2000 BC - St Barnabus Museum
The Pirate party - Rupe and me taken by Richard. Note the castle lit up on the hill behind us.
The street parade through the Old Harbour in Girne Cyprus and the locals joining in.

Friday 16 May – Sunday 19 May

Alanya to Girne/Kyrenia (Cyprus)
98 NM – overnight passage.

Conditions completely calm and very little wind. Motoring most of the way.

Arrive 7.30 am and anchor for a swim outside Old Harbour where some of the fleet will tie up, while we wait for our call. The Old Harbour under the huge Byzantine Castle is very pretty with cafes and restaurants lining the quay. We pay the price for a deep keel of 2.6m and have to go into the commercial harbour with the catamarans and other larger vessels. Soon after we are buzzed by a motorised paraglider and find out later he is taking aerial photographs for the Cyprus Tourist Board.

Highlights of Girne, Cyprus!

16 May: The reception ceremony in the Castle hosted by the President of Turkish Cyprus – the flag ceremony, the live music, walking on the ramparts as the sun goes down and the moon appears – the magic.
17 May: The Pirate Party – walking through the Old Harbour in our Pirate Costumes with our country flags leading the procession, local people lining the footpaths and cheering us on, the banquet in the most idyllic setting at the water’s edge – the soft light, the carmarderie, the dancing, the amazing food.Visit to Famagusta (history dates back to the Bronze Age). St Barnabas Icon and Archaeological Museum – amazing pottery from 2000 BC, Othello’s Tower built in 12th century and remodelling inspired by Leonardo da Vinci when he visited in 1481, Roman Ruins at Salamis, the cathedral – now a mosque, the crumbling ruins everywhere and sadly, the 6 year drought which is devastating the economy of the island – the acres of dried up land.

Kemer to Alanya

Wednesday 14 May 2008
Kemer to Alanya
68 NM
Departure around 7.00 am
Conditions: No wind, some wind, rain, thunder, lightning, plenty of wind, no wind, sunshine.

Photographs:

Our French friend Laronne in his 'formal' suit with knee patches from torn spinnaker!

Richard in a borrowed jacket!

The flag ceremony - our new skipper Hasan is on the left holding the microphone.

Richard enjoying the communal showers.

Highlights:

The hospitality of the people - the cocktaıl party and banquet here are sumptuous and we are very spoilt.

The beach: We take time out to wallow in the glorious warm waters of the Med!

All marinas to date have been luxurious, with wonderful facilities, but Alanya is under construction, so we arrive to concrete piers and not much else except a building site with lots of mud and dirt and one tap to every 10 boats, outdoor communal showers and toilet facilities which we have to cross the football field of dirt to find. This is not a complaint though, because we are welcomed to this city in the same gracious way as everywhere else to date.

Alanya is described as the Miami of Europe with long beaches stretching into the distance and hotels lining the shore. In the morning we explore the old city under the walls of the castle on the hill and I purchase my pirate outfit from one of the many shops providing fake designer goods. I satisfy my urge for something local to eat and enjoy a Turkish donor kebab for 3YTL which is served on a fresh salad of rocket leaves and pickled chilli. The day is hot as we provision at a supermarket return to the marina with our stores.

It is a quick trip in a Dolmish (small bus) from the marina to the beach for 1YTL (about 1NZD) and we lie in the tepid sea for some time before returning to prepare for the evening festivities.

Kristin is joining the boat here and arrives very late at around 3.30 pm having flown to Antalya. We are all gearing up for the official reception and banquet being put on for us and the coaches soon transport us into the city for yet another round of mind boggling hospitality… a cocktail party and reception in one place, dinner and dancing in another. The flag ceremony is becoming an integral part of each official function and it is great to see the NZ flag being well represented each time. There are 3 NZ boats on the Rally.

We have decided…. we continue on from here with the Rally! This is an exciting opportunity that we will not want to miss, so here we go! Anyone wanting to know more about the rally and where we go can see it all on www.emyr.org We will complete our plan to buy our own yacht once this is over. How could we not??

Setur Finike to Kemer - an Invitation and a Banquet

Sunday 11 May

Photos:

Phaselis Ruins x 2

The one which would not fit x 3

Setur Finike Marina – Kemer Turkiz Marina
45 NM
Departure 8.00am (the rest of the fleet have left already)
Conditions 0-18 knots for a short sail on the wind then dying out to nothing around 10.30am.

This is a good time to talk about the marinaras who buzz around in their inflatables in each marina getting all the yachts docked. There are now 80 yachts in the Rally and sometimes the marinaras get a little over confident about what they can fit into the space available! Their skill in manouvering us into place is impressive.

Kemer is a beach resort city with wonderful facities for the holiday makers and the season is about the get into full swing. We ride to the top of the highest mountain in the world’s longest cable car, then visit the site of Phaselis the ancient Lycean city founded by Greek colonists in 334 BC. This is a truly magical place set in 3 delightful bays amongst pine trees.

Quite a few cruisers winter over in Kemer which is 2 hours from Antalya and offers cultural activities such as visits to the opera and philharmonia and wonderful tramping in the surrounding mountains.

On our second night the local authorities in Kemer put on a banquet for us in an idyllic setting close to the beach beside the marina. We are to dress ‘formally’ which is a bit of a challenge as we have not come prepared. Need not have worried, neither have some of the others and we all scrub up pretty well. We dance the night away.

Richard and I must soon decide. We think we will leave the Rally in the next stop Alanya and travel back to Marmaris to explore the possibilities there. Strange that we do not feel terribly excited about that prospect. From nowhere comes an opportunity. We can stay on Rumpus until Iskenderun, then change over to IBIS II with Hasan Kaçmaz the Rally Leader and complete the Rally as crew for Hasan. This means we will visit Cyprus, Mersin and Iskenderun in Turkey, then on to ports in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt, doing an overnight tour to the pyramids amongst other amazing tours along the way. We take some time out to consider this option.

Kekova Roads - Setur Finike Marina, Turkey

Friday 9 May

Photos: CI46 Oceano and Beneteau 411 - which one shall we have???

Kekova Roads – Setur Finike Marina
18 NM
Departure approx 12.30pm

Finike (FEE-nee-keh), the ancient city of Phoenicus. We are to spend 2 nights here but pressure is building on our search for a yacht to purchase and we have heard of a Beneteau 411 back in Marmaris that we really should see, could have now, and which is within our budget. We make a decision to hire a car and drive back on Saturday 10 May, little realising what a drive it will be. A 6.00 am departure gets us off to a good start, but the empty fuel tank turns us back and we are finally away by 6.30am. The twisting barren coastal/mountain road prevents us from travelling above 50 k and I am a nervous wreck as Richard drives well to the right. I see huge potholes and sides of bridges and barking dogs heading straight for me and not popular when I keep telling him to “stay on the road!” We make Marmaris Yacht Marina by midday, view the Beneteau and a CI46 Oceano and turn for our return trip to Finike around 4.30pm. There is a soccer match on and the antics of the fans returning home after dark is enough to bring us to a screeching halt more than once. Most cars coming the other way seem to have their lights on full beam and we stop frequently, arriving desperately tired back in Finike around 11.30 pm. We have missed a Turkish Hamam (bath) and a full day tour to Lymra, Myra, Aricanta and St Nicolaus Church, plus a cocktail party.

The conflict is building for us. Do we focus on our boat search, or just enjoy the wonderful opportunities we are encountering with this Rally? We are meeting some interesting and very charming people and just loving the whole experience… Are we in the grip of some mysterious force which is directing us in this direction and has not yet shown us our future boat? Shall we just relax and go with it? Darn right!

Port Gocek – Kekova Roads (Uçaĝiz Limani) - Pinch me!

Thursday 8 May

Photos:

Kale Village looking down on to the sunken city of Simena

Richard doing what he loves best

Port Gocek – Kekova Roads (Uçaĝiz Limani)

Conditions - no wind then a good spinnaker run in the afternoon.
68 nm
Depart 6.30am – Arrive 4.00pm (Woken at 5.00am by the Marinaras speeding around the marina moving out the rally boats. We are now around 60 in number.
Conditions: Light in morning turning to fresh in afternoon. Spinnaker run later in the day. Sunshine and blue sea. Temperatures cool at night but hot during the day.

We passage into the inner harbour at Kekova Roads behind several small stony looking islands, soon realising that the orderly pattern of the stones is no accident and we are passing the outskirts of the ancient – mostly sunken - city of Simena dating back to well BC. Magic moment: Later that evening as darkness falls on the still, unspoilt harbour, reflecting the nearly new moon and inky blue sky (truly like those in Arabian nights). Suddenly the call to prayers echoes over the water from the small village… a melodious tenor voice which is sweet and true. I stand on deck and try to absorb the moment but know I never can in its entirety. The stillness folds gently around itself and we sleep peacefully through the night.

We join the Rally excursion on Gulets the next morning out to the village of Kale with its medieval Byzantine fortress on the high hill above. The hills and seabed around us are strewn with old tombs and other evidence of this past civilization viewed easily in the crystal clear water and amongst carob and olive trees, wild poppies and herbs. The sun is out and it is hard to decide which is bluer, the sky or the sea as we climb through the ancient village to the fortress above.

By early afternoon we are back on Rumpus and moving on to our next destination.

EMYR 6 May and what a day! (We keep saying it...!!)

5 May 2008

Marti Marina to Gocek - 75 nautical miles (we sailed a course of 86 nm in 9 hours)

Photos in order they appear

Arrive Gocek with snow capped mountains in background (looks like clouds)

Richard and Rupe get spinnaker up and away we go

Motoring into Gocek showing broken lifeline in front of kayak where I went over

The only photo I will ever have of that hat. The sunglasses went too! b...

Website
For those interested in knowing more about this rally go to http://www.emyr.org/

Thrills: 80 miles with the spinnaker up
Boat Speed: 5 – 12 knots
Wind Speed: 5 – 25 knots
Sheer heart stopping beauty: Arriving Gocek with snow capped mountains in background.
Drama: Me hanging upside down over the side when the lifeline broke during a spinnaker drop... its not every day you get to make like an America's cup sailor!
Luxury: The marinas in Turkey. Amazing facilities, fantastic hot showers, free access to wireless internet on the boat.
Top People: The Turks – we feel very much welcome in this country. They are so good to us -always smiling.
Top experience: Being on this Rally – fantastic organisation, meeting some amazing people from everywhere, great carmarderie.
Best Waste Management: All papers in the bin please and we mean ALL! Nothing goes in the water here except the fish. Great to see.
Blog Discovery!!!: To all our wonderful friends and family who have posted notes on our blog – we have only just discovered that part of the blog and read your messages! Thank you all – we do really appreciate hearing from you. It brings you all so close.

Posted by Pippy on Richard's birthday... Happy birthday to Richard!! - lots of txt messages coming in!

Boat Search - Its better to travel hopefully than to arrive!

Dreamer: This latest boat we looked at is a Cenit. For those interested she is made in Sweden in 1988 but there were only 15 built. She is very highly spec'd . V well built and v fast but did not suit us down below.

Boat Search Update

The UK boat is still at the top of the list, but it is at the top of our price range as well so we are holding out for a better deal. In the meantime, we are fortunate to be on board Rumpus and visiting lots of marinas where there are numerous boat brokers. We are constantly looking at boats and having huge opportunities to assess each model on its merits. We almost bought a 2001 Bavaria 42 in Kos. It had everything we wanted for a live aboard boat – that was until we took it for a sea trial. It had in-mast furling and an undersized mast – Richard was very disappointed in its sailing performance. To add to that it was inclined to be very tender and skitty – it sailed mostly on the headsail which was very baggy and not on the handkerchief main. It was not able to point well. Great experience though as it means we are drilling down on what we really want which is a performance cruiser.

The other issue which is very much on our minds is that we want to be sailing in this part of the world and would not choose to passage from the UK. There is so much we want to see and do here and there are so many boats for sale. Sooner or later we must find the one we want.

We are off to Marmaris today to look at yachts. Richard also has a couple to show me on this marina. What a wonderful time we are having looking!!

Posted by Pippy 5 May 2008

The Rally Starts - great sailing!!

Posted by Pippy on 5 May 2008


These are pictures of Richard, taken this morning at Marti Marina - going up the mast to repair the main halyard which we broke during yesterday's sailing. Read on....

Friday 2 May and we wake up in Kos back at the town basin moored close to the old wall and do our last provisioning of good cheap Greek wine and some essentials from the supermarket we have discovered there. Greek cheeses are definitely on the list. Amazing pork chops from the butcher on the corner are 5 Euro for 3 huge sized ones which he chops up as we watch. Diesel is also a priority and we fill up at the Marina around the corner .

It is now time to leave the Greek Islands behind us and head for Turgetreis Marina where we are to meet up with the rest of the fleet for the EMYR (Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally).

It is hard to believe that we are travelling from one country to another across this narrow stretch of water – however we are soon reminded we are back in Turkey when we hear the call for prayers from the mosque near to the Marina. This is a very sophisticated and well appointed marina with top class shower and laundry facilities, a collection of designer stores, supermarket, and all the usual facilities. The wealth here is very noticeable.

On arrival we see lots of yachts with full bunting up which is required of the EMYR boats. There is a very festive atmosphere with the fleet having grown from 8 who left Istanbul, to around 23 at the moment. We will be 30 by the time we leave here and growing...

Since 1990 yachtsmen from all over the world have converged on Turkey to participate in the Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally. Beginning with a small fleet of 17 boats, the rally has expanded to 80 boats.

In 1995 the traditional Rally route, (Antalya – Bozyazi – Girne), was extended from Istanbul to Kemer and internationally Syria, Lebanon and Egypt were included in the Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally. In 2008, the Rally started on 22 April from Ataköy Marina, Istanbul and will sail the entire southwest and south coast down to Kemer, Antalya. On 14 May 2008 the rally will have the big start from Kemer and will sail to Alanya, Turkey and then on to Girne, (Kyrenia) (N. Cyrpess). Some yachts in the rally will be staying in old Girne harbour under the old Byzantine Castle. Others will stay at the new modern Delta Marina. Our visit will feature a reception at the castle to welcome us, usually hosted by the President of Turkish Cypress. Leaving Girne the rally fleet will sail to Mersin on the Turkish coast which is the starting point for visiting the geolithic wonders, cave dwellings and monasteries of Cappadocia, Tarsus, the home of Saul, the Cleopatra Gate and the ruins of Elaeussa-Sebastian (Ayas) a Roman city dating at least to the early Roman period…. and more … so much of our biblical history.

From here the Rally passages a further 80 nautical miles to Iskenderun, the terminus for the Iraqi oil pipeline and main port for the southern province of Antayka (Antioch). After leaving Turkey, the Rally yachts will visit the port of Lattakia in Syria, Jounieh Marina in Lebanon, Haifa and Ashkelon Marinas in Israel, Port Said in Egypt and finally Herzliya Marina in Israel as the last port.

Amazing Sailing!

We feel very privileged to be sharing a part of this Rally on Rumpus with Rupert Wilson. We leave Turgetreis Marina with 3 crew - Skipper Rupert, Richard and Pippy, early on Sunday morning 4 May (around 7.45am) after a very pleasant round of boat cleaning/preparation and social activities, meeting the other participants in the fleet on Saturday.

Most of the fleet have gone already, with the first boat leaving around 3.30am. We are heading for Marti Marina, Orhaniye 62 n. miles keeping Kos, Nisiros and Simi to starboard. There is a good breeze coming in from the north and we soon have the spinnaker up and Rumpus is making 10 - 11 knots as we sail south-east to clear the end of Kos. The bright colour of the spinnaker against the blue sky and sea is very sharp, the sun is up and we are having a wonderful sail with constant Northerly slowly building. We manage to carry it most of the way south (with a drop and a gibe) as we keep the long part of Kos to starboard and clear the Dorian Promontory. We lose our sheet at the end of this run (unclipped itself), so it was timely to pull the spinnaker down and we stuff it into the for’ard head through the hatch, rounding past Knidos around 10.00am. We have an excellent run past Knidos towards Datca and I am able to helm for a while as we catch up on the fleet and pass some as though they are standing still. This is pretty neat sailing even without the big kite up and Rumpus is in her element. However, there are a couple of yachts we have not caught yet and Rupe soon decides it could be a good time for the gennaker. It is hoisted in its sock then Richard breaks it out on the foredeck. The bright orange as it unfurls and fills is a sight to see as the boat surges beneath us. It reminds me of sailing outside Gt Barrier as the wind gusts come off the land and Rupe has a look of part exhilaration, part concern as he holds on to the wheel for grim death and steers away down wind during the puffs. The wind is now 18-20 knots and it is time to get the orange sail down as the wind comes ahead and we fly north eastwards towards Marti Marina. I cannot believe it is just past midday – it feels like we have been going for hours. At this point I tuck myself up down below as am suffering from the effects of a virus and have the cold collywobbles. I am in the for’ard berth and it feels like we are flying as Rumpus carves her way through the building sea and we get the occasional wave over the top. The motion of the boat lulls me and I lose track of time. I am slammed back to reality by a loud bang as the boat shudders and the motion changes, followed shortly by another bang. The main halyard has broken and Richard and Rupe bring Rumpus up into the wind and get the main down. We complete the last hour motor sailing under genoa only and I am hanging over the back decorating the transom. Conditions at the marina are very difficult with a 25-30 knot wind blowing into the bay, but we finally get in and tie up. There is lots of partying and talk around the marina into the night of that orange shute, and some challenges were laid for the next leg. What? I thought this was not supposed to be a race…. Yeah right!

Sorry no photos of this leg – have been a little busy, but will plan for some on next post.

Greek Islands 25 April on....

Date: 29 April 2008
Kos – N. Leros (Pandeli)

Depart Kos around 1.00pm and head North West towards N. Leros past the island of Kalimnos. We sail in flat sea and sunshine with a cool wind around 14k from North East until we round the island at Pandeli which is on the Eastern side of N. Leros. Wind comes ahead as we sight the sea wall at Pandeli. At this time of the year there only appear to be 2-3 other yachts moored in behind the sea wall and we motor around to berth alongside a charter Jeanneau with some Austrians on board.

The small deep bay in behind the sea wall is a mass of coloured wooden fishing boats and they normally have priority where we are able to moor. They are friendly and tolerate our presence as they sit on the sea wall and repair their nets. During the height of the summer yachts must moor stern to on the outer part of the sea wall or alternatively out in the bay which is 4-8m depth.

We wander ashore and take in the classic colourful Greek houses built around narrow hilly streets, mysterious alleyways disappearing behind curved steps and Tavernas dotted along the waterfront for our choice of eating place later in the day. We dine at of all places “Zorba the Greek” and the food is excellent. We have Greek salad with a slab of local cheese on the top, taramasalata, fried aubergine, moussaka (Rupert’s best yet), kalamari (dipped in flour and deep fried whole) – and spaghetti carbonara. Washed down by a carafe of the local red wine. Recommend a visit to this Taverna if anyone is calling in to Pandeli in the future.

The castle on the peak of the mountain above the town looks to be an interesting walk. It turns out to be around 7th century with a charming church inside it fully restored by the local community. The castle can be reached by car or by walking to the village over the hill and up the steps – follow the signs from the village. We take a morning walk at 8.00am the next morning via the road which winds its way up and over the other side of the island. We soon find we are seeing it at the very best time of the year when the wildflowers which grow wild everywhere are just finishing their flowering, and the fragrance of chamomile and thyme is wafting on the breeze. As we walk we take in the view of the sea all around and the gulls circling way below us. We find the castle locked but a voice hails us from some distance down the steps and a gracious charming elderly lady called Zambetta climbs up to us and lets us in (free of charge as we have brought no money). Zambetta shows us the treasure – the church – still full of flowers from the Greek Easter celebrations. She explains that the wildflowers will all be cleaned up soon and the tourist season will begin. We explore this outstanding ancient castle until our appetite gets the better of us and we say our goodbyes to Zambetta who implores us to “please come back again!”

We have our breakfast on the boat and depart Pandeli around 11.00am.

Wednesday 30 April

Pandeli – Nisos Fournoi

The sun is out today and the chill has gone from the wind. Rupe and Richard are talking about a South West breeze forecast which will mean they can get the gennaker up or maybe even the spinnaker. We start with the gennaker and make a good 6k with a following gentle breeze. Nisos Fournoi is quite a distance to the north but promises to be a great place to stop around Ormos Kladharidhi or Ormos Marmaro. I am really looking forward to a swim as we have not stopped at an anchorage since Knidos and the water is looking very inviting today. We get our first touch of the sun and sea and sailing and this is what we have come for. The day passes with the two sails tried out and finally the engine on as the breeze drops out. We have a moment of drama as Richard’s Tilley hat goes over the side and we practice our man overboard drill, dropping the spinnaker and throwing over the lifebuoy to mark the place. We turn around and rescue both the hat and the lifebuoy and continue on our way with a new spinnaker hoist.

Soon we anchor in a quiet bay with most of the houses still with shutters closed. We dive over and swim to the beach. The only other cruise boat is a small gulet with an Italian flag flying. The water is chilly but refreshing and such a relief after a long hot day of sailing. Dinner of lamb chops purchased in Kos is delicious with all the trimmings and strawberries for dessert. We settle down to a quiet night, but are soon disturbed as the kedge anchor over the stern is dragged by a fresh wind coming in from the south east. Rupert throws it over again and we seem to settle down.