Greece on 42c to the Euro

Week ending Monday 1 December

Yes we are still swimming!... even if it is only to clean the waterline for the last time this year maybe!

Another busy week is behind us while we watch the international financial carnage continue to rip the stuffing out of the NZ dollar exchange rate. We rehash our budget for 2009 as our tenancy on Ngake Street comes up for renewal and we drop the rent to retain our tenants for another year.

Despite the double whammy we are still optimistic that we can continue with this life and will find ways of achieving our budget. We buy 500g of beef for 5 Euro and make a large pot of goulash with lentils - enough for 3x2 meals. A new toaster ensures we can make toast with yesterday's bread (1 Euro per loaf), local jams and honey jazzing it up for a high energy morning snack..mmm. (We stop blogging and make some right now...) Lots of fresh olive oil, tomatoes, Kos lettuce and cold meats make up our lunches, while hot soups and eggs fill in the gaps. A 1 Kg pot of yoghurt is Euro 3.30 when on special, closer to E 4 normally. The pork in Greece is very good as is the chicken and veges. We count the Euros as they go out and are in the process of building up an accurate picture of what food is costing us. We are using a plug in (electricity included in our marina costs) electric hotplate for cooking rather than the gas which is Euro 14 for a 4 kg bottle.

We are aware that everyone is affected as some of our British cruising friends talk in shocked tones about the Pound Sterling now at 1.2 to the Euro when it was x2 not so long ago.

Each day vanishes as we continue to work on the general maintenance on the boat while the weather stays warm between the regular gales that are now coming through from the south. We are becoming accustomed to changing the additional springs over from one side of the boat to another as the wind changes direction from the south to the north west and north east which brings in the ice from Turkey. The sound of the wind howling during the night makes us feel cosy not threatened.

In between the work on the boat we find time to spend with Werner and Hannah our German friends and neighbours who will be leaving this week, and Swedish Lars and Ingela from SY Baravara (in Kos Marina for 3 days on their way to Alanya) who take a photo of us for their website on their mobile phone and txt it straight to their blog - check it out on www.baravara.st.

The big surprise of the week is when Brits Andy and Brenda (see photo) from SY Deep Blue turn up here in Kos. We first meet them in Venice in early August as they are on the same marina as us. We have a great time catching up with them and take a bike ride with them today to Asklepion 4 km from Kos town. Asklepion, an amazing site on 3 massive terraces with panoramic views across to Turkey (see photo), with its origins in the 3rd century BC, housed the Medical School of Hippocrates. Kos is the birthplace of Hippocrates -known as the founder of modern medicine; the Hippocratic Oath originates from here. His holistic approach to medicine was based on clean air, good diet and healthy living including lots of exercise. Later we visit the deserted (presumably only at this time of the year?) International Hippocratic Centre and walk around the overgrown gardens containing all the species of herbs that Hippocrates used in his healing methods. (Some leaves go home for the pot!)

Of course we have been going out at night again, and there has been a little bit of socialising thrown in thanks to Werner and Hannah and also to our new friend Ian at the Yacht Club Cafe who runs a quiz night each week - we will be regulars (see photo). However, on Monday morning Andy and Brenda depart for Turkey and Wednesday we say farewell to Hannah and Werner (Werner has a new haircut thanks to the team on SY Matelot). We will be feeling very forlorn once these guys head out and leave us to mind the fort until early in 2009. However, there are lots of projects lined up and if the past 3 weeks is anything to go by, the time will certainly fly by.

Second Week in Kos

We start the week with all kinds of plans and lists of things we have been going to attend to for months. Most of the list is complete, with the outstanding item being the cutting and polishing of the topsides which is almost complete. We have both retrained as contortionists as we polish the hull from the inflatable dinghy but it is really good for the abs and shoulders.

We have some wonderful German neighbours - Werner and Hannah - from close to Frankfurt. We will really miss them when they go home on 3 December as have had some fun times with them. They take us on a bicycle tour of Kos on Thursday and then introduce us to the best local souvlaki washed down with ouzo on Friday.... oh dear!

We have sent emails to all the wonderful cruisers we have met during our travels and made sure we keep in touch ready for next season. Richard has received more photos of us racing in Poros - wonderful to have shots of the boat under sail with us both on board, although Richard is down to leeward and not featuring.

This weekend we have had our first taste of winter weather and as we write this blog the wind is howling outside and it is raining - feels just like Auckland!

We now (for better or worse) keep up to date with the news via our laptops and followed the ABs defeat of Wales via live updates on the BBC site. It was excrutiatingly slow but at least we got the result as it happened. We went out to a local bar here to see if we could view it on TV but it did not feature on any of the Sky Sport channels, of which there were plenty.

This coming week we are promising ourselves a trip to the hot springs - have not got there yet.

Our First Week in Kos

Settling in to Kos Marina has been rather a nice process. We now have free wireless internet on the boat – wow what luxury – great to be hooked up again. The facilities here are far above average. It is early days yet, but the large room with leather lounge suite and TV and computers will be well used we are sure. Pippy plays cards and dominoes with Werner and Hannah from Germany there until 2.00 am this morning!

Our address for the next four months will be:

SY Matelot
C/o Kos Ependitiki S.A.
Kos Marina
G. Papandreou 85300
Kos
GREECE

Web address for Marina: www.kosmarina.gr

Matelot is moored with her stern to the all day sun, sheltered in the cockpit from the cool north westerly breeze which comes from the other direction this week. As this blog is being written the wind changes to south easterly – not so good.

During the week she is transformed from a sailing ship to a comfortable caravan with the addition of (kindly loaned) borrowed electric column heater, hotplate and kettle plus one borrowed and one hired bicycle parked out front. (Electricity is included in our marina fee.) We wash and remove the sails and pack them inside for the winter and start the task of cutting and polishing the topsides, working from the inflatable dinghy.

Kos and its surrounds are pretty flat, so the bikes are a great addition to our lives. There is a properly developed bicycle track from here into town along the waterfront and we learn the technique of taking just enough of the narrow road lined with parked cars so the passing traffic cannot scrape past, pulling in to let cars past when there is space.

Planned excursions are on the agenda with our first goal to find the hot springs which are around 8 kilometres away to the SE along the coast. The island is dotted with a wealth of interesting archaeological sites which we intend to explore as well. It appears to be around 40 km from here to the southern most parts.

The Photo Says it All....

Monday 10 November - leaving Kalymnos behind.





On Monday 10 November we leave Kalymnos with a plan to call into Bodrum, Turkey to see the Raymarine Agent to have our malfunctioning radar fixed. We only wish to be in Turkey for a couple of days, but on arrival at around 3.30 pm the Customs and Immigration officials are determined we will pay for a one year Transit Log (which expires the minute we leave Turkey) which we are told to walk to the Marina Office to purchase – a pretty long walk around the whole circuit of the Marina, past Bodrum Castle and the row upon row of gulets, the fish market, cafes loaded with people and the designer shops, a fast walking 25 minutes.

On arrival at the Marina Office we are already wondering if it is going to be worth the expense for just a couple of days, so we are ready with our first question of “just how much is this going to be?’. The fun starts now: We are told – “Euro 45 for the transit log and Euro 100 each for visas, plus some tax but we don’t know how much. You have to go to the Harbour Master to do that.” We have been out of touch for a while and are not sure if the rules have changed, but it is our clear understanding that NZ citizens do not need a visa for Turkey? The staff at the Marina Office are adamant after making phone calls to check – “It is E 100 each for visas.” We say “We will not be staying then thanks.”

Back we go to Customs – another 25 minute power walk. We are getting tired now. Customs say “Sorry, you are already in Turkey so you must pay up and complete your entry formalities”… We say “We do not believe we are in Turkey until we clear through Customs, so we want to leave now please. There is nowhere here for us to stay in the marina and Euro 245 for a 2 day visit is more than we can justify.” Things are at a stalemate and we do not appear to be going anywhere and for sure we are not going to do the walk again. I sit down and start to cry – as you do. Maybe this works, because soon after the Customs officer says something to Richard which sounds like “Go now”. We throw off the lines and head across the water to Kos Island Marina 11 nautical miles away in the fading light.

Against a backdrop of the lights of Cos Castle, with the help of our waypoint, we find the entrance lights to the marina and see the rib boat coming out to meet us. It is a good feeling to tie up, hook up to shore power and have a long hot shower before crashing early to bed.

We are ‘home’.

A Sunday Afternoon Drive from Kalymnos Port

Photos:

Top - Vathi Harbour viewed from the road above, showing the valley stretching out behind it.
Fruit and thyme picking.
Climbers clinging to the rock face - pick them if you can!




Jordo has prompted us - with his comment on the blog - to investigate the small harbour called Vathi on the south eastern side of this island. We are not keen to sail around there as the weather forecast is not great and the harbour is small, so we think about getting a rental car, but find out it is only 15 mins by car, so flag a cab from the waterfront not far from where we are moored.

We have also had a conversation with a young Canadian couple over dinner in a local restaurant, that they are here for the climbing and Kalymnos is one of the climbing centres of the world. They talk to us of sheer cliffs of rock which they have been climbing and make us feel dizzy with their stories.

We are lucky today. We have as our driver Ekevos (pronounced scarabos) who is passionate about the island of Kalymnos. He does not think we are doing the right thing just seeing Vathi and feels we should see the whole island. A bit of negotiating later, and we are on our way to the Sunday afternoon drive of the year.

We leave Kalymnos Port and make our way up the steep road around the harbour's edge with a sheer drop and panoramic view south over the harbour and beyond as it snakes its way up and over the surrounding bluffs. We are heading for Vathi and pass by many fish farms on the way which we view from the road far above. The island's economy is enhanced by the many fish it supplies for export from these farms. They are vast but tucked into several bays and indentations which we pass as we travel north.

Ekevos talks to us about the island and its produce. As we are going to Vathi he talks of the oranges and mandarins and vegetables which are grown in this fertile valley nestled in the rocky barren landscape of the remainder of the island. The honey which is produced from this region is regarded as very special because the bees take the pollen from the (pronounced Timari) wild thyme plants which flourish on these barren slopes. We stop the car and collect some thyme which I later use in our cooking on the boat. In fact we stop several times, to pick oranges over the fence of his "friend's" orchard, to buy locally produced olive oil and luscious goat's milk cheese and to view with amazement the climbers clinging like ants to the cliff face which we see on the western side of the island near to the village of Masouri.

We see cabbages 4 times as large as they should be and butternuts which are monstrous in proportion to the ones we have in NZ - more like trifids. We admire Thalindos Island, see the ancient 'castle' on the top of the range of hills near to the chora and before we know it are back in Kalymnos being dropped on the pier. Thank you Ekevos - the grandeur of this island has left a lasting impression on us with its many faces.

The day is wound up with a visit to the Yacht Club Cafe to catch up with our emails before we leave on Monday morning for Bodrum.

Passage Across the Agean West to East

Photos starting from the bottom:
Pippy - exhausted after arrival in Seriphos on day 1 - 9 hour sail. Photo shows the Chora (Old town) on the hill in the background.
Lots of photos as we walk through the Chora
Typical Greek islands we sail past - barren and rising straight up out of the sea.
Moody photo of the sea and cliffs which go straight down 300 metres under the sea - northern Amorgos
This morning in Kalymnos






Passage Across the Agean
Approx 240 NM total distance

Ollie and Lesley have kindly given us a plan of anchorages and sheltered moorings to run for in the event of a northerly gale which is common in this part of the world. Each one is a comfortable day’s sail apart. They have done this route (going the other way) on advice from their friend Anton who is a close friend of Rod Heikell who is the author of most of the Mediterranean Pilot Books which are our absolute bible. Anton apparently has contributed information to Rod Heikell at times and knows the Med really well from many years sailing these waters. These anchorages are some of his picks. Our first stop is planned to be the island of Kithnos, 43 NM east of Poros (O. Apokriosis which looks gorgeous).

For weather reporting we are using UGrib files which we have downloaded for 5 days in advance. The only problem with these files is that they give a good overview but are computer generated and have not been ‘tweaked’ to allow for local conditions and local knowledge. We find these reports to be very useful for the first 3 days, but can lose accuracy on days 4 and 5. The huge advantage to them is that they are set up to download a very small size file and we can do this on board using our roaming (from NZ) Vodem facility. Wherever we can get a mobile connection, we can access UGrib files. Other weather sites tend to be large capacity files, which we check out when we are in internet cafes. Up until 1 November, we were getting radio reports over the VHF in English, but these seem to have dried up now with the end of the season and only mad dogs and New Zealanders out there sailing still.


Tuesday 4 Nov
Poros to (Kithnos… nope…) Seriphos
Approx 60 NM in 9 hours
Long and Lat for our spot on the town quay at Seriphos for those wishing to check it out on Google Earth:
37º08’562N
024 º30’944E


We leave Poros before 7.00am, feeling hugely refreshed by a really big dose of human carmarderie and a new friendship forged with Lesley and Ollie on Anatolie. Lesley donates her massive basil plant to Matelot which we proudly display in the cockpit wherever we go. It graces the galley for the rest of the time except for when we are sailing, when it sits in the sink! It is just coming into flower and thriving on the regular doses of sunshine we are still having.

We knew we were going to have wind today and it starts out as a light breeze but soon builds to a brisk 25 knots Nth Easterly. We partially roll in the headsail to reduce sail and put one reef in the main quite early on and Matelot sails comfortably in these fresh conditions. We are sailing mostly on autopilot and are both up on deck with a big sea side-on which slews us sideways from time to time as we crest the waves. We sail through a shipping lane with several ships crossing us and need to keep a good lookout as conditions are very hazy and they appear out of the haze very quickly.

We are aware that we are tending to fall down on our course and keep adjusting for it but even so, by the early in the afternoon when the wind heads us, we will need to sail hard on the wind to make Kithnos which will mean bashing into it. We have been making good time with an average speed of over 7 knots and so take a decision to sail on, as at this rate will be able to ease sheets and make it comfortably to Seriphos, the second stop on the list. We are sorry to miss Kithnos, but will have to call in there another time.

We arrive Seriphos around 4 pm, tie up stern to the quay and fall into bed early, with a plan to walk to the top of the hill and see the Chora (old town) the next morning.

Wed 5 Nov
Seriphos to Dhespotika (O. Dhespotika)
Lair of pirates in the past
36 º58’309N
025 º01’612E
28 NM

We have less distance to cover today, so have planned to walk the hill to the old town (chora) on Seriphos before we leave. It beckons us from our cockpit and the challenge is on. For the less spritely we would definitely suggest a bus ride which is an option! We purchase fresh bread and feta and spinach pies at the bakery and leave them on the boat for our return. We gasp our way to the top through a confusion of very steep winding streets which constantly fork and go off upwards, past postcard but not perfect charming white and blue houses and numerous chapels. These very old buildings are mingled in with even older ruins which in most places are just jumbled heaps of old stone in the shape of simple cottage walls without the roof.

We soon figure out that it probably does not matter which fork we take as they all go up. How wrong we are as our route soon dwindles into someone’s back yard and we clamber up a stony slope to the next back yard and through a gate, back on to the upwards trail. We smell the only sign of life we encounter in this quiet and empty town and gingerly step over the dung, before we round a corner and find two donkeys and their master, a builder/tradesman who has used them to bring bags of concrete mix up the hill. It is worth the effort when we find ourselves at the top (thank goodness we did bring a bottle of water with us) and look back down at the small dot which is Matelot, feeling slightly giddy at the height and the view.

Back on the boat after coffee and a cake ashore (Euro 12.50!) and there is less wind today – around 15 knots and mostly sunshine. We motor mouth our way through the spinach pies for lunch, accompanied by an ice cold Mythos beer. Life is truly awful on the ocean wave! We sail for around an hour and a half and motor the remainder of the distance, arriving around 5 pm to anchor in the bay off the taverna. The North Easterly seems to freshen again for a while so Richard puts out more chain and we are secure for the night.


Thurs 6 Nov
Dhespotika to Skinhousa (Mirsini)
36 º52’297N
025 º30’588E
23 NM

It is hard to find the entrance to the tiny harbour which we share with huge ferries coming and going. The instructions in the pilot book though are very accurate and we head for the rock headland which soon opens up into a delightful small harbour.

There is no sign of the pontoon shown in the diagram in the pilot book – perhaps they have put it away for the winter, so we anchor in the head of the inlet. We are the only yacht here, but there are lots of fishing boats which as usual are spread randomly all over the most desirable parts of the harbour and have dropped laid moorings which make it too treacherous to anchor. There is a rocky pier which looks new, but a fishing boat is tied up alongside in the middle of the space, taking up the whole pier. It is a pity as we would have gone ashore and maybe bought a meal at the taverna, but it is too much trouble to launch the dinghy, so the locals miss out on some business.

Friday 7 Nov
Skinhousa to Amorgos (Harbour)
36º49’801N
025 º51’846E
18 NM


We awake to the sound of a freight train coming through the boat and the sight of a humungous ferry backed into the quay around 7.00am. Its turnaround time is impressive though and it is gone in a flash, leaving the harbour once again serene and still.

It is very calm, sunny and clear as we motor out with a plan to stop for a swim half way to the island of Amorgos. As an afterthought I go forward and tie down the anchor as usual. It hardly seems necessary as we will be dropping it again in one hour. We eat breakfast as we leave, but barely have time to finish eating as we round the point and straight into a fresh NE and we are sailing. The day gets cloudier as we go and the wind freshens up to 25 knots as we pass by our planned swimming destination, (N. Andikaros south of N. Naxos) and put on more warm clothes instead of stopping. By the time we lay into Amorgos at midday, visibility is average with very misty conditions and the sea and wind appear to be building. We stop in the first bay to the left for hot soup and a read but by around 3.00 pm, we are feeling quite cold, so up anchor and go further up into the sheltered harbour with a plan to stay on the quay for the night. We are greeted by the usual haphazard arrangement of fishing and local boats taking up most of the space, so nose in temporarily to take on some supplies.

Richard holds Matelot off while I pick up fresh bread and some other supplies. Unfortunately it is my turn to push us off the quay when we leave and too late I find I cannot clamber up over the bow as it is too high, so Richard sails off without me! I raise my voice for some unknown reason and so does he, so that the locals come out to see what is going on, including the uniformed Port Authority personnel on the balcony above – nothing like raising one’s profile! Captain Buck to the rescue – he expertly reverses Matelot back to the quay, leaving me a considerable gap to leap over on to the transom. I surprise myself and do not end up in the water and we head across to the other side of the harbour and anchor for the night!

We contact the Port Authority (because we now know they are there) on VHF and they are most helpful. The current forecast is Beaufort 4-5 from the north and they tell us to contact them in the morning as a new forecast will come in at 7.00 am.

Saturday 8 November
Amorgos (Harbour) to Levitha (O. Levitha)
39 NM

Correction.... Amorgos to Kalymnos (Harbour)
36º56'826N
026º59'020E
59.5 NM

We depart at 7.00am into a fairly lumpy sea with a brooding grey atmosphere. If last night's weather forecast is still the same, we will have to motor into the sea until we clear the northern end of this island, so we get going early before the wind can get up too much. We cannot raise the Port Authority on Channel 12 or 16, so have Rupert Wilson to thank for a weather report which he txts to us from NZ and it would appear that yesterday's fresh conditions are set to continue and that there is a northerly gale on its way, but conditions are better further east. We calculate we can make it into Kalymnos today, so abandon our plans to stop at Levitha.

Conditions turn our to be pretty much as UGrib had predicted today, (although they were way off the mark yesterday), - not much of anything and we motor sail into a calming sea as the day goes on. We leave behind the cooler temperatures we have experienced on Friday and during the afternoon enjoy a hot shower and shampoo on the transom and a dry off in the sunshine. It would appear that we have left behind the fresh breezes of the central Agean and arrive Kalymnos around 4.00 pm. It is quite a thrill to know that we are nearly back in Kos and that we will have done full circle since arriving in the Med in April of this year.

Trip Update

Progress Report

Tuesday 4 Nov
Poros to Serifos
37º08’562N
024 º30’944E
Brisk sail – 25 knots NEasterly
Approx 60 NM in 9 hours
Arrived around 4 pm and early to bed

Wed 5 Nov
Serifos to Dhespotika – lair of pirates in the past
36 º58’309N
025 º01’612E
28 NM
Less wind today – around 15 knots and mostly sunshine
Arrived around 5 pm
Anchored in bay off taverna

Thurs 6 Nov
Dhespotika to Skinhousa (Mirsini)
36 º52’297N
025 º30’588E
23 NM
Hard to find the entrance to the tiny harbour which we share with huge ferries coming and going.

Friday 7 Nov
Skinhousa to Amorgos
36 º49’801N
025 º51’846E
18 NM
Very calm as we motor out this morning and plan to stop for a swim half way to Amorgos. We eat breakfast as we go but barely have time to finish eating as we round the point and straight into a fresh NE and we are sailing. The day gets cloudier as we go and by the time we lay into Amorgos visibility is average with very misty conditions. We stop in the first bay to the left for hot soup and a read.

Planned trip from here….

Saturday 8 Nov. 08
Amorgos to Levitha

Sunday 9 Nov
Levitha to either Kalimnos or Nisos Pserimos

Monday 10 Nov
To Bodrum, Turkey to have Radar checked

… and eventually to Kos

Racing in Poros...! Slam Dunk to the Kiwis

Photos:

Richard in a happy moment with the fleet behind him. Richard being presented with the trophy by Greek and European past Finn champion.
The people photo is of Ollie and Leslie with their friends and crew another Richard and wife Claudia.

We have been wondering when it was going to happen and it does. We are walking down the street in Aigina and someone says HELLO!! Rupert and Kristin you will remember Ollie and Lesley sailing on Anatolie from the Eastern Med Yacht Rally. It is really neat to catch up with these two and we swap lots of great memories, but they make the mistake of telling us there is to be a racing weekend on Poros and we (Richard!) of course decide to join in.

It certainly surprises us to find how well Matelot performs, when we win on Saturday in the 'round the cans' windward leewards by lapping most of the fleet and 8 minutes ahead of the second boat on corrected time. (An ex Admirals Cup 39 foot design.) The competition also comes with pretty good credentials with the racing being organised by an ex Olympic yachtsman who also participates. To our great surprise we are presented with a super trophy on Saturday night which is now proudly on display on Matelot.

The main around the island race on Sunday is a bit of a disaster with not enough wind to blow us around, however, once again Matelot leads the fleet most of the way, and being the one to beat we have lots of tactical games on the outside of the island in the light air, which is hugely enjoyed by all the fleet as we chase the small flurries of wind around all over the sea. Star of the day is Anatolie when she charges up the outside with sails goose winged and threatens to overtake us, but crafty old Cap'n Buck tacks out and covers her. In the end we are the only boat to make it back into the harbour before the race time expires. Needless to say Richard is very pleased, but we will only know for sure how good our boat is when we pitch her against Rumpus!

We have been made a huge fuss of here and invited back for the racing again next year - last weekend in October. We have promised to bring some more friends and boats to join in! The people here are truly a great bunch.

Tomorrow morning at sparrows we sail out into the Agean...