Last Cruise 2009 Boo Hoo!....

Kos Harbour in the early evening...


Kos waterfront - the view from where we are moored.

We leave Kos Island on Wednesday 21 October and sail the 5 miles across the passage to Turgutreis in Turkey where we check ourselves and the boat in to Turkey, purchase our Transit Log for the boat and have our passports stamped. It is sad to say farewell to all of our friends on Kos Island - especially Sophie who has been so good to us

Sophie with Sipporo

- who we have got to know over the time we have been around here. Who knows when we will be back?

We spend one very expensive (50 Euro) night on the marina but make good use of the facilities. We get all the boat laundry done, enjoy lovely hot showers, and also have a recurring problem on the mast fixed (we hope!). That length of track on the mast has opened up again and spilled some more ball bearings. It happens on the way over from Kos, but we don’t think we have lost many ball bearings this time and are able to get a good technician up the mast to fix the problem at the top which appears to be a loose fitting. He does it for free too, which is an added bonus.

The next day, we leave Turgutreis Marina in fairly fresh conditions around 3pm. We fly along the Turkish coast, cross half way back to Kos and then opt to do a “go about tack” instead of a gybe which would have been a bit difficult with just two of us on board. The tack is still a bit hairy with the short and steep sea state and 25 knots. As we come around 255 degrees, the bow goes under, we get a good bit of dousing over the decks and have a busy few minutes getting the boat settled down again. We make our way to Bodrum where we anchor for the night off the castle. It takes us 3 tries to get our anchor to set in the weedy bottom but we finally succeed as the sun goes down (and so does the wind).

The sight of the sun going down over the castle is very special and we remind ourselves how lucky we are to be doing this.



23 October 2009
Bodrum - Castle Island, Gulf of Gokova
39.05 NM

We leave Bodrum at first light as we have a long way to go and because there is no wind, we motor all day in brilliant sunshine and clear blue skies right up to the head of the Gulf of Gokova . We are heading for Castle Island on the north-western side of the Datca Peninsular – to cruise in an area we have not visited before.

We anchor in a place between Castle Island and Snake Island. (Orta Adasi and Setir Adasi in Turkish). This is a very special place where Cleopatra created a beach for Mark Antony to bathe in, bringing the sand all the way from Egypt (as legend has it).



The sun goes down causing amazing light effects on the huge mountains of the Turkish coast to the north, which drop straight down into the sea - they change from brown to mauve and blue and pink as we watch. The wind has been fresh for an hour or two but has died with the sun going down. We are the only boat here and there are ancient ruins and islands all around us. It is very beautiful. Again… we are so lucky. The only sounds are the birds putting themselves to bed nearby and the sound of the water lapping on the shore. Zero wind.

Unfortunately, we are woken at midnight with the sound of freshening wind (as always from the opposite direction) and we have a fairly nervous night from then on. We put the chart plotter anchor alarm on, but still wake up hourly to check that we are in the same place. There is not much room for us to travel if the anchor lets go.

At first light with the wind still gusting close to 20 knots into the anchorage, we move around the corner to the bay where there is some shelter and more room to swing. Soon after we arrive, the sun comes up and the wind drops and we are anchored off a lovely beach in still clear water. A loaf day follows as we swim and sleep in the autumn sunshine. It is so still and quiet here in this sleepy place, but a little sad as there is a huge disused holiday resort in amongst the trees along one end of the beach. It has an air of dereliction which is unfortunately, typically Turkish. Perhaps they did not pay their tax, or upset the local politics. Who knows?

25 October 2009

Today we move on to another lovely place called Karacasogut (pronounced Karagasud). It is a natural harbour in beautiful forested surroundings with a large island at the entrance protecting the harbour. As I write I can hear the many geese and ducks in the bay making a huge racket. A cow is mooing not far away and the air is very still, hot and loaded. Large fish are jumping all around us. We think we will get some rain tonight. We are tied up to a pontoon made of hand cut logs. It is very rustic.

Mooring Med style???

On another pontoon next to us there are a lot of long term liveaboards who have made the pontoon into a bit of a junkyard with all their stuff spread all over the pontoon. At the end there is a little open sided shack with “China Town” painted on the boards. It looks like someone's sitting room.

Chinatown Karacasogut style!


The promised rain has not arrived by the next morning but we hear there is a storm coming so we hang in for another night and are very cosy while it blows and rains itself out. We use the internet signal at the marina “office” to do a bit of blogging and it is good to start to catch up.

Pippy purchases a real pumpkin (pumpkin soup for lunch) and lettuce from the local store (they go and cut it while she waits) and cannot believe the giant size of it! Later on we also acquire some freshly picked green beans to take with us plus another pumpkin.





27 October 2009

The sun looks like it is coming out, so we take walk up the valley, thinking of our friends Andy and Brenda on Deep Blue who wintered here last year. It is quickly apparent that this is a very fertile place where vegetables are grown in abundance and the bee hives are hard at work. The people here are Turkish country folk and very kind and friendly. We buy some local honey and carry our prize back to Matelot.

A little later in the day, we leave KaracaSogut in brilliant sunshine as the locals kill an octopus they have just caught off the beach. It is amazing how the weather can change the way a place looks. The landscape is sparkling all around us!

English Harbour

We take an easy little potter 5 NM to the south west along the coast to English Harbour. This area is named after the English Special Boat Squadron who used it as a base during the closing stages of the war in the Eastern Agean (1944). As we write we are anchored right in the middle of this gorgeous place, which would normally be crowded. We have it to ourselves except for a gullet which has just nosed in and turned on its generator….blow it. We are surrounded with wooded slopes and the light is fading over a sky mixed with clouds and patches of blue. The bird song sounds very similar to NZ. The forecast looks very settled so we will risk it once again and anchor out here rather than tie up to the pontoons by the restaurants across the harbour in the eastern inlet. There is plenty of room for us to swing.

The air is still and calm and we have an uneventful night and good sleep, departing early the next day in zero wind for our next stop somewhere in Yedi Adalari (Seven Islands) a chain of small islands off the coast.

There are several protected inlets to choose from, where anchorages are very pretty. We initially go for North Cove and tie stern-to on to some trees around the corner. However, after sitting there for a couple of hours, we decide we would like to explore further (just because we can!) and move on to East Creek which we find we much prefer as it seems more sheltered from the wind which appears to have some south west in it. We once again tie stern-to a fair way up into the inlet. We have the pick of places to go as there are no other boats up this far. We are in stunningly beautiful surroundings, ringed with protecting land except for the opening into the inlet. The tiny kingfishers, quite unlike the NZ variety, but recognisable from the flash of bright blue as they fly by, are busy fishing the deeply forested shore line. Around 5.30pm we have a short squall with wind on the starboard side and all halyards rattling, but it is short lived and the darkness closes in on us anchored in still water.


29 October 2009 - Yedi Adalari (East Creek)

We wake in the morning to one of the most picturesque surroundings we have experienced in our cruising so far. The still water is shrouded in mist as the sun lights up the eastern sky from below the horizon. We are up early and row further up the inlet to discover a hidden part to it. Around a small wooded headland a couple of wooden fishing boats are moored on a shoreline massed with tall reeds.


Spectacular East Creek on a Beautiful Morning....!













We take many photographs as we row around this lovely place then return to the boat for breakfast and swimming, before deciding it is unfortunately time to head out.


Eight people in a leaky boat!!!!









We have thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this part of the Datca Peninsular, but today we have a long sail ahead of us with our goal of Kormen, 33.85 NM away. It is time to get ourselves back into the main cruising route and turned towards Marmaris. Wind on the nose means we have a brisk sail and many tacks, but we are enjoying the feeling of freedom and still not many other boats around.

We share the helm...




By 4.30 pm and many tacks later with the sun just going down behind the surrounding high hills, we tie up to the wall at Kormen, on the northern side of the peninsular opposite Datca. It has a fish restaurant right on the pier, so we lash out and go out for dinner. At TKL60 per kilo for fish the dinner is not inexpensive but it is well cooked and delicious. The local cats are a nuisance and repeatedly try to get on the boat so we spring ourselves out from the wall before we go to bed. The wind is up and it looks like a brisk sail tomorrow.

Pippy takes the local bus into Datca the next morning and needs a taxi to get back with the load of provisions, especially lots of lovely Turkish yoghurt, fruit and veg. It is good to have food on the boat again and we throw it down below and get away as soon as possible as conditions are fairly fresh. We want to get free of the Datca Peninsular today.

30 October 2009 Kormen - Nisyros 26.45 NM

... At times we cross the shipping lanes..


We have another big sail today, (partially on the wind then cracked sheets) to arrive in Nisyros Harbour around 2.30pm.

It takes us a good two hours to get the boat settled. There are few people around and only one other yacht. The cross wind catches us and blows us away sideways and three attempts later we finally get tied on to the wall. The shallowness of the harbour prevents Richard from getting the boat into a good position to reverse from and we are not lying straight to the wall. We put on several springs and try to pull ourselves straight on against the wind. Eventually we are (sort of) satisfied, but exhausted. It is by then getting dark and foreboding. There is something quite nervous about being one of the few boats in a harbour, which is usually crowded. The wind howls all night, quietening down around dawn.

We have planned to sail from Nisyros (after staying a couple of nights) to Tilos, Khalki and then Rhodes on our way back to Marmaris. We have decided overnight that we will not stay on in Nisyros, but instead head for Kardamena for some more provisions. It is a short trip and much more sheltered from the fresh northerly in the small harbour. It is good to go ashore and stock up on some more much needed items (muesli to name one!). Many of the shops are closing down today as it is the end of the season. The town has an empty feel about it and seems strange without the throngs of mostly English tourists. Once again, we are the only yacht here! A quick look at the weather forecast and the high wind coming over the next week gives us pause for thought. Several people warn us of bad weather coming.

We realise that we have to get out of this harbour and make some distance towards Marmaris as there is a fierce southerly due in a couple of days, (We have seen what a southerly does here and it is not pretty.) In the short term the wind numbers are high but from the north so that should blow us where we want to go. The forecast for Kos seems to be much worse than further east, ie Datca and Rhodes.

1 November 2009
Kardamena - Panormitis
38 NM

We are up very early and want to get away before the wind freshens. By 7.30 am we are running out of Kardamena, putting some miles on our passage back to Marmaris.

Once we get away from the shadow of the high Kos mountain range, we have an exhilarating downhill run with top speeds of 10 knots with reefed main and genoa. We both feel happy that we have made the move. For a while we think that we might sail on to Rhodes, but we turn off for Simi at the last minute. The thought of calm water and a good anchorage is too tempting, knowing what weather we have in store over the next few days. As it turns out it is the best decision we could have made. We anchor around 12.30 pm in time for lunch.

Tonight we are tucked up in Panormitis Harbour on the south western end of Simi and the conditions are foul. Every so often we get hit by a gust of wind coming over the high hills to our north. There is almost a silence before you hear it coming, as though the wind gods are sucking in their breath. It is impossible to describe the sound of the gusts gathering themselves and then hurtling towards us. The gust hits the boat with a loud thwang and we sail around on our anchor in all directions. Fortunately the holding is good, we are in flat water and our anchor is well dug in. Overnight winds are forecast to be around 30 knots, but this is conservative and we get gusts closer to 40 through most of the night, the next day and the following night. It is cold – we have our feather sleeping bags out. Winter is here. For once we are with other yachts – five of us tucked up in here.

We spend the day chatting to some of the other cruisers in the anchorage and whiling away the hours. We are undecided about whether to go to Simi Harbour for one last look, or just head straight for Rhodes. After two nights of howling gusts and swinging in Panormitis, Rhodes wins and we sail out of Panormitis Harbour on the morning of Tuesday 3 November. Conditions seem to be taking a bit of a break, but we know that on Tuesday night the rough weather is coming in again for a screaming crescendo and we think the shelter will be better in Rhodes.

We have a wonderful 22 NM sail to Rhodes in brilliant sunshine with wind on our starboard aft quarter. What could be better?

Rhodes - Mandraki Harbour entrance...

Arriving in Rhodes Harbour, we find very little space available and sit in the middle pondering our options until we see someone waving to us from the wall. It is Trevor and Susan from the catamaran "Little Kat". Trevor knows Rhodes Harbour and we take his advice, mooring between a gorgeous Swan 65 ft yacht to port and a really large motor launch to starboard. We are just two spaces in from the harbour entrance so there is a fair bit of wash with boats coming and going. Both of the boats each side of us already have two anchors out in preparation for the coming storm. We lay out 50 meters of chain, then pull ourselves well out from the wall. It is a trick getting off the boat, leaping over the gap from the passarelle. It takes a while to get the boat set up with springs on both sides, but it is just as well. As the afternoon passes, the storm builds first of all blowing on our port bow, then veering over to the starboard side. We are quite well sheltered by the huge boat on that side, but the spring still does its work through the night. It is so good to be securely tied up after two nights of skittling around on anchor. We sleep well despite the noise of the storm, thunder and lightning etc. The next few days see us jobbling around quite vigorously, but our anchor holds us well out from the wall and we are secure.

We stay in Rhodes for 4 nights and enjoy every moment. The people all around us are very friendly. There is a bit of drama as a young (fairly attractive) girl (possibly in her 20s) arrives in the harbour in an old beaten up steel yacht with sails torn and rigging in shreds. The anchor winch does not work and despite having someone on the bow to help, ends up side on to the wall as she tries to reverse the boat stern to. She claims her ex boyfriend has sold her the boat which subsequently went aground. Two fishermen hauled her free for the princely sum of Euro 2,000. The storm blew her from Turkey to Rhodes and here she is! She has two dogs on board and one of them has just given birth to 9 puppies!! They have not been off the boat for 7 days! She has no money since having to pay to have the boat hauled off the sandbank. We all feel very sorry for her but are so happy she is not our daughter!! Of course once she settles in, there are lots of gallant men hanging around offering to help her out in any way they can.

As far as sight seeing is concerned, we enjoy wandering through the old city, but most of all, Pippy really enjoys walking the 'shops' here and takes a couple of 'time out' trips to the shops on her own. There is a special circuit which takes in Zara, Mango, United Colors of Benetton and a few others. A little money changes hands and we are all very happy!

Thanks to Trevor and Susan, we are treated to a fabulous roast chicken dinner on board Little Kat, with all the trimmings and vegetables, plus two types of gravy, then the next evening they organise a very rustic barbecue on the 'beach' at Rhodes Harbour entrance which includes some fresh octopus. We see the big octopus hanging around the wall and the next thing we know, a fisherman has hooked it out on to the concrete and it is being made ready for dinner! We have also paid a visit to the wonderful butcher and enjoy fresh chicken sausages and meat patties with the seafood.

Barbecue on the "beach" at Mandraki Harbour entrance...

All in all is a very nice ending to our last cruise.

Saturday 7 November 2009
Rhodes to Marmaris
22.9 NM

Time waits for no man and before we know it, it is time to leave Rhodes. We are due in Marmaris and look forward to our final sail of the season. We say our goodbyes and try to get our anchor up... to no avail... It is firmly hooked on the bottom. So it is one last swim for Richard as he goes over the side to deploy the 'anchor thief' in the 5 meters of murky water, with plenty of willing helpers on board including Trevor and the crew from the Swan super yacht. We are soon free to go and say our goodbyes all over again.

The wind is initially fresh and we have a good sail under reefed main and genoa, but it is not long before we are shaking the reefs out. The closer we get to Turkey, the less wind there is, until finally we put the genoa away and motor sail, arriving at Marmaris Yacht Marina around 2.30pm. It is hard to believe we won't be leaving here for some time now. We are both feeling a bit subdued at the prospect but know we won't get much sympathy on that score!

Hello Juliet 68. Here we will stay until we haul out on 9 December.

Storm brewing over Yachtmarina Marmaris.


6.00 am peeping at the sunrise from under our winter cover in Marmaris.

Sensational!!!

Simi Harbour at its very best...!


5 October 2009

To meet Rod and Fi we moor right on the ferry wharf, one of Kos Island’s best kept secrets this summer. We know we can go here free of charge. It is a newly repaired section of wharf, which was destroyed by a southerly storm last year. Water is laid on but no power. Rod and Fi arrive right on time at 4.30am and they are suitably impressed when we walk them across the wharf and step on board SY Matelot, parked as we are right outside the castle walls.

Ouzo all round on board SY Matelot as we welcome the new arrivals!



A quick stock up and we are off for a look at the island of Leros north of here and the lovely town of Pandelli with its castle on top of the hill.



There is very little wind so we motor all the way, then drop anchor outside the small harbour where the swimming is gorgeous off the boat.


...Pandelli Castle beckons from the hilltop....

Cap’n Buck ferries the crew ashore for some exploring while Pippy takes care of herself and the boat.

The afternoon’s entertainment consists of the local fishermen working their nets right inside the harbour and all around SY Matelot, and later on we all go ashore again ...


for a slap up dinner at Zorba’s right on the beach where the food is exceptionally good and the company even better.



6 October 2009

Our return to Kos Island the next day is a bit more boisterous as the prevailing north westerly has kicked in and we romp our way back downhill. The sailing is fun and we stop for a quick (hair raising) peep into the tiny harbour of Vathi on the eastern side of Kalymnos. After an aborted attempt to tie up Med style to the harbour wall in a very confined space (just not worth the hassle in the fresh wind), we carry on to Kos and back on to our spot on the ferry terminal. Deb and Greg leave us tomorrow so we make the most of our last night on board with them. No meal with the Cooks would be complete without gastronomic flavours and we realise it is the lure of the ice cream shop which has brought us back here, as after dinner we all take a short walk and......

like children in a candy store, try to decide what we will have.




In the end most of us go for the ice cream but some of us have still not had enough Baklava!!


Wednesday 7 October

It is just too hard to sit on the wall on such a lovely day, so we opt to sail the 17NM around to Kardamena for a last swim and a quick taxi ride to the airport.


The boys enjoy their lunch....

...Deb enjoys one last swim....



Sadly we all say farewell around 5pm. It has been great having you on board D and G – come back again some day!

We have fun provisioning SY Matelot for our next adventure, and (just because we can!) eat a tasty dinner at the Blue Note Café. We are just about regulars here now!

Thursday 8 October

On the way to Nisyros....

We are up early on SY Matelot as our adventure awaits us. Sailing out towards Nisyros we stop for the obligatory Dom Perignon dip before heading on to Nisyros Harbour - to the sound of our latest Nisyros music - and organising our scooters for the next day and a half.

We eat a quick lunch on board and then are on to the scooters heading out to our favourite Black Pearl Beach and a swim in the dark waters. There is just time to also visit the village of Emporio, wandering again through the old stone village first and then on to the inhabited side afterwards, a site which we never get tired of. Dinner at Aphrodite is its usual superb standard of food and bonhomie. We love the custom in Greece where the waiter (and in this case our host) sits down at the table with us to discuss what our menu choices are going to be. (The next morning we see him again - working on a building site in Mandraki!)

Friday 9 October

Mandraki Village is our destination this morning and we are up and away early by SY Matelot standards, exploring with Rod and Fi our favourite haunts, the museum with its many fascinating exhibits dating back to before 7th century BC, the monastery, the shops (numerous) and the castle. On from here (the scooters know their own way) up the winding road to Nikkei, the village high up on the edge of the crater, where Rod and Fi take in the Volcanological Museum and we stop for (a late) lunch.

By now the word "Sensational!" is cropping up fairly regularly!....


On our way back from here we turn left over the crater edge, plunging down the steep road inside the crater, to see the steam vents in good form today possibly due to the recent rain. (An active sleeping volcano, with the last eruption 15,000 years ago.) The sun is going down and the light is fading slightly, making for amazing colours and rapidly cooling temperatures.

By the time we have taken in the crater, we are ready to get back to the boat and enjoy hot showers and a long cold beer. The weather is warm and balmy here at water level and we eat a late dinner on board SY Matelot.

Saturday 10 October

Fascinating Tilos Island, due east of Nisyros, is our destination today. Although it is a small island (63 sq km), it is of interest because it is a specially protected area. ("SPA" which basically means the locals can’t shoot the bird life and put it into a pie.) This is due to some important flora and bird species which live here namely, Bonelli’s Eagle, Elonora’s Falcon and the Mediterranean Shag. There have been hordes of shooters with their dogs on the neighbouring island of Nisyros and we are told they are shooting crow, partridge and anything else basically that moves.

Remains of dwarf elephants have also been found in a cave on Tilos island, but excavation on this site is still in progress and not yet open to the public.

We arrive in Livadia Harbour (the main port of the island) around 1.00 pm. Pippy (successfully) practises reversing Matelot stern-to and we soon have the sun covers up as it is very warm. It is a short walk around the waterfront to our favourite Med style swim in front of the Ilirock Hotel. We clamber in over the rocks. The buoyant water is warm and crystal clear almost like swimming in turquoise jelly. Amazingly, we are almost the only ones here and the beach umbrellas are all packed away. Rod fishes a Nike hat out of the bushes, which has washed up on the beach and Cap’n Buck instantly souvenirs it!

Capn Nike Buck...!

A fun dinner out follows when we sit on the waterfront and enjoy the balmy evening and very good food, preceded by drinks sitting in an old boat on the shore. The local silversmith is open and Fi and Pippy do some retail therapy. The designs are original and interesting.

Wonderful Tilos Island....

We are looking forward to tomorrow when we will take the coach (which only goes on Sunday) across the island to visit the stunning Byzantine Monastery of Pandeleimonas.

Sunday Morning

We drive across this lovely island enjoying spectacular views from high up to the sea stretching away into the distance.

The monastery chapel is really special with ancient frescoes covering the ceiling and many fascinating icons. It is not hard to imagine the time in the past when this monastery was powerful and wealthy and even printed its own money. Today it is virtually deserted except for the caretaker and staff who cater for the tourists.

It is a place of great beauty and peace, set high up overlooking the sea, with tall trees growing all around and a natural spring cascading down the hillside.

We are back on board Matelot in time to sail across to the southern end of Simi and the anchorage of Panormitis with its gorgeous bell tower and monastery on the shore line. The night is calm and we relax into the wonderful ambience all around us, but do not linger the next morning as have more places to see.

Monday

After a quick swim we head for another top spot on the eastern side, which we have inadvertently been calling Nonou Bay, when in fact it is Thessalona. We know from past experience that it is better to be here in the morning and then move on as the afternoon breezes can make it uncomfortable.

Thessalona does not disappoint and we are fascinated by the abundant bird life around the tall cliffs as we lounge in the sunshine and calm waters. It is good that we move on before 1.00pm and get ourselves into Simi, because the harbour is almost full and a charter fleet is expected to arrive at any time.

The remainder of the afternoon is spent either watching or helping people who have “anchor issues”.



Honestly this harbour is a challenge. It is so narrow that anchors from boats on the other side are constantly pulling up and getting tangled in the yachts moored on the opposite side. The gullets are the worst problem as they lay their huge anchors right across the deep harbour. Laid moorings would solve this problem instantly.

Tuesday

The next morning we decide Matelot is safely anchored far enough off the wall, so we all take a walk into the old town of Simi, heading straight back up the hill behind us.




It is a fascinating walk and the many old and lovely buildings, some in a complete state of disrepair are a testament to the age and history of this island. In one place the buildings are extremely badly damaged, and a local person explains that they were hit by a bomb in the war. Walking through these streets is an architectural and pictorial treat.

We even see Pethi Harbour in the distance.

High up on the hillside, we catch a glimpse of Matelot in the harbour far below and Fi comments that there is another yacht parked at a funny angle near to her. We make our way quickly back down through the maze of streets only to find that a charter boat has fouled our anchor, and has its chain wrapped chain right across the bow. It is lying alongside the quay beside us. Matelot’s stern is rubbing up against the concrete wall (luckily our large fender is preventing any damage). We jump on board and motor off the wall but can’t go far as our anchor is trapped under the offending boat, and there does not appear to be anyone on board who is prepared to do anything about it. We sit there helplessly in mid harbour, waiting for something to happen. A half hour later, the occupants appear and pull up their anchor and leave, allowing us to depart. We then discover a bent stanchion and some damage where the boat has obviously dragged alongside our port side, so we follow them to where they anchor. They look a little surprised and somewhat guilty but don’t speak any English! We let them know we will be making a claim against their charter company.

All in a day’s work! It is a great shame as we were enjoying Simi and had planned to stay another night, but the wind is gusting through and we decide to move on.

We find a secure anchorage in Pethi Harbour, over the hill from Simi - our third try at setting the anchor is finally successful! Fi and Pippy head back over the hill to Simi on the bus for some unfinished business and desert the ship until after dark. The boys are happy though.

Wednesday

We are now keeping a close eye on the weather forecast as a gale force southerly is coming our way in a couple of days. We decide we will just have time to stop at Palamutbuku for one night before running back to Kos Marina for shelter. However, on arrival we find the tiny harbour is packed out except for one fairly shallow and rocky space on the south east corner. The Marinara beckons us in and Cap’n Buck decides to give it a go as the option is to anchor outside the harbour. It is really dicey running the gauntlet between sharp rocks and up against another boat.

We make it in and manage to tie on to the boat next to us plus a large boat 3 x over from us so that our bow will not swing on to the rocks which are less than a meter off our starboard side.



Palamutbuku is its usual peaceful beautiful self, but our visit is a little tense and no-one sleeps very well. Fortunately the wind dies completely overnight, but we are up before 7.00am the next morning to beat the breeze coming in. We slip out of our tight spot very gingerly with great crew work letting off all the important ropes as we go.

This means we can have a breakfast stop at lovely Knidos. Unfortunately, temperatures are dropping a bit and the wind is getting fresh so by late morning we decide it is time to exit and make our way quickly back to Kos Marina.


We are Racing!

We happen to exit Knidos harbour with two other much larger boats. A Beneteau 47.3 and a Beneteau 50 or 54, we don’t know which because surprisingly, we leave them behind very quickly. However, it is not too long before we realise that the 47.3 has taken up the challenge. Hard not to notice, as they sail down on us as we draw close to them, preventing us from passing them to leeward.

The race is then on. Rod and Richard are all over the boat trimming sails, as Pippy helms under instruction from Richard. Eventually the 47.3 slides around 100m in front of us, and we think we might have lost the struggle against their longer water line, however hope is restored as they begin to haul out their gennaker.

Richard and Rod, enthralled by the possible chance of getting the massive masthead spinnaker flying, get busy up for’ard setting it all up. Pippy in the meantime speeds up the boat by sailing up slightly and over the top of the 47.3, (who by now has their genniker hoisted). This gets us better positioned for a downhill run, but we hold off with the hoist as we notice a wind line up ahead. We get up to it as quickly as we can. The excitement on board Matelot as the wind line turns out to be coming ahead, is palpable. Matelot puts on a spurt and we are soon flying past the 47.3 who is struggling with a very shy gennaker which wraps itself around their forestay. Yeeeehaaaaa!

We make it back to Kos Marina about half a mile in front and feel exhilarated by the whole experience and a fun day out despite the fact that the spinnaker did not get an airing after all. Later on we go for a walk and make ourselves known to the crew on the 47.3 who have gone on into the harbour. They are gutted to have been beaten by a 411! The skipper says “Oh no… I was sure we should have beaten you!” It makes for a good laugh and some fun carmarderie.

Back on the boat after a delicious Souvlaki dinner at a local restaurant, the southerly starts to blow and we are grateful to be tied on and well inside the marina. Our friend Sophie has made sure we are safely tucked up. The gale builds overnight and really howls. Rod and Fi take the ferry to Bodrum for the day as we attend to some on board tasks. The gale is forecast to peak around mid afternoon and by then the spray is hitting the haul out area in great phoomfs, which smash skyward in big clouds of spray.

We are a little anxious that the ferry may not have been able to make the trip back from Bodrum, but soon Rod and Fi return loaded with Turkish goodies, as well as a new Greek Flag, much needed as we have shredded the old one.

We have caught up with the charter boat which damaged us when we find it is based right here in Kos Marina. But Richard's mind is soon taken off this when Pierre invites him to sail in the Bodrum Race Week, starting Monday, on a rather sexy very new X-Yacht which he and Greg Cook had decided was their pick of all the yachts in Kos Marina. It turns out that girls are not invited and Pippy can't believe her ears when Richard turns down this magnificent opportunity for some special racing. What a Guy! We do everything we can to find a way to enter in Matelot, but it is too difficult as she is not rated for IRC and it would be a major getting this done at the last minute.

These ice creams are a very popular treat! Some people just can't leave them alone....!


All this is going on as we enjoy our last two Sensational!!! days of Rod and Fi's company. The weather dictates that we must stay in the marina until Sunday morning when we plan to hire a car but this plan is short lived as none of us have international drivers licenses and we are therefore not allowed! Instead we take a relaxed stroll through Kos Town, explore some of the many ancient ruins and find some new places we do not already know about.

The Roman amphitheatre has been restored underneath and is an interesting place to visit....These archways led to shops.


Before we know it we are waving our friends (and last visitors for this season) Rod and Fi goodbye.

We return to Matelot with our memories of a truly wonderful sailing season. Matelot's bulkheads have absorbed the carmarderie, the fun and the laughter, and we will carry it with us for ever.

We turn now towards Turkey, our last cruise along the northern parts of the Datca Peninsular and then back to Marmaris.