CAPTAIN'S LOG
SEA DATE 1 SEPTEMBER 2011
Greece
Dear All,
Sooooooo, I am a wee way behind in these words as the anchorages have been wifi challenged. Have not been able to connect to the internet for emailing or tri nations info or nz herald to check up on major shakes in Christchurch or sail-world.com to see how the new designs for the volvo round the world race are handling (the race starts very soon) and other important sailing info that I am compelled to follow. Also unable to connect to our weather web pages. However - passageweather.com does have a low band width page. I am able to download a series of weather maps that provide weather info in 3 hour slots. We also get our weather grib files by way of our ham radio. So all is not lost on the weather front. (That one was totally unintentional).
Since my last blurb, we haven’t travelled far. Sailed back to Mytilini so we are still at Levros. We had some insurance challenges there. Had to go back to Mytilini to sort out or dongle. No, it’s not rude. It’s a bit of an electronic thingie that we plug into the computer. It uses the same technology as cell (shoe) phones. We use our dongle to access the internet. In other countries we can also use Skype to telephone you on our computer. Very very inexpensive. But in Greece, the wifi/internet system is pretty damned useless. Unable to use it for Skype telephone calls. Well, saying that - it is possible but you only get half the words. Anyway, back to Mytilini. The Canadian Government in all their protectionist wisdom have decided that all Canadian registered boats must be insured through a Canadian insurance broker. Just like the British Columbia Institute of Architects. They protect their own turf. Not firm believers in the free trade system. Mind you, the Canadians whine when the free trade policy between the US, Mexico and Canada is not in their favour. Historically they have been shafted by the US Govn over lumber agreements.
That being said, I have fallen into the same failing as a parent. “Do as I say, not as I do”. First rule of life I guess, the hypocritical rule. Goes without saying, we are all born equal but some are more equal than others.
A couple of wee jobs to take care of while we are tied up at the dock. The charges here are less than totally reasonable. Costs us 5 Euro a day. Any other country and the cost would be a minimum of 75 Euro. Aaaaaaand, they wonder why the country is broke. Another useless piece of info. In all of Greece, there are only 11 people on the tax books that earn more than one million Euro. This is pretty well a cash society. Tax evasion is par for the course. Mind you, they are pretty clever. They joined the EU. Now other countries are bailing them out. As they say - up here for thinking and down there for dancing. They think with their brains, not their feet.
Where was I. Insurance. Leaving Mytilini. Cheap dock. Out of there. Gone. A short haul south and into a pretty big inlet for shelter. There is a meltimi on its way. Big wind. Like the morning after a night on english ale followed by a good solid curry. We settle into a bay with good shelter. Three other boats there. It blows pretty big that night. The following day, another 4 or 5 boats join us. I am guessing they didn’t have the heads up on the big puff puff coming through. The wind picks up for the next two nights with steady winds of 25 - 30 knots. Maximum gust a tad over 38 knots. The gusts are interesting. The directions they come at vary a lot. They come whooping down the valley and in and out of different smaller valleys on they trip towards us. When they hit the water, they are all fighting for a piece of the action. Buffet buffet they go. Bit like Warren Buffet when he was fighting for the silver market I guess. They never knew which direction he would come from. So we get hit from different directions as well. Blown straight down with the wind on our nose, then hit by a big gust from the side. The bow gets blown off and the anchor chain gets stretched out. The boat comes up to a sudden stop. A couple of times I have been pretty close to being knocked off my feet the stop is so sudden.
After a few days, we see a good weather window and depart. Our next stop is 50 miles south, so it is a pretty early start. Now I have mentioned our Rocna anchor in passing blurbs. I have also mentioned how the boat pulls up to a sudden stop. Now I know it is good news to have an anchor that doesn’t drag, BUT why make it so damn good that it is difficult to get out of the mud. When pulling up my tackle (as it were), Jane drives the boat forward, and I wind the chain in on our new and several boat units worth of beautiful electric Lofrans windlass. We get to the bit where we are pulling up the anchor. The chain is now vertical. Running from the boat, straight down to the anchor. I motion for Jane to drive forward and over it, to break it out. The boat isn’t moving. I motion again ..... the sign is an open hand facing forward and moving forward. Easy to see.
Still nothing. Nyada. Zilch. I am thinking to myself “why doesn’ the good Lady Jane put the boat into forward and drive over the bugger”. With all the subtlety I can muster, I delicately address the Admiral “Give the bloody thing some revs and drive over the bugger”. Her response is to flip me the bird. One finger in the air. Perhaps she would like a cup of tea with one sugar? Nope. She has both engines on full and we are only just inching forward. It takes a couple of minutes, and by keeping an eye on a couple of items on the land, I can see that we are inching forward. Eventually we break the anchor out. All covered with mud. Solid sticky stuff.
Yes, I know I am whining, but ..... perhaps I could have bought another type. May have dragged of course, but it would be a lot easier to pull up. Guess it is not a major problem when the only complaint about an anchor is that it we have to drive over it to break it out.
Next Island group = Khios and a wee island beside it called Oinoussa. Also known as Millionaires island. We popped in on the way north.This time we anchored in a delightful bay and about half a mile from the big town. The town is old and rambling with many run down old houses. All pretty basic. Many of the people that have residences here live in major cities where their shipping companies are based. Everyone on the island is related. We met the only “non Greek” residence. Gave us the dirt. There are basically three families, although it is extended to five including a new name or two that married into the shipping magnates. Cousins marrying fifth cousins and the like. Some are okay but some pretty snotty. The worst we struck was in a vege shop. The Lady behind the till could not raise a civil smile and hardly acknowledged my “good morning” in Greek. We met another Greek Lady off a big power boat (80 to 100 footer) and she told me the worst part about the Island were the people. Didn’t like going there at all.
Stayed there 3 nights and and off again
Our next stop is Khios. South west corner. Not exactly a busy berg. We anchor below a big rock wall in about 5 metres of water. The water is only 24 degrees so I dive and check the anchor. 24 is a tad cold for Jane. Although it is very breezy outside, it is pretty calm in our anchorage. For the last few weeks I have been trying to haul Jane’s bum out of the sack so we can try this wakeboarding gig. So far, no chance. Mind you, the weather hasn’t been too obliging. Usually blowing. We both get up. Tried it once in Marmaris and got up for about 20 seconds before the board sort of dumped my in the salt chuck. This is totally unlike skiing. Skiing has two platforms. One under each foot. The pull is straight in front. Easy. Wake boarding is a single platform, and just to make it interesting for old farts like me (I am sure it is all a plot) they put the feet sideways. How stupid can you get. Anyway, got up a couple of times and loved it. Mind you, the back is sore, I can hardly move, unable to bend over. Don’t really feel the compressed vertebrae helps. I know when I tell Mari my physio in Vancouver about it, she will hit the roof. I visit her every time we go back just to have it re-aligned. Apart from the back - no worries.
When I can move again, and the wind drops, I will be all over it.
Currently the wind is still up. White horses outside. It stays like this for three days. No wifi for emailing or weather. Ham radio provides us with a weather window and we head south again. Weather report is for 15 - 20 knots of breeeze. Wrong. 20 - 25 knots. Wind is pretty well up the freckle so not too bad. Mind you, the seas are about 1.5 metres high and maybe 5 metres from crest to crest. Pretty rollie even in a catamaran 7.3 metres wide. (24 feet for the americans ...)
We arrive at a spot called Fournoi, stay there for the day then head south again. Next destination Patmos.
Signing off
Captain Russell
and
Admiral Jane