The new crew arrived, some introductions, catching up, afternoon chores, cocktails, taverna and bed.
We powered to quiet Tinos, where we visited the Panagia Evangelistia, a Greek Orthodox Cathedral known for curing illnesses. Traditionally thousands of pilgrims each year, show humility by crawling up the ˝ mile or so inclined road to the Cathedral on their hands and knees. The street was lined with small shops selling religious and tourist items. In the Cathedral we listened to a ceremony and observed the icons, jewels, and sanctuary lamps-each with different symbols of prayerful intercession.
Tate finally announced it was time for the taverna…
The next day the wind was up, so we sailed for Mykonos. Barbara eagerly volunteered to take the helm. She found it scary to maneuver, since she had never sailed before. With great diligence she steered magnificently for hours. Approaching Mykonos we observed the blue sky, blue (ink color) water with the whitest houses in between. We anchored in a quiet cove, with a beach and taverna on three sides. Hotels were clean and white nestled up in the hillsides. Time for a swim. Water seemed cool and was very clear. We dined on board-fava and Greek salad. Delicious!
The next day it was flat calm. We packed up the backpacks and walked two miles to town. Shopped for jewelry, leather, t-shirts, food, wine, and lunched way back into town. Mike announced we had to return to the boat. Suddenly the wind was howling 30-35 knots, with the harbor covered with whitecaps and the boat wa sailing back and forth on the anchor. By the time we made it back to the harbor the boat was no longer at her quiet cove--she was drifting out into the otherwise rock-lined harbor. From shore we could see a Greek charter boat captain and Detlef Stieper of catamaran "Christa Maria" trying to save the boat. Mike hailed a local fisherman and the three Musketeers, Mike, Tate and Pat, crashing through the waves made it to Migration, soaking wet. The engine turned over, anchor and chain were hauled up. We attracted the attention of the Port Police and were hailed to tie up in the old (main) harbor. After much discussion with the Port Police we eventually were told to move the boat in the new harbor. We complied. At the new harbor we were greeted by Matthew and his Uncle Nick who helped us secure the boat so well the lines to the bulkhead resembled a spider web. The bow faced the whistling gusts with two anchors out. A summer storm in Greece is very different than the U.S. The sky is blue. No clouds. Wind 40 to 60 kts. They are often predicted, but not always. Migration is a very strong blue water boat with an oversized engine and large propeller, but caution is always the rule.
Hunkered down for five days we fell into a daily routine of coffee (Grinnell’s Grind), reading, chores, shopping, trying to get the laptop on the Internet and telecommuting, taverna twice per day, walks and sightseeing, cocktail hour, stories, and bed. Even Sheila, who really did not want to go to Mykonos, found the time fly by. One day we took the ferry to the highlight, Delos. Parts date back to 2000 BCE. Fascinating history. One could spend days there.
Taking advantage of the lighter morning breeze, we took the risk and shoved off at 6:00am for a six-hour trip to Fourni. A pristine village with a very well-maintained typical Greek fishing fleet of small colorful boats. We arrived having run out of fresh water. The only water was at the town fountain. No suitable hose of any length was available. We brought out a great variety of containers and began bucket brigade. Nancy even carried her container on her head like ancient women filling water jugs. Recognizing our difficulty, a fellow yachtie loaned us his collapsible 6-gallon container. We cleaned up with our fresh water and found the most popular taverna, "Nicos." Delightful owner, great food, and possibly the largest lobster we have ever seen (4.4#). Children were playing around the fountain the whole time we were dining in the open air across from the Town Square. Fourni is very memorable.
It was going to be too far to go all the way to Samos, so we stopped in what looked like a very protected cove with two tavernas. We were surrounded by some of the tallest mountains as the wind began building. We decided not to risk a dinghy ride to the taverns and ate on board. Also was too much trouble to launch the dinghy and mount the outboard. With the gusts whistling around one mountain side, then the next, the boat swung over 120 degrees, sailing back and forth on the anchor. Using an old windsurfing sail, we rigged a mizzen sail aft. It worked well, steadying the boat but the noise from the modern sail material was deafening as the boat tacked. Tate slept in the cockpit to maintain watch. At midnight or so the wind calmed down and all slept soundly.
After a leisurely sail, we had our last meal together in Samos. What an unforgettable cruise.