Sailing is one of those pastimes that grabs you by the horns and takes you for a wild ride. I spend my time on the boat alternately in awe, in trepidation and quite often anxious, depending on the weather and sea state. I guess that is my inexperience showing. Quite a number of sailors admit…
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We had long known that it would be an overnight passage between Crete and the nearest island north in the Cyclades. I had been nervous at the prospect: there is something scary about seeing the sun sink, knowing you have the whole night of inky black sea and everything the weather can throw at you….
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One of the main reasons for heading to Chania on Crete was to meet up with Anastasia and Vassily, a Greek couple that we had met last year on the ferry between Bari and Igoumenitsa. They live in a village called Douliana, around 30 minutes by car from our anchorage in Souda Bay, 30 minutes…
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Since our tough crossing between Tilos and Kasos, we have been rewarded with some lovely harbours and calm crossings. After departing Fri on Kasos, we sailed west to land on the eastern tip of Crete in a harbour called Sitia. It felt good to have landed on the largest island in Greece, and immediately noticed…
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We are in the wonderful lagoon of Spinalonga, home to a former leper colony and a beautiful spot to wait for favourable winds to go west. Yesterday we stayed on board while the southerly blew and created a sea state that was too choppy for our little dinghy to go ashore. Today dawned calm and…
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Dinner on board Nemrod last night was a treat – fresh calamari, as well as a flathead fish from the hook of our own rod, served with salad and washed down with Turkish red wine that was a gift from our neighbours in Arki who we helped with lines ashore when they got in a…
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We’ve been moseying on down through the Dodecanese Islands, stopping in at Arki Island south west of Samos, followed by Akti Bay on Kalimnos. Two stern lines ashore in both locations, in quiet locations. Just the goats for company. I’m always amazed by their footwork on steep rocky cliffs. And I love the tinkle of…
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We are back on board our floating home. Each time we come back it feels more comfortable. But it still takes a while to get into the swing of things. Our first stern to mooring could have gone better – we took a while to choose the right spot – but not too bad. And…
View MoreAfter 5 and half weeks cruising the Cyclades, we’ve covered around 280 sea miles and discovered some beautiful anchorages along the way: here are some of our highlights. We visited 12 islands in all, each with their own individual character and opportunities for swimming, snorkelling and sun-bathing – plus a lot of napping and reading….
View MoreWe have spent the last 10 days cruising the Cyclades Islands, like true sea gypsies, letting the wind dictate our course. So with a southerly wind blowing, we headed east. An early morning 6am start from Poros, led us to our first stop at Kithnos – the famous Sand Bar beach at Kolona. It really…
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