Had a terrific time for another week in Sitia, while we waited for the weather to start cooperating with us. We dined out a couple of times at the local restaurants that dot around the small harbour, filled with tourists that start their evening around 10pm and finish wee hours (kids in tow). One of our favourite things was a late afternoon swim at a small local swimming area that is frequented by local families only and that we nicknamed the Grotto as it is under a roadway, but a beautiful spot to swim. Included a fresh water shower as well hence our frequency as their are no tie up facility luxuries like showers in the Med! This became our evening ritual after a hot day and before dinner.

Keeping an eye on the weather there was an opportunity to head North to Thira or Santorini as it is better known as. On our second attempt to leave … yes … the second attempt ( three days apart ) we started out the first day which should have been fairly easy to a lagoon only 15 nm away but the bay weather had different ideas, we headed straight into the wind and bay swell and after half hour doing 3 knots we turned around as wind reached 32 knows and swell head on and up to the 2 metre size, yet another suggestive 15 knot weather forecast! So we are learning to add at least another 10 knts to the wind abut we are about relaxed sailors as we do not need to be anywhere in a hurry so headed back to hide out for another 3 days to a spot that offered electricity and water, perfect.

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The island (Dhia) outside of Heraklion was a very pleasant overnight stay. Many tourist charters go there for the late afternoon and evening swims, so it was very crowded when we arrived but as the sunset there was only a couple of fishing boats and us left to enjoy it. We had however, motored the whole way from Sitia to Dhia – there is either buckets of wind or no wind take your pick.

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We headed out early the next morning for a 50 NM trip and finally had wind in the right direction and speed, we had a cracking sail most of the way to Santorini, however, the anchorage we had picked out was not suitable and had to book it to the south end of the island to drop anchor just before dark in a rolly uncomfortable anchorage.

So we skipped Santorini because we had no where to anchor on the island. Motored back into the crater for the picture of the Mamma Mia walking trail (got to watch the movie part where Meryl walks up to her daughter’s wedding!).

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Continued north to Ios, we needed to get north so that we can eventually start heading west (always a problem in predominately northerly winds here) and decided to anchor south of Ios port in a cove with a great sandy beach which turned out to be a nudist beach, by accident of course – wish I had my camera to take a picture of Shelley on the beach next to a sleeping nudist it was funny. Here we ended up for another 4 days whilst waiting for the next Meltimi to blow through and it did. Ios turned out to be a very nice island. A short hike and we were in the port with all the ferries and thousands of young tourists. Pandemic? … what pandemic! Had a good time at anchorage in Ios. Lots of swimming off the back of the boat, swimming to shore and back, Jacqui did most of it. It was blowing hard one day and we needed to stock up so I stayed with the boat and the girls did another hike into town for the supplies.

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We were done with our “nudist” beach and headed to the south end of the island, still waiting out the Meltemi, but a different anchorage Manganari Bay anchorage turned out to be a great spot complete with beach tavern so we decided to head out for dinner. Our first attempt to get into shore resulted in not enough instruction in making a marine landing in a dinghy. Shelley was the unfortunate accident getting out of the dinghy. I know how that felt having the same experience doing a marine landing picking up Val in Tasmania. Back to the boat for a change of clothes.

From Manganari we backtracked to the North of Naxos but by the time we got to our nudist bay beach it was blowing like snot again!!!! so hid back in the bay just east of the beach Mylopotas for the night and wait for the seas to settle another 24 hrs, there was a few resorts, lots of tourists, taverns so we caught the bus into Ios town for another look around. The structure of the towns are all similar, small streets with some local shops and shops for the tourists and tavernas. As I said pandemic … what pandemic!

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Moving on, our next “port of call” is Naxos. Naxos as it turns out has a lot to offer as far as history and interesting sites. We anchored for one night and had a small explore in the area and of course the swim off the back of the boat. We booked in to the port for 2 nights and had to deal with the med mooring as it is called, basically stern to the docking and picking up a front mooring line, we managed this one well for our second time med mooring.

Decided we should rent a car and stay for 3 nights instead of 2 as getting a spot has proved quite challenging. Naxos is the largest of the Cyclades islands, according to Greek mythology the young Zeus was raised in a cave on Mt. Zeus the highest mountain on the island so went to check out all the historical sites for the day.

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Luckily we received a text from the Mykonos harbour master (after nagging him for days and days) to say we could head over for a berth spot, so we high tailed out of Naxos here to Mykonos because finally the 5 boxes that Jacqui shipped from Australia on February 24th arrived in Greece (good old Australia Post). Of course in Leros where we picked up the boat so Jacqui is heading back on the ferry to Leros to pick them up hence our need to be in Mykonos to catch the ferry. What we have seen so far of Mykonos lots of tourists, tourist prices, charter fleets of sailing boats/catamarans and a shit show chaotic dock, oh well at least we get the boxes on board in the next 2 days and then off we go to find some non tourist spots. On a good note got our hands on a 2 month old Rocna 33kg anchor second hand and half the price, feeling quite chuffed with ourselves.