Envoy is currently anchored off Koroni on the way back to the Ionian Sea.
With the wind forecast to turn to a rare, comparatively light, 20 knot south-westerly (it's mostly from the north) we cruise to shelter on the northern side of Milos island and find a delightful anchorage at Mandrakia. In total contrast to Adhamas this is just a secluded bay with several holiday villas and one atmospheric taverna ashore overlooking a beautiful tiny shallow harbour, suitable only for very shallow-draught boats and surrounded by rustic holiday homes, mostly built into sea caves.
We go ashore here to enjoy the spectacular view and a cold beer or two.
The Mandrakia harbour
A great cool place to sling a hammock
View from the taverna
Octopuses hang to dry outside taverna
Envoy in the Mandrakia anchorage
But the southerly change is only for one night and it's back to strong northerlies again, so next day we cruise about an hour to anchor off Psathi on the island of Nisos Kimolos. The anchorage is interesting and quiet with only us there and a small hospitable village to explore.
Envoy at anchor in Nisos Kolomos
Two views of our anchorage
Interesting rock formations close to Envoy at anchor
These holiday homes are built into sea caves – well it saves excavation costs!
Close-up of sea cave holiday home
Again we take a bus to visit the hilltop Chora and again find it disappointing. Maybe we've seen a few too many of these?
Still needing to head east we cruise to Karavostasi on the dry, barren island of Folegandros. The uncrowded anchorage is picturesque and ashore is interesting for a wander around followed by a cold beer in a quaint beachside taverna – now there's a familiar story!
Folegandros harbour
Beachside taverna Folegandros harbour
The winds from the north have been exceptionally strong for the last few weeks and dictate our daily planning to a great extent. Here in Folegandros it has been sheltered with the 20 knot wind from the north-west but now it moves to the north and even this small change of direction sends an uncomfortable swell into our confined anchorage. Several boats depart followed shortly by us as we head for the island of Sikinos. The wind is now gusting 25 knots and the seas are much rougher than we expected – six to ten feet high, close together and breaking. We're towing our RHIB and Di says she has never seen it on top of a wave that much higher than Envoy before.
The stabilisers are finding it hard to cope with the short, steep, breaking seas exactly beam-on and a few things fall out of their storage positions – something that rarely happens aboard Envoy, so we alter course away from the present direct line to our destination and take the seas at an angle of about 25 degrees to the beam, noticing an immediate and welcome improvement. These are not the conditions in which we'd want anything to go wrong or to have nervous guests aboard.
I haven't put my finger on the reason why, but the seas in the Med can get more vicious than one would expect for any given wind strength.
We're glad to reach the lee of Sikinos and anchor off the only shelter the island offers – Skala Sikinos. We're the only boat here and the small village is great to wander around and peaceful with few tourists, however the anchorage is very small and close to a ferry turning area. Shortly after midnight I'm awoken by the sound of throbbing engines and a rattling anchor chain, and go on deck to look into the beam of a searchlight shining down from the bow of a ferry about 10 metres above me and only 20 metres away. Fortunately these ferry captains know what they're doing but it's a bit nerve-wracking and after the same thing happens soon after daylight and a ferry crew member politely hails down to us that we should move further from the jetty we decide to move on as there's nowhere here for us to re-anchor safely in the strong winds.
Huge ferry looms close high above Envoy
With the wind forecast to turn to a rare, comparatively light, 20 knot south-westerly (it's mostly from the north) we cruise to shelter on the northern side of Milos island and find a delightful anchorage at Mandrakia. In total contrast to Adhamas this is just a secluded bay with several holiday villas and one atmospheric taverna ashore overlooking a beautiful tiny shallow harbour, suitable only for very shallow-draught boats and surrounded by rustic holiday homes, mostly built into sea caves.
We go ashore here to enjoy the spectacular view and a cold beer or two.
The Mandrakia harbour
A great cool place to sling a hammock
View from the taverna
Octopuses hang to dry outside taverna
Envoy in the Mandrakia anchorage
But the southerly change is only for one night and it's back to strong northerlies again, so next day we cruise about an hour to anchor off Psathi on the island of Nisos Kimolos. The anchorage is interesting and quiet with only us there and a small hospitable village to explore.
Envoy at anchor in Nisos Kolomos
Two views of our anchorage
Interesting rock formations close to Envoy at anchor
These holiday homes are built into sea caves – well it saves excavation costs!
Close-up of sea cave holiday home
Again we take a bus to visit the hilltop Chora and again find it disappointing. Maybe we've seen a few too many of these?
Still needing to head east we cruise to Karavostasi on the dry, barren island of Folegandros. The uncrowded anchorage is picturesque and ashore is interesting for a wander around followed by a cold beer in a quaint beachside taverna – now there's a familiar story!
Folegandros harbour
Beachside taverna Folegandros harbour
The winds from the north have been exceptionally strong for the last few weeks and dictate our daily planning to a great extent. Here in Folegandros it has been sheltered with the 20 knot wind from the north-west but now it moves to the north and even this small change of direction sends an uncomfortable swell into our confined anchorage. Several boats depart followed shortly by us as we head for the island of Sikinos. The wind is now gusting 25 knots and the seas are much rougher than we expected – six to ten feet high, close together and breaking. We're towing our RHIB and Di says she has never seen it on top of a wave that much higher than Envoy before.
The stabilisers are finding it hard to cope with the short, steep, breaking seas exactly beam-on and a few things fall out of their storage positions – something that rarely happens aboard Envoy, so we alter course away from the present direct line to our destination and take the seas at an angle of about 25 degrees to the beam, noticing an immediate and welcome improvement. These are not the conditions in which we'd want anything to go wrong or to have nervous guests aboard.
I haven't put my finger on the reason why, but the seas in the Med can get more vicious than one would expect for any given wind strength.
We're glad to reach the lee of Sikinos and anchor off the only shelter the island offers – Skala Sikinos. We're the only boat here and the small village is great to wander around and peaceful with few tourists, however the anchorage is very small and close to a ferry turning area. Shortly after midnight I'm awoken by the sound of throbbing engines and a rattling anchor chain, and go on deck to look into the beam of a searchlight shining down from the bow of a ferry about 10 metres above me and only 20 metres away. Fortunately these ferry captains know what they're doing but it's a bit nerve-wracking and after the same thing happens soon after daylight and a ferry crew member politely hails down to us that we should move further from the jetty we decide to move on as there's nowhere here for us to re-anchor safely in the strong winds.
Huge ferry looms close high above Envoy
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