Kos Harbour
Ile Jeudi
Bob and Lin Griffiths
Wed 22 Jun 2011 14:30
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36:53.75N 27:17.34E
Wednesday 22 June 2011 (1530)
Distance Run 35 miles
We did go ashore in Datca yesterday, unofficially,
and faxed some paperwork and had some iced tea before heading nervously back to
the boat.
We left today around 9.15am and motored along the
Turkish coast with the light wind on our nose. Because of the lack of wind
we debated stopping at Knidos on the peninsular which would be OK as long as we
didn't go ashore and touch Turkish Land. Knidos is an ancient harbour with
some attractive ruins but we decided to carry on, despite the lack of wind,
towards Kos.
We reached Kos Harbour about 3.30pm to find the
'free' quay on the north side was bouyed off because of a sailing
event. This quay is also the closest to the only decent supermarket,
laundry and butcher so it was with some disappointment that we tied up to
the Visitor's Quay which is a long way around the harbour to the south
east.
We then cleared in to Greece. Last year I
hadn't realised that we both needed to attend the first part with the passports
and was lucky to have an understanding official who, after making jokes about
whether my wife really existed, stamped both our passports. This year
we both went and Lin was surprised to see the desultory way in which this
was processed (a different officer). It was as if the official, a pleasant
enough lady, was doing this for the first time. Bewildered is an
insufficient description and speed was not of the essence.
I left Lin at the boat and completed the other
formalities with the Port Police in town and got our Greek Crusing
Permit stamped. After a polite telling off from the young lady for a
technical infringement everything was completed with a smile and what seems like
30 photocopies but is only really about 5. But the photocopier is in
another office across a hallway and each item is taken one at a time to be
done. The information in our Passports, Boat Registration Papers, Crew
List, Insurance Certificate and Cruising Permit are all transcribed into
different books in addition to being photocopied. Everything in sight is
stamped with gusto. Most of the staff are doing compulsory national
service and therefore change every year and tackle the job with appropriate
freshness. Occasionaly you meet one who has studied the regulations
carefully and will do things pedantically rather than resort to custom
and practice but the Port Police are invariably smiling and very
pleasant. We like Greece!.
Later in the day we found we could not get the
freshwater pump to prime. It was operating but not
pumping. I set about trying to find if there was an air leak but
to no avail. We went off for our Gyros' in the evening feeling
disappointed with a problem which first appeared over a year ago but which we
thought we had fixed. |