Tuesday, 16^th July, 2013.

Once we were safely tied up we went to bed with the bar in front us playing rather loud music but as we were very tired it did not seem to last long before I was fast asleep.

The gentleman on the Oyster had said the night before would we move as soon as possible in the morning as the tide causes a lot of disturbance on the boats against the wall.  The French boat behind us left around 9 a.m. and we moved Ariel across with hand lines before we went off exploring and finding a supermarket.

There were two demonstrations going on and there was drums being banged as they marched along.  One group was the paramedics and the other consisted of men and woman who work for a big shop in the town which is being closed down.  There are a lot of clothes shops but very mixed with more of the cheaper price tags.  We found the supermarket and filled up on a few goodies for the next few days.  We usually buy our meat at the butchers which we did in Chalkida and any fish from the fish market or shop.

Once back at Ariel we decided we did not fancy the possible 1.30 a.m. staying up waiting for the next opening of the bridge as you can’t go to bed in case you need to protect your boat.   Also boats moored up to us for the afternoon in the tide which was really running very fast by now with us being pushed up against the wall.  Therefore, we let go our lines and motored out.

The wind was blowing from the north coming over the mountains and we were reefed down.  We topped out at 9.25 knots and it was an afternoon of moving the main up and down the track and letting the genny out and then bringing her in a little.  Jim loved it and Ariel was practically sailing herself.  The wind caused lots of black water with the wind coming over the mountains with clouds forming.  Then suddenly out of all this wind there would be a hole when the wind stopped and we came to a standstill for just a couple of minutes before it all started again.  It was a bit like “wet and wild” at Thorpe Park.

We covered 30.5 miles up to this island which stands in a very large bay and hid behind it as it offered the best cover from the wind and it was becoming very calm which gave me a chance to cook dinner and enjoy the scenery.  We passed lots of olive trees and vineyards on the cliffs with other crops being grown near the water which we watched them watered all evening.

At 2.15 a.m. we were waken to lightening flashing over the island so Jim thought it best we move which we did and anchored near the shore where it was more comfortable.   Before breakfast it was raining hard and very cloudy and dark skies everywhere.  We decided we better motor on and hopefully sail but the wind angle was not good and the white water waves outside the bay were not in our favour going north.  We therefore anchored near a very small little harbour and waited for an improvement in the weather.  It is really our first rain we have seen since the middle of May.

No improvement came all day so we stayed the day and night hoping for an improvement in the wind angle the next day.

We rode ashore in the evening to walk along the coast road.  Everywhere was very quiet and not full of holidaymakers as you would have thought for this time of year.