Position 36:20.185N 25:26.063E

Ormos Vathi really is a lovely spot. We climbed up a near cliff to a restaurant and I took a few pictures. Firstly of course…

….Minka on her anchor in a very smooth peaceful bay. Looking the other way….

….down on the beach. David in the restaurant getting a heads start.

Seems happier with a beer than helming. He has really taken to Greek food and we did have a good meal here perched on the cliff.

Afterwards we went back to Minka and settled down for the night. A slight swell was beginning to come into the bay but this was not a concern as the forecast was for a northerly during the night and the bay was well protected from the north. Of course that didn’t happen and at 0230 we had to abandon any hope of sleeping as Minka was playing bucking broncos with gay abandon. We tidied up and set off for our next stop which was Nisos Thira. Sorry no photos of Minka’s antics as it was dark although we could see quite well with a full moon.

Everything went well during the night and we made good progress although later on a fog descended on us with visibility about 100mts. We put the radar  and fog horn on and monitored the AIS (Automatic Identification System). The latter tracks all ships over 300 tonnes and all passenger vessels with more than 12 passengers. Nothing came within four miles and we arrived off Nisos Thira just as the fog was lifting.

This is Ak Akrotiri the headland we passed. By the time we got into the marina at 0900 it was bright and sunny.

Minka is in there somewhere. It is a very strange design for a marina/harbour with two inner concrete pontoons both shaped vaguely like horse shoes and an outer ring. We were lucky and found an alongside berth on the outside of the ring in the centre of the picture. We were less lucky when a chap came along and asked me to go to the office and pay but it was only 13 euros.

After we had caught up on our sleep  I went for a wander around. The marina is built at the bottom of a soft sandstone cliff. There doesn’t seem to be any natural features that caused them to build it here except the cliff provides shelter from the Meltemi.

The cliff is eroding as is the shore line.

I love the signage. More problems here….

….where the sea has got behind the concrete sea defence wall. There does not seem to be a town here at all, just a few hotels and houses.  To the right in this photo you can see the remnants of a windmill.

Further on at the top of the cliff there were some oldish industrial buildings.

It was not obvious what they were used for. Unfortunately like many places in Greece there is a fair selection of abandoned projects….

…..a group of four house skeletons. This one is a bit further on and more interesting….

….with an underground car park.  One modest house that looks recently completed.

In my wandering I passed a lot of agricultural plots with tomatoes and water melons growing in the driest parches of dust I have ever seen.

Unfortunately this is probably a place that is not worth visiting although the rest of the island and the town of Thira are recommended in the cruising guide which also suggests the island may have been Atlantis. It is a pity that on this visit we don’t have time to hire a motor bike. Tomorrow, we leave for Nisos Astipalaia which is about 50nm in an easterly direction.