36:27.66N 27:19.77E

We were going to leave on Monday but moved it back till Tuesday to better get access to grocery stores and enjoy the nice weather we were having.  So we provisioned in town and at the marina store.  Bought some Greek cooking gas and we were ready.  Winds were from the stern on leaving the side to berthing so it was a piece of cake departure.  The marina staff is always ready to assist and they stood by with the dingy in case.  Nice to have the help if needed.

Of course our direction was directly into the head winds and building seas.  Winds were about 15 knots but nearby Turkey at this location provided some reduction in fetch so the waves were not too bad.  As we went we were “escorted” by a Greek Coast Guard Cutter.  They seem to patrol the border quite frequently.  We made sure we stayed in Greek waters and not stray into Turkey without approval.  Rounding the point of one of the Turkish peninsulas we were now exposed to a greater fetch and the seas built accordingly.  Looking at the charts and seeing that Simi was about a 15 mile slam into the rougher seas we diverted to Nisos Tilos, much closer and it also should provide protection from the waves on the way in.  As expected it did reduce the wave height.  The Pilot guide give good information about coves and harbors that are useful during the normal summer winds.  These winds are always from the north.  Now we had a strong wind from the south for the next few days and the pilot guide only shows the northern most anchorage with no information.  But it looked good from the charts and views on Google Earth.  It turned out to be a good choice.  At the very northern end of the island in a u-shaped cove it provide great protection from the waves.  The bottom is sand with some weed, meaning good holding for the anchor.  The winds were strong in here however.  As it goes with the islands they do not provide great protection from the winds, in fact they store up a mass of air behind them and release it in strong gusts.  The gust normally die down at night which they did.  So we anchored in 9 meters of water and let out eventually 60 meters chain to be nice a secure for the night.

This cove is a very quiet place with only a very small fishing harbor and a few houses.  High up on one of the hills was an old ruin of a fort.  One other sailboat was anchored here for the night and that was it.  Two fishing boats went by, no traffic, no waves and okay some winds but much better than battling waves.  Good night sleep.  Also now it is too cold to enjoy a swim so summer has ended.

Tilos is not on the normal tourist route.  There is a ferry to the island in the main town along with some tavernas.  Again an island occupied by different dynasties.  The Knight did build a few fortifications in medieval times.

View east from where we are anchored.  On the top right of the picture is an old fortification that they light up at night.  Strange to see since the few houses are not occupied and there are almost no lights except for this landmark.  It was cloudy most of the time and the permanent cloud over the island added to the dreary look.

Second view to the south.  That is the town with one taverna.  Looks like a few summer houses built here, one from an old stone windmill common on the islands.  But in the summer with the winds coming straight into the bay from the north I am not sure this is a place to enjoy.  We are so far off from the shore because the bottom comes up quickly closer in and we wanted to be away from shore in case the waves entered during the night.  By the way water clarity is great.  9 meters (30 feet) and the bottom is easily seen.  A few fish though was all we saw.  Also the winds funnel right through the gap in the middle, no protection.