Thursday 21^st July – Mirina, Limnos, Greece

39:52.419N 25:03.461E

Overnight the wind got up and went around to the west and then north-west.  By the morning there was quite a sea rolling in through the harbour entrance, with waves breaking on the harbour walls and beach.  All the boats in the harbour were being moved by the surge and the boats on anchor were really rolling in the swell.  We then realised that one of the boats was Zephyr who we had met in Canakkale and Istanbul – they had been on the end of the harbour wall last night but at first light had gone out to anchor as it had become untenable.

Despite all this we were well protected alongside our fishing boat and slept really well.  Although the wind eased during the morning, the swell continued to roll in throughout the day so most boats have remained in port.  Fortunately the sun has stayed shining.

When the fishing boat ran its engine yesterday, the deck got a light coating of soot and dust, most of which we brushed off.  However, this morning I noticed that there was obviously some rust in it and it was making marks on the gel coat having got damp overnight.  So, I spent the morning scrubbing the foredeck where the problem was and giving Pyxis a good wash down.

Late afternoon we went into town and climbed up to the castle.  As there was some wind it was not too hot for the hike and the view was excellent.  Far in the distance we could see Mount Athos on the Akti Peninsula of Khalkidhiki.  We were the only ones up at the castle, except for the wild dear and a mountain goat.

When we got back to Pyxis I had handed round the beers and then went for a shower.  Just as I was finishing there was a very loud bang and Pyxis lurched towards the fishing boat.  Richard rushed up on deck to find a charter yacht had reversed into us pretty much where the stern heads are which was why I had felt such a jolt.  Needless to say Richard had a few (loud) words to say to the offending (professional) skipper who said that he had used his leg to defend the boats so they didn’t collide and that he now had a hurt leg.

Despite this, they still came alongside as they now had no propulsion.  Not surprisingly, entente was not particularly cordiale.  Richard got into the dinghy and checked us over.  Fortunately we seem OK.  The skipper of the other yacht said the gear stuck in reverse as he was manoeuvring and that was the problem, though why he was so close at that particular angle remains a mystery.  After dark another yacht from the same charter company arrived and rafted on the boat behind us; the skipper decided it prudent to join them and so he pulled his yacht down and rafted alongside them for the night instead.

Late, we went ashore to cool off, having abandoned our plans of going out to eat.  We joined Ursula and Jurgen aboard their yacht for a drink and told them what had happened.  Whilst we were there, a small Bulgarian yacht then came in and rafted on us.  That will be OK we thought, and Richard went and made sure they had fenders in place.  However, when we returned to Pyxis and saw the mess they had made of the foredeck where they had gone ashore, I was not impressed; the deck is a disgusting mess of muddy footprints which go across both us and the fishing boat – plus they then sat in the cockpit until the early hours with music and talking.

Tonight, although the wind has dropped, swell is still working its way into the harbour and causing us to roll much more than last night for some reason.

Mirina, Limnos

© Pyxis 2011