Saturday 29^th – Khäidhari – Koiládhia (Koilas)

37:24.956N 23:07.728E

After dinner last night, just before we went to bed, someone started playing a trumpet in the anchorage and then another yacht gave a song in return; we thought we were in for a noisy night.  Thankfully they stopped their recitals a short while later and we slept soundly all night.

After breakfast we left for the short run to Koiládhia, motor sailing for the first hour or so in light airs whilst charging the batteries and running the water maker as we are low on water.  Then the wind filled in for about half an hour and we were able to turn the engine off and clip along nicely, full sail, with 13-17 knots on a close reach.

Shortly before arriving the wind totally disappeared so on went the motor and into the anchorage we went, where the wind promptly picked up again.  Never mind, it is an easy anchorage and we were soon anchored and enjoying the cooling breeze in the cockpit, just a bit strange to be sitting in just 2.7m after 11m the night before.  Just after anchoring we spotted a turtle swimming off the stern but by the time I had reached for the camera it had gone under the water and was acting camera shy.

Once the afternoon sea breeze had eased, we dinghied along the anchorage as far as the boat yard and then came back and went ashore for a walk round this working fishing town.

On the way back to Pyxis we went across the anchorage to the caves in the hillside opposite.  Having run the dinghy up the stony beach, we walked up to the main cave where we saw small stalactites on the roof with water dripping from them to the floor.  Stalagmites had not yet started to develop and so it will be rather nice in a couple of millennium.

This evening we have been ashore with Pam and Andy to have a farewell meal at a small taverna as tomorrow our paths will take us in different directions and we will not see them again for a while.

Koiládhia (Koilas)

© Pyxis 2010