Mykonos

Pyxis
Karen & Richard
Thu 19 May 2011 22:58

Thursday 19th May – Mykonos

37:27.872N 25:19.524E

 

Overnight it rained and then first thing this morning we were awoken at 6am by howling wind on the beam and the sound of our fenders in distress.  Richard leapt on deck to see that the fenders on port side now looked like pancakes as the very large twin masted boat on our port side was not supporting itself on its anchor and lines – instead we were holding both boats on ours.

 

Richard knocked on the boat and asked the chap who appeared to tighten their anchor chain and stern lines to pull them clear (we are about 9 tonnes, they are about 25), which he did, and, fingers crossed that his anchor was actually holding, we went back to bed.  The wind continued and we heard the creaking of fenders again.

 

We realised that all was not well; the yacht was squeezing us again and lying across our bow.  We were uncertain whether the yacht was crewed to move, and if it tried, it was likely to damage us or take our anchor chain in the process.  We decided we needed to move.  The yacht on the other side of the large yacht were up and said they would catch our lines, agreeing they wouldn’t be staying if they were where we were. 

 

We knocked on the boat once more, told them we were moving and asked them to move their dinghy out of our way.  We managed to leave our berth during a brief lull and then had a difficult manoeuvre to get into a berth further up (we had decided on one with a lazy line which meant we didn’t have the anchor to help us hold our bow straight in the broadside gusts).  With a little bit of help we made it safely and we are now firmly strapped in further along the harbour.

 

As we were up, we decided we might as well stay up and have some breakfast.  Afterwards we went a for a trip in the car to look for Gaz as our bottle has run out but we couldn’t find anyone that could swap it for us – the one place that could refill it wouldn’t be able to return it to us until tomorrow - unfortunately we wouldn’t have the car then to collect it so it will have to wait.  However, we did find another supermarket on our travels so have a few more stores aboard.

 

When we returned late morning, to take the car back, we noticed that the large boat had moved berth, down onto one of the quays near the entrance.  It seems that without us there to support it it wasn’t able to maintain its position.  We are pleased we moved as it would have been stressful for us if we had been there when it moved out – Pyxis could have been matchsticks.

 

This afternoon the wind has freshened again, gusting strongly on the beam.  We have stayed aboard catching up with a few jobs whilst rolling in the wind.  It has been quite cloudy and dark at times as a thunderstorm passed through just south of us and out in the bay there have been plenty of white horses.

 

A few yachts have come in this afternoon; the wise ones have come in stern to the wind on the quays near the entrance rather than trying to berth where we are – though a couple have tried.

 

This evening the wind is still blowing rather strongly.

 

Mykonos:  Grey day, Large ketch which had been alongside us

© Pyxis 2011