Tuesday 31^st May – Mykonos – Órmos Kamari, Khíos (Escape from Mykonos)

38:11.236N 26:01.816E

After a quiet night we were awoken around 4am by the sound of the wind gusting through the marina again.  Hmmm…  Nevertheless, we were up at 5.30am to make our escape.  The wind, though still northerly was due to become lighter and go more north west, our course would take us north north east which would be close to sail but might just be possible. 

Two other boats left at the same time; Martin on Mary Mo to head south to Naxos and a Danish boat, Lucy, to head east - so three boats were heading in three different directions.

As we left the harbour and turned to head out through Stenon Mikonou (the channel between Tinos and Mykonos), the wind had not yet abated and was 18-20 knots on the nose.  We motored into it, slamming into a lumpy swell and making slow progress, until we cleared the top of the island. 

The wind was still strong and so it was decision time, continue or abort and go to visit Tinos, the next island; we needed to empty the holding tanks after two weeks in port so we decided to keep going for a few miles to see if the wind quietened as we headed out into open water clear of any land effects from Andros and Tinos.

It took a couple of hours to go a few miles and we were a little dispirited.  Then the wind eased a little, and came round to the north west and we were able to sail, close hauled, for a short time before the direction of the wind, combined with the swell and current pushing us down, meant it became too difficult to hold course.

We motored on, but were still not making good way.  The wind then dropped right away to a gentle F3 as forecast.  We had a rethink and instead of heading to an anchorage on the west of Khíos, we decided to head for an anchorage on the east coast.  This meant a better angle against the wind and swell and we could motor sail (it was still too close to sail properly).

Then, at mid-day, the forecast kicked in and it did what it was supposed to do - the wind moved further to the west and filled in to a steady F3-4.  We pulled out the genoa and switched off the engine – we had the most fabulous sail, the best this season, all the way to the anchorage here on Khíos.  The wind freshened a bit more as we approached the island and we were racing along, sailing faster than we normally do.  Pyxis was travelling at over 7 knots, gently heeled over with the wind almost on the beam.

We arrived here at Khíos around 5.30pm.  The anchorage is a narrow bay with high cliffs each side and at the moment there is just one other yacht here; this is the quietest, most peaceful evening we have had for a long time.  Bliss!