Position 37:30.407N 23:26.962E Poros

A bit more about Varkisa. Whilst waiting here a couple of days for David to arrive I have been sorting out a few things. I was down to my last gas bottle and only had one full one. I went to every likely looking shop in town with no luck at all getting the bottles exchanged for full ones. Eventually a BP garage said I could get them filled with autogas at their other garage which they gave me directions to. I went on my bike with one bottle thinking it unlikely they would fill these bottles with autogas. Anyway the nice man said no problem and filled my bottle for the princely sum of 4 euros. This seemed a really good deal as I have paid between 9 and 20 euros for exchange bottles. It also seemed well filled as it was a lot heavier than a normal full bottle. I took it back to the boat and it worked perfectly.

The next morning I took the other bottle and another pump attendant who proved to have a zest for life filled my bottle but it only cost 2.75 euros. I questioned him about this and with very expressive gestures he demonstrated the likely result of filling it any further.

On my way I was delayed by this…….

……demonstration of how to crane a boat using only one outrigger. I was disappointed not to get a photo of a crane upside down in the water.

You will see below that Minka has moved and is alongside the concrete visitors mole.

When she was backed in her anchor chain was stretched across the deep part of the harbour entrance. I had a small yacht run into it and dislodge the anchor. Later on a large fishing vessel stopped coming in and asked me to let my chain down so he could get into the harbour. By this time I had been joined backed in by a small German yacht so I couldn’t go alongside at that time. I went and anchored in the bay which was much better and enabled me to watch a firework display later that night.

When the German left the next day I went back in alongside. The mole was only about 9mts long so Minka had to overlap a bit to get in as she is 11mts. This was handy though as David could then step straight on board when he arrived later.

The next day we set off for Nisos Poros in light winds. David takes video and he made an early start…

….leaving Varkisa. The town of Poros is interesting…….

……this is the view entering the channel from the East.

And then it opens up….

…..with some quite fine buildings.

The waterfront is extensive. We motored right through the town……

….passed this charming headland to an anchorage.

This was fine but a bit crowded so we motored back through the town to a more exclusive anchorage.

Which also gives me the chance  to show a better picture of David with Minka in the background.

Minka was very happy in this company but is concerned I might be now considering how to fit a six seater helicopter on her stern like her pal in this picture.

We did not go ashore here but had a swim. There is obviously some history to the place as we passed these fortifications on the way in.