Position 40:26.092N 24:00.073E

We did this 32nm journey sailing hard on the wind followed by a French yacht called Swansea. After a headland they went in a different direction and then the rain started.

We were sailing south down a peninsula called Ayion Oros. This peninsula is exclusively occupied by monks and loads of monasteries. Women are not allowed on land at all and yachts are supposed to keep 500mts off without a permit. However we anchored here….

………without a problem.There was a beach and a light yellow sign with a fancy emblem on top of a two headed eagle. There seemed to be a vertical stripe below the eagle but after studying it with my binoculars I realised other birds use the eagle’s heads to perch on and defecate. There was no writing on the sign so I presume this was a silent order of monks.

Later on I was joined at anchor by Swansea. I  left early the next morning as we had about 50nm to do…… there was nowhere going south to stop because of the monastic restrictions.

Leaving early as the sun came up. That is Swansea in the picture. Sorry can’t resist another….

………….those two rocks from the other side….

…and yes that is Swansea following us.

The monasteries are quite hard to photograph 500 mts off shore but I have done my best.

This one looks more like a prison and is huge. It has its own little harbour and is apparently the most modern with telephones and electricity.

I got a bit close to try and get a decent picture of this tiny chapel but a fast rib came out of the harbour and two coastguard chappies told us to go away and to keep at least a half mile off the coast. Swansea got caught as well…..

Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to get a picture of the rib.

A few more monastery pictures…

This one had some substantial civil engineering work done to the cliff it stands on……

……which shows as concrete arches below it. For a change the next picture shows a mountain with clouds on it…

……and another monastery on the foreshore.

That’s it, no more monasteries, mountains or clouds.

This is Skala Sikias where we anchored for the night. It was recommended to me by Pauline and John who own the Fantasi mentioned in a previous blog.