Sounion, Kea and Porto Rafti – Revisited with Friends

We made a point to suss out the places we were going to sail to with our friends Colin and Wendy prior to their arrival so we were familiar with the harbours and there would be no surprises.  So the next few destinations were happy revisits for us.  

After a great day in Hydra, the next morning was an early start as we weighed anchor in Poros and motored out the bay.  There was a good wind as we rounded the headland so we put up the Genoa and mizzen having a smooth sail across the Saronic Gulf.  Sadly after about an hour the winds died and we had to resort to the iron spinnaker (motor for you landlubbers).  Still we enjoyed the passage, having baklava for Elevens and lunch while under way.  

Morning tea while under way

This was the first and longest passage at sea on Songster for Colin and Wendy and all went smoothly.  We anchored at Sounion mid-afternoon in time to have a refreshing swim in crystal clear waters under the shadow of the Temple of Poseidon.  Then ashore to visit the Temple and have a great dinner of Greek specialties at Ο Ηιλιος while sipping Ouzo and watching the sunset.

The anchorage at Sounion

The Temple of Poseidon late afternoon

The next day we headed off for Kea after Colin and Wendy had their early morning swim.  Past the heads we had perfect winds for a direct rhum line course to Vourkari, Kea.  We had one of those rare, in the Mediterranean, near perfect sails.  On arrival another swim off the boat, Spritz sundowners and then entertained all evening by two weddings onshore.  It was lovely to watch the Greek tradition of family and friends accompanying the bride through the village to the church, clapping in a rhythmic beat – ta-ta-ta, taaa, but with a modern touch of a drone recording the whole procession.  Afterwards there were fireworks and music into the wee hours.

Enjoying Spritz sundowners

Another brilliant sunset

 The next morning we caught a taxi to the Chora for an explore, lunch and a visit to the Lion of Kea.

The Lion of Kea

Colin being adventurous

The beautiful blue and white of Greece

One of the residents of the Chora

That evening Louise and Gary from LuLu came to Songster for sundowners.  We had just met this nice American couple a few days previously, although we had been talking with them over the HF radio for months as part of the Med Net.  I was glad Colin and Wendy could meet other cruisers and hear their stories.  It was a very pleasant evening chatting amongst the six of us.

The next day we thought we would go to another anchorage in Kea about 8 nm south of Vourkari.  Rod the God (Rod Heikell, Greek Pilot Guide author and the bible for all cruisers in these waters) said Koundouros was a nice quiet bay.  When we arrived late morning we found a rather rolly anchorage with very poor holding – lots of rock shelves and scanty sand and drab, half-finished buildings onshore.  We finally managed to set the anchor but the holding was not good enough for an overnight stay.  So we had a lovely swim and lunch before making our way back to Vourkari and a great dinner on shore – Thank you Wendy.

Sadly the last full day on Songster for Colin and Wendy came and we had to head back to the mainland so they could go back to Athens and catch the long flight back to Australia.  The passage back across the Kea Channel into the Evia Channel started with a bit of wind and rocky-rolly seas but calmed down to a very nice sail.  We arrived at Porto Rafti early afternoon and after a swim, nap and game of Mexican Trains Dominos we went ashore of our last dinner.

Our last dinner together in Porto Rafti

The next morning Colin and Wendy caught a bus to Athens.  We had a great visit with them.  They slotted into the boat live wonderfully.  The morning after they left I woke up fully expecting them to still be there for another day of companionship.  It was very sad to realise they were on their way back to Australia.  

So to summarise a few statistics from those logs Colin and Wendy saw me scribbling in:  Colin and Wendy were with us for 8 days.  We did 4 passages on Songster and one ferry to Hydra visiting two Saronic Islands (Poros and Hydra), one Cycladic Island (Kea) and two anchorages on the Attica Peninsula (Sounion and Porto Rafti).  We sailed 84.2 nautical miles and had nearly 19 hours at sea.  So Colin and Wendy – you are on your way to being old salts now!

 

Hydra: In search of Leonard Cohen

With our wandering dinghy firmly attached to Songster with two lines, we went to bed excitedly anticipating the arrival the next day of our friends, Colin and Wendy.  It was so great to see them and I don’t think we stopped talking for the whole 8 days of their visit.

Approaching the harbour of Poros

Wendy getting off the ferry

After a delicious Greek lunch we went to the boat, up anchor and motored about a mile to Russian Bay for a cooling swim then back to the anchorage at Navy Bay near Poros port for sundowners – a luxurious prototype of how we would be spending the next week.

Another beautiful sunset

The next day we were up early to catch the ferry to Hydra (Υδρα).  We had been told that the harbour and anchorages on the island were too small and crowded for yachts and it was best to take the 30 minute ferry ride to the island.

Arriving in Hydra

What an idyllic Greek Island.  There are no cars or motorbikes.  Supplies and people are transported by foot, boat or donkey/mule. 

Transporting supplies by mule

After enjoying the busy waterfront we decided to walk south along the coast.  There we came across a German woman named Dagmar who was setting up paintings for sail.  The artists in Colin got to chatting with Dagmar and it turned out that she has a farm in Bellingen and many mutual acquaintances.  What a small world!  What are the chances of walking along a cobblestone path on a small Greek Island and meeting someone from your hometown!

Dagmar selling paintings

  

Beautiful views around every corner

We walked on and found a lovely beach where Wendy had a dip and the rest just got our feet wet and then all had a cold drink before walking back and finding a tavern for lunch.

Wendy having a dip

The beach from the cliff

Our mission in Hydra was to find Leonard Cohen’s house.  Cohen lived in Hydra in the 1960’s with his muse and lover, Marianne.  The house is still in the family and Cohen has become a favourite son of the island.   We asked directions to the house but still managed to get lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets above the harbour.  At one point we lost both Bob and Colin but finally regrouped and found the house near the Four Corner supermarket.  

The cobbled streets of Hydra

Bob and I sitting on the doorstep of Leonard Cohen's house

Humming Leonard Cohen songs, we made our way back to the port and headed north to the little village of Mandraki for a swim and beer.  The water was delightful and the setting superb.  On the way back to the town we came upon an art exhibit which had several paintings of the donkeys of Hydra.  This brought on many reminiscences of the Shamballa’s donkeys, Zack and Molasses.  Colin and Wendy struck up quite a rapport with the artist.

Art exhibit - Colin and Wendy with the artist

We watched the sunset over the island – a perfect end to a perfect day. 

 

The Greek Navy to the Rescue – Again

We had sailed from Sounion to the island of Poros  to do some repairs and await the arrival of our friends, Colin and Wendy (more on that later).

The fabulous sunsets of Poros

In the middle of the night the day before our friends were due to join us on Songster for a week, an unpredicted wind blew up.  We got up around 3am to check that everything was all right, tied off some slapping halyards and took the seat out of the bouncing dinghy.  We stayed up for awhile to watch how things were going.  By 4 am the wind seemed to be easing a bit so we went back to bed.

The next morning the wind had shifted direction and was no more than a gentle breeze.  We were busy all morning cleaning up and making space for our guest due to arrive the next day.  Around 11 am, I just happened to glance over the stern of the boat and the dinghy was gone.  There was nothing but a frayed painter (rope to landlubbers) dangling off the rail.  Disaster, absolute horror and panic!  Here we were at anchor with no way to get off the boat, friends arriving for a week holiday in 24 hours, a holiday which will be totally ruined if we don’t have the dinghy to go ashore.

The frayed painter

What to do?  We got onto the VHF radio and called the Hellenic Coast Guard but no answer.  Then we thought about the nice man in the Chandlery who recommended some people to do some work for us earlier in the week.  We had the business card of the Chandlery and rang up Spyros.  He gave us the phone number of the Coast Guard.  Sadly the Coast Guard woman who answered had limited English and could not do anything for us until we came ashore and filled out a written report.  But we had no dinghy and could not get ashore.  Then Spyros rang us back and said he had a diver friend who could take us around the bay to look for the dinghy.  Although we thought that if it was blown away 10 hours previously, we would have Buckley’s chance of finding it in the large bay around Poros.  We assumed some fisherman thought it his lucky day to find a 3.1m Carrib dinghy with a 15 HP Yamaha outboard and we would never see it again.  But we were desperate and had to search.  

Fifteen minutes later Noulis comes alongside in his runabout.  We grab binoculars and head out to circumnavigate the bay.  

The search route

We intensely scanned the shoreline, staring so hard I thought my eyes would pop.  I had to remind myself that it didn’t matter how hard I stared, I could not make our dinghy materialise on an empty shore.  After over an hour searching every nook and cranny of the bay, we had almost the circumnavigation when we ducked into the small cove where the Hellenic Navy had a little base.  There tied up to the wharf, only about 300m from Songster was our dinghy, safe and sound.  The Navy had found our dinghy in the early morning and tied it up waiting for someone to come and claim it.  

Our blue rib tucked amongst the Navy runabouts

I was so relieved, I burst into tears.  Bob hopped on shore to talk to the Navy guys and Noulis, in typical Greek fashion, told me all was okay and to be happy.  Bob took the dinghy back to Songster, admonishing it to never do that to us again!  Noulis took me back to the boat. After a big hug, heartfelt thanks and a generous reward, we returned to the boat and attached the dinghy to Songster with two lines.  

Bob returning the dinghy to Songster

A few minutes later the Coast Guard rang us asking if all was okay.  We assured them that we were very happy that the dinghy had been found.  Then when we went to the Chandler to get new line, Spyros gives us a big hug, having been briefed on the whole episode by Noulis.  You have to love Greece.  The Navy rescues us again, a local diver spends his afternoon helping us and the owner of a Chandlery treats us like family.

Our Saviour, Noulis