Day 1  After a gap way too long five crews assembled in The Med at Olympic Marine in Lavrion, south east of Athens on Saturday 10 September  - Aria, Iris, Mystique, Piranha and Shrimp aka Prawn. Most had suffered flight delays, and even worse, lost luggage en route. We were joined by Mark & Cathie Stansfield on their boat ubulukutu, which they sail in Greece & Turkiye six months of the year.

 

Day 2  The weather was promising, ie not too windy and gloriously warm and sunny, so we headed out to the notoriously windy Cyclades after a very thorough handover. The sea state wasn't great but we made it across to the attractive port of Korissia on Kea.

Most were able to sail at least some of the passage and ended up on the town quay having dusted off stern to Med mooring cobwebs with Iris just round the corner. All the previous days' woes were now a distant memory which the crew of Aria celebrated in style until 2am....

 

Day 3 dawned hot and sunny but somewhat windy. The sea state wasn't great either and the short choppy sea got to several members of the crews. However we were rewarded with probably the most attractive destination of week one, the small port of Loutra on Kithnos, which we all somehow managed to get into. We enjoyed wallowing in the hot springs in the corner of the small beach before a memorable meal organised by Iris in a very pretty restaurant on the water's edge

where the sea lapped against the pebbles just feet away. At this point I should say that Greece doesn't do small portions....In their alter egos of Greek gods and goddesses, Iris deigned the assembled sailors with their presence. Ooh and we nearly had a feline stowaway.

 

Day 4 dawned bright and sunny and after some careful manoeuvring to get out of the harbour (Aria had rafted alongside a very new 50.1 Hanse and the wind was blowing us on with two boats behind us) we headed off to Livadhi on Serifos. Why is it that the wind picks up when it's time to moor up? Parking was chaos and took about 2 hours  - enough space on the outer quay (inside taken over by a Catamaran Rally) but tricky in strong cross winds, a quickly shelving sea bed covered in weed, that didn't help anchors set, and a complete idiot of a boat that was eventually sent off by the Harbour Master to anchor in the naughty corner of the bay. ubulukutu had to anchor as they counted as 'live aboards'. As we were enjoying s sundowner on Aria a 40ft skippered cat came to park on the end of the mole between Piranha and Aria. It didn't go well. None of the female guests (and they all seemed to be female) lifted a hand to help, preferring to take pics and videos of the ensuing chaos and to continue drinking)....Mark managed to leap aboard and throw the starboard line to Jude and the skipper of another cat helped on the port side. They were rewarded for their efforts with a round of applause and bottles of wine, except Jude. Sexism is clearly still rife.

A bigger place, still attractive and geared up for beach flop holidays with some seriously good food. For me it was the best meal of the week, which the crews of Aria, Mystique and ubulukutu enjoyed together. I had serious fish soup envy. Piranha found a lovely little restaurant on the end of the bay to celebrate Billy and Jacquie's wedding anniversary.

 

Day 5 was probably the best sailing day of the week, across to Finikas on Sifnos. Mark and Cathie decided to do their own thing. Aria had a problem when the spare diesel can leaked on tacking. Fortunately yours truly quickly nosed the tell tale smell of diesel and we cleaned up as best as we could en passage. When we all arrived there was no room on the quay. One boat could have got in had the existing boats parked with a bit more consideration... So we anchored and swam off the boats for the fist time. Most of us deployed our emergency meals although we could have gone ashore.

 

Day 6 started with a swim off the boat before heading back north to Kolona. Shrimp went ashore for supplies for another meal at anchor that evening at Kolonos Beach on Kithnos which had been recommended by Mark & Cathie who- a large anchorage split into east and west by a sandspit.

It was quite a long passage and by the time we got there the eastern side was busy with the Catamaran Rally. The western side was also filling up so four boats tied back to the shore and rafted up. Another lovely swim off the boat with another hot spring within swimming distance. There was an unexpected rescue vessel in the bay protecting a wreck site where a large motor boat, complete with helicopter landing pad, had run aground on rocks outside and come into the anchorage to roll onto its side in the previous couple of weeks.  It rejoiced in the name '007'. We think it had been on auto pilot...

Three boats ate ashore at the only restaurant in the bay and were rewarded with a wonderful sunset over the Saronic Gulf.

 

Day 7 started with another swim before heading back to Lavrion to swap crews. As we passed Kea we were struck, not for the first time,  by how bleak and arid the northern Cycladean landscape was. There were some new developments on parched earth, needing a car to get anywhere, with virtually no beach. We wondered who the target market would be. Iris needed to be back early to handover so Nina and Robert could fly home in the evening. We had to call up before being escorted to our berths. The guys from Hermes helped park the boats using the lazy lines - they were very impressive. Several boats went into the centre of Lavrion for a meal, the least said about which the better, and we welcomed Maureen and David who had arrived for the second week on Shrimp. In true HOEOCA style several partied until the small hours.

Amazingly we had stuck to plan A for the whole week. Aria had done 154nm.

 

Day 8 was changeover day. We handed back Iris and Mystique, said our goodbyes to Helen, Rhoda, Ray, Lindsey, Ian, Kate, Roisin & Paul, Christopher & Mandy and John & Kate but not before we'd wished Chris a "Happy Birthday" on the dock in traditional style. In the mantle of Poseidon he forgave our misdemeanours and decreed that we shou7ld all meet again in a year's time. Then Helen and Jude & James joined the crew of Aria and yours truly jumped ship to Piranha. It promised to be along motor to Poros so Aria, Shrimp, now dubbed Prawn by Aria, and Ubulukutu chose to forgoe the long hop and sailed along the coast past Sounion, anchoring in the bay at Palaia Fokaia which had been suggested by Mark. After refreshing swims off the boats, diìnghies were readied for the shuttle ashore to the bustling town for dinner. All arrived safely after negotiating local fishing lines and searching for suitable access points to dock the dinghies. Piranha stuck to plan A and headed off to Poros parking on the north west town quay away from the bars and restaurants after motoring along the picturesque southern channel with its gorgeous waterside frontages so beloved of postcard manufacturers. As we approached land we were immediately struck by how green the

Saronic Gulf was compared with the northern Cyclades.

 

Day 9 Piranha mooched around Poros and enjoyed fabulous views from the top of the town and the clock tower.

 

 

A group of Matelots had arrived in town for 40 days' leave having spent 6 months at sea. Serendipity struck - a Sailing Holidays flotilla was in and Billy, having kept the company afloat for the past 8 years, chatted to the skipper and discovered they were off to the tiny harbour of Vathi where we had originally been due that night. It was then Piranha's turn to go off piste to Epidavros where we enjoyed Gyros (Greek fast food) & ice 

creams. Fireworks were going off for the opening of Barber's shop. Shrimp, and Aria arrived in Poros. Shrimp had reported a valve problem with their heads and were grateful for a repair organised by Hermes by their local engineer.

 

Day 10 saw Piranha up early to visit the little 2,000 seat theatre - not to be confused with the famous 14,000-seater half an hour away by taxi -

in the relative cool of the morning and to enable a timely get away. It was was  a very pleasant stroll up the hill and we had the place to ourselves. Vathi is tiny so we wanted to be sure of getting a spot by being in by 1pm. We sailed the short hop in light airs and were quietly confident of finding a place having seen the flotilla leave. A yacht, which turned out to be Aria, overtook us and when we saw another heading towards us at speed (ubulukutu as it turned out) we popped the engine on. Vathi didn't disappoint and was the highlight of week two - a tiny harbour surrounded by local restaurants, cafes, a tiny supermarket and local fishing boats. It was the day of the Queen's

Funeral and boats marked the occasion in their own ways - listening to the radio, following on smart phones and lowering the ensign. Several of us then walked across the small headland for a swim in glorious waters looking across to the mountains of the Peloponnese. When I got back I couldn't  believe how two catamarans had found room to park, virtually blocking the entrance. It was also Jude's birthday so we gathered on Aria for the usual rituals before heading off to local restaurants.

 

Day 11 started leisurely enough but as Shrimp started to pullher a anchor up her steerage failed. Fortunately she was able to reverse back 

in. After checking the obvious - wheel lock still.on, auto helm on, was it possible to steer with the emergency tiller - Aria and Piranha waited with them until the problem was sorted by Hermes over a video call. Mark had rung ahead to try and secure four spaces outside Papa George's restaurant at Korfos on the Peloponnese. It worked a treat and we had a fabulous meal.

Day 12 looked a little less promising weather-wise and I could see it pouring down on Aegina when I went for a stroll along the beach. Mark

had spoken with the Seafarer flotilla leader on next the boat and discovered the flotilla was going to our original destination of Perdika on Aegina and there would be no room. He suggested Aegina as an alternative but pulled a face when we said we were four boats. Had to get in early again. Shrimp and Aria headed off promptly but ubulukutu couldn't raise their anchor. Billy dived down to try and free it  but couldn't get deep enough and couldn't see anything either. Papa George's called a diver and said he would be there in five minutes. We were gobsmacked when he turned up virtually straight away. He then quickly freed the anchor chain which had got caught under a rock. 80 euros well spent - we ran a book on it! Piranha looked at the small harbour at Agistri en route and managed to get in. Would have been room for the others who by this

time were well on way to Methana as they hadn't been able to get into Aegina or Perdika eiter. ubulututu carried onto their favourite anchorage in Poros, where it tipped it down, before continuing on towards Turkiye. It clouded over in Agistri but miraculously Piranha avoided the rain and walked up the hill to a local Gyros place that Billy knew. Aria and Shrimp found shelter from the deteriorating weather on the back of the concrete ferry mooring at Methana. Fortunately there were no ferries in sight! Aria ate on board whilst Shrimp investigated the uninviting cafes and tavernas on the sea front, finding a small taverna where orders were freshly cooked in a timely manner with excellent presentation. A lovely surprise! Heavy rain meant a wet walk back to the boat!

 

Day 13 dawned cooler and pretty cloudy. A mere 21 degrees was forecast. We were expecting up to F5 on the beam and started out on the long crossing to Cape Sounion on the mainland in fairly calm conditions - but as it was a HOEOCA rally the wind was virtually on the nose. As we approached the bottom of the separation scheme, where there was quite a bit of traffic heading in and out of Piraeus, we could see increasingly large white horses and the wind picked up to F6. Aria and Piranha reefed and had cracking sail. Shrimp put the sails away and motored once they'd calculated the time needed to get to Sounion and were anchored by 6pm after a seven and a half hour crossing. Aria caught up with Piranha and at 6pm both put their sails away to motor into the bay before it got dark. It had stayed cloudy all day and was quite chilly on the

water - I resorted to a base layer and a sailing jacket. Miraculously we avoided the rain that had been behind us much of the day. We all ate on board and the Temple of Poseidon looked quite spectacular flood lit on the top of the headland. I was amazed we only clocked 36nm - it seemed more, given Piranha' s nine and a quarter hours at sea. Certainly the longest passage I've been on on Hot Hot Hot - interms of time anyway.

 

Day 14 dawned bright but all too soon. The boats all had a lazy morning enjoying the bay and the view of the temple. It was sunny but still cooler.

Aria went ashore to visit the temple before motoring the 6 miles round the headland back to base. Shrimp motored too but Piranha sailed a good proportion of the way back. We all left in good time as we wanted to avoid the queues to get into the marina and to allow sufficient time for the very thorough handovers. We said goodbye to David and Maureen, who needed to get close to the airport for an early morning flight, then ate at the Yacht Club.

 

Day 15 was annoyingly sunny and warm. We were off the boats by 9am then headed our separate ways - home or onto further travels - looking forward to the next trip.

 

It was fabulous to be back in The Med after a gap of three years, for me anyway. The Saronic Gulf is more attractive than the northern Cyclades with all round views and verdant hillsides but it was long way there and back from Lavrion. There's definitely scope for another trip to the Saronic and maybe the Peloponnese but I'd prefer to start there.

A massive thanks to Judy Lambourne for organising the trip particularly as she was unable to join us at the last minute.