Sea Fever Journal

By Wendy Catlin                                    

CRUISING THE CYCLADES 

MAY / JUNE 2000

While staying in Pythagorion on Samos Island, we rented a car to explore. We were treated to vistas of high mountains, terraced vineyards and typical Greek "choras" or villages high in the mountains.

We took a turn off the main road to the village of Natheria which is perched high on a mountain at the entrance to a huge gorge, a pretty spectacular setting! As we were wandering the narrow quiet streets of the village, a elderly man came to us and invited us to his house. He had a wonderful setting with flowers, outdoor kitchen with old banged up gleaming pots, chickens and lots and lots of cats. His name is Samantis and he is seventy-seven years old.

I wish I had my camera!!! Samantis fed us homemade retsina (white wine), fruit flies and all, plus home made bread and feta cheese. It all tasted wonderful. I had my Greek phrase book with me, so we could communicate a bit. Also, he and Rob spoke a bit of Italian. Needless to say, the conversation was limited. But the three of us had a grand time. Before we left, Samantis gave us some of the best oranges I have ever tasted and two red Easter eggs. Samantis is a really wonderful man and we were very happy he found us roaming around his village!

After provisioning in Pythagorian, we happily departed and headed towards the Island of Paros, in the Cyclades group. We will stop on the way to explore other islands

The first leg of our voyage was half motor and half sail. It was a great sail on a close reach and reefed down, giving us a speed of over seven knots. We dropped anchor in a crystal clear bay on Fournoi Island. This island is very beautiful in its remoteness. It was so quiet compared to the busy port we came from. We were quite happy with this solitude. After a good rest, we departed at 0115 on a very clear night. Rob took the first watch and had a few fishing boats and freighters, very little wind. I had the early morning watch with a small burst of wind at sunrise, tried to sail, but had to take them down and start the engine once again.

Dawn brought the island of Amorgos into view. The dramatic steep cliffs of the north end of the island were spectacular in the early morning light. We arrive at the port of Katapola, Amorgos on 11 May. This is a nice little port and tourist season has not started here yet, so most of the locals are very friendly and have time to chat with us. The shops here are surprisingly up-market for what I thought was a remote spot.

Rob and I took a "walk" to the Monastery of Chozoviotissa Actually, it was more of a hike on a zigzag track down very, very steep terrain. (I thought, can I get back up this????) but I persevered. The walk was well worth it. This monastery is one thousand years old, built high above the sea into sheer 600 foot orange cliffs. It is painted stark white, embedded in the solid rock supported by two huge buttresses. At one time, it housed 100 monks, but today there are only three. Just below the monastery, is the garden growing on steeply terraced land. The view is awesome.

We enter the monastery through a small door and climb narrow stairway, which takes us to room with icons and the chapel. The inside walls of the stairway, chapel and other rooms are the rock face of the cliff and painted pure white. We are not allowed in the living areas of the monks. After visiting the chapel, we are invited to a reception room and served water, a small glass of wonderful tasting brandy and a very hardy bread. Sustenance for the walk to get here!

We arrive back at the boat nicely tired. We notice the local ferry has come in and it looks like the anchor chain is over our anchor chain…well, we are not in a hurry and the ferry will leave day after tomorrow. This is one of those unknown and unexpected events that happen.

After leaving Amorgos, we explored the Back Islands on our way to Paros. These are a group of small, sparsely populated islands between Paros and Amorgos. Their beauty lies in the crystal blue waters contrasting to dry rocky landscapes which are dotted with stark white villages perched in the hills. The ports are for fishermen and ferries. Not many yachts come here so it is perfect for us!

We arrive in Piso Livadi on Paros on 13 May tying up to the jetty in late afternoon. We had a nice relaxing evening here, and had to leave hurry-scurry in the morning, because a ferry was coming in and we were in his spot. So out we go!!!

Headed for Parokia, the main port of Paros. Had the wind on the nose, so we worked hard to get there. We anchored out in the bay of Parokia the first night to get a good rest before heading in to berth at the busy port.

We are here to pick up our guests arriving from California! Parokia is a wonderful introduction to Greece. It has an old style village with narrow streets, a castle made up of a collage of many stones, pillars and bits and pieces taken from ancient buildings long gone. The bakeries here are fantastic and rival the best anywhere. Fabulous pastries, breads and cookies! The town is a bit touristy but the season here is still early and not too busy. Paros has a fairly large fishing fleet and we are berthed very near to witness the endless mending of nets. Paros is also the crossroads of the inter island ferries, so there is a lot of coming and going of ferries.

 Sea Fever is provisioned, our guests, Ed and Sue, are settled in their cabin and feel    very comfortable with the boat. Time to begin cruising!!!!

We headed out of port to meet a very confused sea. We motor along the coast of the island toward the anchorage of Ormos Nauosis. Here we find crystal clear Aegean waters, lovely beaches and interesting rock formations. Sue and I go ashore for a walk to the lighthouse we passed as we were coming along the coast. We walk through carpets of wild flowers and purple statis while being treated to spectacular coastal views. After returning, Sue and I get very brave and jump in the still chilly waters for a swim off the stern of the boat.                           

Our next anchorage provided us with a peaceful time. We took a walk on the beach. Ed being a marine biologist, pointed out many interesting features and treasures. We had a nice evening and meal on board under a fantastic full moon.

The next day we had a nice sail "wing on wing" to Port Livadi. We enjoyed a dinner ashore and ended up eating our way through the marine animal kingdom phylum by phylum…calamari (mollusca), sea urchin (echinoderms) and prawns (anthropods). All delicious (I did not try the urchin) but Ed loved them!

On 20 May, we depart Port Livadi and head for the island of Iraklea. We had a following wind of 3.5 knots, so had a nice gentle sail wing on wing. We arrive in time for a swim and walk ashore. There is a small hamlet of a village, very quiet. Sue and Ed were fortunate to hear the singing of the priest (monk) during a church service.

The next day as we continue our cruise through the back islands. We had a great sail with winds from the south at 15-18 knots then changing to 12-15. We stopped for an explore and lunch in a beautiful spot between the uninhabited islands of Dhrimas and Andikaros. We then continued on to Amorgos arriving early evening, in time for Ed and Sue to take a romantic walk on shore.         

We are going to spend a few days in Katapola and there is a lot to do. Rob and Sue want to do one of the long walks (hikes) that this island is known for. Ed wants to do some photography and explore the villages.

One day, the four of us rented a small car and drove around the whole island, exploring villages, enjoying vistas, visiting the monastery and of course, eating!

On 25 May, the winds had calmed down so we departed early for the island of Thira (Santorini). Santorini is famous because of its geologic past and history of ancient civilizations. Santorini (and nearby islands) are the remnants of a dormant volcano with a central caldera that is filled by the sea. The cliffs on inside of the caldera are breath-taking, revealing the truest of layered earth colors and sculpted rock formations.

The town of Thira is literally perched on the edge of the cliffs providing fantastic vistas of the sea and islands. Trendy cafes and shops line the narrow streets making for great window shopping or sipping a cool beverage with one of the most beautiful views in the world.

Our first night we took a mooring off the island of Therissa, just across from Santorini. (The water is so deep here that it is very difficult to drop the anchor!) Therissa is part of the chain of islands left from the original volcano and is very low key except during mid-day when day boats bring tourists over for lunch and a mule ride up the path to the chora (village).

We took a sunset cruise around the caldera, circling the central islands of lava. We marveled at the beauty of the area thinking how lucky we are to experience this fascinating area at our leisure from the sea.

The next day, we sailed around to the other side of Santorini to find a place to berth or anchor. Some friends told us about an unfinished marina that we found without a problem. We found a place alongside and were very comfortable. Many of the local fishermen have commandeered this marina for their own, but there is plenty of room for yachts as long as you do not take their space!

The four of us rented a car to give us the freedom to explore the island. We went to visit the Minoan city near Akrotiri. This city was buried by volcanic ash c.1550 BC and is currently an active archeological site. A modern roof covers the site and the dig has revealed a city with paved lanes, houses up to three stories high, household items still in tack, amphora all about. 

The houses had elaborate furniture and beautiful ceramics and bright, colorful frescos. (The frescos have all been moved to Athens) All evidence, which has been uncovered after 3500 years, shows that this society was quite contented and creative. No one knows what happened to the people that lived here. There are no skeletons, jewelry or other personal items found in the dig. This indicates that the citizens had warning of the disaster about to befall them. They may have gone to Cyprus, where they could have perished as a result of the giant wave, which was created by the volcanic eruption they escaped. But as I say…no one knows what happened to the Minoans of this region.

After the visit to the ruins, we went into the town of Thira for a bit of shopping, celebrating a great trip and of course the romantic views of Santorini.

On 27 May, it is time for Ed and Sue to continue on to Crete to continue their well-deserved holiday. It has been absolutely wonderful having them on board with us. Ed’s informative insights to the geology, biology and marine environment added great interest and Sue’s constant enthusiasm for everything she experienced was a delight. We hope to have them join us again!

Rob and I had a few days to see more of Santorini before departing with our new guest Ruth. On 1 June, we headed north for Amorgos enjoying a fabulously decadent sail. About three to four miles from Amorgos, it was like someone turned on the switch for wind! All of a sudden we were in a NE wind of 20-30 knots (near gale force). Of course we sprang into action and made it to port just in time to get the last spot on the quay.

So we stayed here for four days and quite happy to be in a safe place while the sea was raging outside the bay. The port police were not letting anyone leave and ferries throughout the whole Aegean Sea were cancelled. This is the third time now that we have been in this port and it is one of our favorite places. Not a bad place to be "stuck"!

Once the winds became manageable, we departed Amorgos with a good wind heading for Paros once again. We are returning to Paros, as Rob needs to go by ferry to Athens to pick up a parcel that has been in customs for eight months. Time to deal with it!

Our guest Ruth, really enjoys swimming. After Rob returned from Athens, we took her to our favorite Paros anchorages to experience the blue waters of the Aegean Sea. Even though the water is still a bit chilly, Ruth thought she was heaven.

We departed Paros and headed southwest for the island of Sifnos.

Sifnos is a new island for us and we are looking forward to new explorations. Our winds were light and variable and we had quite a rolly voyage. But the winds picked up later in the day and we had a good sail.  We dropped anchor in the lovely bay of Faros.  On the rocks near the shore sits a lovely pure white church, with white stairs leading to the sea.  In the background is a natural arch in the rocks which makes this one of the prettiest locations for a church we have seen.

The next day, we continued around the island and found an isolated bay to drop anchor.  Here we had a nice lunch, a swim and a rest.  We reveled in the quiet and remoteness of this little bay.

 Later on in the afternoon, we continued a short distance along the rocky coastline to the bay of Vathi.  Here we drop anchor for the night.   

We were planning on leaving tomorrow, but gale warnings are out once again. We have decided to stay here until the winds subside, then we will be on our way around the southern part of the Peloponnesia and then north to the islands of the Ionian Sea.

I finish this part of my journal on 11 June 2000.

Sifnos Island, Cyclades, Greece