Samos Tuesday 28 June 2016

Up quite early so that we can make it the 39 miles to Samos by this afternoon.  At first I didn’t want to try that long a passage, but after looking at the weather forecast which shows winds at force 6-7 for the next 4-5 days I agree.  The weather forecast also shows that the wind will be nearly on the nose.  As we need to make at least 5.5 knots on average to get there in a reasonable time, sailing doesn’t seem to be likely.  So we don’t even put up the main and just motor along at six knots until about the last two hours, when the wind goes around and then we sail the last 12 miles. 

We are headed for Pythagoria, where Jonnie says he will be.  There is an anchorage, but with the forecast high winds we may well just go into the town wall, or the marina (where we stayed last year).  As we enter the harbour we see Jonnie’s boat, Calipso anchored in the bay.  The weather now is nice, and hot so we want to swim.  Therefore we join him at anchor.  We have a lot of trouble finding a sandy spot where the anchor will hold well and have to try three times.  We are near another Southerly, a rather aged 115 with a French Flag.  They seem very worried that we are too close to them, when there is really no problem.  They eventually move across, tho none of us know why.  They have obviously never anchored at East Head!

We have not pumped up our dinghy.  Jonnie comes over in his and says that he will transport us back and forth so we don’t have to get the dinghy out.  They invite us to dinner where they are making Thai curry.  Sounds too good to be true.

We have a leisurely afternoon  swimming and just cooling off.  Then at 8pm Jonnie comes and picks us up in his dinghy, which has a leak, but gets us to his boat safely.  We have a lovely evening and then back to the boat and to bed.