We left Karavos with a 15kn wind behind us which was then on our beam as we rounded the headland towards Eretria, so for about an hour we had a pleasant final sail of the season. The wind then died and we motored the final hour to anchor in Eritrea harbour. In the evening we walked away from the harbour and ate in a very cheap taverva, with wine for €24.
Sunday proved to be an interesting day. As the breeze picked up a bit we noticed that we were getting uncomfortably close to the beach, so we decided to up anchor and reset it. However as we raised the anchor, up with it came a large old fisherman’s anchor, with our anchor chain wrapped round 3 of its 4 prongs, and also wrapped around it’s chain. In our ‘excitement’ to photograph the tangle for the blog, Jacana drifted slowly back to the beach and we only noticed with seconds to spare! Fortunately we didn’t run aground but we did still have a tangle of anchors. Despite trying for 15 mins to start to unwrap our chain, we made little progress other than to get our anchor chain hook (angel) stuck on the fisherman’s anchor. So it was into the tender. Again fortunately this year we’ve started using Bluetooth headsets to communicate to each other whilst anchoring, so I was able to guide Ann on the helm to circle 3 times to untwist our chain, and then I was able to lift our chain off of the prongs to finally free our anchor and drop the offending one back in the drink. Finally back on board, and a mooring rope to free up the stuck anchor angel. We were lucky to escape the tangle and it was only because our windlass was able to lift both anchors to the surface that we were able to escape without the help of a diver. So after an hour we re-anchored with a well deserved beer! and in a lull in the wind we took off the mainsail and neatly flaked it.
Sunday evening we enjoyed a delicious peperoni pizza.
Monday morning we were woken by what sounded like a Salvation Army brass band. After a bit of googling we realised that 28th October is a Greek public holiday, Oxi (pronounced ‘ocky’) Day, also referred to as the “Day of No,” and is an important part of modern Greek history marking the day when the Greek dictator Ionnis Metaxas rejected an ultimatum given by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1940. So we went ashore and did manage to catch the last of the marching school children with bands and traditional Greek dancing.
Yet another cheap and delicious (lunchtime) meal, this time very succulent and tender spit roast pork with pitta salad and chips, with beer all for €12 each. And very busy it was too.
We’re being hauled out at 0700 in the morning so back on board and motored the 4 miles across the Evia channel to tie up for the night on the Boatclub’s mooring buoy, and just before sun set (now at 1730) removed the genoa and not so neatly flaked it for winter storage below.
Sunday proved to be an interesting day. As the breeze picked up a bit we noticed that we were getting uncomfortably close to the beach, so we decided to up anchor and reset it. However as we raised the anchor, up with it came a large old fisherman’s anchor, with our anchor chain wrapped round 3 of its 4 prongs, and also wrapped around it’s chain. In our ‘excitement’ to photograph the tangle for the blog, Jacana drifted slowly back to the beach and we only noticed with seconds to spare! Fortunately we didn’t run aground but we did still have a tangle of anchors. Despite trying for 15 mins to start to unwrap our chain, we made little progress other than to get our anchor chain hook (angel) stuck on the fisherman’s anchor. So it was into the tender. Again fortunately this year we’ve started using Bluetooth headsets to communicate to each other whilst anchoring, so I was able to guide Ann on the helm to circle 3 times to untwist our chain, and then I was able to lift our chain off of the prongs to finally free our anchor and drop the offending one back in the drink. Finally back on board, and a mooring rope to free up the stuck anchor angel. We were lucky to escape the tangle and it was only because our windlass was able to lift both anchors to the surface that we were able to escape without the help of a diver. So after an hour we re-anchored with a well deserved beer! and in a lull in the wind we took off the mainsail and neatly flaked it.
Sunday evening we enjoyed a delicious peperoni pizza.
Monday morning we were woken by what sounded like a Salvation Army brass band. After a bit of googling we realised that 28th October is a Greek public holiday, Oxi (pronounced ‘ocky’) Day, also referred to as the “Day of No,” and is an important part of modern Greek history marking the day when the Greek dictator Ionnis Metaxas rejected an ultimatum given by the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1940. So we went ashore and did manage to catch the last of the marching school children with bands and traditional Greek dancing.
Yet another cheap and delicious (lunchtime) meal, this time very succulent and tender spit roast pork with pitta salad and chips, with beer all for €12 each. And very busy it was too.
We’re being hauled out at 0700 in the morning so back on board and motored the 4 miles across the Evia channel to tie up for the night on the Boatclub’s mooring buoy, and just before sun set (now at 1730) removed the genoa and not so neatly flaked it for winter storage below.
