Easy days in the East

We continued sailing into Santorini’s caldera toward the old port of Thira until midnight.  There we docked to pick up Regina and Francy and then went across to the center island, Nea Kameni, and picked up a mooring buoy in a bay full of small boats that bring tourists to and from the many cruise ships and ferries that visit this beautiful sunken volcano.

Early the following day we were woken by a charter catamaran asking us to vacate the mooring buoy they would use soon. So, we moved on to the next bay south taking another buoy for a couple of hours before being asked to move again.  As we were ready to set off and head south of the island to a more relaxed anchorage, we made a tour around the islands and picked up a mooring buoy where we were finally left undisturbed.  

Staying on Santorini to visit Akrotiri, a bronze age settlement that has been well preserved as it was buried in the volcanic ash that covered the islands after the catastrophic eruption that happened there around 1600 B.C., we were pleased to have an anchorage so close to the archaeological site.  After our visit, we met Henrike who was able to stop by and join the crew for a couple of days during her travels around Greece.  

Once again a crew of six, we set off early the next morning at a broad reach to sail to Anafi, just 20nm east. Dropping anchor early in the afternoon, we had time for a spectacular hike up to the Sacred Monastery of Virgin Mary the Kalamiotissa at the top of a cliff overlooking the sea.

Having some luck with a break in the Meltemi for the first time in 6 weeks, we were able to take advantage of some gentle to moderate west wind and make our way further east and north with ease. Our first stop was Astypalia, where we moored alongside behind the ferry quay to fill our water tanks, restock groceries, and drop off Henrike for her ferry back to Athens.  However, once moored we were enchanted by the old town topped with the ruins of a Venetian castle, and seeing that it was just a 20-minute walk, we stayed for a visit.

Upon returning to the boat we saw that a strange swell was reflecting in the bay and creating uncomfortable waves for a night at the quay so we took up our lines and anchored in a bay directly south of the old town in the dark.  

Happy to have had a peaceful night, we sailed out of our anchorage the next morning and enjoyed the southern coast of the island before turning to a broad reach setting a course north to Levitha.  With just one family living on the island and running a small taverna we were pleased to have the western bay almost entirely to ourselves for two nights on the island.  

Glad to be away from the crowds we were delighted to see swordfish hunting in the bay, brilliant stars before the moonrise at night, bright luminescent plankton, and many goats living on the island during our stay.