First Introduction to the Cyclades.

So after a few days and nights of severe thunderstorms, whilst moored on the town quay of Karystos, we awake to blue skies and sunshine, which has been a rare commodity since taking to the water. With no wind now forecast for the next 6-7 days, we set off off under engine towards Batsi on the island of Andros. Much to our surprise, given how accurate weather forecasts are, we are soon getting a nice Force 4 breeze, which with a little tack here and there means we can actually have our first real sail of the season.  All is well until we are one mile out from our intended arrival in Batsi, when our genoa decides not to furl in !!   After a few minutes of trying to solve the problem, the only option left is to drop the genoa onto the deck and continue into Batsi, to sort the problem out later.

The island of Andros is the northernmost & second largest of the Cyclades, mountainous throughout, with the summit high enough to be snow capped in the Winter. Batsi is a tiny white wash village, with a small harbour, and is normally in the height of the season somewhat overwhelmed by the tourists, with the locals who aren’t cashing in on this,  being mesmerized by the parade of foreigners intent on frying in the sun and drinking in the bars. Thankfully for us, this early in the season it was blissfully quiet and charming and the locals couldn’t have been more welcoming.

Island of Andros

Batsi

So the following day, alluded to in some of the pictures below, I winch the Genoa sail back up, 3 times !!  But each time the problem gets worse, hard as it is to winch the sail up, it becomes harder and harder to drop it again, let alone furl it in, which is now impossible. It is at this stage that I decide not to do any of my daily exercises as I already have extensive muscle burn. However, we then need to check out the top of the mast to assess the problem further, so Chantal offers to get in the Bosuns chair and as you can see, I have some help winching her up from our friend and good neighbour Dirk. Chantal, ever the adventurous one and keen photographer, advises us, when she arrives back safely on the deck, that it is not something that we are going to fix ourselves. So after some phone calls, the best option is to set-off to the Island of Siros, which is some 28 miles away, to seek some professional assistance. But before doing so, we decide to take a day out sightseeing on Andros.

With no wind (and no genoa!), we decided to catch the bus to Andros Town, otherwise known as Kastro, the capital of the island. The quaint, and again thankfully quiet, town sits hunched over its rocky headland, looking out over the normally meltemi wind tossed waters of the Aegean. We found many tiny streets winding through the town, adorn with well kept white washed, blue  shuttered homes, boutiques and water holes, and the only mode of transport in the heart of the town being the Greek version of a golf cart!

Andros Town

So leaving Andros for Siros, with little wind, which is good, because we couldn’t sail anyway, we were entertained briefly by dolphins, another first for the season, for which Chantal managed to just catch one in her lens, but not a jumping swordfish we saw a little later. So after 5 hours we were in the harbour of Ermoupolis on Siros, awaiting the arrival of George the technician. George, listened, viewed the photos C took from the top of the mast and then announced we will need a new forestay. But to complicate matters further, he suggested that we would be better off driving round to Finikas on the South-West of the island, some 12 miles away, which we duly did. The brief view we had of Ermoupolis, looked very pleasant and we vowed to return at some stage.

Syros is a hilly, mostly barren island, with most of its population living in its capital, Ermoúpoulis, once the prinicipal port in the Aegean. The town itself is a myriad of different cultures and buildings from the Venetians, Genoese Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox, and whilst reasonably quiet, would be brimming with life when the season is in full swing.

Ermoupoulis, Capital of Syros

We motored a further 2 hours to  Finikas, a sheltered bay on the SW coast, with a tiny village with nothing but a couple of restaurants, a bar, a small supermarket, an ATM and fortunately a regular bus service to Ermoupoulis. After mooring up safely and watching our forestay be lowered to the quay, pending a new one, we ventured out for a bit to eat and tried the famous Siros sausages, not bad, but we will not be buying a supply for the yacht.

Having a few days to kill, waiting for a new forestay, we caught the bus to explore Ermoupoulis properly.

Ermoupoulis

So today is Sunday, the new stay has arrived and George is coming this afternoon to re-fit the genoa, so we should be ready to leave safe little Finikas, and on our way again on Monday, winds permitting!