Emma and Cara arrived on the Flying Dolphin just before midnight having got off at the wrong stop and nearly been left behind on Spetsi Island! We put them and their luggage in the dinghy and returned to the boat in the anchorage for a few beers and some food. It was great to see them, even though they were shattered and Emma was obviously running a temperature, so the next morning I took her to the pharmacist and got her some antibiotics. Then we sailed across to the bay opposite Porto Heli and Cara snorkelled and Emma slept. But on the way back we saw a pod of dolphins which made their day, and as we entered the anchorage at Porto Heli again we saw a large turtle – pretty good.
The next day we sailed and motored to Ermione and anchored in the port. After a quick lesson in how to use the dinghy the girls went ashore to explore and then in the evening we went out for a meal. The next day we motored most of the way through bigger and bigger waves to the anchorage at Poros, where we stayed for 2 nights. To our dismay when we checked under the bed we found oil rather than water dribbling out of the newly fixed stern gland again – John was really despondent and worried, so we sat in the anchorage trying to work out what to do whilst the girls went ashore. Finally decided to haul out in a boat yard on Aegina and put the girls on the Flying Dolphin to Athens from there. So we went back to Russian Bay for a sunbathe on the beach then a night of thunderstorms before a great sail north to Aegina island. We anchored 5 miles south of the port in Perdika bay and that night we went out for a meal to the taverna on the edge of the bay. The next day the girls took a bus into Aegina town and John and I had lunch in the same taverna. Emma and Cara returned early – not much impressed with Aegina town – and joined us for lunch. Then the wind changed and waves started to roll into the bay so we raised the anchor and motored 3 miles north to Ormos Marathones - an exposed rolley anchorage with little to recommend it other than it was not in the direct winds!
Monday 27th September - Ormos Marathones to Kanonis Boatyard
We weighed anchor early, glad to leave the exposed anchorage, and motored past Aegina town and along the north coast of the island. Saw the promised boat yard’s mooring buoy we had been told to pick up and were about to tie up to it when a bloke started to wave at us from the shore and point to another buoy. So we dropped the mooring line and motored over to this buoy. At this point my phone rang and we saw another bloke pointing to the original buoy. The neighbouring yard was trying to poach us!! We had to reverse into the narrowest slip I have ever seen with rocks either side of the channel – made a real pig’s ear of it but didn’t hit anything. Only 10 cms water below the keel – we were cheerfully told we can only launch in flat seas because it is too shallow and the waves pound in if there Is a northerly wind! Scruffy sort of boatyard miles from anywhere with horrible showers and loos but quite friendly.
