May 13, 2025 – Rethymno, Crete, Greece
Up with the sun but there were a few ominous dark clouds
floating around and spitting on us occasionally. We checked in with the Port
Authority and we were surprised when they found an error in our paperwork that
they had prepared in Corfu. It said that we would be in Greece from April of
2026 to June of 2026, clearly not. She kept our paperwork and said she would
call her superior to see what we would need to do to remedy the problem. I was
reluctant to leave my papers with her, but I had no choice.
We went for a bike ride in search of the cable that I needed
to install my battery monitor. Each place recommended another place until we
were worn out, but we did get to see the city. They are bike friendly with
dedicated bike paths, but the paths are part of the sidewalk and no one pays
attention. Back on the boat we finished our preparations for guests and settled
in for the evening.
May 14, 2025 – Rethymno, Crete, Greece
An overcast start to the day but a promise of calm and
sunshine. Suzette baked biscotti before we left to get our rental car. The
drive along the coast to Heraklion was scenic and uneventful until just outside
of the city, there was a big traffic stoppage. There was a 6.0 earthquake in
the morning off the east end of Crete. Google maps warned that there may be
impacts to traffic. It turned out to be road work that had us using one lane,
but we made it to the airport on time to pick up Tom and Deb, friends from
Shoreline Yacht Club.
With our new crew in hand, we headed to Knossos Palace for a
bit of sightseeing. This was a unique site in that the archeologist had taken
the liberty of interpreting and recreating different parts of the palace. It
was an immersive experience as we walked through the palace and grounds. This
was a huge Menoen Palace, sophisticated at the time with running water that
cooled the floors in the hot summers.
Next stop was the Kourtaliotiko Gorge south of Rethymno. Driving through the gorge was spectacular with the granite walls rising high above us. We found a place to park for a hike to the waterfall. As it turned out, the access to the waterfall was closed due to the earthquake, but the Gorge was beautiful.
On the way home we stopped so our guests could shop for any food items that they particularly wanted, then on to the boat. Our guests settled in while Suzette made a vegetable pasta dinner, and I made the cocktails to welcome everyone to our home.
May 15, 2025 - Rethymno, Crete, Greece
Up with the fisherman and his barking dog to start the day,
a daily routine here in Rethymno. We returned our car and checked out with Port
Authority, no issues. A last minute check on the firing range schedule said
there would be live fire exercises, we noted the coordinates and hoped we could
avoid it. We were underway by about
1000. We motored north to skirt the firing range then turned west to head
around the point back to Chania.
The VHF came to life “Raffaellesco this is Nav Control”. We
were directed to proceed on a course of 320 for 2 hours to avoid the firing
range. That was taking us far out of our way and I gently complained. He came
back with “call back in 1 hour and we will advise”.
The wind had come up to 10 so we rolled out the code zero
and main for a gentle sail, course 320. After an hour we called back and they said,
“stay your course”. Finally, they called and said, “proceed as we wish”. Having
made little progress on our voyage we turned on the motor and made for the port
in Chania. We arrived about 1600 and there were no Marinaros, and the quay was
pretty full. We picked a spot and headed in, fortunately one of the other
boaters took our lines and we quickly secured the boat.
It was fun to be back in a familiar and beautiful place. We
went for a walk to show off the town and get a bit of exercise. Pizza and pasta
for a late dinner. Beautiful cool and calm night for a good sleep.
May 16, 2025 – Chania, Crete, Greece
A lazy morning on a hazy day with a light breeze, the weather was changing. The girls went shopping and the boys went to the chandlery. Our boat neighbor, Danielle, was looking for the chandlery so we invited him along. On our way back Tom and I explored the fort, late 1500s Venetian fort to fend off the Ottomans.
The wind in the afternoon was strong, as predicted, but from
the west, not predicted. We had come back to Chania to avoid the high wind
event. We doubled up some lines and added a spring line. Danielle’s boat was
getting uncomfortably close to the quay; it seemed that his anchor was not
holding. Tom and I stayed aboard to keep an eye on the boat and watch the
people go by. The ladies went for another round of shopping.
We had several people strolling on the quay stop to talk
about our boat. One couple wanted to take pictures with the wife on board, then
she wanted the picture with me in the picture. We showed them the boat, and
they were on their way.
May 17, 2025 – Chania, Crete, Greece
The day was sunny, and the wind was already starting up.
Danial left sometime in the night, probably back to his mooring in Rethymno.
When I went to check out with the Port Authority I was met
by a crabby lady who was clearly not interested in helping me. She said I had
to wait or come back while she finished her work. I stayed, she made a phone
call and then called me over. She quickly identified the issue with the dates
on my paperwork. I explained that it had been addressed in Heraklion, but she
insisted that they should have changed it on the paperwork. She said we would
have to wait until Monday when the customs office opened and get it changed.
Another officer arrived and my officer explained the situation and left the
room. The new officer reluctantly stamped my papers and advised that we should
go to customs in the next port to get the dates changed. Mustering all my
patience and charm I thanked her and went on my way.
After some checking and tweaking lines, we headed out to
pick up a rental car for the day. The ladies had set up a great itinerary for
us. Before leaving town, we stopped at a bakery that had been recommended for
their baclava. We had not had any baclava in Greece yet, we were looking for
the best not something boxed up for tourists. Now we had a box full full desert
later.
The first sightseeing stop was Topolia Gorge. We got a little lost and ended up on top of this mountain with a beautiful view and quaint little church.
Next stop was a Monastery, Aptera Castle Monastery, that had been restored to its original beauty. The views of the sea and the cove below were worth the walk up. Like so many of the monasteries there were secret places where they kept information and held classes without the occupying invaders knowing in an effort to protect their native language and history.
Not far from the monastery was Elafonisi Beach famous for its pink sand beach and islands accessible by wading along the connecting sand bar. It was cool and windy, but the sunbathers were out. We enjoyed a picnic by the shore. For dessert we had some of the baclava we bought earlier, it was fabulous. In the afternoon we enjoyed the ride back to the north side of the island where we found a great winery, Anoskeli, and enjoyed wine and olive oil tasting. We tried their version of grappa, Cretan Tsikoudia, named Ano Kato (Up Down), the shot goes up and the Tsikoudia goes down. On the label the name was written upside down because that is how you will be when you drink to much of this stuff. Afterward we went for a walk in the vineyard.
Back in town we picked up a few grocery items and returned to the boat. We were happy to see that the boat survived the winds with no issues. We did a circuit through town since this would be our last night in Crete. The wind had settled, and we had a very comfortable night.
May 18, 2025 – Chania, Crete, Greece
It was an early morning departure for Milos. The day was sunny
and the wind was already 10-15 WSW with a swell heading NE. We put out the main
and small jib for a broad reach north. The wind built to 20 and we enjoyed one
of our best sails this trip, 4-5 hours before the wind died off and we switched
on the engine.
With the wind and sea settling the ladies were able to do
some prepping for a Moussaka dinner. They prepared grape leaves and stuffing so
we could all assist in rolling the grape leaves. A good way to pass the time on
a 70-mile passage.
We arrived at the Bay of Caves around 1730 with a few boats anchored around the bay. The cliffs and caves were a sight to behold, a geologist’s wet dream. By sunset all but 2 of us had left. The wind was light but we were subject to a 1-2’ swell on our beam through the night.
May 19, 2025 – Bay of Caves, Milos, Greece
Happy to get off the rolling boat Suzette and I took our
coffee and biscotti for a dinghy ride through and around the caves. This would
be a fun place to snorkel on a warm calm day but not today. When we arrived
back at the boat Deb and Tom were up and we sent them off in the dinghy so they
could tour the bay.
We motored to Adamantas and anchored in the caldera in front of the town. Milos is a volcano that erupted sometime in ancient history and left the crescent shaped island similar to Santorini. We settled into the anchorage and took the dinghy into shore. We walked the town to select a restaurant for the evening, do a bit of grocery shopping and check in with the Port Authority. The Port Authority was pretty easy once we found the office. A few grocery essentials from the market and a stop to check the menu at O! Hamos! Tavern. The tavern was a recommendation from someone in Crete and it looked like a good choice.
It was shaping up to be a hot day on shore but comfortable on the boat. We took care of a few cleaning chores, and I went up the mast to clear the code zero halyard, it was getting very twisted. With work done Tom and I went for a swim, the water was about 20 C, a brisk swim.
Dinner at O! Homas! Tavern was a treat, very fun staff and
classic Greek dishes, slow roasted piglet, slow roasted lamb chops, eggplant
stuffed with lamb, goat, rice and seasoning with a good bottle of wine to wash
it down. We enjoyed our meal on the open air patio with vines as a canopy and
the sea just outside the patio.
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