Author: Gisela Wuerfel

We would have liked to visit the island of Symi in the southeast of the Dodecanese. However, the wind forecast told us that the wind would first turn to the west in the next few days and then to the north a few days later with increasing strength. As we wanted to be back on Kos on 16.9, we decided to head north again from Nisyros sooner. With a south-westerly wind, we were able to reach the small island of Pserimos between Kos and Kalymnos in one day. In the large Ormos Vathy, which is well protected against north and west winds, we found a nice anchorage. Going for a swim in the turquoise, clear water, no artificial light in the evening, just the moon and the starry sky and in the distance the lights on the Turkish coast. Once again, pure idyll. 

But we knew that in two days the Meltemi would start blowing again. We still had one, at most two days to get further north. Next destination: the small harbour of Vathys in the south-east of Kalymnos. In the narrow entrance to the harbour, we had the feeling we were driving into a fjord, deep water, steeply rising rocks. When we arrived at noon, most of the excursion boats were about to cast off, but it was still very narrow. The anchor had to drop just in front of the rock face opposite the pier. At the first attempt we caught the anchor chain of another boat, which we only got rid of with a lot of strength and endurance. And then it was too shallow for our boat just before the pier. So we had to stay with long stern lines and wait until we could go alongside the small pier of the excursion boats in the late afternoon. "Tomorrow at eleven o'clock you have to be gone," the harbour master tells us, wearing a large natural sponge as a headdress. Kalymnos is the island of the sponge divers. We liked Vathys very much: the fjord, the small village, which becomes quiet after the departure of the excursion boats from Kos, the friendly, almost warm-hearted locals. A place to stay for a few days. But we were supposed to be gone by eleven o'clock and besides, it gets uncomfortable there when the Meltemi blows down the valley.

Actually, we wanted to go one bay further north (Ormos Palaios) the next day, before the north wind really got going, because there are mooringtons. But when we left the fjord of Vathys, we were met by 40 knots of wind with a swell of up to two metres. We didn't want to do that to ourselves, even for a short distance. So we turned around and headed for Pserimos, the large anchorage we already knew. The way there was short and hard, a roller coaster with broken glass. We will have to get five new wine glasses soon. With gusts to over 30 knots, but no swell, we were quite happy with our choice of anchorage. Now the wind blows unabated, but all is well.  

Pictures:

After welcoming our friend Claudia, an experienced sailor and area expert, on board, we set off south in a north-westerly wind between three and five bft. Our destination: the small volcanic island of Nisyros. Now there are three of us and setting and hoisting the sails, which is labour-intensive on Aglaya, is much quicker. After a beautiful day of sailing, we find a place in the harbour of Pali right next to the fishermen, from whom we can buy fish directly from the boat on one of the next days. It is Thursday and the harbour is already full of boats, mainly charter boats, which will probably all have to be back in the marinas tomorrow evening. And it gets even more crowded. Later, there are two more boats in the packet with us. The next day, however, it becomes emptier again.

The island of Nisyros is described in the guidebook as a natural wonder. We spend a day on the island, first with the island bus to the main town of Mandraki. Then we are allowed to ride in the bus of a Polish tour group and can take a look at the large volcanic crater (one of the largest in Europe). Mountains up to 700 metres high rise directly from the sea. Under the floor of the crater, which is only 120 metres above sea level, it is still bubbling. Here we learn a lot about volcanism in the region, to which Santorini also belongs. As we descend to the bottom of the crater, it gets even hotter than it already is, and there is a smell of sulphur. Back in Mandraki, we climb up to Paleokastro via a beautiful stone-paved and wall-lined path. Here, too, we are quite impressed: the well-preserved walls are made of huge stone blocks and the view to the surrounding islands and the Turkish mainland is magnificent. Archaeologists still have a lot of work to do here, because the inside of the castro has not yet been uncovered. It is not known whether the walls of an acropolis are here or whether they are fortress walls.   

In Kos we have two days until our friend Claudia comes on board. We have the Turkish coast in mind and decide to make a day trip there. We leave our boat at the marina, as the Meltemi blows strongly with up to 7 bft. So, together with many other tourists, we get on one of the small ferries that go to Bodrum. We had not imagined that we would get caught up in such masses. Leaving Greece, entering Turkey, long queues at passport control, everything a bit chaotic. And then, in Bodrum, the guests of two large cruise ships, who were being smuggled through before us. The crossing took barely half an hour, but the fuss took an hour and a half. Well, that is also an experience.

They say Bodrum is the Saint Tropez of Turkey. However, the town is much bigger, dominated by mass tourism and built up around the beautiful old town centre with ugly hotel castles and holiday resorts. Nevertheless, we liked the town centre with its covered alleys, the long harbour promenade along the two bays where many interesting boats are anchored, and the Kastro. From the Kastro we can see the whole impressive scenery all around. So our flying visit to Turkey was a good idea, despite the crowds.  

Now we are back on board and in the meantime we are moored in the marina of Kos between the north-eastern tip of Kos and the Turkish mainland near Bodrum in winds of up to force seven. Our two-month summer break at home was filled with many things that we also enjoy: making music, meeting friends, visiting mother, looking after "Wahlenkel", hiking in the Palatinate Forest and drinking the odd Riesling spritzer. However, we did not manage to escape the summer heat. At times it was hotter at home than in the Aegean.

In the night of 31 August, we climbed back on board Aglaya in the marina of Leros/Lakki. In the first two days we had to do maintenance work on the engine and make Aglaya ready to sail again for the onward journey. During these days it became clear to us once again that some places only really open up when you spend a few days there and take your time. So in Lakki, too, a bit of a "home feeling" has gradually emerged for us. This includes rituals that develop gradually or sometimes very quickly. In Lakki it was the evening beer in Marietta's bistro at the harbour - of course Mythos freshly tapped from the barrel.

Our plan was to head south on 2 September, with one or two stops on the island of Kalymnos, to arrive in Kos on 6 September. There a friend will come on board. After the past few days of humid, muggy weather without wind (up to 28 degrees below deck at night), the Meltemi announced itself - strong winds from the north from Sunday to Wednesday. You need a safe berth on Kos. But everything was full in Kos Marina and the town harbour. So we decided to stay on Leros for the time being and announced to our friend that she would have to take the ferry from Kos to Leros. But then came the surprise: we were promised a berth in Kos Marina for Sunday.

So goodbye to Leros, the diverse island that we really liked. The freshening wind from the northeast between 20 and 30 knots with a swell of about 1.5 or sometimes 2 metres (we always find it hard to estimate) blew us along the Greek-Turkish border to Kos within 6 hours. We only had the genoa set and always made 5-6 knots of speed. A beautiful first day of sailing after the summer break. Before we reached the marina in Kos, we had to circle a bit until we were guided into the harbour. Now we are safely moored and can calmly look at the wind indicator, which shows up to 33 knots.

Video: Nice speedy sailing only with the genoa

Video: Along the east side of Kalymnos

Viedeo: Along the greek-turkish border

After tying up everything well on Aglaya, we took the ferry from Leros to Kos on 4th of July and flew home from there. Aglaya will stay in the marina of Leros. We hope to see her again safely on 30th of August.

We are looking forward to beautiful summer weeks at home in Heidelberg and reuniting with family and friends.

So that we don't only get to know the marina, we rent a car for a day to explore the island. We are amazed at how beautiful the island is, which looks so barren from the sea. Bays that are also good for anchoring, beautiful beaches. And every place is different. We climb up to the Kastro from Agia Marina, look out from the bay of Pandeli to the windmills and visit the small crab church in the south of the island. It is built directly into the rock by the sea. Here are some pictures from our island tour:

Lakki, the largest village on the island, on the edge of which our marina is located, is architecturally out of the ordinary. The Italians occupied the island from 1913 to 1943 and used Lakki as a military base. During this time, they rebuilt the place in the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s. Much of this can still be seen. However, only a few buildings are well preserved.

When we read up on the history of the island, we were struck by how it was "misused" again and again for various purposes: Although the island had taken part in the Greek liberation struggle, it was reassigned to the Ottoman Empire. After the Italian-Turkish war, Italian occupation (the whole island became an arms depot), Italian military and naval base, British occupation after the Second World War. In 1948 it was integrated into the Greek state.

Leros was also a place of exile for a long time: first a leper station, later during the 1967-1974 dictatorship an internment camp for political dissidents and a re-education camp for the children of communists. In 1957, the largest psychiatric clinic in Greece was set up here, where people were locked up in undignified conditions. From the 1980s onwards, the EU campaigned for qualified treatment methods.

Since 2008 there has been a camp for refugees on Leros, for many years it was overcrowded. Probably not any more. And today? We can see the camp from our boat mooring. It is fenced in and brightly lit at night. We can't find any information about it. We don't see any refugees in the town. It is obviously to keep them away from the tourists. But they are there anyway. And what is the EU doing?

There is just not only sailing, beautiful bays and picturesque villages. Leros has many faces, not only beautiful ones.

"A low over Taurus hardly changes." That's what the marine weather report has been telling us for days. And that's how it's supposed to stay for the next few days. A low over Taurus together with a high over Turkey causes the strong north wind Meltemi in the Aegean. Normally it blows strongest in July and August. Now we have it already towards the end of June. In the harbour of Lipsi it blows into our cockpit and the resulting swell makes our boat rock violently - even at night. This strains our nerves a little.

As the wind is supposed to get even stronger in the next few days, we decide to go to the marina in Leros a few days earlier. 15 nautical miles in a strong swell - after three hours, Marinero Jannis welcomes us with the dinghy even before we enter the marina and guides us to our berth. "Please give me the mooring," says Gisela, after she has tied down both bow lines. "It's already fixed in the back," says the marinero. From the dinghy, he had handed the mooring line directly to Walter, who was standing at the helm. Great service! We've never had that before. However, the boats at this jetty are packed so tightly that we can only deploy our fenders with a lot of effort. Something has to change there.

Now we have been in the summer quarters for our boat for two days, the Leros Marina Evros in Lakki. After so many small town harbours and anchorages, we have to get used to the marina flair again. But a warm shower and a washing machine are not to be scoffed at either.

We had already seen Volpert and Anja on their boat when we entered the marina. We knew that we would most likely meet here. We sailed together with Volpert about 25 years ago. A nice reunion after a long time. Now we have a few days to prepare for our departure on 4 July. And Walter can cure his back, which suffered during the exchange of the heavy batteries on Skyros.