You might think we had fled - from the black wall of clouds over Crete and the rumble of thunder. It was not like that. We had been on Crete for twelve days, had made beautiful excursions, had met our friends Ursula and Norbert, who have been living on Crete for years and had just moved into their new house in the green hills above the bay of Chania, had celebrated Walter's birthday there. Now there was a wind forecast that it should go at least one or two days without a strong north wind before the Meltemi would really start to blow. So off we went! On May 4th we left Kolimbari, where we had been so well protected. Course to the north-northwest to the island of Kythira.
The rain from Crete did not catch us, but a very strong swell in the bay of Avlemonas did. Thanks to the anchor claw, our windlass did not suffer, but we did, because all the time we needed both hands to hold on and rolled back and forth in the bunk during the night. Even the beautiful evening sky could not really lift the mood.
Who wants that two nights in a row and what do you do in such a swell at anchor during the day when everything slides back and forth? A really well protected place on Kythira further north was not available either. So again 20 nautical miles to the north to the Peloponnese - unfortunately against with much engine.
Already on the passage between Kythira and the bay of Neapoli at the Peloponnese we could see the rain wall, which moved exactly there, where we wanted to go: into the small port of Paleokastro. Since visibility was poor and we weren't sure if the ferry that normally docks in Neapoli would go to Paleokastro instead in over 30 knots of wind and then there would be no room for boats, we changed our course to the west to the small island of Elafonisos. On the way there the rain wall reached us after all. Soaking wet we carefully sailed into the beautiful bay of Sarakiniko (still without a working depth gauge) and dropped the anchor in front of the beach.
When the weather is nice, this place has a Caribbean flair. But that evening we could just see where the few other sailors were moored in the bay. A beautiful sunset and a quiet night was our reward.
In the sun the next day we could dry our wet clothes and take it easy. All is well again!
