This morning I awoke early, I’m flying to St  Thomas with my new boat partner Tracy.  She just bought a new 50’ Beneteau that will be Custom Sailings second yacht in the Caribbean, our Jeanneau 45 is located in St Vincent.  We arrive at the airport with our 4 giant duffel bags full of boat stuff and check in.  Cha-ching!  Upgrade to first class!  Life is good!  Had a great flight down to STT, our pilot was Denny Crain, aka a William Shatner look alike, very funny!  We arrive in St Thomas.  I forgot how hot and humid it can be here when you first step off the plane and on to the tarmac.  We make our way into the open air airport and are greeted by a beautiful island woman holding a tray of coconut rum, it’s our welcome tott.  Quite yummy!

 We wait for an eternity to get our luggage and then taxi to the ferry dock in Charlotte Amalie.  After waiting (in the bar) for 2 hours for our ferry we finally get on board and spend the next 45 minutes riding past St. Thomas and St John.  I point out the island where the side of a mountain was blown up when they made a John Wayne movie, next point of interest, Ester Williams house, Judith Light’s house and the island that had been for sale for $18 million that my friends and I always joked about buying, we would pool our money, ha!

 We arrive in Roadtown, Tortola.  Here they make you wait till all the bags are unloaded before they let you off the ferry.  The diesel fumes were killing me, I wanted off the boat.  There was a second exit off the back of the boat where if you removed the chain keeping us from exiting, you could jump off.  I looked at the masses of humanity trying to get off through the one exit and the skinny chain keeping us on board and told Tracy, let’s go this way!  I removed the chain and jumped off  landing on the dock.  The guard turned around and yelled at me, Tracy was frozen like a dear in the head lights, he replaced the chain, I apologized and made some lame excuse about the fumes, he said he didn’t want to hear it.  I sheepishly skulked away and got in the next line to go through customs.  Tracy made her way forward to meet me.  I know we shaved a good hour off our time, oh well!  Since we were meeting friends and had dinner reservations I didn’t feel too bad. 

 We arrive at the dock and see the boat for the first time she is so beautiful, she even still has that new boat smell, although our friend Mike said that that comes in a spray can!  She is huge!  Or at least seems so, no she is!  The broker had made up the cabins, turned on the AC so it was nice and cool and cranked up the frig.  The only thing missing was the celebratory champagne, although there was a bottle of Pusser’s Rum, so not too shabby!   Mike and Sydnie of Barecat Charters met us at the dock and off we go to a wonderful Italian dinner.  Tomorrow under day light we will continue checking out the new yacht before taking her out for her inaugural voyage and sea trial…can’t wait!

This blog is compliments of one of our guests from last fall.  He and his wife sailed with us in Greece...this is their story!

You may have thought fleetingly or even longingly about taking a vacation in the Greek isles. After spending 12 days there, I urge you to move it to the top of your list.

Being on an unaccompanied job assignment essentially halfway around the world – California is 12 time zones from Abu Dhabi – makes seeing family very problematic. Although my company does allow for quarterly furloughs of two weeks, I can spend no more than 35 days in the US in any 12 month period or I will lose the tax emption that applies to a significant portion of my paycheck. The silver lining in that cloud of limited time at home is that it creates a great excuse to plan vacations in places you always wanted to see but might not have made the time to visit./bcCreateEntry.aspx?ci=22731#

Sonia and decided to make the best of the situation and decided to meet in Greece to spend some time in the islands. We looked online initially for a standard cruise line, then found a smaller 4-masted sailboat for 30 couples, and finally discovered Custom Sailing where the friendly owner Valerie worked with us to tailor a prefect package – a Bavaria-37 sailboat with a local skipper. Because we intend to one day buy our own sailboat for Lake Granby (once the spec houses eventually sell), the opportunity to learn a bit more about sailing and to set our own agenda was the ideal solution for us.

We each flew into Athens from opposite directions – Denver and Abu Dhabi via Doha, Qatar – and arrived within 15 minutes of each other. Traffic on the roads was light at mid-day and after a 25 minute taxi ride with a pleasant cab driver we arrived at the Herodian Hotel, a small boutique hotel located just a couple blocks from the Acropolis and one block from the new museum.

After a quick lunch in a small restaurant adjoining the hotel, we made the short trek up to the Parthenon and other buildings atop the Acropolis. Along the way we were amazed at all the dogs lying around – seemingly ownerless but usually with a collar and appearing to be decently groomed and fed.

As impressive as the ruins are in their present state, you have you wonder how magnificent they would be if various regimes had not purposefully destroyed so much of it. Originally there were statues and carved bas-relief images encircling the entire top of the building. Behind those images the background was originally painted a deep blue and the statues were decorated with gold necklaces, helmets, and bracelets. But it still looks spectacular and we were able to enjoy a night view looking up at it as we soaked in the hotel’s rooftop hot tub and enjoyed a bottle of wine before settling in for the night.

The next day we caught a cab after breakfast and headed to the boat. As we followed the instructions and wandered down the pier to where the Corali was berthed, we could not help but notice this tall, gaunt, all white apparition down the quay. As we approached we discovered it was moving about on our boat, and that it was our tall and lanky skipper, George!

As we sailed about the Saronic Sea for the next 7 days, George proved to be an able seaman, a surprisingly sage philosopher, and the friendliest of tour guides. At each port he was warmly greeted by many, and it was obvious that the bonds of friendship were years in the making. His advice on places to eat was unerringly fabulous, and usually involved getting us well off the beaten path into back alleyways that few tourists would ever stumble across. Sailing Chart

The first night was spent on Agina, a small port filled with colorful fishing boats.

We stopped the second afternoon at Epidhavros and immediately hopped a cab for a 30-minute ride to the ancient city of Epidaurus. The highlight of that visit was the 10,000-person amphitheatre, which features astounding acoustics and was built 1000 years earlier than Rome’s fabled Coliseum. As we approached there was a youth tour group  from Germany, with the boys on stage singing some boisterous folk song to the girls in the top row. As we ascended to the top, the gals swapped places with the guys and proceeded to sing a series of songs. You could hear every note with amazing clarity – even the sounds of gravel crunching as they shifted weight from foot to foot. One of the gals capped the impromptu concert with a moving solo operatic aria.

The next morning we made a brief detour shortly after leaving port enroute to Poros in order to swim above some ruins that were under only 4-feet of water. There were walls of several houses, with doorways, fireplaces, and remains of pottery clearly visible. It seemed incredible that it was not a protected archeological site, but there are so ruins many scattered across Greece that it is impractical to try and designate every one.

After spending the night in Poros, a picturesque town along a narrow straight that separated the island from the Peloponnesian mainland, Day 3 led us to our favorite port on the island of Hydra (pronounced ee-dra). Faced with headwinds, we made a couple of large tacks to zigzag our way into the tiny harbor surrounded by steep hills. Adding to the charm of the place, the island only allows traffic by foot or by donkey.

We had been able to schedule the trip to coincide with Sonia’s birthday, and before leaving Abu Dhabi I had asked Valerie of Custom Sailing for a recommendation on where best to celebrate that day. She and George arranged for us to be on Hydra that night and had made reservations at Omiron, a wonderful waterside restaurant. After watching the fabulous sunset from a seaside café, we had a delightful meal and Sonia was pleasantly surprised when the dessert appeared with a lit candle.

After two very relaxing days in Hydra, we set sail for the quiet port of Agistra. The winds were ideal for sailing, and we spent most of the trip slicing through the waves with a rail near the water.

Upon arriving, we were one of only 3 sailboats in the harbor. Most sailboaters remain unaware the port was recently been deepened to accommodate the keels on sailboats. The sunset meal was spent amongst locals at the dockside restaurant.

The next day was remarkably calm, leaving the waters mirror smooth and requiring us to motor back to Athens for our final night aboard the boat. Peering down through the clear waters you could easily see the bottom in 40 or 50 feet of water, and I saw a large turtle swimming along at one point. We dropped anchor off an uninhabited island for a brief swim break to explore it briefly.

After a great meal ashore we spent a restful last night aboard the boat, then headed back to the Herodian for three more days in Athens. That first day was spent visiting the archeological museum just a block from the hotel, then hiking around the narrow shop-lined streets surrounding the Acropolis. Lycabuttus Hill is not far from the Acropolis, with a picturesque church at the peak and a restaurant offer a spectacular view down on the Parthenon and the sprawling city of Athens.

Although we intended to catch the cable car to the top, we managed to find ourselves instead on the footpath that would its way back and forth up the steep hill. Even with the extra exertion, the scenery was well worth it. We watched the sunset over a glass of wine and then hiked down as the city lights twinkled on set against a blazing orange sky.

The next day was spent wandering through more museums, gardens, and shops. One notable event was watching the changing of the guard at their Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (click the hyperlink to view a You Tube video of the ceremony). Especially as a West Point graduate and former Army officer, I have the greatest respect for military traditions, especially those focused on respect for fallen soldiers. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to have witnessed the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery cannot help but be impressed by the crispness and solemnity of everything associated with the ceremony. I must confess that in Athens I was surprised at the traditional uniform worn by the guards – unlike any I have seen in any museum or military history book – and have never seen such extremely exaggerated movements as their slow-motion high-stepping motions. See the photo below and click on the video link above to judge for yourself.

For our final day in Greece, we caught an early bus for a two-hour ride to the Oracle at Delphi. Delphi in ancient Greece was considered to be the center of the Earth, where Heaven met Hell. For centuries Oracles were older women with a “blameless life” selected from the local peasantry who entered a trance after breathing in vapors emanating from a fissure in the ground. Their proclamations made while in that trance were interpreted by priests, and leaders from faraway would come for advice and to tithe enormous treasures. It is reported that to this day world leaders routinely include a visit to Delphi when visiting Greece.

While I did not gain any life-changing revelations during my visit, it was a breath taking view and a relaxing last day in Greece.

I looked at Turkey a short mile or two across the Straight of Samos from our yacht anchored in the bay of Pathagoris on the Greek Island of Samos.  Green, lush, mountainous and mysterious, she called to me.  It truly is where the east meets the west.  Turkey is a land of contrasts, traditional and contemporary with regard to culture, fashion, religion, food and sailing.  I was really looking forward to exploring this land as it abounds with archaeological ruins dating from the dawn of civilization.  A country once inhabited by various Anatolian tribes, was conquered, and occupied by Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and finally established independence in the 1920s under Ataturk.

We planned to leave Samos and sail to Yalikavak Marina, a port of entry on the north eastern side of the Bodrum Peninsula.  We provisioned at the mini market at the marina that somehow always seems to have everything you need.  The first mate and I planned our route to arrive the next afternoon in Yalikavak.  As we neared the coastline we lowered the Greek flag and raised the Turkish flag with the yellow quarantine flag above it.  Ashore were steep inclines stacked with white houses featuring gardens with flowers and bougainvillea everywhere.  Minarets of the mosques came into view as we sailed into the harbor.  We hailed the marina on the VHF and found our way in to our dock where we med moored bow to the quay. 

 

 

Yalikavak is a beautiful modern and upscale marina with restaurants, markets, boutiques and of course a full service ship yard for all your yachting needs.  It is also the home of Aura Yachting, a company which offers a selection of bareboat charter yachts, all flying the US flag.  Apparently there is a tax break in Turkey for US flagged yachts, so they are visible everywhere.

We thought we were back in the US until we heard the afternoon call to prayer being piped out of the local mosque.  No, we weren’t in Kansas anymore!  The Muslim is called to prayer five times a day.  Beginning at dawn and ending about two hours after sunset, this would become a familiar sound that we could set our clocks to over the next 6 weeks.  We checked in with the marina and hired an agent to handle all the various paper work required when entering Turkey by sea.  Five hours and 200€ later we were legal, it included a 90 day visa and a mandatory transit log which is required for both private and charter yachts. 

The Turkish coast with over 5,100 miles of shoreline is a treasure chest of gulfs, coves, bays, inlets and beaches.  It is also a journey back in time, with many archaeological sites, castles and temples that reflect Turkey’s importance in ancient and medieval times.  The coast is divided into four yacht charter areas.  In addition to private yachts and charter boats one can see the traditional wooded gullets everywhere; ranging from 40’ to 150’ and used for the traditional blue cruises through Turkish and Greek waters.

We started our cruise from Yalikavak and made our way south to Gumuluk, built on the top of the ancient city of Myndos, one of my favorite places on the Bodrum peninsula.  Gumuluk has retained its identity as a village, and offers fisherman restaurants that feature the freshest of everything right from the sea.  We had an amazing fish dinner with all the accompanying mezza.  It was the start of a 6 week love affair with Turkish cuisine!  The next morning we found our way past the touristy restaurants to shaded table where we sat among the “old men.”  I had my first real Turkish coffee and then had to try the tea because it looked so interesting.  The waiters quickly materialized tea served in small glasses on silver trays and each glass was accompanied by two sugar cubes and a petite spoon.  Turkish chai (tea) would become a daily ritual for me while in Turkey.

 
Gulumuk at sunset

Turkish chai and gozleme..yummy!

 

 That morning we weighed anchor and headed south toward Bodrum the first yachting center in Turkey. Surrounded by a wild mountainous area, it offers history, mythology and spectacular scenery. Tourism has made the city prosper. Today Turkey is picturesque, friendly and slightly westernized with a strong Venetian influence. There are amazing markets that sell everything from the freshest just picked produce to designer extravagances.  One experience you don’t want to miss is the Bodrum Hamam, a traditional Turkish bath.  Today as in the past the hamam is more than just a place for bathing.  It is a popular social institution, a place where rich and poor, young and old met to mingle and gossip.  

Over looking the port is the medieval Castle of St. Peter, which houses an interesting museum with an important collection of ancient glass and marine objects. The city is also home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the tomb of Mausolus, a grave built by the widow of Mausolus who ruled Halicarnassos during the third century (BC). Today Bodrum is primarily devoted to the more hedonistic pleasures of boating, bronzing and boozing, and has therefore been nicknamed "Bedroom". It houses an outdoor discotheque "Halikarnas Hotel", where the jet-set can be seen dancing late at night among ancient pillars and laser beams. With its abundance of pubs and clubs Bodrum is a party town.   Just remember to bring your earplugs if you anchor in Bodrum harbor.  Music blaring from competing clubs continues till the wee wee hours of the morning! 

 

Neon Disco boat leaving Bodrum for it's nightly cruise

 

 We left the frenzy of Bodrum midmorning and headed east into the Gokova Gulf with the wind behind us.  One can easily spend a week or two here.  Plan your itinerary accordingly.  The winds are quiet in the morning and pick up in the afternoon and always blow from the west or northwest. 

We sailed into Cokertme where a small boat came out to greet us; we chose to moor at Kaptan Ibrahim's restaurant.  The docks in the small villages and harbors are owned by the restaurant owners and one can stay for free with electric and water, but you and your crew must dine at their restaurant.  This did not present a problem because the food was always fresh, and cooked to order in these large outdoor wood burning ovens.  We tried the grilled fish, the kefte (spicy grilled meatballs) and the kebobs along with the various mezza that Turkey is famous for.  After dinner Kaptain Ibrahim himself came over to our table to see how we were enjoying our meal.   He looked at my friend and asked “is this your wife?”  He answered no.  The Kaptain said with a grin “I have three wives and 12 children and they all work for me!”  I was rather amazed, but hey, when in Cokertme!   We spent several days here exploring ruins, trying the different foods and wines and sipping tea in the outdoor tea room perched on the side of a cliff while sitting on cushions over looking the sea and watching the traditional gullets sail by.  This was a magical little village.

Making gozleme

 Turkish tea room on the clifs of Cokertme

 

Traditional and modern

 

From Cokertme we headed east to Akbuk, green, lush and surrounded by mountains.  A fresh water stream runs into the salty bay which makes for some interesting sea life.   This is an area where many Turks vacation in the summer so there are caravan parks, camping and restaurants as well as small shops where one can pick up provisions.  It was hard to leave Akbuk, the beauty of our surroundings were mesmerizing.  

Next stop was Degirmen Buku known as English Harbor ' because British torpedo boats hid here during World War II.  It’s a popular venue with plenty of sheltered coves to accommodate yachts and gullets.   As we sailed in we meandered into and around the entrance into what seemed like a lake, the water was flat the wind was blowing and it was incredibly beautiful.  We made our way in and moored at Kaptain’s restaurant.  It was just another delightful village with friendly people and marvelous food.  Once we walked up the dirt road and past the cows grazing near the waters edge we found a little place for tea.  They had fresh veggies from the garden and local white wine we could take back to the boat.  The owner, a retired captain also had a gullet for sale if I was interested!

 

It’s hard to relate all the experiences we encountered during the six weeks we spent in this paradise.  Turkey is a budding location on the charter’s radar and a long known place for the Mediterranean cruising sailor.  The sailing is varied.  Brush up on your med mooring skills and when at anchor be ready to run a line off the stern to shore in order secure the boat.  The water is deep and you will be anchoring close to shore with other yachts and gullets so there is no room to swing.  The weather offers exciting as well as predictable sailing conditions.  

Being sup-tropical, Turkey enjoys cloudless blue skies and pleasant warm weather from April through October.  Turkey’s currency is the Turkish Lira which makes it a very affordable cruising ground.  Try to visit before Turkey is admitted to the EU when prices will inevitably go up. 

For more information on cruising in Turkey and the Greek Islands contact Captain Valerie Weingrad of Custom Sailing, Ltd. at Valerie@customsailing.net or 770-517-2992.  Visit their website at

 

 

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I was in a meeting the other day and talking to some potential agents about Custom Sailing in the Greek Islands.  “Tell us about sailing in Greece” she said, “what’s it like?”

 

I thought back to my first visit to the place that has touched my soul and become my second home.  It was our inaugural voyage and on board was a combination of friends and strangers, customers who would later become friends.  We boarded a brand new 50’ sailing yacht.  I was in awe, she was so new and perfect and very different than the standard charter yachts I was used to in the Caribbean.  From the layout of the floor plan to the size of the WC’s to the well thought out galley, and the passarella on the stern which could be raised and lowered easily, my own gang plank (hmmm, did someone say pirate?) I was going to be very happy in my new “home”. 

 

We welcomed our guests on board and left the marina in Athens late in the afternoon.  We raised the sails and made our way along the coast of the main land west to Sounion, the tip of the mainland before you head to the Cyclades Ilands.   We arrived at Sounion shortly after dark.  We made our way into the bay and dropped anchor, it was very dark as the full moon had not come up yet.  I knew the Temple of Poseidon dating back to 480BC was up on the hill above us but could not see it.  We put the dinghy in the water and went ashore to a little taverna for our first meal, fresh calamari, real Greek Salad, cold wine, and the rest I don’t remember, but it was all good!  After toasting our great fortune and the start of a wonderful week, and what was to be a life changing experience for me personally, we made our way back to the yacht.  We all retired to our cabins as we had a long day ahead of us, we were sailing into the Aegean Sea! 

 

I awoke at sunrise  and excitedly popped up to look out of my cabin hatch.  I couldn't believe I was in the Greece on a yacht, I had always dreamed of this!   As I looked to the right the full moon was low in the sky and starting to set, to my left on the cliff was the Temple of Poseidon, magnificent and so well preserved and behind it the sunrise  What a way to wake up!  I still get chills when I think about it, truly magical!

 Moon setting at  Sounion   
    The Temple of Poseidon at sunrise                                         
                                   

During the 2004 Olympics games we had a family of 8 on board from Spain consisting three generations, the grandparents, 2 sisters and a brother and two of their kids.  The granddaughter was on the Spanish Olympic team and her twin sister was on the yacht.  We spent several days in Athens going to the games, drinking in the excitement and the atmosphere, the mood was electric.  Witnessing the Olympics where it all started was such a privilege and an incredible experience, but now it was time to go sailing. 

We left Athens and headed for the island of Aegina, a short 2 to 3 hour sail.   It was sunset and the city was bright with lights.  The Queen Mary was anchored in front of the city marina and lit up like a Christmas tree, the Parthenon was lighted especially for the Olympics and the lights of the city danced in the background.  As we sailed away from the Athens we all looked back in silence and marveled as the full moon was raising over the Parthenon.  At that moment an Italian aria started first one tenor voice and then two more.  The grandfather was singing and the daughters had joined in.  It was “O solo mio”.  As the voices rose to the heavens I thought to myself, it does not get any better than this!  Unbelievable!  We later found out that the grandfather was a very well know opera singer in Spain back in the day.  He happened to have a CD with him and left it with us.  The rest of the summer we started every morning with Italian arias and coffee, very civilized I must say.

 

When I finished my stories my companions exclaimed, wow!  I said this, is my Greece! 

These are only a couple stories, there have been so many more over the years and more to come I know, so stay tuned and check back, or better yet join us and make some of your own stories!

This blog entry is not about our usual charters, but a recent yacht delivery from the Bahamas to Puerto Rico.  It's not something you would expect as a guest of Custom Sailing, but amusing ( I think) none the less!

When I meet people for the first time, or even those I have known for awhile, I sometimes get the comment “you have such a glamorous life!” The travel, the exotic ports of call, the sea, the yachts and all that goes with it.  It’s then that I sometimes think to myself, “yes that's true some of the time, but if you only knew…” 

 

I have good intentions of keeping a journal with me when I travel and occasionally write in it.  While going through some recent paperwork I found the latest journal and took some time out to read an entry or two, here is a condensed version...

 

It’s our 3^rd day at sea.  We are making good time and heading East about 110° and hoping the weather and wind stays were they say it’s supposed to so we can make it to Fajardo.  I really want to see my cousin there.  The sun is rising; it’s just after 6AM.  The sky is a cloudy blue gray with tinges of pink.  Not a boat in site.  Last night I saw lights on one horizon and a big cruise ship on the other, the eerie glow from their light pollution poured over the sky in the distance.

 

Ok, so let’s talk about the glamorous side of sailing.  Everyone always says “you're always on vacation”  “It’s so glamorous!”  I recalled this as I awoke from my 4 hours of beauty sleep in the same Columbia shorts and long sleeve t-shirt I have been wearing for 3 or is it 4 days?  As my friend the captain came to the companion way steps to greet me good morning I turned my head and hugged him.  I got a whif of my arm pit, he smiled and said “don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”  “Do you want the pants?” he asked.  We have been sharing one pair of foul weather bibs on our six hour watches. It’s been a bit chilly out here miles from land.  I slipped the pants on.  They were nice and warm.  Hot pants and hot bunking, at least there is not a bucket!  Ha! I thought!  And my friends think this is so glamorous!  

 

So let me preface this, I typically do not go for days on end without showering, but we are very low on water.  Our last stop was the island Rum Cay.  They advertised R/O water and we intended to fill the tanks before setting out on this 5 day sail to Puerto Rico.  When we inquired about water all they has was this yellow tinged manky looking water dribbling out of the hose pipe.  I suggested that we did not want that in the tanks of the boat.  We departed with 15 gallons of water  remaining in the tanks, 6 gallons of drinking water and 5 gallons of the yellow water in plastic jugs for “just in case”.  We have been on a close haul/ close reach for 36 hours in 15 to 30 knots of wind and up to 12’ swells.  It’s hard to do anything more than brush your teeth and splash your face at that angle.  Thanks goodness for baby wipes!  I fantasize about a long hot shower and a facial and maybe a pedicure when we reach Puerto Rico.

I hear Chris Parker with the weather on the SSB below.  The wind is supposed to be shifting which may alter our course (read - take longer), squalls are expected and maybe some rain.  At least I slept last night so I’ll be ready for what ever the sea may offer.  I was exhausted and wedged nicely into the mid-ship settee and slept like it was my job.  The recent addition of ear plugs helped drown out the sound of the water sloshing over the hull and the creaking of the spars above. 
 

Back to my watch I scan the horizon check the instruments and the course, all is good.  The sea, the North Atlantic, throws up a salty kiss good morning.  This one missed.  As I look out I am in awe of the vastness of this rolling sea.  We rise and fall gently on her.  She is so blue.  Even in this light of morning.  I watch the continuous undulating, the rise and fall.  The power, the water. 

Day 2 of the trip.  We wake up early to find all these colorful local fishing boats in our bay.  They have nets out and are gathering the small fish that they will use to catch the big fish that they will sell at the fish market in Kingstown and to the occasional charter boat.  They are there for minutes and then they are off and we have the bay to ourselves again. 

We have a bite to eat, it's a long sailing day and after last nights feast no one is really that hungry.  Chris and Michael get in the dinghy and paddle out to retrieve the anchor, this goes surprisingly well!  They are back on board and we weigh anchor and head south along the lee side of St Vincent and prepare for the passage to Bequia.  This is known as the Bequia Bash because of the winds that can blow off the high peaks of Bequia.  We are ready for it.  The wind is at about 20 knots and builds to 25.  Our sails are reefed and the boat is sailing fast and balanced.  As we pass Bequia we notice another boat off to our starboard side and not too far away, it's a race!  Whenever there are two boats in close proximity and going in the same direction it's an unofficial race, that’s just part of sailing!  I look over and they are looking at us looking at them.  Michael tweaks the sails, Capt. Mel is at the helm; we pick up an extra bit of speed.     

Two hours later we have the other boat eating our wake as we sail past the top of Canouan.  We head into Charlestown and look for my favorite sandy spot to anchor.  We are approached by an interesting looking vessel.  It has yellow pontoons with purple trim and a piece of plyboard between the pontoons.  Mounted on top is a leather captain’s chair complete with swivel.  The driver asks if we want a mooring ball, I say no we'll anchor.  He directs us to my favorite spot and tells us it's sandy, "thanks" I say!

 

After we anchor we meet Wilbur, the brother of the water guy Marcus.  Wilbur has been fishing and since I recently took up the sport we start talking about lures.  I show him my new lure and he tells me it's no good that I need new hooks and other stuff which I won't go into.  He tells me he will take me into town to buy new hooks and wire.  Before leaving he shows me an old chewed up rubber lure with a rusty hook, "this caught two fish today".  "Really?" I say.  I propose a trade for one of my new lures; he checks it out and agrees.  We do the trade and my crew looks at me lwith a puzzeled expression, I say "it's luckey, it might catch us a fish!" 

Wilbur climbs in the dinghy with me and we head off to shore.  We tie off the dinghy to the pier and walk through the beautifully manicured grounds of the resort, palm trees, bougainvillea, and gardenia are everywhere.  We exit through some trees and now we're in town.  At this point I'm thinking that maybe I should not have gone off with this funny man, but everyone we met on the street knew him and called to him.  So I thought, ok, it’s cool.  "Hey Plupy", "evening Plupy".  "What are they calling you?" I asked.  "Plupy" he said it's his nick name, in the islands everyone has a nickname.  We turn down a side street and find not a store, but a house.  He calls in the window and we interrupt a family having dinner.  He tells them we need some fishing hooks.  We walk around to a porch and enter the living room of the house.  There are shelves and isles and a cooler in the corner. They are selling everything from canned corn to car parts.  I buy the hooks and as we're walking back I ask him if he knows where a good place to find conch is.  Ever since leaving the Bahamas a month earlier I wanted to catch some conchs, not that they are that hard to catch, but you have to know where to find them.  He tells me he will show us tomorrow, great it's a date!

The next morning I pick Plupy up at the dock at 8:00am.  He has snorkel gear and a spear gun with him.  He gets in and takes over.  He drives me back out to my boat and we pull up anchor.  He is taking us around to the windward side of Canouan.  He's on the bow giving hand signals for me to alter course from left to right, slow down, speed up, someone observed that  Plupy likes to be in control!  We approach a narrow shallow cut between the shore line and a small island, I'm a little nervous and slow down to a crawl, Plupy is waving me forward.  After looking at the cart for the umpteenth time I determine that I would not normally choose this path, it’s a little risky, but Plupy seemed to know the waters and so far so good.  We made our way through, now the wind was really blowing and the waves were rocking and rolling, we dropped anchor.  Chris and Melissa decided to go diving for conch with Plupy.  As much as I wanted to go, I decided to stay on board with the yacht, it was just too windy and I didn't want to come back to find our yacht on the beach.   I watch the dinghy head out to the reef, till I can't really spot them anymore.  It seems like hours, but they finally come back with a dinghy full of conch and a few starfish.

 

The deal was that Plupy would clean the conch and I would make the conch salad for our lunch.  He quizzed me to see if I really knew what I was doing, I guessed he approved my recipe!  Rather than go on about it I will just show you the photos.  It was an amazing day!  The Conch sushi was awesome.  By now it was 4:00pm and we have to get to the next island because a friend was planning grilled lobsters on the beach for dinner and we certainly couldn’t miss that!  We drop our new friend off on the beach and I tell him I’ll see him next week.  He assures me he has more secrete places he will show me when I come back with my new crew.  We sail south, still laughing and grinning about our day so far, but wait…there’s more!

Custom Sailing, Ltd.

Day 1:  Our guests arrive.  Rejoining us are some sailors who sailed in Greece this past September.  I told them tales of the famed Christmas winds in the Grenadines and of the Mustique Blues Fest, we are looking forward to a fun week of great wind, music and sailing! 

 

We decide to check out the lee side of St. Vincent.  It’s a pretty windy day and this short sail will be fairly calm and give everyone a chance to get their sea legs.  We have our valet escort out of Blue Lagoon and start up the coast with the wind behind us.   I’m at the helm and Chris, Melissa and Michael are all over it, raising the main, trimming the jib.  With this experienced crew I will be “on vacation” for the week!   Our destination is a short 6 sea miles to Petit Byahaut.  This small and delightful “Gilligan’s Island" bay is only approachable by sea.  In the past there was a resort here, but now it seems mostly deserted.  Everyone is in awe of the beauty and can’t believe we are the only ones here.  We drop the first anchor and then Chris and I row out to set a second stern anchor, we accomplish this without poking a hole in the dinghy!  Once back at the boat we all go for a swim and snorkel.  There are coral, sponges, seafans, large schools of fish.  I even saw an eel and some soles by the anchor chain.  Around the corner is a bat cave, but we choose not to go in.  Once back on the yacht we have a visit from two guys in a small boat.  They are selling fish and anything else we might need, we end up buying a tuna, it was absolutely amazing!  We cooked it on the grill that night and served it with rice cooked in coconut milk and a green salad and lots of wine.  Great first day!  Tomorrow is a long sail to Canoaun...great stuff happens here!

 

                                Petit Byahat ahead!

 

     Fresh tuna right off the boat, or rather still on the boat!

It's great to back in the Grenadines!  Just arrived in St. Vincent and took a taxi to Blue Lagoon where I boarded our 45' yacht which was to be my home for the next few weeks.  It's late and the wind is howling and the boat bouncing, but I was able to get on board with out any of my bags going into the drink.  It's going to be a good night! 

As the sun rises I look out of my hatch and see the blue water, waves crashing on the reef, palm, papaya and mango trees line the shore.  I love this place.  I have time to provision before my first guests arrive.  I call for Kashaun the taxi driver and he takes me into Kingstown for provisioning.  What should take 30 minutes takes almost 2 hours, the streets are blocked for a concert later that day which will raise money for Haiti.  Island traffic, think one lane, makes Atlanta traffic seem mild!  Kashaun runs us through the back streets and gets us to the market.  On every other street corner there are guys with carts of yellow coconuts.  They sell the coconut water- a refreshing drink straight from the coconut.  I watch as the vendor holds the coconut in his left hand and large machete in his right hand without even really paying attention he whacks off the top of the coconut.  (Don't try this at home!)  He puts a straw in the perfect round hole and hands it to me, I take a sip.  Yes, back in the Caribbean!  There is a group of school girls in line waiting for their drink.

                                         


Back to the yacht and the afternoon is free to visit the fish market where I got fresh red snapper right off the boat.  Since I recently took up fishing I buy some fishing gear to try my hand at catching my own.  And meet some old friends for happy hour!  Tomorrow morning the guests arrive and we are off!

Syros to Kea Day 7

We got ready to set sail for Kea, packed up our loose items, did the dishes and hauled up the anchor.  Today was really the first day where the winds looked good enough to sail.  It was a beautiful day, sunny and very breezy!  We were off the hook by 10:30 AM with south winds at 20 knots that lasted for one hour.  The wind dropped and we motored for a while and ate while we motored.  Demitri from Kythnos had caught a calamari and cleaned it for us.  The girls all threw out ideas as to how to prepare it then Tracy and Valerie marinated it in lemon juice, wine, olive oil, garlic, onions and fresh herbs just to name a few things.  The calamari had been marinating since yesterday so we were certain that it was ready.  The lemon juice had “cooked” the calamari and it was served up with a couscous salad, fresh bread and cheese, tzatziki (made from cucumber and yogurt) and of course, olives from Demitri’s olive trees.  It was a feast fit for a king!

 
After cleaning up, the wind kicked in again but this time from a northerly direction at about 22 knots.  So we turned off the motor and hauled out the jib.  Mark and Bill both took turns at the helm while John and Tracy worked the jib and trimmed the main under Valerie’s direction.  It was a great sail!  This was our reason for being on Maya…thank you Poseidon! 

The islands of Kythnos, Syros and Kea are part of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea.  Kythnos and Kea in particular are very small islands and are not the type of islands that the cruise ships or tour boats frequent.  Kea, has a population of around 3,000 and it’s capital is Loulis which is situated inland at a high altitude (due to fear of pirates in the early days) and we decide to take a cab there to see the Lion of Kea.   

The town is beautiful, dotted with white buildings and red tiled roofs, gardens and archways with grape vines, and flowers everywhere.  It is simply breathtaking, when you see the architecture, flora and the view of the Aegean Sea in one panoramic glance.  I believe this is my favorite island after Hydra.  Once again, we have timed it perfectly for siesta time and all of the shops are closed.  But we are really here to hike up the mountain to see the Lion.  So we hike.

We finally arrived at the site of the Lion of Kea!  Wow!  He is the oldest stone sculpture on the island and it had been dated at 600 BC.  No one knows who sculpted it or why he is here but he is beautiful and the mystery about him captivates all of us.  We can’t get enough of him and actually overdo the tourist thing with the number of pictures we take of the lion. 

We returned to the boat, showered up, played catch up with Valerie and John and then headed out to the restaurant, which was practically at the end of the passarella.  The restaurant is “Aristos Greek Taverna”.  The waiter was very sweet when I asked if he could get permission for me to watch the chef make saganaki.  He consented and I followed him, camera in hand.  The cooks were all laughing because they couldn’t believe that anyone would want to watch them cook.  I took pictures and they explained, get your oil hot; cut a slab of Gruyere cheese and coat with flour, then cook.  Wow!  Whodda thunk it!  No more than that!  You don’t even turn it over!  You just put it on the plate with lemon wedges.  They cooked it in about two minutes!  No wonder they were laughing!  But it was yummy!!!!

Day 5 Hydra to Kythnos or “Hand Me the Pliers and Don’t Crush that Dwarf”

Everyone was up and Valerie had gone to the bakery and picked up some spanikopita and pastries for everyone.  She had two kinds of spanikopita, spinach and cheese or ham and cheese, made fresh this morning.  They looked yummy.  The “furry guy” (the harbor master) was scooting around in his little red rowboat making certain that the boats that were pulling up anchor, pulled only their own and left without any incidents.  The water was so clear, we had no problem seeing our anchor line and we cast off the lines and pulled up the anchor without a problem. 

Oddly, there was still little wind and no dolphin sightings.  The closer we got to Kythnos, however, the wave action picked up...  We motored into a small inlet and the waters calmed and we could see the harbor.  It was very picturesque, quaint and serene, quite different from the other harbors we had visited.  We were able to back into the dock and hook up to shore power and water!   

We hopped off the boat to explore the island.  Kythnos is famous for its mineral baths.  It has natural springs of steaming hot mineral water that flow down from the island to the sea.  There are bathhouses up on the hill, providing private marble baths with little Greek women that assist you.  It was after 3 PM so it was too late to go to the mineral baths at the bathhouse, but there was a place where the mineral springs meet the sea naturally and Valerie and I opt to go there.  The remaining crew voted to rent scooters and explore the island via motor. 

As Valerie and I walked around to the “natural spa” area, we checked out the small restaurants and tavernas.  This is the island where her friend Dimitri has a farm and provides everything his family eats except for bread

and raikie (his moonshine).  He is a fisherman too!  Valerie had almonds and olives on the boat from Dimitri and they are wonderful!  We stopped at the Poco Loco Café and Valerie and I visited with Antonis, the owner.  He helped our crew make arrangements for their scooters and said they all seemed fine. ..  We drank frappes with him and shared a snack of grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches that his mother prepared.  It was really good!  While we visited with Antonis, Dimitri drove up on his three- wheeler and visited too. 

The beach was just around the bend but we could still see Maya across the tiny harbor.  The sand had beautiful snow-white marble rocks that looked like seashells on the shore and I collected a few to take home.  The stones were polished and worn smooth by the sea. 

The water was refreshing and had both warm and cool spots.  We swam around and then applied a hair mask to our wet heads and tied our hair up to sun-dry with the moisturizing cream on our heads.  We walked over to the mineral spring that flowed down from the hillside in a cement gutter and meets the sea.  At the “meeting” point, rocks have been placed in a semi-circle extending out from a rock wall forming a “natural” pool.  On one side, the mineral water empties into the pool area next to the rock wall and from the other side the waves spill over the semi-circle of rocks into the pool area, making a nice, hot, relaxing bath.  People come from all over to soak in these healing waters.  The steam rises from the mineral water and it is very hot, but the cool waters of the sea make it comfortable.  We soaked for a while, swam again and then started back to the boat with the conditioner “baking” on our heads. 

The others had been gone for quite some time and after our showers, they showed up “Easy Rider” style.  “Like a true nature’s child, we were born, born to be wild”…move over Steppenwolf the kids are back!  They were all comfortable with their scooter expertise and ready for a dip in the “spa”.  

Ordering dinner at the Taverna D’oro proved to be an experience that provided entertainment, creativity, and a lot of laughs.  We of course, ordered Greek food, as there was no other choice.  The waitress/cook/owner did not speak very much English so we improvised.  When the menu described a platter of “local meats”, we tried to distinguish exactly which meats were included on this platter…”moo”?  “Oh, yes it had moo”.  “Oink”?  “Yes, yes.  It had oink as well”.  “Baa baa”?  “Of course, we have baa baa”.  The waitress is getting into the rhythm and laughing with us because, hey, she understood baby talk, we are communicating!  “Does it have Eey aaw”?  This is when the waitress lost it!  She could not stop laughing and the other workers came over to join the fun.  “No!!!  We do not serve Eey aaw!”  With a sigh of relief, “survey says”…”order the local meats platter”!  We order and our waitress is giggling all the back to the kitchen.  The dinner was really tasty, local meats included.