This web page contains the logs of a singlehanded sailing trip that I took with S/Y Thetis in the Aegean Sea in Greece. The logs cover a period of 15 days of sailing from Samos (Samos Marina) to the harbor of Lavrio on the Greek mainland via the islands of Chios (Salagonas, Kato Fana), Psara, Evia (Kastri, Karystos), Petalii, and Tzia or Kea (Korisia, Koundouros).
The logs are illustrated with maps and photographs, and they also include some historical and geographical descriptions of the places visited as well as several links to other related web sites.
Tuesday May 19, 2009, Day 1
I woke up around 1 AM and started preparations for departure. The weather forecasts were mixed. The Hellenic National Meteorological Service issued a gale warning for central Aegean and Kafireas but all the rest (Poseidon, Meteo, Weather on Line) indicated calm sea beween Samos and Chios, our destination. I first removed the tent, which I had left since our arrival in Samos. Then I tied temporary stern lines, removed the permanent lines and secured the passarella, etc.
By 0225 we were on our way. The sea was very calm and there was hardly any wind. We motored until we rounded Cape Praso, the northeastern-most point of Samos, when I set our course to 290 for Salagonas, Chios. The wind at that time was 12-19 knots NW, very close to our heading. Nevertheless I raised the mainsail, and to be safe, I set it in its first reef. I then opened 50% of the headsail and turned off the motor. We sailed nicely for about one hour making close to 7.5 knots. Then the wind decreased to 5-10 knots N and I had to start the engine.
The AIS was great. I could see ships over 30 miles away and kept seeing them while they were still not visible to either Radar or to my eyes. The closest encounter we had was 1 M, exactly as predicted by the AIS, and I verified by plotting it on the Radar.
Being unsure of the Cosmote, my new Cosmote/GPRS provider, signal and because I knew that there was no Vodafone signal in Salagonas I sent a brief message to Alice while we were still in open water. As we neared the island of Chios the sea was confused and uncomfortable. After rounding the Venetiko islet, at the southern end of Chios, the wind increased to 25-30 knots right on Thetisʼ nose. We could hardly make better then 4 knots.
We reached Salagonas [38° 13.3' N 25° 54.8' E] at 1500 after 72.5 M. Here it was very calm. I anchored in 5 m depth and let out 35 m of chain. Later, because of the gale warnings on the Navtex, I set the 2nd anchor as well.
I went ashore and climbed up the hill. Still there was no Cosmote signal but I was able to make a voice call on Vodafone to my brother Nikos. He promised to send a message to Alice that I am safe and snug here. In the mean time the wind picked up with gusts over 30 knots. I was very tired.
I had a hot shower and an ouzo and cooked some pasta with oil-garlic sauce. By 8:30 I was in bed. Despite my precautions: bimini, hat, and sunscreens I still felt the effect of the strong sun on my skin.
Wednesday May 20, 2009, Day 2
I woke up just before 7 AM. It was quiet here with hardly any wind but there was a light swell. The boat was gyrating around her anchors. The Navtex was still issuing gale warnings for the Central Aegean which I would have to cross, in a NW direction, to reach the island of Psara and in a SW direction to reach the large island of Evia. My plan now was to wait out the gale here then go to W to Psara and Evia and spend some time there. Then, on June 2 go to either Lavrio in the mainland or to Vourkari in the island of Kea.
There was nice sunshine, not a single cloud was visible. I put up the tent and then took my MacBook laptop ashore in search of a Cosmote signal so that I could receive and send e-mails plus get the latest weather forecasts. I had to walk about ¾ of an hour before I could connect to the Internet. It was hot. It would be better to repeat this exercise in the early morning or in the evening when the sun is at a low angle. Now, all the forecasts were in agreement. The 6-7 force gale in the Central Aegean will last until Friday afternoon and then by Sunday there will be almost no wind.
Returning back to Thetis was not as easily accomplished as I had expected. The dinghy was swamped by a wave, while I was launching it, and I got drenched. My knapsack got also very wet. Fortunately the computer inside it stayed dry.
After I got back I took a swim and inspected the anchors. The water temperature was not as cold as it was about this time last year, it was pleasantly cool. Both anchors were fine.
After lunch I took a small nap. How can I be sleepy after so many hours of sleep last night? Later I started to cook a pot roast. This should last me several days. I then read on my Kindle. I have downloaded all sorts of free public domain books from Many Free Books. I am now reading Little Dorritt which I had seen earlier in a PBS production on television.
The head pump was leaking. I thought that I had not tightened its seal enough when I repaired it in Partheni, so I tightened some more now. But it was still leaking. I tightened its drain plug and the leak was now less.
I had the obligatory ouzo during sunset and I prepared some rice to be served with the roast. It started to drizzle and I had to eat inside the cabin. The roast was very good along with some vintage 2008 Kalami wine. By 1030 I was in bed.
Thursday May 21, 2009, Day 3
The day was cold and cloudy with thin rain. I took the dinghy to Ayia Dynamis around 7:30 to look for a Cosmote signal. I did not want to do so in the heat late in the day like yesterday. I found the signal after a 40 minute walk, past the entrance to the Olympi Cavern. I did some banking and e-mailing. I also checked the weather. Still a gale warning with force 7-8 N winds for Central Aegean. The forecast though called for the winds to diminish by tomorrow evening. I will not go anywhere unless the picture changes drastically.
This was not much of a day. It was cloudy and cold and not appealing for a swim or even reading in the cockpit. I spent time mostly inside the cabin.
In the late afternoon a 43' Sun Odyssey the S/Y Helene with Norwegian flag and a father and son crew came into the cove. We spoke. The father usually cruises for a month as he is still employed. The son, in his 20s, was with him for a week. They are on their way to Samos where the son will catch a flight back home.
For dinner I made pasta with the roast. While cooking the pasta the Camping Gaz ran out and I replaced the canister.
Friday May 22, 2009, Day 4
Today the sky was clear. The Navtex stopped issuing gale warnings, a good sign. Once again I took the dinghy to Ayia Dynamis and walked up the road. I received the weather forecasts. The wind in the Central Aegean was predicted to be of force 6-7 but by tomorrow will be down to 4-5 NE. With this information I planned to leave tomorrow for Psara. I sent an e-mail to Alice advising her of this.
After returning onboard Thetis I decided to raise both anchors and move her to Kato Fana. One reason for this was to avoid dealing with two anchors tomorrow and the other was to have a change of scenery. I started the engine and let out most of the chain of the primary anchor while using the windlass to pull on the line of the secondary. When we reached the end of the line and all was left were 20 m of chain I secured the primary chain with the hook of the stretch line and moved the chain of the secondary to the capstan on the windlass. Maybe it was not the fastest operation but it was accomplished with the minimum of physical exertion. After I stowed the secondary anchor, its chain, and line, I raised the primary in the usual way.
It was 1045 when we left Salagonas. We motored slowly for 1.9 M doing no more then 4 knots as we were towing the dinghy with its outboard still on her. At 1115 we were in Kato Fana [38° 12.3' N 25° 55.5' E]. I anchored in 5 m letting 35 m of chain. It was nice and calm here with less swell than in Salagonas, but it was appreciably colder than it was two days ago. Nevertheless I put up the tent.
The rest of the day was uneventful. This is a very attractive cove. In the evening I had an ouzo and made dinner. This time I cooked a turkey cutlet. I had bought a number of them in Samos and had partially cooked them in Kalami. Now I prepared it with a fresh lemon sauce and rice. Not a bad day after all.
The latest Navtex forecast was favorable for tomorrowʼs departure.
Saturday May 23, 2009, Day 5
After waking up I checked the Navtex, since there was no GPRS signal here. The forecast was still good. So, after a cup of coffee, I prepared for departure.
We departed at 0650. The wind, as was predicted, was low—just 5-10 knots NW—but even so, a head wind, and we had to motor. After a couple of miles there was a good GPRS signal and after sending a few e-mails I looked at the AIS web site. I did not see Thetis on this but neither did I see some ships that were also shown on the AIS instrument and clearly visible by eye.
We covered the 26.4 M distance and arrived in Psara at 1110. There was some heavy construction in the harbor which made it not so attractive. I anchored off in the cove [38° 32.6' N 25° 34.3' E] about 1 M NE of the harbor. I dropped the anchor in 4 m depth and let out 25 m chain.
After putting up the tent, I took the dinghy to the harbor and bought some fresh bread. I planned to go ashore again in the evening. The signal here was good and I tried calling Alice in Washington, D.C., on the Skype but I did not succeed so I called her on the phone.
I spent the afternoon reading and enjoying the nice, if cool, weather. One flaw to the place was that they burn garbage up the hill and once in a while a whiff came this way.
In the evening, after a shower, I went ashore. First, I bought 6 bottles of spring water which I left in the dinghy. Then, I walked up to the Μαύρη Ράχη (Mavri Rachi - Black Slope). They have now built a nice-looking stone path and the climb is much easier. Also, the garbage dump of a few years ago was now blissfully gone. However, the electrician who installed the lights (not working yet) along the path had left pieces of discarded cable and insulation. I picked them up.
At the harbor there were now new posts with water and electrical outlets. As most of these posts in Greece, they were not working. In the harbor there was a Swiss boat that also winters in Partheni.
I went for dinner to a taverna overlooking the W side of the town Το Ηλιοβασίλεμα (To Iliovasilema - The Sunset). There was indeed a wonderful sunset. They only had one fish but it was too big for one person, so I splurged and settled for a small lobster. It was very, very tasty. In the restaurant the only other clients were a British couple who looked like yacht people. We spoke, they had come with S/Y Silent Wish.
After dinner I went to the town square, in front of the town hall, where the British couple had told me that there was going to be a theatrical performance. Indeed the whole town was there and a visiting troupe of actors gave a very whimsical parody of the pastoral folk classic drama Η Γκώλφο και ο Τάσος (I Golfo ke o Tasos - Golfo and Tasos). They had transformed it into a hilarious comedy interspersed with many contemporary political jokes. The protagonist, the beautiful young Golfo, was played by an elderly actress. All the foreign sailors gathered around me and I gave them, as much as possible, a running translation. It was great fun!
Sunday May 24, 2009, Day 6
I woke up fairly late. For a while I contemplated departing for Karystos (a harbor on the island of Evia) but since it was late I postponed it for tomorrow.
A strange thing happened. I noticed that my bed sheets had some dark spots. They were also strangely moist. After a closer look it appeared that some corrosive liquid was oozing out in two places from the blankets. I removed all the bedding and rinsed it. But there already were several small holes on the sheets. After rinsing them I hung them in the sun to dry. I removed all the cushions from the right cabin, where I sleep, and looked for the source of the liquid. I could not find it. Everything was dry. I emptied all the bins under the berth but they too were dry. The most likely candidate for the mysterious fluid was a leaking battery but none of the batteries were near the right cabin. I treated the symptoms but I was totally mystified as to the cause of this alarming development.
Later I ran the genset and topped the batteries. They did not show any signs of leakage.
For dinner I had leftover lobster from last night.
Monday May 25, 2009, Day 7
We departed at 0330. The sea was calm and the wind was 8-12 knots from the NNW. I raised the mainsail and opened the genoa but Thetis could hardly make 4.5 knots. So, we motor-sailed doing about 7 knots.
Around 1000 the wind died down to 2 knots NE and I had to motor. Later we motor-sailed again.
After 60.4 M we arrived in Kastri, Evia [37° 58.5' N 24° 32.4' E] at 1245. Kastri is a small cove right in the Kafireas channel about 4.5 M from Karystos. I anchored in 6 m depth and let out 45 m chain.
On the way, I noticed on the AIS that there was a coastal AIS station in the NW side of Andros island. I then turned on the MacBook and took a look at the AIS web site. Sure enough Thetis was shown at the right place, heading, and speed and with her correct MMSI number but as an “unidentified”: no name or vessel type was shown. In contrast, when I had checked with the receiver of Samos Star these items were indicated.
In the afternoon there was a wicked wind, rather gusty, and some swell entered the cove but it was not uncomfortable. By the evening the wind died out and it was calm again. I took a hot shower and prepared a turkey cutlet with balsamic vinegar, wine, and mushrooms. I had a good sleep.
Tuesday May 26, 2009, Day 8
I woke up somewhat late. First, I checked my e-mail and the weather forecasts. Todayʼs weather was benign. At 0840 I raised the anchor and motored the 8.6 M to Karystos where we arrived at 1015. I decided not to bother with mooring inside the harbor but to anchor off. I anchored on the E side of the harbor in front of the old fort [38° 0.6' N 24° 25.4' E] in 6 m depth over sand and with 50 m of chain. There were several rocks here but I was very careful to drop the anchor over a clear spot.
After making sure that the anchor was holding, I rigged the dinghy and went ashore leaving it in the harbor. First I visited an ATM and withdrew some € and then I shopped for fruits and bread. After this I walked to a filling station and re-filled the small jerry can for the outboard with gasoline. I also located a store that carried Camping Gaz and replaced the spent canister. All went smoothly, but on my way back to Thetis I left the dinghy painter dragging in the water and it fowled the outboard's propeller. I felt very stupid.
I spent a quiet afternoon working on the computer. There was good 3G signal here from Cosmote.
In the evening I went ashore and took a long walk. I also bought some Velcro tape to secure the slipping rugs to the main cabin’s floor. While I was walking my brother Byron called. He was in Tzia with the KDE diving team exploring the WW I wreck of the S/S Burdigala. They were not the only diving expedition currently there. There was also a National Geographic expedition exploring another WW I wreck, the HMHS Britannic at 120 m depth. Two days ago Byron was visiting their mother ship when there was a terrible accident. During the dive, using a re-breather, the British cameraman for National Geographic, a very experienced diver, did not feel well and started on the long ascent. This normally takes 4 hours with the decompression stops. At a 40 m depth the safety diver found the cameraman unconscious with his mouthpiece dangling. By the time they brought him to the surface he was in a very bad shape. The expedition doctor, trained in deep dive emergencies, did all that he could but it was in vain. The diver could not be revived.
I had a fairly nice dinner of excellent tiny fried kalamarakia - καλαμαράκια (squid), a salad, and two small lithrinia - λιθρίνια (red snappers) at the Marinos restaurant.
Wednesday May 27, 2009, Day 9
It is amazing that I have been cruising for 12 days since Thetis was launched and yet it seems such a long time. Time is so relative. Cruising days are so full that 12 days feel like a month, yet the days when I am in Washington, D.C., are so full of ennui and so similar to each other that they go by without any impact. Months fly and life is dissipated. But here at sea life is so full of wonder that and each day really counts.
Today started by going to the harbor of Karystos to get fresh bread and some cold-cuts. Back on Thetis I got ready to depart. I raised the anchor at 0925 and headed towards the Petalii islands located W of Karystos. The wind was anywhere from 2 to 22 knots and from N to NE. Once again no chance of sailing. I motored 10.9 M and we arrived at Vasiliko, Petalii [37° 58.9' N 24° 15.2' E] at 1120. I anchored in 4.5 m depth with 45 m chain. There was only one other boat here, a small motor cruiser with a Dutch flag.
Everything seemed idyllic. I put up the tent and snorkeled to check the anchor. The anchor was fine and the water temperature was warmer then on the past few days. I swam for some time enjoying the sea. Then the gusts came. They lasted from 12 to 7 PM and they were anywhere from 0 to 30 and back to 0 knots. Very tedious! I spent this time swimming and reading.
Around 7, after the gusts died out, I removed the tent and had an ouzo. For dinner I had leftover roast with spaghetti and Kalami wine followed by fresh strawberries, which I had bought in Karystos, laced with Samos Nectar sweet wine.
My plan was to go to Tzia tomorrow.
Thursday May 28, 2009, Day 10
We left Petalii at 0725. The anchor was wedged on a rock but I had seen that when I was snorkeling yesterday so I moved Thetis forward ahead of the rock and then I started lifting with the windlass. The trick worked and the anchor came up without any trouble. The wind was fresh, 8-20 knots N, and we were able to motor-sail the 20 M to Korisia, Kea [37° 39.5' N 24° 18.9' E] with 50% of the headsail. We arrived at 1040. On the way, we had a rather close encounter with a large tanker but thanks to the AIS I was forewarned and easily avoided her. We anchored off in 6.5 m with 40 m of chain.
While entering the harbor cove I noticed the Cmdr. Fourcault, the mother ship of the Britannic expedition, complete with a helicopter on her deck. Later my brother Byron arrived and I learned more details about the sad story of this expedition.
In the afternoon I had another panic. The 12 volt DC to 110 volt AC inverter all of a sudden stopped working. This is a fairly powerful 750 W unit that is used to charge/power the MacBook computer, the mobile phone, etc. None of these are vital, but… I checked the inverter’s input voltage. It was correct but it did not stay “on” anymore. I found the little pamphlet that came with it (I keep all equipment documents ordered in special files). All the pamphlet suggested was low input voltage or overheating. I removed the unit (with some difficulty because it was not easy to have access to it under the chart table where it was located) I opened it and blew air to remove the accumulated dust particles. I also cleaned the contacts of its input ports and put it back together. Amazingly it worked. Re-installing it however was even more difficult than removing it. Anyway, now all was fine.
I met Dimitris Galon the leader of the KDE team and the rest of of his team. They were all exited and frustrated by the bureaucratic mess that developed following the National Geographic tragic accident. The goverment has, for the time being, revoked their diving permit for the exploration of the S/S Burdigala. Still, they are planning to dive tomorrow and explore the WW II German airplane, for which they do not need a permit. But my brother Byron will not be here. He had to go back to Athens to attend a funeral.
I returned to Thetis late, cooked some rice and ate it with more of the seemingly inexhaustible roast.
Friday May 29, 2009, Day 11
In the late morning Thanasis Yianoukos, a long time friend, came with his speedboat Aliki and, as I had promised him last night, I helped him with some engine problem he had. The plan was that as soon as we took care of the problem we will go and meet Μπενίτος - Benitos, Dimitris Galonʼs caïque serving as the KDE diving platform, and help them keep other boats away from the diving area over the airplane. The problem with Aliki was with the fuel supply lines. Her engines would operate fine at low RPM but as it was increased their power would drop, increase, and drop again. We opened all the fuel supply lines and cleaned them by blowing air. They did not appear to be clogged. After painfully bleeding the lines, we started the engines and went for a sea trial. No joy! The problem persisted. Back in the harbor we went and Thanasis called the Yanmar mechanic in Athens. After listening to a description of the problem and all we had done, the mechanic told us to check the input valve of the Racor secondary filter. Now Thetis also has a Racor filter but it does not have an input valve. After dismantling the valve of the filter we found some dirt particles which we carefully removed. Once again we bled the lines and went for another sea trial. No problem this time. Joy!
By that time, however, the dive was over and Μπενίτος - Benitos had returned to the harbor. Dimitris showed as the photographs from the dive. They had entered the plane from its fuselage and photographed the cockpit. The photographs were nothing short of stunning. Later we met the rest of the “boys” from the team and discussed tomorrowʼs diving plan. It also happened that a sailing regatta was on for tomorrow and as we spoke the coves of Korisia and Vourkari started filling up with sailing yachts.
I had a very nice dinner at the small Foto restaurant. All night more and more yachts kept coming.
Saturday May 30, 2009, Day 12
In the morning I ran the genset to recharge the batteries. I have had no word from Byron yet as to his return. I made a new painter for the dinghy.
Later I was informed that the KDE team needed some help. Thanasis joined me and we went with his Aliki to the airplane diving site. We spent several hours on the swell patrolling the area and keeping other boats from disturbing the divers. This being a fairly deep dive at 70 m depth, it is very time consuming. Each diver carries 5 tanks: 2 compressed air, 2 oxygen-helium mixture, and 1 small of pure oxygen. They can stay only 20 minutes at the site but each dive takes about 3 hours, most of which is decompression stops.
When Aliki, Benitos, and the KDE diving boat returned to Korisia, we were all invited to visit the amazing diving vessel Cmdr. Fourcault under charter by the National Geographic Society to explore the other wreck, the WW I, the liner HMHS Britannic, sister ship of the infamous RMS Titanic. Cmdr. Fourcault is a Belgian Navy ship that was used to transport pilots in the Baltic. She was bought by Pim de Rhoodes, a Belgian national, who converted her to a diving research vessel. Now he charters her to all sorts of expeditions. Her previous expedition was based off Greenland. She has a permanent crew of 8, including the owner and his wife. But she can accommodate up to 64 persons. This was fascinating. Their equipment is state of the art, but she is not at all luxurious inside, just functional. Among other things we were shown a custom made stereoscopic HD video camera, self-propelled and gyroscopically stabilized. Cost: $800,000. While filming, it is connected by fiber optics to the ship and the pictures are monitored in real-time on a huge screen. Everything was very impressive, from the bridge, the audio-visual processing station, all Macs, the engines, homemade active stabilizers, the diving gear, to the decompression chamber.
Thanasis and his lovely wife Pascal had invited me for dinner at their house overlloking Koundouros. Because I did not want to impose on Thanasis to drive me the 25 km and back again, I decided to move Thetis to Koundouros. I raised the anchor at 1810 and motored the 8 M to Koundouros [37° 34.8' N 24° 16.6' E]. The wind was 10-12 S and as usual on our nose. We arrived at 1940 and anchored in 8 m and let out 50 m of chain.
Soon after Thetisʼ arrival Thanasis came and drove me to his house in Katevati. There we were joined by Spelios and Charoula Philipou, again very old friends. It was good food in very good company and time went by, as it usually does here in Koundouros. By the time I was back in Thetis it was past 2 AM.
Sunday May 31, 2009, Day 13
I tried to send an e-mail to my family describing yesterdayʼs exiting events but I did not succeed. It turns out that the Thetisʼs web site host was off line. I ran the genset again because I did not run it long enough yesterday. My brother Byron called. He is in Korisia and and he will be helping the KDE dive before coming here in Koundouros.
After lunch I took a short nap. When I woke Thetis was surrounded by boats anchored in the cove. I have never seen so many boats here. I counted 14 motor cruisers, 10 large inflatables, and 10 sailing yachts. But by the evening most had either departed or were preparing to do so. These included Thanasisʼ Aliki and Speliosʼ boat. At the end of the weekend they take them to Lavrio where they leave them for the week. Then they come back here for the weekend where their cars wait for them. Before leaving Spelios, who works for Vernicos Yachts, made arrangements for Thetis to use one of their berths in the harbor of Lavrio.
Later Byron arrived with his inflatable, Ivi III. I packed a boat bag with the last of the pot-roast and some grated Parmezan cheese and went ashore. Byron drove me up to his house in the Katevati hill. There we cooked pasta and warmed the roast. I got back to Thetis relatively early by Katevati standards with its rich social life. It was just after midnight.
Monday June 1, 2009, Day 14
In the morning I started picking up the cabin in preparation for the arrival of my wifeʼs Alice. She will be flying in from Washington, D.C., to Athens tomorrow. I also transfered 2 jerry cans of Diesel fuel into the main tank and cleaned the refrigerator. I will go to Lavrio tomorrow morning where I will leave Thetis until Friday while Alice and I will spend few days in Athens.
The Thetisʼs web site host is back on line but my e-mail account has somehow been converted from IMAP to POP. Everything is very confused. Not sure how to recoverer.
In the early afternoon Byron came and we went with Ivi III to support the KDE dive. They were taking photographs and a video of the WW II airplane. After the dive the KDF team, Byron, and I went to Korisia for a late, even by Greek standards, lunch. At the restaurant we met the crew of the Cmdr. Fourcault. They were a very depressed lot. They had just received word that their diving permit was not re-instated as they were led to believe but will remain suspended until an official Greek government panel reviews the diving accident. This may take months and of course given their very high daily expense they can not wait. So their expedition is over. In my opinion, the way the Greek government has handled the case is disgraceful adding further insult to the injury of losing their colleague. They were not even allowed to make a single dive to recover the expensive equipment they have left at the site. Before driving back, we saw the photographs and video that were shot at the WW II airplane.
I was back in Thetis by 9 PM for an early retirement.
Courtesy KDE
Tuesday June 2, 2009, Day 15
I prepared to depart for Lavrio. I took down the tent that I had left up since yesterday morning, raised the outboard, etc. We departed at 0645. The wind was a light 4-9 knots from the E, once again no sailing. We motored the 14 M to Lavrio [37° 42.8' N 24° 03.5' E] where we arrived at 0910.
Arrangement had been made for Thetis to use one of the Vernicos Yachts berths. The local manager, Michalis, had given me, over the phone, a description of the berth and its mooring line. I had no difficulty in finding them. I moored unassisted without any problems. Of course, the lack of wind helped. The electric outlet was available, as I was told, but there was no water. I spoke again with Michalis. He will be here in one hour to turn on the water.
I then called (+30 229 20 69 45) for a Diesel fuel delivery. The mini-truck arrived within 20 minutes. Thetis took 113 L (105 €) to top the tank and fill all 4 jerry cans.
Later my brother Byron, who as far as I knew was still in Tzia, made an appearance. It turned out that the mechanic he was expecting for some repairs on Ivi III missed the morning ferry, so Byron came with her here instead. While Byron and the mechanic were busy, I packed and picked up Thetis. Michalis came and turned on the water so I filled the tanks. After all tasks were done I started on the MacBook to re-create my IMAP mailbox.
I had a light lunch at the nearby restaurant with Byron and then after closing Thetis took a taxi to the airport to meet Alice. We will stay in Athens for a few days and be back here on Friday.