This web page contains the logs of 5 excursions with S/Y Thetis in the island of Samos:
- a single day excursion to Kyriakou with my cousins Connie, Jim, Margaret, Andrew and his new wife Caroline,
- a single day excursion to Mikri Lakka with my cousins Chris, and Karen,
- a single day excursion to Kyriakou with my wife Alice,
- a two day excursion to Mikri Lakka with my wife Alice, and
- a two day excursion to Kyriakou & Tsopela with my wife Alice, our daughter Corinna, her husband Siva, and our grandsons Rohan and Leander.
The logs include either some historical and geographical descriptions of the places visited or links to these descriptions. Also included are links to other related web sites.
Wednesday June 5 to Friday June 7
On Thursday I drove to the marina and filled the water-maker with biocide solution because there were no immediate plans for its usage.
On Friday evening my cousins Chris Iliades and Connie Newcomb, the children of my beloved uncle Kostas my Mother’s brother. With them were: Chris’ wife Karen, Connie’s husband Jim, their daughter Margaret, their son Andrew, and Andrew’s wife Caroline. She and Andrew had married recently.
Because Andrew and Caroline will be flying out of Samos on Sunday we made arrangement for a day trip with Thetis on Saturday.
Saturday June 8, 2019
I drove to the marina and prepared Thetis for my visitors. I put up the tent and took out cushions etc. The Newcomb family arrived at 10:30 but they told me that Chris was not filling very well so he and Karen had stayed in the hotel.
We departed from the marina at 1040 and headed W. There was no wind and we had to motor. On the way, we met a school of 5 small dolphins. They stayed with us for a while playing with our bow wake. At 1135 and after 5 M we arrived in the lovely cove of Kyriakou [37° 38.3' N 26° 51.8' E]. We anchored in 6 m depth and let out 30 m of chain.
After lowering the dinghy we had a nice swim followed by lunch and conversation. Then more swimming. Finally, after a last swim we raised the the dinghy and departed at 1640. The wind was now 20-28 knots mostly from the NNE and again we were forced to motor but were able to open the headsail for a while.
We arrived back in the marina at 1820 after 5.2 M.
Sunday June 9, 2019
Thetis was in the marina. I spent the day in Kalami bottling the vintage 2018 wine. Now I have new labels made by Cynthia’s classmate and friend since the first grade Fiona Passantino who is an artist residing in the Netherlands.
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In the evening all the cousins, except for the already departed Andrew and Caroline, came to Kalami and sampled the new wine. After that we all went out to dinner at the Kotopula taverna in Vathy. Chris was feeling much better and expressed his wish to spend tomorrow in Thetis.
Monday June 10, 2019
This morning the rest of the Newcomb cousins left Samos but Chris and Karen joined me in Thetis for a day excursion.
We departed from the marina at 1030 and headed E via the Mycale channel to Mikri Lakka (Μικρή Λάκκα) [37° 45.454' N 027° 01.654' E], the wind was 15-20 knots NNE and we motored. We arrived at 1210 after 8.4 M. We anchored in 5 m depth with scope of about 40 m, the boat settling in 9 m depth because the bottom here is very steep.
First we launched the dinghy and swam. Then lunch and more, and more swimming. All together we had a very good time.
Latter I covered the dinghy and raised it on its davits. We then, at 1725 lifted the anchor and departed. The wind now was 14-21 knots from the NNE. This allowed us to open about 75% of the headsail and motorsailed until we reached the Mycale channel. At that post we turned off the motor and sailed all the way to the marina where we arrived at 1930 after 9 M.
Tuesday June 11 to Sunday July 8, 2019
Thetis spent this time in the marina berth C11.
My Greek driver’s license will expire later this month. I took it to the driver’s school here in Samos who for several years now had painlessly handled its renewals. This year, thanks to our left wing government, the rules have changed for people over 74. The renewal became a bureaucratic nightmare one of the “best” performances of the Greek citizens-state relations.
I started reading Ayse Kulin's Without a Country, a story set in WWII in the Middle East. I also started the latest novel of Jeffrey Siger: The Mykonos Mob.
I removed the speed log sensor, cleared the bilges, and covered the mainsail.
Alice arrived from the US on Monday June 17.
On Friday June 28 I tried to clear the right water tank obstruction by using the pressure hose but it did not work and it flooded the bilges. I cleaned them and pumped the rest of the water out. I then removed, and labeled all the covers from the 3 cabins and the main cabin. I also, removed all the curtains and small rugs. These I took back to Kalami for washing.
On Sunday June 30 Yiorgos, after loading to his truck an air compressor drove me to the marina. With me I had the now washed covers and curtains. He moved the truck next to Thetis and we run the compressed air hose from the front hatch to the area under the sink where the hoses from the tanks are located. He plugged the compressor and waited for the pressure too built up. I then turned off the valves of both tanks and disconnected the hose leading to the blocked right water tank. Yiorgos inserted the air compressor nozzle and let air to the hose. There was a popping noise from the tank and after removing the nozzle plenty of water flowed out. I reconnected the hose to the valve, opened the right tanks valve, and turned on the water pressure pump. Plenty of water now came in the kitchen sink as well as on the bathroom sink in both cold and hot water settings. Problem solved! After this we cleaned the spilled water and bilge. Then we re-installed the curtains.
On Monday July 1 Alice and I installed the washed covers.
Monday July 9, 2019
Alice, who had arrived in Samos 10 days ago, and I took a day excursion to Κυριακού. We departed from the marina at 0920 and motored for 5.4 M to the cove. We arrived at Kyriakou Kyriakou [37° 38.3' N 26° 51.8' E] at 1055. We anchored in 5 m depth over sand and let out 35 m of chain.
It was very pleasant under the tent. We did a lot of swimming, ate the picnic lunch we had brought from Kalami, and took afternoon naps followed by coffee.
We departed at 1745 and sailed with the genoa, still keeping the tent. When we we were less then a mile from the marina we started the motor and rolled-in the sail. We then hanged the fenders and and proceeded to our C11 berth at 1930. We had come 6.4 M.
Tuesday July 16, 2019, Day 1
Alice and I took an overnight excursion to Mikri Lakka to watch the rise of the full moon. Mirri Lakka is maybe the best anchorage in Samos for doing this.
We drove to the marina with some supplies, including a full small canister with gasoline for the outboard. First we plugged the AC and started the refrigerator where we put bottles of water and perishable supplies. Then we put up the tent and topped the water tanks.
When all was ready we unplugged the shore AC and we cast off at 1030 and motored the 10.2 M to Mikri Lakka [37° 45.459' N 027° 01.654' E] where we arrived at 1145. The wind along the way was 5-10 knots from the E.
The GPS/Chart Plotter would turn on for a minute and spontaneously turn off. This cycle was repeated. After some trouble shooting I found a loose power connection at its plug on the back of the instrument. After I tightened the plug the instrument performed properly.
I anchored in 4.5 m depth and let out almost 50 m of chain. The reason was to have a lot of weight so that the with drastic changes of the light wind the boat will not drift too close to the shore.
We lowered the dinghy thus freeing the swimming ladder. I snorkeled and checked the anchor. It was fine and with all the chain Thetis had drifted N to only 3.8 m depth. She never went closer to the shore. When later the wind came from the N she settled in 7 m. During the day the wind did change direction.
We swam a lot, had a nice lunch and took an afternoon nap. But the sky was rather cloudy so, we were not so sure how much of the full moon we will see. Alice made a very nice sauce with the basketful of home grown tomatoes we had brought from Kalami.
In preparation for the moonrise we removed the tent and folded it. At 8:47 PM, the expected moonrise time, we did see a strong glow behind the clouds over Anatolia. Fifteen minutes later the large perfectly round moon appeared in a brake of the clouds. It completely illuminated the bay. But 20 minutes later it was back behind the clouds. We did not see it again.
We boiled some colorful rigatoni pasta and served it with the tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. It was very tasty. This we ate accompanied by 2012 Kalami wine. Earlier we had gone ashore and cut into chucks a watermelon also grown in Kalami. Now it completed our nice dinner.
Wednesday July 17, 2019, Day 2
I got up fairly early and made mine and Alice’s coffee. Then I started preparations towards our return to the marina. First, I siphoned 2 jerrycans of Diesel fuel into the main tank. Next, I covered and raised the dinghy. The sky was overcast so there was no need for the tent.
I raised the anchor and we departed at 0825. The wind was 2-7 knots from the N. No chance of using the sails so we motored. After 10 uneventful miles we arrived in front of the marina. We stopped and hanged the fenders and then entered the marina and moored back to our C11 berth. The time was 0901.
After collecting our things, covering the instruments, etc. we got into the car and drove back to Kalami.
Thursday July 18 to Wednesday July 31, 2109
Thetis was in the marina. Our oldest daughter Cynthia and our youngest Corinna with her husband Siva Sundaresan and our gransons Rohan and Leander came to Samos.
Thursday August 1, 2019, Day 1
Corinna, Siva, Rohan, Leander, Alice, and I took a 2 day excursion. We departed the marina at 1120 and headed W. The wind was about 11 knots from the E. After 5.6 M of motoring we arrived in Kyriakou Kyriakou [37° 38.3' N 26° 51.8' E] at 1205. We anchored in 5.5 m depth. Swam, and had lunch. Siva and Corinna explored the abandoned house. But there was an uncomfortable swell and we decided to relocate. At 1823 we departed and motored W 2.2 M to Tsopela [37° 38.3' N 26° 49.9' E] where we arrived at 1854. The wind was variable. We first anchored just S off the little island but after a while we relocated on the middle of the W side of the cove.
Rohan had a great time with the dinghy.
Sleeping was difficult because of the number of people and the heat. Alice slept in the front cabin. The boys and Corinna in the center cabin. Siva in the cockpit. My right cabin was too hot and I slept for a while in the cockpit. After the night cooled somewhat I went back to my cabin and Corinna took my place in the cockpit. In general it was not a very comfortable night.
Friday August 2, 2019 Day 2
I took with the dinghy everyone but Alice who stayed in Thetis to the small cove just W of Tsopela. The kids had a very good time swimming. So did Corinna and I. But when we were leaving while starting the outboard I experienced a very acute pain on my right shoulder. This stayed with me for several months.
We departed Tsopela at 1100. Just outside the cove I noticed a lot of antifreeze under the engine. It was coming at the joint of the return hose from the heat exchanger. Its hose clamp was broken. We shut the engine and while Thetis was drifting I replaced the clamp by stringing together two smaller clamps. Then I added a lot water to the fresh water container. Eventually the leak stopped and the engine ran without a leak and was properly cooled.
We motored 9.3 M with 15-20 knot ENE wind to Mycale (Μυκάλη) [37° 42.1' N 026° 58.8' E] where we arrived at 1205. We anchored in 4.5 m depth and let out 30 m of chain. While it was calm the wind kept increasing and it was rather gusty. It was also hot, 33°C (91°F) inside and 31°C (87.8°F) outside), even under the tent. We swam and the kids had a great time with the dinghy.
After covering and raising the dinghy, hanging the fenders, and removing the tent we raised the anchor at 1605 and motored to the marina. By 1615 we were moored in our C11 berth.
Rohan & Leander |
Corinna & Siva |