Travels with S/Y Thetis


Thetis only

Thetis 1999: Cyclades, Samos, N. Turkey, Black Sea

This is a very personal log of a sailing trip of approximately four months with my boat, Thetis, in the Aegean Sea, Sea of Marmara, and the Black Sea.

The trip can be divided into 7 parts:

  1. The trip originated in Glyfada, a suburb of Athens, Greece, where Thetis spends the long winter months, to the Aegean islands of Kea, Syros, Paros, Schinousa, Anti Karos, Amorgos, Patmos, Arki, and Samos. During this trip I was accompanied by my wife Alice. There follows a period of staying ashore in our family house in Samos.
  2. From Samos I sailed with my older daughter Cynthia and her husband Scott Shomer to Kusadasi where we entered Turkey. We then preceded North to Gökkavar, Çesme, Eskifoça, Bandemli, and Dikili where we exited Turkey and crossed over to Mitilini, Lesvos to change crew.
  3. In Mitilini, Cynthia and Scott left and I was joined by Mary and Manos Castrinakis. We sailed to Ayvalik where we re-entered Turkey. From there we continued North to Tenedos, up the Dardanelles to Çanakkale and the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul where Manos and Mary left me and Andonis Ephremides joined me.
  4. From Istanbul we went up the Bosphorus and entered the Black Sea. After an overnight at Sile we sailed East non-stop to Amasra and from there to Samsun, again non-stop. In Samsun we left Thetis for four days and went overland to Trabzon, Sumela, and Amasia. After returning to Thetis we sailed West back to Istanbul stopping in: Yakakent, Hamsilos, Inebolu, Cide, Amasra, Eregli, Kefken Adasi, Poyraz, and Bebek. On the way we observed the total solar eclipse.
  5. In Istanbul we were joined by my younger daughter Corinna and Andonis’ wife Jane. We then sailed to Erdek in the Sea of Marmara where the Earthquake of August 17 that devastated Turkey found us at anchor and asleep. We then went down the Dardanelles to Çanakkale where we exited Turkey. After exiting the straits we stopped in the Turkish island of Imvros, and we entered Greece in Myrina, Limnos where the Ehremides’ left us and Corinna’s friend Mark Dembitz joined us.
  6. From Myrina we sailed South to Ayios Efstratios, Sigri in Lesvos, to Chios, and finally back to Samos.
  7. Finally, after resting in Samos I slowly singlehandled back to Glyfada, Thetis’ home port, stopping along the way in: Arki, Patmos, Lispi, Donousa, Iraklia, Paros, Rhinia, Syros, Serifos, Spetses, Porto Heli, Kithnos, and Kea.
Map of the E Med with route
Map of the Eastern Mediterranean with route.

The Highlights of the trips are: