Sailing to Cyprus

We cleared out of Greece with the various authorities and left Sími at 1000hrs on 14 September. It was very efficient and easy and so we were very grateful for the top tip to not clear from Greece in Rhodes. It made the passage a little longer but we had a fantastic sail past Rhodes and on to the southeast towards Cyprus with BV racing along mostly at between 7 and 9 knots.

Rhodes

We set BV up with the Hydrovane steering system, which uses wind power to control the boat. It is incredibly effective and with the steady wind it was able to keep BV fully under control even whilst surfing down the waves. We relaxed in the sun and just enjoyed watching the world go by with BV taking it all in her stride. As we passed the northern tip of Rhodes the wind got up to about 25kts so we took a reef in the main and then, a little later, rolled away the genoa but left the pole up so that we could reset the genoa easily if required. Towards nightfall we dropped another reef into the main but still pressed on at 6 knots. Overnight we ran our 3 hours on and 3 hours off (sleep) routine with a half hour changeover between each watch.

A little dorado

Filleted dorado

During the early morning of Tuesday 16 September the wind moderated so we set full sail and continued to maintain good speed. However, at about lunchtime the fishing reel started to unwind quickly. Nicky slowed BV down by rolling away the genoa whilst I worked on reeling in our catch. It turned out to be a small dorado, also known as a mahi-mahi (Hawaiian name) or a common dolphinfish. It’s a very striking fish with bright green colouring and a long fin along its back. It was quickly filleted and fed us for lunch and dinner. Pan fried in butter with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice it was delicious. The flesh is quite firm and meaty and was definitely good eating; a real bonus!

Akrotiri Peninsula

We made such good progress that by early morning on Wednesday 17 September we were heading along the south coast of Cyprus 12 hours ahead of when we’d expected to be there. By this stage the wind had dropped off almost completely so we reluctantly switched from sailing to motoring.

Limassol Bay

We had passed the Akrotiri peninsula and into Limassol bay before we were able to get a good enough mobile phone signal to call our friends on the island. The passage had taken 2 nights and part of 3 days, 50 hours in all, and we had arrived in Limassol a day earlier than they were expecting us. However, like good chums they instantly set up an amazing support network for us. Arrangements for a hire car and a lift to pick us up from the marina were all put in place straight away. Once we had completed the arrival formalities with Customs, Immigration, the Police and the marina office we were whisked away to live ashore for a few days. It looks set to be a very social week!

Limassol, Cyprus