Leaving Loutráki |
Beach on Nisis Tsoungria |
Beach on Nisis Tsoungria |
Approaching Skíathos with the runway visible to the right |
It turned out to be a very good anchorage; settled, quieter than the quay and with less roll plus we got our own airshow 3 or 4 times a day as the aircraft came in to land. Getting ashore meant a short dinghy ride but that is little hardship.
Ashore, Skíathos town very quickly provided for our immediate needs. We found a good-sized supermarket and, opposite, a garage which sold gas so we could exchange our empty Camping Gaz bottle for a full one. The supermarket enabled a restock of food, wine, beer and a 5 litre container of vinegar. Taking a tip from some experienced cruisers we are using vinegar to try to keep the heads pipework free from scale by periodically leaving some in the pipes overnight diluted with a little boiling water.
The first night brought very unsettled weather and winds of 20 knots and gusts of up to 30 knots, with the strong winds (though happily not the rain) lasting until late into the following day. [Ed: perfect for ensuring that the anchor was well dug in!] Sadly, that also set the trend for the next few days and nights although on Saturday 27 June it rained nearly all day long. It was rather frustrating, particularly when we heard via the routine HF radio net that people cruising other areas of the Aegean were experiencing excellent weather.
Sanded and ready for varishing |
‘Chief Varnisher’ at work |
In between doing the maintenance chores Nicky got her hair cut and we enjoyed walking around Skíathos town.
Typically for this region, it is a rabbit warren of narrow streets but here there also seem to be restaurants crammed into every corner. We don’t think we have ever seen so many restaurants in one place before.
In proper tourist mode, we also spotted the quay in the old port which was used as a location in the film ‘Mamma Mia’ [Ed: but unfortunately we didn’t spot Pierce Brosnan or Colin Firth running along it].
Skíathos is unashamedly a tourist location but it has a nice feel to it, even if it is still relatively early in the season. Doubtless in a few weeks all the restaurants will be full and the streets crowded and it may be rather more hectic then. However, it has been a nice place to spend a few days, with the added bonus that we managed to get several jobs completed, and even some of those we had been procrastinating over! With the feel-good factor of some awkward jobs tackled, and a couple of weeks to go before Charlotte and Sophie arrive, the plan now is to explore some of the Gulf of Volos and parts of Evia and perhaps, if the winds look suitable, Skyros too.
Skíathos , Greece |
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