Ahilio

Getting from Koukounaries on Skíros to Ahilio was another great sail for us.

We had light downwind conditions so to give ourselves the best speed we hoisted the cruising chute (MPS). Initially we flew it off the mini bowsprit a little like a very large genoa.

However, as we got south of the Trikeri peninsula the wind was funnelled so that it came from directly behind us. The cruising chute doesn’t work with that wind angle if it is on the bowsprit because the mainsail blankets it. So, to give it clear air we set up the spinnaker pole and flew the cruising chute as you would a conventional spinnaker. It needs more ropes to control it but with some careful adjustment it flies very well like this.

The view of Achilles Tower from our cockpit

As we approached Ahilio we took it all down and stowed the lines ending up sailing gently into the bay with just the mainsail up. There is a stone breakwater which we think is the main place for visiting yachts, or the town quay as a choice of places for us to moor. We chose the town quay for convenient proximity to the shops. Most people reverse up to the quay but we quite like the extra privacy of being bows in and it means that we can approach the quay in a very slow and controlled way. That is particularly helpful for us if, as was the case in Ahilio, there was no one on the quay to take our bow lines. Nicky scooped up the lazy line attached to the quay and then concentrated on attaching the bow lines whilst I held BV in position with the engine. With Nicky ashore and things stabilised I was able to pull up the lazy line to get to the larger mooring line which I attached to the stern. All the while we both need to keep an eye out for BV moving forward and potentially bumping the quay.

With the stern line attached and a few little adjustments BV was secure and we were able to take in our surroundings. Behind us was a nice view of Achilles Tower, which we had climbed up to when we had visited Ormiskos Pigádhi at the beginning of the month. In front of us were several little restaurants and cafés, a mini market and a bakery; perfect for our needs. We already had everything we really needed on board except fresh bread and a little extra fruit. The cafés allowed us to hook up to the internet whilst also enjoying the odd ice cold beer or two.

We stayed in Ahilio for 2 nights which allowed us to start doing a few preparations for Charlotte and Sophie coming on board, to get the Blog up to date, and to read the news about the financial and EU loan situation in Greece.

Ahilio, Greece