Órmos Sikias

Having explored Límnos enough to feel that we had done it justice we left Mirina harbour at 0940 on 24 May. The final attempt to get a gas bottle refill was unsuccessful with the shop very firmly closed and no response on any of the telephone numbers. Not a major problem but we knew that we were heading into more remote parts with even less likelihood of finding a supplier.

Akti peninsula nas Mount Athos ahead   

The forecast proved to be good and we were soon bowling along at 7 knots. Navigation was easy; we used the same landmark that sailors have used for centuries, Mount Athos.

Mount Athos   

This 2033 metre high mountain rises sheer from the sea right at the end of the Akti peninsula. With its height and distinctive pinnacle, it is visible from most of the north west of the Aegean, hence its use for navigation. The mountain is believed to be sacred and the whole peninsular has been cut off from the rest of the world for over 10 centuries. The peninsular has at least 17 large monasteries on it and there are also scattered colonies of monks and hermits living in almost inaccessible huts on the clifftops and slopes. Women are not allowed on the peninsular, there’s an exclusion zone around it, time beats to the rhythm of the ancient Byzantine clock with its variable length hours, and the dates are counted off on the Julian calendar, 13 days behind the Roman calendar. A bit of a world unto itself.

Approaching Órmos Sikias on the middle Sinthonia peninsula   

We planned to take a closer look at the Akti peninsula in a day or so but our desitnation for the day was a mile wide bay, Órmos Sikias, on the south eastern tip of the Sinthonia peninsula. This is the middle of the three fingers of land on the Khalkidhiki peninsula. We made really good progress and averaged 7 knots for the passage.

Our anchorage close to Skala Sikias   

At the head of the bay is a wide sandy beach and to the south west are a couple of smaller rocky coves. With the wind forecast to blow a bit from both the west and then the south we picked the south western corner to drop our hook, avoiding the potential lee shore and obstructions in small cove by the Skala Sikias village.

The sunset was lovely and our anchorage gave us great views of the beaches and Mount Athos just over 15 miles away. As we enjoyed a sundowners glass of wine bathed in the orangey evening light, we watched 2 other yachts sail into the bay and anchor just off the mole by Skala Sikias village, exactly where we had decided to avoid.

A few hours later, after darkness had fallen, the wind got up from the west and we watched each of the yachts in turn raise their anchors and reposition close to us.

Órmos Sikias was a very pleasant anchorage and having sailed and rushed around sightseeing for the past few days we stayed for 2 nights relaxing during the day whilst also catching up on some minor maintenance, admin and blog writing.

Órmos Sikias, Greece