Samos via Rhodes to Crete

On August 13th for the last time in the next future my wife Ilse and I sailed downwind from Samos Marina to Marathi Bay on Arki Island. We moored there for two days, enjoying the sandy beach and the food at Pandelis.  We continued to Emporio Bay on Kalymnos, where we also moored for two leisure days, swimming and eating at Harry's Paradise Restaurant.







Further south downwind we sailed to the southern coast of Kos, where we spent another two placid days near Ag. Stefanos. In the evening of August 18th our daughter Sophie arrived by plane from Vienna. Next day we motored to Pali harbor on Nissiros and enjoyed the beautiful sunset and the old town Mandraki. Next morning we visited all important sites of Ns. Nissiros, including Emporio, Nikia, Mandraki, three monasteries, black beaches and the famous volcano by car.





Again further south we anchored in Eristou Bay at the west coast of Tilos and continued next day to Potamos Bay in Chalki, where we had a nice walk over to Chalki town. Heading west we anchored for one spooky night in Alimia South Bay and hiked up to the old castle.

On August 25th we reached Panormitis Bay in Simi and visited the famous monastery next morning. Then we motored with nearly no wind to Simi Harbor, having a nice swim at Ag. Emilianou en-route.

In the beautiful waters round Ag.Marina we spent two lovely days and then left Simi for Rhodes, where we moored in Mandraki harbor for four days. Next day Sophie left for Vienna and Ilse and I took a trip round Rhodes by rental car.









Our son Matthias together with Isa Rieder and Christian Gilli - a team of three arduous biologists - came on board next day.












September 1st we sailed to Lindos, where we visited the famous temple, castle and town. Next night we spent at the south Bay of Prasso, a windsurfing eldorado. We continued to the east coast of Karpathos and anchored near Dhiafani harbor. After a visit to Karpathos harbor in the large bay of Pigadia we anchored for two relaxing days at Amorphos Bay, then continued to Ormos Khelatron at the southern tip of Kassos.

On the evening of September 7th we finally reached the eastern coast of Crete north of Vai at Erimoupolis Bay. After a hike through the palm valley of Vai we sailed northwest to Sitia harbor, where we moored alongside the northern quai. Two big tacks against fresh northerly winds took us next day to vast Elounda bay.

The last day of our cruise we visited the leper-island of Spinalonga and finally moored in our reserved dock in Ag. Nikolaios Marina. My wife and I left September 11th for Vienna, the rest of our ambitious crew followed two days later.

This was a very peaceful cruise over 450 sm with 88 sailing hours.
You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.

Aegean Summer Cruise

This was my third roundtrip from Samos to Santorin and back - and it was a very comfortable cruise; we had mostly light winds and so we had to motor a lot.









On July 23rd we started with Aaron Kaplan and Klaus Darilion from nic.at from Samos with northerly winds to Kos. In Kos Marina we touched unintentionally the stern of a catamaran when we tried to change gears from reverse to forward. The steering cable to the gearbox was broken.

After we had this cable changed by a very competent engineer, Mr. Antonios Markoy, we continued with low winds to Panormitis Bay in Simi. Next day we sailed to Mandraki Harbor in Rhodes, were we anchored in front of the 3 windmills, visited impressive Rhodes Old Town and had a very nice dinner at Marco Polo Restaurant.





3am early next morning we set sail to Livadhia harbor in Tilos. A resolute German lady showed us the right mooring place. We took a walk and then had a crisp roasted lamb for dinner. Next day we continued north, tacking against a stiff north wind.

In the evening of July 28th at Ag. Stefanos at the southern coast of Kos we met our last crew member, Richard Wein from nic.at.

Next morning we sailed west with a force 6-7 meltemi to Maltezana Bay in Astipalaya. After visiting Skala Astipalaya we continued next day to Skala Anafi, where we had a quiet night because of the decreasing wind.

On July 31st we reached Marina Vlichada, where we found a secure mooring place for three days. We took a car for two days of sightseeing and then we had a crew-change: Aaron, Klaus and Richard left for Austria and Shirani Ediriweera and Kurt Drexler from Vienna and Martina Salzmann and Günther Rettenbacher from Salzburg boarded Sea of Joy on August 2nd.

We started from Vlichada with a sightseeing cruise through the caldera of Santorin and headed north to Manganari Bay on the southern Tip of Ios. After spending a nice day in Ios town harbor we continued next day to the southern Bay at Schinousa island.

August 6th we motored to beautiful Katapola harbor in Amorgos and next day we anchored in Kalotiri Bay, which appeared to us as a mountain lake in the Austrian Alps.

Next day we sailed east to Levitha, where we visited Taverna Levitha, owned by the two families living on this interesting island. Their liver stifado and goat-stew was exquisite.


Against northerly winds we tacked to Marathi on Arki, where we had a delicious large fish for dinner for all 5 of us at Pandelis.


The last stop was Agathonisi harbor in front of Glaros restaurant. After a nice sail with a lot of tacking in Samos Strait we moored safely back in Samos Marina on August 11th evening.

We logged 530 sm and sailed 101 hours.

You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on Google Maps.