Easy Riders

Mad Max 

Milos being a small island we screwed the budget for a day and rented a scooter which opened us up to explore land based features which we're not normally blah blah blah.

From the first night we had a small group of school girls who conveniently sat on the bench outside Crest Hawk, regardless of where we moored. Our groupies gradually increased in number until towards the end of the week we had a teenage cult following. They somehow managed to track us down whichever beach we went to. No pictures for legal reasons.

Barbarossa's hide out

In the gaps without our teenage disciples we enjoyed the company of some beautiful slightly older, more age of concenty ladies. The first of whom were two Canadians, Izzy and Lara. The second were two Sweeds, Linea and Eba.

Our friends on this island are not only limited to females. George is the hardest working Greek (it doesn't take much (but seriously, he watched us go to bed (alone) and get up.. we don't know when he slept)). He treated us like the kings we are with complimentary drinks, food, life advice and good humour.

ABBA

We also met an Irish guy called Charlie. At first we only spoke to him because we thought he worked for NASA, but it turned out he was equally interesting and he planted a few ideas in our heads (not all of them about Thailand).

Tomas found us some new fans from China, who took a thousand pics of him and Crest Hawk and kept telling him how cool he is and giving him cigarettes which beats the feeling at any night-club.

Yesterday we sailed to the most awesome caves in Greece, Kleftico on the south of Milos. Barbarossa used to hang out there with his pirate mates and there was great snorkelling but not as many babes as we'd hoped for.

Tom's Top Tip: "Don't ask if you don't want to know."

A rock init

Ben's Best Bit: "Giros, €1"

Don't forget to make your opinion count with the poll at the top of this page. We pretend to care. Apart from the old farts who voted last week, looks like most of you would choose control over birds rather than fish. We considered the combined power of many birds for the possibility of human flight. Also sign up for an email reminder each time we update the blog. Thanks for reading!

George & Charlie

Izzy & Lara

Cheesy pasta

Cheesy moon

Chinese invasion

Slipping anchor forces side-to mooring!

Cleftiko

Yasu Aegean

Wait a minute... who's steering?

Bill turned out to be one of the most interesting people we've met so far, at the same time as one of the most unstable (apart from Crazy John). Tomas hadn't wanted to talk to him again having stood downwind for their initial encounter, but felt terrible when he started reeling off inspirational tales of his solo around the world epic sailing journey. Now 74, he's been sailing for 7 years straight, with bowel cancer behind him and a triple bypass. His longest time at sea was a sail from Brazil to North Wales. He had lost his engine and the wind so when he was a mile off the Azores he radioed for a tow in but was ignored! It resulted in him spending 96 days alone in the Atlantic.

Barnacle Bill

At the beginning of the week we met with Tomas' God Uncle Clive, and were treated to some delicious authentic Kythiran cuisine! Later on in the week we met his husband Petros and agreed to take them sailing the next time we pass through.

When we left Kythira the forecast had promised us SW - NW Force 3. In reality we were faced with no wind for the first 5 hours so we were forced to use "zee machine". It was Ben's watch when first the fuel ran out and then the wind started to change at 3am. Ben woke Tom to put in a reef (decreasing sail area) in preparation for the worst case scenario. We put life jackets on and Ben insisted that a reluctant Tom clip in, which turned out to be literally life saving; the second Tom was at the mast we were hit by a squall. Heavy wind, lightening, horizontal rain... it was the bloody mother load. Tomas held fast and did not return until the reef 2 was made, at which point the wind died and a very wet Ben was left to keep watch into the night. Ben replaced the fuel but when bleeding the engine, the bleed screw broke off - fuel squirted everywhere! Nothing an elastic band couldn't sort. Everybody should know that Tomas did helm for his share of the trip.

Self-Steering

Since we arrived in Milos life has changed for the better. Today we checked out a beach across the bay from the town, fitted the self-steering wind vane and mastered the stern-to manoeuvre! We both agree it's been our best day in Greece (apart from the days we met Tats, Andreas & Alex, Sanji & Tonia, Fred & Juan, Billy & Pam, Piere & Corrine, Ben's family, Bill, Zed & Girlfriend, Clive & Petros and Rory & Vicky (If you haven't been mentioned here please don't be disheartened - keep trying, you may yet become relevant in our memories))

Sunrise

Tom's Top Tip: "When your Captain is being safe about anal (sorry I mean anal about safety) follow his advice"

Ben's Best Bit: "Our third crew member Elefteria a.k.a self-steering"

Sunset

Milos

Milos Churches

Force 6 on the quay

D.I.S.C.O

Ben, Maria, Petros, Maria, Petros, Tom

This week has been a busy and fun one but we'll try to keep it short (we know you all have boring work to get back to)

Let us start with an apology for the day delay. We were anchored in Gerolimenos, on the Peloponnisos which turned out to be a town without internet, making Lloreda look like the Silicon Valley.
The week started off in Poros on Kefalonia with what begun as a really tedious sail South, which turned out to be really smooth and easy half way down.

A very efficient picture

Upon arrival in Zante on Zakinthos, we were greeted by Dino, who tried to charge us quite a bit for mooring in a tiny space, but after some jewing down and some charm on Tomas' part, the price was reduced and we ended up staying there for three nights. On our first night we met some locals at a bar, who we had over for coffee the following morning, one of whom we also went to the beach with later in the day. That evening we were invited over for supper by our lovely neighbours Mary (but when you say it you have to extend the A like a sheep would (I think the name is of Welsh origin))and Brian, and a picture was taken of the whole event by a beautiful passer-by who we should have totally invited over for a beer.

Capt. Grim the "bloody pervert"

We left Zante early on Thursday morning with a strong north westerly blowing us down to Pylos. We arrived after nightfall and were greeted by a line catching Aussie, Nick and his dog Scotty who turned out to be a delivery skipper (Nick, not the dog). We had planned on leaving two days later but unforeseen strong winds with gusts of 96knots kept us in port. Out of those strong winds came a yacht of young German sailors who we practically had to beg to come over for a beer aboard Crest Hawk that night. Staying in Pylos also gave us the chance to meet a couple, Ruth & Randell, two crazy Americans from Virginia on their way to London from China, where they had had their boat built (we think he is wanted for fraud).

As aforementioned we anchored in Gerolimenos last night and saw a rare giant sea turtle on our way to Kythira today. We would love to go into more detail but the internet cafe owner is making us feel nervous - think wants to close up for the night!

Tom's Top Tip: "Wearing swimming trunks 24/7 makes them smell"

Jin goes fishing

Ben's Best Bit: "The disco in the cockpit"

Sea turtle

Ben @ Gerolimenos

Cool cliffs init

Cruisin' for a Bruisin'

Auto-Helm 2000 is a cruel mistress

Andreas Bay

Ever since the Return of the King tm we have started heading South like there's no tomorrow. The only places we have had a minor break have been Andreas bay (Kassiopi), where we had a bbq with Andreas and some of his Russian talent and at Sivota of the South. Tats gave us the welcome of prodigal sons, which included showers and free pickings from her supermarket. Sadly we could only spend a night there but we made the most of it with a beach barby... finger lickin' good! Also we saw a fisherman land the three biggest fish we've ever seen; Tuna weighing in at 150kgs each!

2 foresailz init

On our first day from Andreas Bay we had a new crew member; 'Auto-Helm 2000'. She steered us safely all the way to Sivota of the North but turned out to be one of these girls who sucks you dry - we arrived with a battery that wouldn't have powered an electric toothbrush.

With a light breeze on the beam we were able to experiment with our old foresail, and for a couple of hours Crest Hawk became a cutter rig and a knot faster!

The Armada was so 425 years ago

In Vathi of Ithaca we came across a sailor who's anchor turned out to be more square than his head. He was stuck for two hours in 8 meter deep water until our Latin hero donned flippers and snorkel and went to his rescue. After a good 15 minutes of diving the anchor was freed! Tomas was rewarded for his hard work with 20 yoyos (which he insisted on turning down unsuccessfully).

Just today we have done the 17 NM separating Vathy on Ithaka from Kefalonia in under 3 hours, averaging a speed of 6 Knots. 

Tom's Top Tip: "If someone offers you a second ice-cream, make sure you cash in before you leave port"

Ben's Best Bit: "New sea-speed record - 6.6 knts. Plus my father came 3rd overall in Round the Island, no watch this year then:("

Black Arrow to the rescue

ahhh bless

Me mate Hassan innit

Like it ain't no thing