motorsailercharlie

David and Cathy on Charlie in Greece

2007-09-01T17:27:00.000+02:00

Now, good old David Evans sailed on Charlie from the coast of France at Port la Nouvelle and got off board in Athens after a great month at sea. David started his sea career as a ship's cook and promised us "never to eat a snack while he was on board." He is a great navigator and when we left France for Corsica, I had neglected (stupid skipper) to buy a marine chart for the waters there. In fact, I never expected to go to Corsica, but we left France with not enough food to make a single long run to Malta. So, with a Michelen road map(no kidding) David negotiated Charlie to the proper harbor. "Just around that next headland" he would say as we passed several headlands. We got there with no problems, except stupidity, and arrived just as the local community was celebrating the FISHERMAN'S FESTIVAL with lots of wine and mussels and general nonsense, including the most amazing dancing I've ever seen.
Cathy, David's wife, didn't go on that trip, but did come with him to Greece for a vacation on Charlie.

The Two Richards in July, 2007

2007-08-09T23:10:00.000+02:00

Richard Eisermann and Richard Freedberg, the Two Richards, in the Acteon Cafe in Ireklitsa. Richard, The Big, just had his 48th birthday and we had a party in our favorite taverna, including a cake brought out by the taverna owner. We were teacher and student when Richard El Giganto was in High School, and we have spent the last two summers sailing and swimming and eating and drinking on Charlie. This year, the weather was very hot and there was little wind, but we found one day with Beaufort 4-5 and took Charlie out for 4 hours. There is a new mizzen sail and she sails much closer to the wind now. But, this is the last sail on Charlie with me as the owner. After 24 exciting years, we decided to sell her. It is funny, but, when we are out on her, people telephone Anthimos, the brilliant mechanic who has bought her, thinking he is sailing her, and say, "Anthimos, that is the most beautiful boat in the harbor." He told us that Charlie is a unique boat and has a long future. He will replace all the wiring, which is 27 years old and getting dangerously thin in spots. He will also strip her down completely, removing even the motor(which is excellent) and then sand-blast her and repaint her completely. We have had 24 years sailing her twice across the North Sea to England and have even taken her into Istanbul. So, for a Dutch-built boat, designed for the rough and cold waters here in The Netherlands, Charlie has found her final home in the tiny harbor of Ireklitsa on the North Aegean Sea. The end of an era for us and we were delighted to share this last sail with El Giganto and his daughter, Lily, who is an experienced and effective crew. I am 68, Richard is 48, Lily is 14, and Charlie is 27.

Goatherd on Samothraki Island

2007-06-12T20:35:00.001+02:00

Samothraki has 35,000 goats which sleep on the road, walk across the road and wander freely around the island. The visit to the island is one of our favorite times. There are 60 sea miles from Ireklitsa to Samothraki and it takes about 9 hours to motor there. Since the wind generally comes out of the Northeast, unless there is at least a Bft. 5, we have to motor. When the wind blows, it can reach a Bft 7-8 in minutes. I have photographed the sea at the northwest corner of the island. You can clearly see the wind flags on the ocean. There is a line drawn between the flat sea on the right and the rough waves on the left. We asked fishermen about the wind around Samothraki and they told us that it stops about 10 miles outside the island. On the island itself, you can't feel the wind unless you get to a hilltop. Judy and I have been "trapped" on the island for three days in a wind that reached Bft 8/9 and even the ferry boats weren't able to sail. We followed the fishermen's advice and motored out of the harbor and when we reached 10 miles, the wind stopped dead. Samothraki is a lovely island to visit, although there are few tourist hot spots. Just friendly people, a couple of good tavernas, and the Fonias waterfall.

Judy and Danielle in Ireklitsa

2007-06-12T15:32:00.001+02:00

This is the harbor in Ireklitsa. The tavernas are up on the white wall to the left and to all the way to the little red building on the far right. You can see the hot white color of the part of the harbor that is not covered by the palm trees. Judy is walking with Danielle on the way to some light snack. Here, if you bring a bag full of fish to the taverna, the cook will clean them and cook them and only charge you for the cleaning. Because it is so hot in the village, and traditionally in all of Greece, a huge, heavy warm meal is eaten in the early afternoon and then a nap is taken. Of course, at 9 or 10 or even 11 at night, the Greeks show up for an evening meal. At that time, there are no holds barred, and kilos and kilos of food are eaten. It always amazes us that no matter how late WE eat, there are others who eat later. No matter how MUCH we eat, they eat more. What is best, is that after the meal, as a gift, the taverna will give you dessert, for example, a platter of sweet cakes, or a platter of watermelon, or grapes. And then, even though you can't walk easily, you MUST go for a plate of loukemades(round balls of doughnut consistancy, deep fried and served with ice cream or grated cheese or both. And then, and only then, can you roll off to bed. Danielle, thank god, has cooked us meals at home and they are not only sensible, but delicious. We have been saved by her many times.

Charlie's pilot house control panel

2007-06-12T12:57:00.001+02:00

The control panel has not changed much in th 28 years of Charlie's life. We have added controls for the electric anchor winch, the electric toilet, the wind speed and direction indicator and the bow thruster. The original Ritchie compass and the autopilot are there as well as the GPS and the new computer with plot charter. There is a intruder alarm and battery chargers for the video and cell phones. The "best" item is the control that shows the position of the rudder, which makes backing up very easy and this is useful when tying up in a harbor. We added a new pilot's seat for comfort after the old seat broke its back.

Charlie's kitchen

2007-06-12T12:23:00.001+02:00

This is the starboard kitchen on Charlie. Plenty of work space, with three storage areas and two drawers. There is a counter-top cooking stove and a refrigerator under the stove. There are two storage areas behind the sink, where glasses, cups and tea and coffee are kept. And finally, there is a full length shelf at the back. There are two long windows behind the shelf and a porthole above the stove for ventilation.
Our usual diet in Greece consists of a morning cup of Greek coffee and a tomato salad; a lunch of a large(huge) Greek village salad, fresh bread and beans in tomato sauce. At night, we hit the tavernas and chow down on fish, salads and retsina.

The pilot house bench

2007-06-12T12:05:00.001+02:00

After the long sail to Greece, Judy decided that Charlie needed a comfortable bench for the pilot house. Anthimos had a carpenter make the bench(the area used to have the chart table) with storage under the cushions. It is a bit narrow, but perfect for napping and has given us plenty of room for tools, swimming gear, shoes and beach equipment. And, also, it has given the pilot house a homely and comfortable feeling. Charlie has a lot of visitors over the summer and this room has proved its worth. The cushions can be taken out for easy access to the top storage spaces and the bottom drawers when the rope handles are pulled out, become foot rails. Anthimos has managed to create a room that fits in with the original character of Charlie, at 28 years old.

Dubai passenger ferry taxi, called an ABRA

2007-05-19T13:00:00.001+02:00

It is always interesting to see how other water cultures make their boat. This abra taxi crossed the Dubai Creek to the old souk, or market place. It is made of wood and holds 20 people, who pile on as the abra hits the dock. The drive stands in the motor hold and has a car seat on the upper deck. When he is in the car seat, he steers with his foot. The trip takes about 15 minutes and costs 20 Eurocents. The Dubai Creek was a shallow foot crossing in the 1950's but the former Sheik of Dubai borrowed $20 from Kuwait and had the creek widened, deepened and expanded. Now, Arab douws get loaded here and travel all over the Arabian Gulf. The prevailing wind sweeps down the Creek toward the sea and makes the crossing choppy, but the skippers are experts and the trip is fun.

Richard on the stage at ancient theater Filipi

2007-05-19T11:56:00.001+02:00

The ancient ruins of the city of Filipi are outside of Kavala on the road to Bulgaria. This is the place where St. Paul came to preach. There are ruins of ancient Greek ceramic tile floors, the Roman street with accompanying agora(market place), the bathing room with toilets, the remains of a Byzantine Basilica and this theater. I stood in the center of the stage and talked in a quiet normal voice and I was heard easily in the back row. The theater overlooks the ruins of the city of Filipi. I have seen a couple of productions here and it is thrilling when the sun sets and the show begins. But, of course, the seating is the original stone and it wrecks havoc with your rear end. So the people sell styrofoam squares to sit on. The place holds about 3,000 people and even today in modern Greece, once the play starts, the audience, including grandparents, little children, young hip types, all slam shut and don't move for the duration. This silence is enthralling.

Boelie Woelders on Samothraki crazy truck

2007-05-19T11:39:00.000+02:00

This photo was taken in April, 2007 when I sailed with my old friend, Boelie, to Samothraki. We wandered over to the ferry dock to watch the loading up process and had an adventure. The driver of this amazing truck was refused entry to the ferry and his assistant got angry. The assistant was a large man carrying two huge shopping bags on his shoulders. He stood on ferry loading bridge and spread his legs and crossed his arms and refused to move. The Coast Guardsman walked over and told him to move because there was another car that had to be loaded. He walked over to the car, which was backing up, and put his foot on the fender. The driver jumped out and there was almost a fistfight, but the Coast Guardsman broke it up and angrily ordered the man to leave the dock. Meanwhile, the truck driver had begun to drive toward the ferry. The Coast Guardsman shouted at him and he jumped off the truck. Boelie immediately jumped on and I took this photo. The fly wheel is unprotected and very close to your feet. This was a strange interlude because we were told that the iron junkman had a workshop about 7 kilometers from Alexandropolous on the mainland. So, how did they let him on the ferry to get to Samothraki? Anyway, the man and his assistant drove off into the town and the ferry left.

CHARLIE'S Greek ship's document

2007-04-11T08:30:00.000+02:00

This waterlogged document is supposed to represent CHARLIE as we travel in and out of Greek harbors and when we cross international borders. It lists all the dimensions, the name of the insurance company, the motor details, the weight, manufacturer and other details. It is in the Greek language, with minimum English words. In order to be given this document, you have to go to the office of the Coast Guard, present all your papers, including passport, and manufacturer's documents. Of course, we didn't have all the papers, but we made things up, for example, the name of the harbor master of the home mooring in Amsterdam. Now, CHARLIE has a Dutch flag, but is, in fact, permanently moored in Greece. The European Union rules allow this, but the manner in which the rules are defined and enforced is left up to individual Coast Guard officers. This is a gray area and we slide easily through the red tape. At the bottom left, you can see the 12 stamps from the Coast Guard in Kavala. This particular document was so waterlogged that we had to buy a new one when we travelled to Turkey. Paperwork is a big issue when you travel to foreign harbors, and my brother and I have written about this in the magazine LATITUDES AND ATTITUDES.

CHARLIE up on the blocks and Peter in Keramoti shipyard

2007-04-06T20:51:00.000+02:00

In April, 2006, Peter joined us for a sail on CHARLIE to Samothraki, but the boat was still up on the land having a few holes in the hull cut out and new pieces of steel welded in. The hull is in remarkably good shape after 29 years of life in salt waters. You can see the round hole in the blue at the bow, which houses the bow thruster. You can alse see clearly the meter and a half bow sprit with the two jibs. CHARLIE was designed for Dutch waters, especially the Isselmeer(the inland fresh water sea in Holland) and the idea was that if the ship ran into trouble, it could be motored directly up on the beach and the passengers could step off the bowsprit. There has been a lot of rusting around the points where the bowsprit attaches to the body of the ship, but this is now repaired. The photo also shows the work terrain at Keramoti beach. Peter is unloading material for the summer. We didn't sail, but we had a good vacation anyway.

harbormaster in Canakkele, Turkey

2007-04-01T21:05:00.000+02:00

This man greeted CHARLIE when we first tied up in Turkey. We were flying the "Q" flag for the health officer, but the harbormaster started shouting, "My friends, my friends, lower the flag NOW! My friends, quickly." It was a strange request, but I did lower the flag, which is completely against international law. After the boat was tied up, he told me that it was a difficult and long process to obtain the proper ships' papers, BUT, that he had a friend who was a ship's agent and "for only Euro 100., would do all the work for us." We agreed, and he organized the whole affair for us. We had to pay him for the mooring position, for the water and for the shower. He was friendly, but we definitely had the feeling that we were being charged for too many extras. As we were drinking a coffee, another sailboat entered the harbor. It was flying a Ukranian flag, and had two families on board. There were two men, three women, and a couple of kids. These people had made a great voyage from the Ukraine all the way through the Bosporus, the sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles to arrive at Canakkele. We stood there to applaud them. The harbormaster came out of his office. Other sailors looked up. Then we noticed that the boat was going rather fast. Too fast. The harbormaster began to shout and wave his arms. The people on their boats next to the empty slip began to shout. We began to shout. The people on the boat began to shout at the man behind the wheel. He didn't pay any attention. The boat entered the slip too fast and smacked into the railing of the sailboat next to it. It hit the dock so hard that the people on board were thrown around. The harbormaster was hysterical and angry. After money changed hands and a couple of bottles of wine were handed out, things calmed down, but we said to ourselves that our planned trip to the Ukraine might be a bit more risky than we thought. We never made it, because the European Union had a huge meeting in Istanbul and the Bosporus was closed for three days. Too bad I guess.

Turkish "kaiki" in Canakkele Harbor

2007-04-01T12:55:00.000+02:00

All over Turkey and in the northern Aegen of Greece, this type of boat is typical. It is a kaiki and the first one we saw was outside of Athens before we went through the Corinth Canal. They are wooden, and very lovely. Mostly used for tourists now, they are traditionally coastal ships. Wide, deep and very roomy inside. We were invited in for tea by a skipper in Atakoy Marina in Istanbul. They are still being built and are expensive, but lovely to see on the water.

Sergei watching the fishermen on Galatay Bridge in Istanbul

2007-04-01T12:47:00.000+02:00

We took the Asian ferry to cross the Bosporus and came upon a group of men fishing from the high walkway. What they did was load up a fishing rod with 10-15 fish hooks with NO bait. They would flip the line into the water and with a single flip, they would bring the line quickly to the land. From the hooks, there might be one or two or ten little sardines flailing around. They would quickly unhook the fish into a bucket and then, flip-flip all over again like a flash. A few seconds was all it took. The catch was walked over to some restaurant boats tied to the wall. There was a cook standing outside the boat behind a charcoal barbeque. He was quickly grilling the fish and the waiters were carrying them into the restaurant for the customers to eat. It was fascinating to see the speed of the fishermen, the speed of the cooks and the delicious smell of the fish. We ate sardines(it was not really a sardine, but we never found out the real name) with our fingers with bread and cold beer. Delicious!

Sergei swimming in Fonias waterfall pool

2007-03-20T12:43:00.000+01:00

The weather was very hot and the walk up to the waterfall took about one hour, but it was worth it. The water is freezing cold and very refreshing. You can't see the waterfall because it is behind the large rock on the left. Sergei is bobbing around and Lenny's head can be seen in the middle of the pool. This park is one of the most beautiful places in Greece. The walk up to the pool goes along the Fonias River which is very shallow most of the year, but in the early Spring, when the snow melts on top of Mount Saos. I was told by the Coast Guard that it is so dangerous that it is closed even for the Army during the melts. I heard that an Army truck was washed up on Thasos Island 40 miles away.

cook in restaurant in Canakkele

2007-03-20T12:34:00.000+01:00

In the background you can see Sergei and Lenny sitting at a table. The menu was simple: ceramic pots filled with rice, beans and cheese and served as a stew. Sardines charcoaled on the tiny grill. Salad, bread and beer, brought in from the neighborhood general store down the street. The cook was full of life and very friendly. We liked the food so much that we returned the following night. In fact, we also ordered another kind of stew which was potatoes, tomatoes and some kind of green vegetable. Delicious! It was in Canakkele that we caught a taxi to visit the ancient city of Troy.

Ferry "Aeolis" backs up in Agio Efstratios

2007-03-20T12:23:00.000+01:00

This creaky ferry(the captain said they had bought a new one for the next year) went back and forth from Limnos, in a two hour trip, twice a day. Typically for the Med, the ferry dropped its port anchor, swung to the starboard, and dropped the starboard anchor. Then it would straighten out and begin to back up toward the dock. We were always fascinated by the expert maneuvering, especially when the wind was strong from one side or the other. Trucks, cars and animals, as well as passengers, were the typical cargo. Since there is no bank on Agio Efstratios, banking is done "by ferry." We had been warned to move CHARLIE by the Coast Guardsman, who told us that the ferry would be arriving at the very spot we had first tied up. We decided that the Aeolis was held together by the paint.

The Gerogianakki family on Agios Efstratios

2007-03-20T10:10:00.000+01:00

This is Agape, Adonis and Maria Gerogianakki family in front of their house on Agios Efstratios. This is one of the seven houses left standing after the earthquake in 1968. They were busy restoring it. When we tied up in the harbor and took a walk into town, Maria stepped out of her door as we were about to take a photo. She said, "Welcome to our island. Would you like a glass of wine?" It was early in the afternoon, but Peter and I said yes immediately. Then, Maria brought out bread she had baked that morning, cheese, olives and the wine. It is a special wine she told us, "From the island of Limnos." They were great hosts.

Richard on deck in Moudros Harbor, Limnos Island

2007-03-18T16:04:00.000+01:00

Lenny, Peter and I sailed CHARLIE into Moudros Harbor after a rough sail around the southern tip of Limnos and into the largest bay in the Aegean. It is here, in Moudros Bay that the entire Allied fleet hid from the Turkish Navy in the Gallipoli Invasion. There is a lovely plaque in the harbor that commemorates the Australian war dead from that war. It was warm in the town and we took a long walk to buy Peter a good sun hat. We sat in the local hotel and were treated to the stories by the old men of the war. You can see by my clothing that the weather was very comfortable, although it was rough on the sea.

Net cleaning in Samothraki harbor

2007-03-18T15:48:00.000+01:00

In April, 2006, CHARLIE was tied up in this harbor and the fishermen had just returned from their early morning work at sea. The boy on the dock was feeding the net through his hands and cleaning out the shells and other non-fish items. We watched him with amazement when he would casually reach into the net and pick out a sea sluggy looking creature and pop it into his mouth. This cleaning process takes several hours and then the nets are carefully placed on deck, covered with wet rugs awaiting their use the following day. Whenever we needed advise about wind or sea conditions, we learned not to go to the Coast Guard, but always ask these men. You can see the harbor wall on the right. During bad storms, the waves spray over the top, but the wind gets so strong that even the ferry boats do not attempt the harbor. Judy and I once were asked by the Coast Guard NOT to leave the harbor, but we asked the fishermen and they pointed to a spot on the chart and told us, "There, no wind." We snuck out of Samothraki when the afternoon siesta closed everyone's eyes, and, amazingly enough, when CHARLIE got to the point where the fisherman had placed his finger: NO WIND. They know the sea.

Richard and Peter at the Coast Guard office on Samothraki

2007-03-17T17:46:00.000+01:00

Every time you tie up in a Subport in Greece, you must check in with the Coast Guard. You show passports, ship's papers, crew lists, and, most important, insurance papers. You also pay a very small fee for the overnight stay, usually only about Euros 5. The station here is small, but important, because Samothraki is close to the Turkish mainland. In the office, there is a big sign saying, "No Smoking," but the men smoke away anyway. I asked about it, and one told me, "The sign says no smoking over there, under the sign, but not here at my desk. " They were friendly to us and kept us informed about weather conditions, which can be hazardous around the island.

Lenny as we round Limnos Island

2007-03-17T17:40:00.000+01:00

Lenny on deck as we motor around the northern point of Limnos Island, which can be seen over his shoulder.

Cathy Hunt and David Evans

2007-03-17T17:28:00.000+01:00

Cathy and David are very old friends. They have been sailing with CHARLIE during summer vacation. In fact, David was one of the crew that went from Port la Nouvelle in France all the way across the Mediterranean to Athens, where he left us. David had been a ship's cook and told me that "we would never eat a snack on CHARLIE while we sailed to Greece." Even at the crew changes at 3 AM, David would whip up a complete evening meal. David also was the chief navigator on that leg of the trip and once a storm in the Bouche de Bonifacio between Corsica and Sardinia forced us to change course and we did not have an appropriate sea chart, but only a Michelin road chart of Corsica. David used the chart and with a magical sort of clear sight, he navigated us safely into port.

CHARLIE in Sotiras at sunset

2007-03-17T17:18:00.000+01:00

The island of Thasos is only three hours from Ireklitsa. Sotiras harbor is a newly made safe harbor. It is usually empty and we tie up for the day and take a swim. Mr. Alekos owns a tiny bar on the beach and he is a very helpful person. Once, our anchor pulled loose because it had hooked onto a christmas tree that had been dropped in the harbor. Alekos organized a fisherman to carry the anchor out to a deep place so we could be safe for the night. Like all harbors on the northern Greek islands, the villages are hidden in valleys high up on the mountains and can't be seen from the sea. Because of the danger of pirates, the "law" was that no lights could be shown at night in the villages. There were no harbors for the villages, but in today's world, piracy is not a problem, and the government has constructed harbors for many of the villages. The only weakness of Sotiras is the heavy cement dock that has very few tie-up spots and rides very high over the deck.

Lenny on Charlie in the Canal du Midi

2007-03-14T21:00:00.000+01:00

Here, Lenny is waving to Sergei as we exit a lock. You can see the lovely trees which lined the entire length of the canal. You are not allowed to sail, but must motor at no more than 4 knots an hour. It is a question of "putt-putt" in the sun. You are not allowed to motor at night, so each morning, you are told where you will moor for the night. We were alone for most of the 250 kilometers of the canal. CHARLIE handled very well after we learned how to keep her secure in the bubbling water. Life was generally peaceful and the local villagers were friendly. We ate in every kind of restaurant from tavern to fancy 2 star restaurant. Sometimes we ate in restuarants that were exactly on the canal wall in between the trees. It was sunny and warm weather and we built a sun awning ourselves.

Charlie in the Canal du Midi

2007-03-14T20:49:00.000+01:00

In order to get to the Mediterranean, we decided to take CHARLIE through the famous Canal du Midi which goes from Bordeaux to Port La Nouvelle on the Med. The canal has 125 locks which you operate yourself with the help of canal guides. You can see here that the depth is about 2 meters and the water ahead of us is much higher than we are. The gate behind us is closing and we then wait for the water to come pouring in very fast and very hard. We had to be careful to protect our sides from the wet and rough lockwalls as we bounced around. The locks ranged from 60 centimeters to a huge one of nine meters (where we couldn't even see the top). The lock attendents were extremely friendly and helpful, but we learned to do the work ourselves and didn't have any accidents.

Sergei in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

2007-02-25T14:45:00.000+01:00

The Grand Bazaar was built in 1600 and is an exciting place to shop. It is all underground the city and is a maze of little streets and hundreds of shops. Of course, bargaining is the name of the game and Sergei, Lenny and I had several funny confrontations with shopkeepers. One followed us around and said, "Why make two women unhappy? My wife will be unhappy if you don't buy something. And, your wife will be unhappy if you don't buy something. So, keep them happy and buy something." We did after all. Sergei was shopping for some antique jewelry and found a great shop with old watches, bracelets and other items from an old part of Georgia. We spent the whole morning being harassed by the shopkeepers, but enjoying every moment.

Keramoti boat hauling trailer

2007-02-25T13:30:00.000+01:00

This is the home made boat trailer at Keramoti beach. The tires are from airplanes and the rest is all made by the workers. They welded hydraulic lifts to a frame, which moves like a caterpiller. The axels all come out so the trailer can be made smaller as needed. The whole thing is pushed into the sea by a tractor, and dragged up on the beach by a tractor attached to an immense winch imbedded in the sand and anchored with chains. Charlie has to be put on sideways or she will fall off.

the shipyard at Keramoti beach near Kavala

2007-02-25T13:18:00.000+01:00

During the winter, Charlie is sailed to Keramoti beach where there is an old-fashioned shipyard right on the sand and dirt. Every size of boat is worked on here by a small team of expert boat builders. This is an example of a Greek wooden fishing boat getting a refit. But there is also a huge Russian freight ship that was confiscated by the Greek government. There are sailboats, motor yachts and professional ships. What is interesting is that most of the work is done in very primitive surroundings by builders who work with their hands and heads. The boats are dragged up on the beach by an ingenious system that was made by the men. They use airplane tires and have welded a contraption that looks like a caterpiller. It can carry huge ships or tiny boats like Charlie.

A view of Myrina Harbor from the Byzantine Fortress

2007-02-24T21:18:00.000+01:00

When we landed on the island of Limnos, we had to ask advice of the Coast Guard about where to moor. They advised us to moor in front of the Coast Guard rescue boat because a huge ferry was about to enter the harbor that night. You can see the trucks loaded and waiting for the ferry to arrive. Myrina harbor is a very quiet spot to spend the night. The harbor is well protected from the sea winds. The view is from the Byzantine fortress high above the harbor.

Lenny and I in the cabin planning a route

2007-01-28T12:22:00.000+01:00

On our trip from Limnos to Agios Efstratios, we ran into the typical navigation situations around the islands in the northern Aegean. The local rule of thumb is that when the coast drops rapidly into the sea, the depth of the water close to land is deep, but if there is a shallow beach, the depth is shallow, also. So, when we would come close to an island, we would carefully study the drop of land in order to plan our route. One of the interesting additional problems is that the wind blows in a circular direction around the islands, increasing in speed until what looked like a calm day, could turn into a Bft. 5 wind suddenly. So, we always had a conference about routing when we had reached an island. Sometimes we could sail very close to land, near the rocks, and make a direct line to the harbor mouth. At other times, we had to sail outside the shortest route and cut back in when the harbor appeared. Agios Efstratios was easy to see and the harbor mouth was very clear, so this was a pleasure.

whistling for dolphins

2007-01-17T22:02:00.000+01:00

The Greeks believe that if you whistle, the dolphins will visit your boat. I've tried that and all I get is a dry mouth. The dolphins appear out of nowhere and play around the bow of the boat, especially zipping back and forth right under the bowsprit. I thought that dolphins only show up during the day, but on a night sail south of Thasos Island, a group of three joined us for about 10 minutes. I discovered that dolphins never sleep and scientists are divided about the reason. Some believe that dolphins have a split brain and that one half sleeps at a time. Others think that dolphins take a deep mini-sleep for a couple of seconds and can rest completely at that time. These Aegean dolphins have a long nose and the largest I've seen has been about 3 meters long. Usually there are families with young adults, I call them teenagers. It is always uplifting when dolphins appear. They are so strong, and "happy." Once, my brother, Len, was taking photos of some under the bowsprit and he shouted, "Watch out, CHARLIE is going too fast for them." I laughed. No matter how fast we went, the dolphins were, of course, faster. I shout out to them, "We're mammals also."

Fonias Waterfall Park on Samothraki Island

2007-01-16T20:54:00.000+01:00

One of the most exciting reasons to visit Samothraki Island with CHARLIE is to swim in the freezing waters of Fonias Waterfalls. There are seven falls in all, but I have only been to the lowest, number seven. These are considered "killers" because the Spring floods(when the snow melts) are fierce. The park is lovely and the hike from the parking lot to this fall is about 90 minutes through a forest of ancient trees, along a meandering stream, across broken trees, over tumbled rocks and under overhanging branches. You can't see the fall until you are right up to it, and then you have to take a chance and jump into the pool and swim around a large boulder before you can swim up to and underneath the fall. Fonias means "killer" in Greek, by the way, and Mount Saos where it comes from is where mythology says that Poseidon sat to wach the Trojan War, because you can see Troy from the island on a clear day. We usually rent an open jeep to drive to the park and then buzz around the island to see the rest of the nature scenes. Tourists have not discovered Samothraki yet and there are about 30,000 goats that roam around freely between your legs.

Wooden houses in Istanbul, Turkey

2006-11-28T21:55:00.000+01:00

On the trip from Greece to Istanbul, we were lucky to have found a good marina, Atakoy, right on the outskirts of the city. On our walks, we tried to discover the older parts of the city, where tourists don't usually visit. Down near the sea shore, we wandered into this old neighborhood, where the houses were built in the Turkish style with over-hanging stories. When the people in the houses saw us take out the cameras, they quickly disappeared. Why the houses didn't fall down amazed us, but they all were inhabited. Notice the electric and telephone lines draped from house to house.

CHARLIE in Myrina Harbor on Limnos Island

2006-11-16T15:16:00.000+01:00

This shot is taken from the Byzantine Fortress above Myrina Harbor. The two large yachts are from the Greek Coast Guard. CHARLIE is the one on the right. Myrina is a lovely harbor and we had fun shopping for gifts in the town center. It was here that we got our ship's papers to exit the European Union. The Coast Guardsman told us that he loved America, especially Orlando. Then, he made us wait for 24 hours while he checked our passports. Finally, the next day we returned for all the papers and still had to wait while his assistant made a copy. This operation seemed to take forever, and finally Lenny said, "What's the problem with the papers?" The Coast Guardsman yelled out to his assistant, something in Greek, and when we asked what he said, this is it(and it is the TRUTH), "I told him to stop playing tennis with his penis and bring the papers right now." We actually managed not to laugh. As soon as we were properly stamped and sealed, we untied CHARLIE and headed off to Turkey. It was the next morning at about 9 that we finally tied up in the harbor of Canakkele, the entrance port of Turkey, only 1 hour from the ancient ruins of Troy.

Limnos Island most western point

2006-11-04T21:56:00.000+01:00

This shows the rocky shore at the north and west of Limnos Island. You can see the white water breaking on the lowest rocks and the dark line where the high tide stops. This was a calm day on the sea, although we had a following wind from Samothraki that blew up to Beaufort 4. These rocks are typical of the Aegean Sea. The local wisdom is that the depth of the sea is determined by the steepness of the shore line. A sharp, steep shore means a deep ocean floor close to land, and a shallow shore means a shallow ocean floor. That means we could sail close to these rocks without fear of grounding.

El Gig, Lily, Natalie and Judy in katheneon

2006-10-13T22:06:00.000+02:00

Here is Richard(el Giganto), his daughter Lily, his girl friend Natalie, my wife, Judy, all sitting in a men's cafe(katheneo) in the town of Filippi, with it ancient theater. We were having a dinner before going off to se e an Aristophanes comedy. This was also the night of the England versus Italy soccer match and so all tensions were on high. We sat on the porch with the men playing cards and enjoyed a huge meal of chops, beer and Greek salad. Then off to the play, which was deliciously dirty and, even though it rained, the audience stayed right to the end.

CHARLIE at anchor in Palio

2006-08-20T22:15:00.000+02:00

In the summer of 2006, we had friends visit for two weeks and this is a picture of Charlie at anchor off the coast of Palio, near Kavala. The water is clear to almost 4 meters and the swimming is excellent because the water is warm, not hot. You can tell by the Greek guest flag, which is hanging straight down, that there is NO wind, typical of the time of year and the time of day. The afternoon wind blows up from the N/NE at about 1 each day and blows up to Bft. 4 until about 4. Then it is good sailing with Charlie.

Doukas family in their taverna

2006-08-02T21:21:00.000+02:00

Doukas "the Indian" is the cook in his taverna in Krinides, outside of Kavala. We had a great lunch with him. He grilled river trout, a complete Mediterranean tuna(about the size of a forearm), lots of salad(he grows his own), beer, watermelon and laughs the whole time. We had visited the ancient ruins of Philippi(named after the father of Alexander, the Great). The hospitality of the Doukas family is typical of the Greeks we have met on our adventures with CHARLIE.

Christos, Vassou, and grandson Anastas

2006-07-18T22:11:00.000+02:00

These are our very oldest friends in Agia Trias. Christos is the Grand Old Man of the family Apostolidis. His grandfather arrived in the village in 1922 from Anatolia. Anastas is nine years old and this was his first night working in the family taverna. CHARLIE was moored in the village after our long trip across the Mediterranean because my wife, Judy and I (and our sons) have spent 35 years vacationing here. They still can't believe that we sailed all the way from Amsterdam in "that little thing."

Len, standing at the bow in Ireklitsa

2006-04-12T13:25:00.000+02:00

Charlie has a permanent mooring spot in Ireklitsa. This has the advantage of good holding when the wind off the mountains blows in a storm. We are off on our next adventure to the island of Efstratios, south of Limnos. Peter will accompany us as we explore this strange rocky island that was the prison island where famous Mikos Theodrakis was held. Only 300 people live there.

We Have Become Professional

2006-02-06T23:15:00.000+01:00

Len decided to design a business card so that we can write more articles and so that we can be more formal in our contact with people as we travel. He only made 1,000, so I hope we can live long enough to use them all.

Lenny, my brother, who loves sailing

2005-12-13T12:02:00.000+01:00

Lenny loves to sail. He has been with Charlie and me (and Sergei) for most of my adventures on the Mediterranean. The next plan is to sail to the mysterious island of Efstratios, south of Limnos.

Sergei at the wheel

2005-12-13T11:55:00.000+01:00

This is Sergei, the only person who has been with me on Charlie for the entire trip from Scheveningen to Istanbul. He has been everywhere with us. Sergei had never been on a sailboat and told me that after five hours on the North Sea at the beginning of the two month voyage to Greece, "I think I want get off." But, he stayed and even taught me and the other crew members about real culture. Sergei and I have had exciting adventures on Charlie.

Judy and Peter eat Breakfast in Riviera

2005-12-13T11:13:00.000+01:00

Judy and Peter at breakfast in Hotel Riviera in Agia Trias, our favorite village in Greece. We have been visiting Agia Trias since 1969 and love it. We knew the grandparents of the current owner and cook, Paniotis Aristolidis. As usual, we had the car packed and suddenly Vassu, his mother arrived and suggested we eat a light breakfast, which meant coffee, home baked cakes, olives, feta cheese, fresh bread and tomatoes. Just what we needed! They gave us a bottle of their own cippora, which is made from grape skins after ouzo is finished. It is strong!

sint and Skipper

2005-12-04T22:32:00.000+01:00

The Sint has arrived in Holland by ship from Spain, but really has come all the way from Turkey.

Charlie on the beach again

2005-11-21T22:31:00.000+01:00

This picture just to show the bow thruster and the bilge keels(in Dutch: kim kielen) that keep her steady even in a Bft. 7.

Octopus hanging in a taverna

2005-11-20T21:12:00.000+01:00

These octopus have been placed on a line to dry in the front of a taverna in Ireklitsa. We learned that the modern manner of softening the octopus is to place them in a clothes washing machine and watch them go round and round. The meat is charcoal grilled and served in (naturally) olive oil. Delicious!

Charlie at her mooring in Ireklitsa Harbor

2005-11-20T17:17:00.000+01:00

Finding the best spot in a crowded Greek harbor is a matter of luck and good management. Anthimos moved Charlie from spot to spot in the last four years, but now we have a good place between two motorboats. The prevailing wind from the harbor mouth, behind Charlie to the left. It is easy to disembark off the bowsprit and the boat rides easily even in a strong side wind.

Knife grinder in Canakkale, Turkey

2005-11-10T11:40:00.000+01:00

This is the harbor at Canakkale, our first port of call in Turkey. The knife grinder showed up one morning and we brought him our kitchen knives and the sailing knives to spruce up. He pumps the wheel with his right foot and works quickly. The knives are then very very sharp. The whole operation cost us 2 Euros and he even allowed us to take a phote. Behind him you can see the small motorboats used by the fishermen who go out in the Dardanelles for their fish, which they sell on the harbor wall every evening. It is amazing to see them anchor in the fast current and right in the wake of the passing freighters.

Lenny on Charlie, on the Sea of Marmara

2005-11-10T11:37:00.000+01:00

This shows Lenny in his hospital scrubs as Charlie motors in the dead calm on the way from Limnos to Canakkale in Turkey. You can see that it is early morning because of the haze coming off the sea. Charlie motors easily at 1600 RPM and has a speed in a calm sea of 5.5 knots. The sun is always a bit too bright, so we are careful not to burn.

Lenny in Myrina Harbor, Limnos Island

2005-11-10T11:33:00.000+01:00

Lenny and the statue of the Greek hero of World War I, who fought against the Ottomans. This is Myrini harbor on Limnos Island. Behind Lenny is the cafe owned by the uncle of the local Coast Guardsman, who "advised" us that this was the best place in town for coffee, tea and sweets. We agreed.

Osman, ship's agent in Canakkale, Turkey

2005-11-10T11:24:00.000+01:00

Osman represented an agent who would prepare all the documents we needed for entrance into Turkish waters. It took one day and cost Euro 198 for the documents, stamps, and costs. It was worth the money because we would have lost several days going from office to office. In the meantime, we took a taxi to ancient Troy and could almost feel like we were Greek heroes.

Anthimos, Charlie's engineer

2005-11-05T20:54:00.000+01:00

Here is Anthimos, Charlie's mechanic, who has managed to keep her afloat so that we can enjoy our adventures on her. Anthimos takes Charlie on cruises with his family, so we all enjoy her. He is smiling because he has a day of rest from the constant stream of clients who call him all day long. Charlie has a new electric anchor winch, a CD player, a working auto-pilot, an electric toilet, an outdoor shower, a rebuilt pilot house AND a wine cooler, all because of Antimos' inventiveness and hard work.

The magic trailer for winter service

2005-11-03T15:43:00.000+01:00

This is the trailer used to haul Charlie up to the beach. The tires come from airplanes and everything is welded and constructed right there on the beach. They push the trailer into the sea and under the boat and then pull the whole thing up on the sand. A miracle of modern construction.

Charlie during the winter outfit

2005-11-03T15:16:00.000+01:00

This is on land at the beach at Kerrassia, East of Kavala. If you look closely at the stern at the single keel, you will see the anode AND another lower black spot. That is a rust hole discovered while repainting the boat. The hole ended up being the size of a dinner plate, but a new steel plate was welded on and the problem is solved.
The Greeks load the boat on a hand-made trolley and drag it up on the beach. They work outside and to a high standard. Even the ladder is hand-made.

Istanbul

2005-10-24T20:59:00.000+02:00

Len and Sergei on the ferry boat going from the European bank of the Bosporus over to the Asian side. We had hoped to take Charlie up the Bosporus to the Black Sea, but the meeting of Heads of State caused the Turkish authorities to close the Bosporus to all sea traffic and we were advised to leave the marina quickly so we wouldn't be "locked" in for three extra days. The traffic on the Bosporus is formidable with massive ships going up and down and fast ferries crossing all the time. We felt good that we didn't have to endure the trip after all. For all sailors: the Atakoy Marina in Istanbul is a five star marina that is beautiful, guarded, with all facilities and cheap. It is very modern and friendly to foreign yachts, even a small one like Charlie.

Limnos Island

2005-10-24T16:57:00.000+02:00

This is Charlie anchored in Myrini Harbor on Limnos Island on the day before we head for Istanbul. The Greek church on the hilltop is the guide for the harbor entrance. The seas outside Limnos are rough and short and the coast line is very rocky, so you have to watch carefully for the opening which is hidden behind a large rocky cliff. We have one anchor line out and one line from the bow to quayside because there was a strong side wind. The harbor is empty of other boats, but Limnos is beautiful and the girl in the laundry was lovely. She returned our dirty clothes all ironed with tissue paper between each piece(including the socks).

The Sea of Marmara

2005-10-24T16:41:00.000+02:00

Skipper Richard on the HOT Sea of Marmara between the Dardanelles and Istanbul. The container ship behind me is typical of the traffic on that sea. At one point, we counted 9 ships coming toward us and 4 ships following us. We couldn't relax because they move so fast. As we approached Istanbul, we were obliged to cross over the shipping lane and head at right angles for Istanbul. It was like trying to cross a super highway on foot and we had to weave in and out of the shipping traffic.

brother Len

2005-10-24T16:37:00.000+02:00

Len has been on all the Charlie trips. He started with me from Scheveningen in Holland and he has been to Istanbul also.

Sailing? Sailing?

2005-10-23T18:23:00.000+02:00

Now who really likes sailing? I know I can pretend to love it, but really, really, I would rather poke hot pins in my eye...