After Wes left we had about a week before Kate’s dad was due to fly in. We had a nice night in a shallow anchorage we had visited before, then a day of light winds to get us to a sheltered spot for the forecasted storm. Our initial spot proved open to swell after one night, so we moved around a corner and hunkered down in a small cove. Spending the next few days biking, running and making food, we passed the time as a gale blew through. One of the days we watched a submarine sail across our horizon towards the Corinth Canal. That was interesting. We had some torrential rain, and the wind was relentless for four days. The island we were on, Salamina, had a nice network of trails that we enjoyed exploring. We didn’t explore any of the towns, since we wanted one of us to be on the boat at all times for the storm.

On the morning prior to Frank’s flight arriving we sailed over to Zea Marina. We hadn’t been able to find a spot anywhere in Athens, but we emailed our agent, and they hooked us up (for a price). This berth was the most expensive one yet, so we limited our stay to two nights. We had an engaging sail across the Saronic Gulf in around 25 knots, tight to the wind. We took our sails down and moored up in the marina. We washed down the boat, and ran a couple errands. The next morning had us up early to try and get public transit to the airport. Everyone was on strike, so we took a taxi, there and back. With Frank safely collected, we reprovisioned and ate dinner at a nice Italian place.

Sailing out of the marina the next morning we had a nice breeze. We raised the sails and found ourself out sailing some sort of weekend race. We accidentally got tangled up in their flotilla, but were moving fast enough that it didn’t seem to disturb them too much. We both really enjoy being on a fast boat. We sailed on to a great anchorage below the temple of Poseidon, and spent a quiet night with the wind howling through the rig.

The next morning we were out, into the Aegean Sea, where we have been ever since. The character of the land changed, with the islands being steep, and rather desolate, with short, mean and tough vegetation. The goat population rose considerably, while the number of people around went down. The weather began to get warmer, and there was a constant north wind, the Meltemi. The Meltemi ranges from a stiff breeze to a howling gale, and we have experienced all its moods. While it makes getting east, west and south rather easy, returning north is another story.

With Frank on board we sailed for five days, spending each night at a different island. Most nights we were by ourselves surrounded by clear water and open skies. The season still had not started for most people and the relative quiet was enjoyable. We hiked around, sat around, and swam in the still chilly water. We were making our way steadily east, towards Mykonos, where Frank would fly out, and Hali, Kate’s sister, and Bryce, Hali’s boyfriend, would join us for a couple weeks.

Mykonos, to put not too fine a point on it, sucked bald dog. The anchorage was ok, except for the multitude of party boats going in and out. The town was picturesque, although somewhat impacted by the multiple loads of cruise ship passengers coming in and out each day. I tried to go for a bike ride, but in contrast to every other place we have been in Greece, the roads were choked with traffic and there seemed to be no where wild to ride to. The deep thumping of the beachfront clubs trying to attract their next dollar permeated the entire island, and we were more than ready to leave when we had collected Hali and Bryce from the airport. We couldn’t even find a decent supermarket to provision.

The next couple weeks we drifted on a sort of south easterly track through the Cyclades and into the Dodecanese islands. We had to sit out one serious blow from the south in an excellently protected anchorage on Astypalaia, where we spent two nights and saw upwards of 35 knots. Others in the bay saw upwards of 50 knots, making us feel good about our chosen spot. The main problem with the south winds is the dirt and dust they bring up from Africa. The boat gets coated in a fine layer of the Sahara Desert, and it takes a couple hours of scrubbing to get most of it out.

Most days we left early, and sailed for a couple or more hours before dropping anchor in a new spot. We have learned that arriving early is good, since it guarantees choice of spots before the charter hoards arrive. We went for some hikes, did some foiling, and I went on some fun bike rides. Having Hali and Bryce on board was nice, as they lightened the cooking and cleaning load. I also didn’t furl a sail for the entirety of their stay, which was nice.

One of our favorite stops during this time was Antiparos. A small island, across the channel from Paros, it had two shallow and sandy anchorages on its north east shore that we stayed in. There was great foiling around these spots, in the notoriously windy Antiparos Strait. The island itself was also very scenic, and I did a great ride on mostly dirt roads and small tracks. The following day we rented a side by side and a quad and did a more in depth tour of the island, finding an interesting cave that exceeded expectations, and was worth the 5 euro per person admission. We were able to resupply here and had a nice quiet breakfast on the quayside.

We took Hali and Bryce as far as Kos. We dropped anchor beside the small Marina in Kardamena, and walked through the two or three streets bordering the waterfront. The town had an unusual concentration of Englishes in it. Many were stumbling, a bit intoxicated, even early in the day. The beaches glowed with the radiation coming off of sun starved bodies. Each bar and restaurant displayed the times of Premier League games outside. While nice enough, it was clear that this town catered to a particular type of tourist. We stayed until we were able to get Hali and Bryce off to the airport, then we sailed east a bit. At least the gyros were delicious and cheap.

Each day the weather and the water felt a little warmer. We were still foiling in wetsuits, but our swims became longer and longer. We saw more and more boats in the anchorages, and the towns were becoming more lively with each stop. Summer was approaching quickly, and we would soon reach the dreaded months of July and August, where according to myth, Europe stops working and comes to Greece. Crowds and heatwaves were something to look forward to, but for the meantime, the Aegean was providing a wonderfully memorable visit.