Port Augusta, Arki - 26th June
You don't see too many trees about on the islands of the Aegean, and those that you do see grow at an extreme angle, leaning away from the wind. If you sail around these parts you soon know the reason why - it's all down to the meltemi, the summer north wind that sailors treat with great respect.
The meltemi blows at the boundary between high pressure over the Balkans and low pressure over Asia Minor. It blows on and off from the end of June until the end of September from between a northeasterly and northwesterly direction.
This summer wind is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it takes the edge off the summer heat, and gives our windgen (which we call Moaning Minnie for the noise it makes) the chance to top up the batteries. And its reliable direction allowed early sailors to navigate the Mediterranean and by a magical process of cross fertilisation between different cultures, laid the foundations of our western civilisation.
A curse because it blows hard - anything up to gale force - night and day without let-up so there's no respite when you want to sleep at night. It sucks all the moisture out of the air and one's skin. Anything not tied down on deck goes flying. And it kicks up a vicious sea making sailing a bit of an ordeal even if you're going with it downwind.
The Dodecanese islands are bang in the fast lane of the meltemi. It is blowing 35 knots of wind over Arki at the moment and will keep it up until tomorrow evening. We managed to get a space on the small quay in Port Augusta when we arrived on Friday and we're sitting it out along with the eight other boats here.
Not that staying on the island is any hardship as Arki is our ideal sort of place.
It has only 42 permanent residents, no cars and no direct ferries from any international airport, so few visitors make it here apart from a few sailing boats. It is simple and unpretentious, and the harbour square where everyone hangs out is a leisurely, friendly place with shady terraces for a drink or a meal.
We've scored two firsts while we've been here. Yesterday we saw several rabbits when we walked across the hills. This wouldn't normally be remarkable except they are the first rabbits we've ever seen anywhere in Greece - the Greeks tend to shoot all edible wildlife for the pot. And much to Leighton's excitement he discovered some clay amphorae embedded into a rocky ledge underwater when he was snorkelling. It's not too difficult to imagine that they are all that's left of the cargo of an ancient ship which was wrecked on these shores in the meltemi thousands of years ago.
You don't see too many trees about on the islands of the Aegean, and those that you do see grow at an extreme angle, leaning away from the wind. If you sail around these parts you soon know the reason why - it's all down to the meltemi, the summer north wind that sailors treat with great respect.
The meltemi blows at the boundary between high pressure over the Balkans and low pressure over Asia Minor. It blows on and off from the end of June until the end of September from between a northeasterly and northwesterly direction.
This summer wind is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it takes the edge off the summer heat, and gives our windgen (which we call Moaning Minnie for the noise it makes) the chance to top up the batteries. And its reliable direction allowed early sailors to navigate the Mediterranean and by a magical process of cross fertilisation between different cultures, laid the foundations of our western civilisation.
A curse because it blows hard - anything up to gale force - night and day without let-up so there's no respite when you want to sleep at night. It sucks all the moisture out of the air and one's skin. Anything not tied down on deck goes flying. And it kicks up a vicious sea making sailing a bit of an ordeal even if you're going with it downwind.
The Dodecanese islands are bang in the fast lane of the meltemi. It is blowing 35 knots of wind over Arki at the moment and will keep it up until tomorrow evening. We managed to get a space on the small quay in Port Augusta when we arrived on Friday and we're sitting it out along with the eight other boats here.
Not that staying on the island is any hardship as Arki is our ideal sort of place.
It has only 42 permanent residents, no cars and no direct ferries from any international airport, so few visitors make it here apart from a few sailing boats. It is simple and unpretentious, and the harbour square where everyone hangs out is a leisurely, friendly place with shady terraces for a drink or a meal.
We've scored two firsts while we've been here. Yesterday we saw several rabbits when we walked across the hills. This wouldn't normally be remarkable except they are the first rabbits we've ever seen anywhere in Greece - the Greeks tend to shoot all edible wildlife for the pot. And much to Leighton's excitement he discovered some clay amphorae embedded into a rocky ledge underwater when he was snorkelling. It's not too difficult to imagine that they are all that's left of the cargo of an ancient ship which was wrecked on these shores in the meltemi thousands of years ago.
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| This little cormorant fishes regularly around the boat |
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