Myrina and the push for the Dardanelles

Lymnos is a beautiful place. Clean, organised with an imposing castle as a backdrop.

From the castle at night 

The harbour is large, there is not that much room on the wall but we lucked out. On arrival there was one spot left, just big enough to take the Summer Amy with a power and water box dead centre. Within 24 hours, the harbour was choc full of boats at anchor.

I left the troops here for a week and they were pleased for the opportunity to chill, spend some time in one place on an island with variety.

The day before leaving, Sal and I were given the day off. We hired a car and headed for a recommended beach near a place you can see the huge Mount Assos way away north on the Greek mainland. The mountain held little to write home about, but the beach and the beach taverna were exactly the way to spend a day off.

Laid back with the most amazing service and food coming out of what looked like a converted shipping container...

The beach was soft, moist sand due to a high water table so not too hot to walk on and the sea was also pure sand for a change. No weeds, rocks or pesky sea urchins.

We had told the guys we would not be too long, but as the sun dropped into the cool of the day, we simply could not tear ourselves away.

No kids, no worries!

On the way home, Sal decided we should visit the town where our good mate Chris Karikios hales from, Tsimandria, a really cute little place with an imaginative 'bar come night club' owned by Amanda from Ballarat. We stayed for a cocktail and meandered our way back to Myrina on a gorgeous ocean road as the sun took a final dip for the day.

I flew out at 6:00am the following morning and on my return found that so much work had been done on the boat that we were ready for the next big push almost immediately but for one small detail.... the Meltimi. Now known by us as 'The Bitch'

Ironically the whole time I was away, it was so calm as to be stifling. Ideal for the crossing we were planning to make. When the Meltimi blows here, it blows directly into our face given the direction we had to go, so no wind, perfect under motor. Wind equals 6ft waves at 30ft wave lengths coming straight at us for a very slow, very bumpy, wet ride.

This is Al and Summer turning an
uncomfortable situation into a lot of fun
as the waves break over the port bow....
THE "ROCK'N'ROLL CHAIR"

There was nothing for it but to take it on. The prediction was that it would persist for days into the future but there was a window from around 12:00 midday to 3:00 or 4:00pm when it was predicted to back off a little... So, after officially checking Al, the boat and I out of Greece and ignoring the fact that we had Sal, the kids and Jarrad illegally on board, at 12:20pm on the 3rd August we headed out into big seas with no back off in sight!

The wind did however give us enough angle to raise the sails so we motor sailed in very uncomfortable conditions for 5 hours before turning north to make Kuzu Harbour on Gokceada, Turkey at last light. We were safely alongside in this vast harbour just on 9:00pm... the latest we have ever arrived anywhere and with no plan B

Here is a YouTube link of the Rock and Roll Chair! https://youtu.be/WZTZNYK_VRE

The Turkish War Memorial.
Impressive at the very entrance to he Dardanelles

Excited to have the worst behind us, the next day we were to head for the Dardanelles. This is the narrow seaway which takes you through the tragic history that was Gallipoli and the way to a 'bucket list' item we have dreamed about since before we even bought the boat... Istanbul.

It did mean negotiating Europe's busiest seaway into a 4 knot current and a howling wind.