The argolic Gulf

This is the right-most gulf of the three on the Peloponnese. We have gone past it lots of times but haven't actually seen it. So we decided to give it a once-over while we wait for the trip back to the UK for Charlotte's & Merv's wedding.
We did a long hop from Poros to Porto Heli in 10 hours and managed to sail nearly all the way. That must be some sort of a record! We anchored in our usual spot near the wreck.
Visited the excellent A&B supermarket and also topped up the Diesel Tank with the cheapest fuel we have seen for a long time. The wind seems to be alternating each day with a Northerly in the morning and a Southerly in the afternoon with some spots of rain around 1600. We're only doing short hops so we have been able to plan voyages to match the winds and hardly use the motor at all.
First stop was behind  Korakonisi Island - only about 8 miles. It was well sheltered from the Southerly that took us in but we had a bit of a chop overnight as Northerlies started up again. We could have avoided it in the channel between the island and the mainland if we had but known. The bay had a large and beautiful house obviously housing someone pretty wealthy. You can tell that because their boats are all registered with flags of convenience to avoid taxes.
On Saturday, we headed around to Kioladhia - a large, shallow, well-sheltered bay another 8 miles on. The fishing town is small and very Greek - hardly a word of English spoken. There was room on the quay but we prefer to anchor. We hoped to pick up some fresh water but found it has been permanently turned off. The baker is good, and the little supermarket is also not too bad. Nice tavernas overlooking the harbour and even a chandler/hardware store.
Opposite the town, on the NW tip of the peninsula, there is a huge cave which was inhabited for 10,000 years. We took the dinghy over to the tiny beach below it and tied up on the small wooden quay. It's well worth a visit although it is locked unless you call someone specially (sounds expensive). You can see quite a lot through the bars and there is a large set of excellent notices telling the story of its habitation and the excavation (which is still continuing).

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Well that's a long gap when I haven't got around to writing anything. So a summary for completeness...
Next day, we passed Tolly by as it looked far too touristy for us and anchored at the north end of Karathona bay. Holding and shelter were good and the beach bar played nice music so we lazed in the sun, swam and turned in at 10.00. We nearly jumped out of bed when very loud rap music started at 23.00. Never mind, we thought it'll stop soon when they get tired - and it did - at 0600 next morning. Next day we walked up to the fascinating cave-church above and on the way down, noticed a poster advertising the music but only each Wednesday. So we decided to stay another night and were rewarded by blessed peace.
Next day was Navplion. We had high hopes of a lovely town but were sadly disappointed.  The holding was poor and when we did eventually get the anchor to hold, the wind blew a vicious chop onto the quay. We hung on till the water man came ( and charged us €12.00 for 300 litres!) then decided to go back to Karathona.
Big mistake! at 22.00, in pitch black, it started again. We couldn't face another night so upped anchor and went to the south end of the bay and dropped the hook with no trouble. We had a much quieter night but were horrified next morning to see that we were in a field of bathing-beach and mooring buoys (any one of which could have snagged our prop) but which had been completely invisible in the moonless night.
We looked at the pilot and decided to go to Astros on the other side of the gulf. It turned out a nice little place although light on facilities and the holding was only moderate.
Started the engine next morning to find no cooling water - the fan belt had broken. No prob - I had a spare. That's when I found I had been sold a size too big and I couldn't tighten it. It got us out of the harbour where we put the sails up and set off very slowly in very light winds for Port Heli where we hoped to get another belt. After an hour, the wind dropped completely so I gingerly put the engine on. It ran for 1/2 hour and then the belt stopped working. It took 13 hours to sail and anchor in Porto Heli. Sadly, next day, we found no sign of anyone who could help. I looked on the web for a Yanmar agent and found one in Kioladhia so we decided to sail around. The wind managed to be on the nose all the way around through 270 degrees so it was beating all the way - initially in light airs but in force 6 by the time we got there. We anchored under sail again and next morning went in search of the engineer. It turned out that he had trained and set up a business but couldn't get enough custom so was now managing a metal-bashing workshop nearby.
He was hugely helpful and endued up driving me around half the Peleponnese to find a shop that could get one - I ordered three.
Finally back in operation 3 days later, we toddled up to Poros via "frog island" and Spathi and anchored in Ormos Vidhi. We toyed with going to Methana but in the end lazed around, socialised with Sue and Ian and with Poly Argo. One day we walked up to Trizina and Devils Bridge - a very worthwhile trip.
And so to our buoy rented for only €120 from Nakis (one of the water taxi drivers) in the Poros channel. And then the long trip back to UK for the wedding.
We took the fast cat to Pireus (carrying the slow one in a basket miaowing all the way). We intended to take the Metro but ended up using a taxi who did us a very good deal - first to Markopolou to drop Lucifer and then to Piri's hotel for the night.
Had a great time in England with Charlotte and also spent some time in New Milton for L's 60th birthday. Then off to France for the wedding - a wonderful occasion in a Chateau near Bordeaux.

Goodbye to Argosea

I realise that I have got terribly behind so this is going to be a quick catchup.
We sailed to Naoussa on the North side of Paros to catch up with Anne & Tony on Argosea. A heavy sail with heavy swell and a cat throwing up all over the place. Lovely! The anchorage is great but in a Northerly the harbour has a nasty swell and we bailed out. Pity because the harbour master (who has a 10 year lease) is nice, the facilities are good and reasonable. Apparently they will extend the breakwater even further this autumn and solve the problem for next year.
After Paros we went up to Delos - one of the main religious centres of the ancient world. Well worth a visit although the museum is poor and the signage is dreadful. We anchored at the South of Rinia - a lovely spot -and took a dinghy but we could easily have anchored much nearer the site (don't be put off by Rod Heikel).
Next stop Siros where we anchored in Finikas. A good safe anchorage with a nice little town. L and the others went off to Ermopoli (the capital of the island and of the whole Cyclades archipelago) but were very disappointed. I'm glad I stayed put on the boat.
The crossing to Kythnos was "stimulating". Winds on the beam up to force 6 and a heavy swell. We made it in 8 hours and moored in the "sand-bar bay" on the West side. Sadly Tony and Anne didn't make it and spent a night on the East side before joining us the next day. We had a nice quiet couple of days at anchor waiting for a better wind - including wallowing in the hot spring - and then crossed over to Spathi at the South Eastern tip of the Saronic. We stayed overnight in this tiny isolated anchorage then set of for Hydra. Argosea chickened out and anchored in Mandraki. We waited to give them a lift into the port but after 3 tries their windlass overheated so we went in alone and they caught a water bus later.
We were dead lucky to get the only quay berth under the breakwater. We love Hydra so it was a pleasure to wait until Anne & Tony turned up in the afternoon. We had a good & very reasonable meal up in the square and would definitely go there again. A & T finally took a taxi back at 23.30. Next morning, we waited until the boats in front of us left and then let go to pull up the anchor. Disaster struck! It was hooked under a huge mooring chain that runs across the harbour in 10M of water. It was so heavy that we could only lift it about a Meter off the bottom. At that depth, the anchor was barely visible and the hook with which I was fishing for the chain couldn't be seen at all. It took over an hour to get it so we could free the anchor!
Next stop Poros where Spiros in the Chandlery was his usual helpful self. He supplied several hard-to-get items and found us a mooring buoy for when we leave the boat in August for the wedding.
Argosea intended to head for Korfos ready to go through the Corinth Canal and we were set to go along and have a last meal and say our goodbyes. In the event, the wind wasn't playing and we both ended up in Aegina. There are worse places! We had a really nice meal together in the taverna on the quay by the Marina. Good menu, good prices good service - thoroughly recommended.
And so Goodbye. They sailed off for the Caribbean at 0700 as we waved from the quay - wet hankies all round.
We decided to head back to the Poros Bays as the wind was forecast a bit heavy for the next few days. Just as well we did as the jib refused to come down which would have been very difficult in a port. We met Ian and Sue on Pulsar 2 who we know from Malta and shared a couple of days meals and sun downers before heading off for the Argolic gulf.