2025 | fram's voyages

26 June 2025 Messolonghi Greece Another hot and sunny day with almost no wind. We were surprised when a marinero came up to us and told us it was time to lift. Surprised, because we have learned that the owner of the crane company is very unpredictable and hard to pin down. All week they have told us “maybe Wednesday, maybe Thursday, maybe Friday, but we can’t confirm”. Anyway suddenly we were directed to go to the lift pier for our departure from the water at 08.30. We got the engine going and then dropped all our lines and tootled over there, took 10 minutes. A marinero was there to take our lines and then we sat and waited for the crane truck to start up and come over along with a tractor with a cradle that would transport us to our land cradle. It took awhile so Dan took advantage of the time and ran fresh water through the engine. This prevents the salt in salt water from eating away at the pipes in the engine. At about 09.30 everything got started and we were soon in the clutches of the crane truck. They were very professional and our initial stress about having FRAM lifted, melted away. All went very smoothly. They took it slow and easy and FRAM was nestled into the tractor cradle and trundled away to a spot right near where we’d been docked; near the facilities and the Sunset Bar, our new living room. Securing the boat into the cradle took about 2 hours of adjusting, measuring to make sure all was level. Dan, Varga and I sat in the café drinking water and granitas while we waited for them to be finished. She wasn’t all that dirty on the bottom, a few barnacles but not bad at all. We are very happy with the job they did. They took up an additional 2 boats, both now our neighbors. In the evening a marinero came and cleaned our hull so she is beautifully green again. Love that coppercoat. We (Dan) have some things to do before she is ready to be left on her own. So, although the stagnant heat is dreadful, we’re glad we have a few days to get everything done We try to work in the sections that are in the shade and move with the sun. We leave Messolonghi on 1 July and will spend one night in Athens before flying off on the 2nd. This spring sailing season has been really lovely. We have had good winds, sailing most of the time, only one meltemi, and seen fantastic places like Patras, Milos, Monemvasia, Epidavros, Galaxidis, and Delphi Sanctuary. Passing through the Corinthian Canal is always a high point, so dramatic and beautiful. The weather has been cool until about 2 weeks ago when the high temps kicked in. We have had guests, Carl and Leslie in Poros and our daughter Stephanie with her husband Harvey and two children Viggo and Margaret; also in Poros which was a perfect place to have children. Short distances, nice bays and big playgrounds. Check back with us in mid-August when we will be back and ready for new adventures!

23 June 2025 Macynia - Messolonghi marina N 38 21.632 E 21 25.007 Distance Traveled - 15NM Time Traveled - 4 hours Weather - Sunny 30C No wind I got up early, did my yoga workout, took Varga in to the beach and came back to FRAM for a morning swim. Dan got up, swam and we had breakfasts. This was our last swim in the wild, so to speak as we are headed in to Messolonghi today to life FRAM onto the hard for 7 weeks while we go home to Sweden. By 08.00 in the morning it is already 23C. The water temp is about 25C. The water at Macynia was clear and lovely. We left our anchorage at about 08.00 and motored in. Once we got to the channel leading in to Messolonghi we still had about 4 NM through a very narrow channel through a salt marsh. We saw a turtle and a lot of cranes walking around only a few meters from our boat. So I had to really pay attention to keep us in the middle of the channel. Half way through the channel I radioed the marineros on channel 69 but got no answer. I tried a couple times then called the office and was told that I would have to wait till we got much closer for them to hear. Holger very kindly called me on the phone to see if we had gotten in touch with the marineros. When we got right up to the marina itself, I called but still no answer. So called office again and she got in touch with the marineros who waved us in from the middle pontoon. We got a spot farthest in right next to the marina Sunset café. Once we were settled with our mooring lines, I went to the office to sign in. They still didn’t have a confirmation from the crane company of when we would be lifted, which is a bit annoying but hey, we’re in Greece! The marina is big and quite nice, there’s a lot of construction going on to make it a charter hub and first class marina. The facilities are really nice and there are a lot of sailors here settling in for the summer months. We are quite a few boats scheduled to go up on land so will see when our turn is. Hopefully Thursday or Friday. The town is 2 km away. We took a walk there next day, 24th, and nearly keeled over from the heat. Varga had a really tough time so we have decided that she will only do short walks in the early morning and after dark at night. Messolonghi has a good reputation as a winter haven as it’s very protected and the services are good, but being so far from town is a real disadvantage.

22 June 2025 Nafpaktos - Macynia anchorage N38 20.763 E 21 20.403 Distance Traveled - 10.3 NM Time Traveled - 2 hours Weather - Sunny 30C Wind E 6-12m/s (12-24 knots) It was a windy day when we decided at the last minute to go to Macynia. As we were originally planning to go to Messolonghi on Monday, the weather forecasts were showing rather strong West winds from 11.00. So we all decided to go on Sunday and get half way there, finishing the trip early Monday morning. We had a really nice weekend in Nafpaktos hiking with Holger and Karin up to the top of the hill to see the castle which was built in the 15th century. Varga and I were kicked out; no dogs allowed. But we had made it as far as anyone can without buying a ticket to see the museum, so it was OK. It was a beautiful walk up with lovely views at every corner. We walked along the crenelated walls on small paths, sometimes on small roads. As we ambled up and down we chatted away on all sorts of topics, nonstop. They are a very interesting couple. Karin is a bubbling personality with curly blond hair, laughing blue eyes and delightful humour. Holger is more serious but with lovely wit. He wears his thick white hair in a ponytail at his neck. They both tell the most interesting stories of places they’ve been and people they know They lived in Luxembourg until they made the decision to sail long term. They have crossed the Atlantic 4 times on 2 different boats and had many adventures to share. A 45 foot Lepard Catamaran is their mode of travel now and it is truly a beautiful boat. Such big spaces and lounge areas. Amazing. They still work, though on a smaller scale, Karin designs websites and yacht logos, Holger runs the infrastructure and admin. They have a daughter and 2 grandchildren. It was pretty windy every day and while calm-ish in our anchorage, was difficult for us to row from land to the boat so Karin and Holger very kindly picked us up in their dinghy which has a motor (note to self, motor on dinghy very handy) We went in to the harbour and left the dinghy there then found a place overlooking the harbour for a drink. The view was beautiful, the sun was almost down but still cast a slanted light across the sea. We found a little restaurant just to the side of the harbour nestled in a little alley with a big plane tree shading the area. Had a lovely dinner and celebrated Swedish Midsommar and Luxembourg’s Independence Day by ordering marinated anchovies and smoked herring. On Saturday we went out for drinks with Karin and Holger and met a new couple, Dutch Bert and Nelly on Eyecatcher, also a catamaran. They are also on their way to Messolonghi to leave their boat for the summer. It was a very pleasant evening. On Sunday morning Eyecatcher left the anchorage and in the early morning headed for Messolonghi. Rivercafé left in the late morning for Macynia. We sent them a message that we would join later in the day. We waited for the winds to come down but they didn’t and since they would be following winds, we figured it would be all right. We sailed on genoa alone and kept a good speed of 6 knots a good deal of the way. We radioed Rion Bridge Traffic from Nafpaktos which is the required 5 NM out, to announce our approach and after giving them our boat name and mast height were given instructions on where to pass under the bridge. North side keeping one pylon to starboard and 3 pylons to port. When we were 1 NM away we radioed again and were given permission to proceed. It was very turbulent under the bridge as there is a current, the gulf narrows down to a kind of bottleneck and then the strong wind of course. Dan thought we could just sail through without the engine, but I find it safer to have the engine on just in case. All went well and we passed through and then dodged a ferry before turning right towards the coast. It was a calm anchorage wave-wise but still catching the wind until about 20.00 when it went totally calm. Macynia is a quiet place, nothing much happening, the beach is small stone and very difficult to walk on. Varga did not like it at all so she refused stray far from the dinghy.

19 June 2025 Trizonia - Nafpaktos anchorage N38 23.481 E21 49.950 Distance Traveled - 13 NM Time Traveled -3 hrs Weather - Sunny 27C Wind NE 0-1 m/s Lovely day, we left our anchorage bright and early; 06.30 and motored the short way here, there was not enough wind to sail on. Rivercafe was an hour behind us and we both anchored just outside the tiny little medieval harbour. There is a little village inside the castle walls that stretches up the hill to a fortress/castle ruins. It’s a spectacular site from the sea. The rest of the town is on either side of the walls to west and east and there are beaches on both side a couple km long. Today is our 44th wedding anniversary. Time sure flies, sometimes I still feel like we’ve only been together for a short period, but then I look back on all our memories and marvel how much we’ve done together in that time. It’s a very nice feeling. Once we were settled and had our morning fika of fresh honeydew melon, we got in the dinghy with our shopping bags, recycling and trash and rowed into shore leaving the dinghy high off the beach. Nafpaktos is a thriving town, there was motion everywhere; buses, taxis, cars, motorbikes and people going from shop to shop. Morning seems to be the time Greeks get all their shopping errands done. It was invigorating after the sleepy quietness of Trizonia and Galaxidis. We found a baker, green grocer and supermarket all on first street we strode up. Later in the afternoon after the siesta, shops close between 14.00 and 18.00, we went back and walked into the old town inside the castle walls. The harbour is tiny and we are thinking it’s been rebuilt since it’s time of glory in the 15th and 16th centuries because there are sketches on boards along the harbour wall showing a huge ship anchored in the middle and many smaller ships on the quay which would never have worked in the harbour we were looking at now. Sailboats mostly anchor outside and leave their dinghies in the harbour when they go in to town. We walked about and found a butcher. There was no meat in the shop; just a big wooden cutting table. The way it works is that you ask for what you want and the butcher goes into his giant cooler and brings out a cut of meat and you choose what you want of it. When we were first in Greece, I would look in and think, hmm, they have almost no meat! What kind of butcher is this? But I’ve since learned and honestly it’s much better to tell them what you want and they cut it just the way you want it. We found a good baker and green grocer as well.

16 June 2025 Galaxidis - Trizonia N38 22.116 E22 04.590 Distance Traveled - 20 NM Time Traveled - 5 hours’ Weather - Sunny 28C, wind E 0-4 m/s (0-8 knots) We had a wonderful weekend in Galaxidis. We went for a long hike on Saturday, Dan went running on Sunday while I did my yoga exercises on the deck. We took life very easy, swimming when we felt like it, Varga too. She really likes the water. We read our books and puttered around the boat. We have started getting up at about 06.00 as when it’s hot out, this is the coolest nicest time of day. Dan runs in the mornings now instead of the afternoons. He finds it cooler and the air fresher. We bought ice so had ouzo cocktails before dinner and grilled meat and had a salad to go with it. I have stopped cooking in the galley, it’s too hot. So dan grills and I make a salad or I buy grilled chicken and make a chicken salad. High temperature makes me lose my appetite. This morning we went to do our errands before leaving the anchorage. The place we’re going to has no stores, only tavernas. So I bought a bunch of vegetables for salads, zucchini for grilling, Greek yoghurt to make tzatziki and a kilo of oranges to press and make juice. I also make my own lemonade now too. We buy lots of limes and lemons. All citrus is super cheap here now. We left the anchorage at 08.30. Freja is staying another week here and then going towards the Corinthian canal. River Café left super early this morning. I saw them go when I came up on deck at about 06.30. There wasn’t a breath of wind so we motored the first 3 hours, then a light following wind came up from the East so we rolled out the genoa and floated along at a very slow leisurely pace for the last 4 NM. Trizonia is a little gem of a place, an island with no shops only restaurants. There are several anchorages and a rather large harbor where boats can tie up alongside the stone piers or drop and anchor and go stern to. There were very few boats on the big stone piers so we decided to tie up instead of anchor which was a big mistake. Dan got all the lines and fenders ready as I made my approach which I must say, was perfect. We glided alongside and Dan threw the bow line and stern line to 2 people from a nearby boat who tied them round bollards. Unfortunately, the lade tied the bow line around a bollard that was midships to us instead of up in front of the bow. She locked it down and walked away as FRAM was yanked into to the stone pier when the rope went taut. There was a ghastly crash as we hit the stone pier with our bow and the rigging shook so I was afraid to look up and see the mast fall down. It didn’t thank goodness but we had some serious scratches on the gelcoat. Dan did a great deal of yelling, the two people, Swiss, and apparently not experienced sailors, felt offended and worried that we were going to make them pay for damages. Of course we wouldn’t, but there was a bad feeling between us all. And here we were docked next to each other. Ugh. I tried to smooth things over and say, “thank you for trying to help” but they spoke very little English and can only hope they heard in my tone that we were not upset with them (we were). Once we were settled with spring lines, Dan set about mending the damage to our bow. He filed down the dents and scratches and then filled them in with gelcoat. Tomorrow he will sand that down flush with the rest so it will look like new, well almost. I took Varga for a little walk and found an ally way covered with bougainvillea that led to a waterfront with lots of restaurants and people swimming off the beach and eating and drinking the restaurants. It was lovely. Also a bit embarrassing as Varga chose 2 restaurants for her expelling; she peed right beside a chaise-lounge and pooped right outside a restaurant. I took an ashtray from one of the tables and swabbed down the pee and picked up the poop as discreetly as I could which, I mean, how discreet can you be when bending over to pick up a poop. Good that I had my big-brimmed hat on so I didn’t have to make eye contact with anyone. When we got back to FRAM, Dan took a walk while he waited for the cleaning agent to dry on the gelcoat. While he was gone, the harbourmaster came up to all 3 boats on our stone pier andr said we had to move because a big 40 m motor yacht was coming in shortly. I said I couldn’t move the boat till my husband got back and he got very stressed. He kept looking towards the entrance of the harbour expecting this big boat at any minute. We were rather happy to move out to the anchorage but felt it was bad form to make boats move for another boat just because it’s bigger. There is no cost for staying here so find it odd that they would go out of their way to accommodate a bigger boat. Anyway we were much happier with the anchorage just outside the harbour. It’s just a short distance to row in but we can swim and have privacy. As we were having our afternoon dip a Malö sailboat came in. It was JOY from Licata. Peter and Doris. She’s the one that helped me with knitting my cap. We waved to them, I think they had no idea who we were. Funny that we remember people but they seldom remember us. Even after a whole winter of chatting or just saying hello every day when we would walk past their boat. At about 19.00 we rowed in and went over to the restaurant side to have a beer and were hailed by Holger and Karen on River Café. They invited us to join them for a drink which we did. It was delightful. They are such an interesting and pleasant couple. They are from Luxembourg and have an advertising/marketing bureau. We spent a lovely hour with them and then planned to get together tomorrow for drinks on their boat and dinner at a taverna. From there we walked over to the pontoon where JOY was docked and said Hello. They finally remembered us when Doris saw Varga. Varga was overjoyed to see Doris and jumped right onto their boat. She didn’t even snap at Peter when he lifted her up and carry her off the boat. She’s been very stand-offish to people over the last few months. She snaps at anyone who tries to touch her, especially men. She snapped at Lone and at Claus and she always snaps at people on the street or in the stores. So embarrassing, I¨’m constantly apologising. So far she doesn’t bite but she is very threatening showing all her teeth and growling menacingly. It was still hot even after the sun went down so we had a French omelet and sliced tomatoes for dinner.

13 June 2025 Itea - Galaxidis anchorage N38 22.827 E22 23.194 Distance Traveled - 3.8 NM Time Traveled - 1 hour Weather - Sunny 33C no wind After filing our water tank and turning diesel truck down for fuel because they charge a 10Euro delivery fee for every boat even though we are all on the same stone pier. Go figure. We were only topping up so no worries, we’ll fill up in Messolonghi instead. We headed out across the bay to Galaxidis. There is a big bay with plenty of room for a lot of boats. We anchored close to the shore and then took the dinghy in to have a look around. As we walked along the waterfront and marina we saw a Danish Halberg-Rassy 352 that we recognised. It was Lone and Claus on Freja whom we met in Corsica at Port Taverna. We had a drink together at a café just across from their boat. It was nice to catch up with them again. They wintered at Ragusa when we were in Licata and of course tried to convince us that Ragusa was a fantastic place to stay. We still think Licata is better for us. As we were chatting, another couple showed up that we know; Holger and Karen on River Café, a catamaran. We met them in Monemvasia and really liked them. They also know Lone and Claus. They were chasing down the car rental guy as were going to Delphi next day. They are sailing in the same direction as us so will do doubt see them again. Galaxidis is a very cute town, built on a hill overlooking the sea. It used to be one of Greece’s biggest ship building towns. Its heyday was between 1829 and 1910. You can see that it was once quite affluent as many houses are big and very grand. Bouganvillea is blooming everywhere and is so beautiful. This area including Itea has been and I think still is an iron-ore mining area. You can see the red rock and dirt everywhere. The dust is red. Shops close between 14.00-18.00-ish so after drinks we strolled off to find a supermarket to buy beer, a butcher to get something for dinner (pork loin chops) and some kind of hamburger patty though round and made from what sounded like pork beef and sheep. We tried 2 of those, then a green grocer for tomatoes cucumber onions and a honeydew melon. The melons are in season now and taste amazing. I put them in the fridge to get cold then halve them and slice them in slices that we eat as a snack. Divine! Bakeries are often closed for the day at 14.00 but we found one that was still open and bought a small loaf of bread. We still haven’t found bread that we like. Everything is semi-sweet and yellowish. The weather is very settled right now, no wind in the mornings, a gentle breeze in the afternoon and then calm in the evening and all night. We had a lovely near thunder/lightning and rain spell while we were having dinner on the boat. It all stayed on the far side of the ridge over the village so we only got the lightning show and the lovely thunder. The hamburger patties turned out to have cheese in the middle, not sheep. This is the kind of thing that happens to us all the time around here trying to figure out what Greeks are saying to us. We both interpret it differently and often are both wrong.

12 June 2025 Delphi, Greece The summer heat has kicked in here in our part of Greece. All week we have had temperatures around 33C and very little wind, except for Wednesday’s crazy day. Itea is a typical modern -Greek seaside town. A long waterfront with tavernas and cafes and a marina that has basically no services or facilities. We are laid up along the break wall with a bunch of other foreign boats. It’s a big harbour and could really be an impressive marina but once it got built they couldn’t agree who would run it or how it would be run so they just left it. The best thing about it is its proximity to the Delphi Oracle which we went to by bus yesterday. We got up early and took the 07.30 bus to avoid both the heat and the tourist buses loaded with tourists. The drive up was spectacular with mountains all around; Mt Parnassus can be glimpsed every once in a while when we come around a hairpin turn but it’s mostly olive groves and rocky outcroppings. The trip took 20 minutes and we were let off right at the entrance. We had to wait a few minutes for the ticket office to open and then we were one of the first guests of the day which was lovely. We felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Even though it’s mostly ruins, you can imagine how spectacular it was in its day. The Pythia (issuer of oracles) sat in a small room in the Apollo temple and received clients one at a time. Each reading took about an hour. The people waiting their turn sat in a small round room with marble benches along the walls, next to the Oracle. The reason the Pythia was in this room was that there were noxious gases coming up from the mountain rock which put her in a trance. She would start muttering all kinds of strange noises and sounds which would be interpreted by the priests and then relayed to the client. The answers were always ambiguous. When one Greek King was going into battle, he asked her if he would win the war. She told him that one king would win and one king would lose. It turned out to be he that lost and was killed. One of the most famous truths of the oracle is “Know Thyself”. We walked all the way to the top of the city and saw the arena where they had athletic games every 4th year. These were the Pythian Games and were second only to the Olympic games. The events were mainly running. The track was 178 m long and there was a one stretch race, a two-lap race, a 10 lap race, a race run with spear helmet and boots, and a pentathlon. The arena was mostly intact and really stunning set in the mountain side with a backdrop of tall cypress trees and other pine trees. It could hold about 5 thousand people. After the tour of the Delphi Sanctuary we walked through the village of Delphi which is all hotels, knick-knack stores and restaurantas. We had to wait 3 hours for the bus from Athens to take us back to Itea which was rather annoying. None of the bus schedules had the correct times, even the lady at the bus station didn’t give us the correct info. Back at the boat we went swimming to cool off after the bus ride back and bought a grilled chicken for dinner served with cut up tomatoes cucumbers and onions.

11 June 2025 Agios Ioanus - Itea N 38 25.691 E 22 25.706 Distance Traveled - 43NM Time Traveled - 8 hrs 15 min Weather - Sunny 33C Wind Started at 09.45 with NE 9-14m/s, 11.30 SW 0-7 m/s, 14.30 NE 10-15 m/s, 17.00 N 9m/s, 17.30 S 9 m/s 21.00 calm As you can see from the winds and wind changes we experienced today, it has been a very challenging day. The sun shined all day, only a few puffy clouds in the sky. But we can completely understand the ancient Greeks believing that the Gods were playing with them. We prepared reefed sails for the beginning of our journey knowing it was going to blow a bit but it was much stronger than anticipated. Then after we got out into the gulf proper we saw ahead that there was no wind, it was flat calm ahead and when we got there it was like crossing a line from wind and waves to no wind no waves. We pulled down the sails and motored for about an hour before a lovely gentle wind came up from the SW. We kept the main reefed just in case as one never knows around here and had lunch; fruit yoghurt and musli. After about 2 hours, we started noticing waves coming from the shore, from N. Hmm we though,Odd. But after a while we saw white caps coming from the north as well and then the wind reached us from N and increased to 7 m/s. Also good but it didn’t stay at 7 for long, it increased in intensity to 14-15 m/s. The strongest gusts were katabatic winds off the mountains we were sailing along. It was very intense and difficult to steer as the boat veered up towards the wind when the gusts came and it was quite a muscle exercise to keep the boat on course. Once we entered the bay we were aiming for, the gusts decreased somewhat and the farther we got across the bay to destination the calmer it got until the wind died and we had to motor to our chosen destination which was Galaxidhis. But when we were one mile out, a crazy wind came up from NW kicking up big waves making an approach to Galaxidhis impossible. So we motored along the coast northwards looking for a protected cove. We found one but it was too deep for anchoring so we continued to Itea where there was a long narrow cove protected from N winds, but as we approached that one the wind switched once again to S so we had to turn around and try an anchorage with protection from S. We found a spot just outside the fishing harbour and prepared to anchor there when the wind changed yet again to N. Once again, we turned around and looked for an anchorage with protection from N. We ended up in complete resignation as we were tired and hungry and sick of looking around for a place to stop. We anchored here just south of the harbour entrance off a public beach rocking with the waves and a 9 m/s wind blowing. But lucky for us, it didn’t last and within the hour the wind had died completely and another 2 hours the waves came down so we spent a comfortable night.

3 June 2025 Neoriou Bay - Epidavros anchorage N37 38.385 E23 09.570 Distatnce Traveled - 20.9 NM Time Traveled - 4 hours Weather - Sunny 27C Wind NE 1-2 m/s It was nice and warm for a morning dip this morning before breakfast. We took our time getting ready to leave Poros for this year. It’s been a super place to spend time in and excellent for having guests. I think it’s one of the cutest towns in Greece and I look forward to coming back next year. Dan pulled up the anchor and we said good bye to Sue and Martin. We set off by motor and indeed had to motor the whole way as there was not enough wind to sail on. We stopped the boat in the middle of the Saronic sea and dragged along holding the ladder. It was lovely and so refreshing. We chose to come here because there is an ancient theatre that is said to be the best preserved theatre in Greece. It’s half way between Epidavros and Nafplio and right in the Mycenae region. We had a tough time finding a good spot to anchor as it is so deep here in Epidavros. But we finally found a spot to anchor in 7 meters depth. We went ashore in the evening for a beer in a cafe and had a stroll around the waterfront. Very touristy, of course. But not a lot of people around. 4 June 2025 Epidavros We caught the 10.30 bus to the Ancient theater this morning. We were the only ones on the bus; a half-sized tour bus. I wasn’t sure if they would allow dogs and we had Varga with us but nothing was said when we got on. It was a 20 minute ride through mountainous countryside. Masses of orange trees and lemon trees with ripe fruit hanging from the branches. We were dropped off at the ticket office, paid for our tickets, 20 euros, and walked along a lovely treelined walk way, up some stairs and suddenly there it was, the theater. It was amazingly well preserved. The acoustics were incredible. We climbed up to the very top and from there we could hear a group of school children singing, not just that they were singing, we could distinguish the words they were singing and it was as if they were right in front of us. Then the teacher sang a solo acapella that was beautiful and we could hear her perfectly well. At one point there was a couple that walked across the stage down at ground level and we could actually hear their steps. Incredible that construction could be so precise and technically perfect 3000 years ago. As we were getting ready to go down and out of the theater, a functionary came up to us and said”No dogs allowed!” I looked at him and said “but there are stray dogs all over the theater” and there were, several of them sleeping in the shade of the stone seats. But he didn’t care, we had to leave the back way which was the woods path at the top of the theater. It was really pretty so we didn’t mind. But Greeks can be very inconsistent. When we got on the bus to come back to Epidavros, the driver said, “No dogs”. “Hmmmmm, but she was on the bus when you brought us here”. “yes, but I did not know. It’s ok for now, but no dogs”. Fine. At least we made it back!

2 June 2025 Galatas west - Neoriou Bay anchorage N37 30.976 E23 26.562 Distance Traveled - .6NM Time Traveled - 10 minutes Weather - Sunny 26C Winds ENE 1-3 m/s Today was a gorgeous day, warm and hardly any wind. After breakfast we left our mooring buoy, thanked Jakos for taking such good care of us and tootled over to Neoriou Bay to meet up with Martin P and Sue. Sue came with us for a hike up on the ridge behind the bay. It was slow going as Sue and I had so much to talk about. Dan was constantly ahead and urging us to keep moving. I’m sure he found it a dead bore walking with us! He had to shorten the route because we were so slow. But we thoroughly enjoyed it. Dan named the walk on wikiloc “M and S walking talking route” Martin couldn’t come because he has a heel spur and walking is painful. In the afternoon Dan and I went swimming several times and laid on the deck reading our books. I’m reading The Great Gatsby and Dan is reading a book on Swedish history during Napoleon’s reign. We had cocktails on our boat in the evening with Martin and Sue and then went in to the taverna on the water for dinner. Varga was left on FRAM and she did not like it at all. She was very angry and upset with us. I took her for a beach walk when we returned.

27-31 May 2025 Poros, Greece We have had 4 lovely days with our daughter Stephanie, her husband Harvey and their two little children Viggo (5) and Margaret (1.5). They arrived at lunch time on the 27th from Kea where they had rented an Airbnb with Harvey’s sister from Canada and her husband. Kea is in the Cyclades and true to form, it was windy. Conditions were much gentler here in Poros where the sun shone and it was a beautiful warm day. Jakos took us all out to the boat from the ferry platform on Poros Town and we had lunch of tuna salad and Greek bread. Viggo was keen to get in the dinghy and try rowing so Dan took him out after lunch. He picked it up really fast and was soon rowing on his own, tethered to FRAM with a long line. This was to be his favourite activity for the duration of their visit. As soon as we anchored in a bay, he was in the dinghy. We had lovely days moving from one anchorage to another; Neoriou, our favourite, where Dan took S and H on a 6 km hike to the Poros lighthouse, Ormos Porou with Kanali Beach Restaurant that makes the best food in the nicest atmosphere. It’s right on the beach so the the children could run back and forth and play with toys that the restaurant owner leaves out for his own kids. We had a fantastic dinner of fresh caught Grouper grilled with lemon and olive oil. Superb! One day we did a circumnavigation of Poros island,13 NM. Steph and Harvey swam off the back of the boat with a line dragging in the water in case they lost hold of the boat. The first day and the last day we spent on the mooring buoy at Galatas West. We celebrated Dan’s birthday with a souvlaki dinner and a chocolate mouse cupcake and a dark forest cupcake. Both Stephanie and I went shopping during the day and came back to the boat at the same time both holding cake boxes. Such a treat! They all settled right in and enjoyed being on the boat. Viggo snoozed every afternoon for an hour or so. Even Margaret took longer naps than usual. We loved having them onboard and were sorry to see them leave on the ferry to Athens on Saturday. We so enjoyed getting to know Harvey better and had many long and enjoyable conversations in the evenings once the children were in bed. The weather was mostly good though we did have an evening of rain and some thunder. We also had a whole day of wind but that didn’t stop Stephanie from rowing to and fro between the boat and shore. After we waved them off, we took a walk round Poros town, taking the route up and over the highest point. We met Christina and Robert on the waterfront for a drink and had dinner at the Buthcher's Taverna. Only meat of course, but nice place.

23 May 2025 Ermioni - Porostown, South quay N37 29.891 E23 27.261 Distance Traveled - 19 NM Time Traveled - 4 hours Weather - Sunny 25C Wind SE 1-5 m/ks (2-10 knots) We managed to get 2 hours of sailing on the genoa as we rounded the corner towards Poros channel. Otherwise we motored. There was plenty of room on the south quay as all the charter boats left for Athens and the return of their chartered boats. We laid up alongside and decided to stay the night. We needed provisions and water in our tank. And we needed to clean FRAM up. She was looking like a pigpen! Her sides were dirty from the fenders and the strong surge back in Monemvasia and her deck was covered in sand and small stones from the dinghy that we store on deck when we sail. The windows were all covered in a brown sand so one could hardly see through them. Once Dan got the hose hooked up we gave FRAM a thorough bath so she will look her best with Stephanie Harvey Viggo and little Mini-Margaret arrive on the 27th. In the evening we took the boat taxi over to Galatas to have dinner onboard Aubade with Martin and Sue. Aubade is the boat that Dan and I met on way back in 1977. After meeting up totally unexpectedly last year here in Poros we have kept contact and get together whenever we come to Poros. The. Taxi boats run regularly until midnight, then every half hour for the rest of the night. We got back just before midnight. Poros has become our favourite place in Greece. The town is so cute with lovely little windy streets climbing up the hill and wonderful shops and restaurants and cafés. There is a constant bustle of activity when the ferries from Athens and Hydra come in dumping tourists and taking on those whose vacation is over. We found a laundry service that does our wash for 10 Euros per load including wash/dry/fold. I love it! Almost across the street is a library exchange with books in all languages. We have picked up a few books and contributed a few books. Across from the library is a baklava shop that makes superb baklava in small format. I buy some every time we go by there. The green pistaschio baklavas are out of this world:) There are great hiking routes all over Poros and we have been on many of them. Lots of pine trees, Eucalyptus trees and lovely smelling flowers abound. There are several anchorages nearby for when you want to get some peace and quiet and all have tavernas nearby.

22 May 2025 Molos - Ermioni anchorage N37. 23.151 E23 15.153 Distance Traveled - 9 NM Time Traveled - 2.5 hrs Weather - Sunny, dreamy light winds, 25C Wind E 3-4 (6-8 knots) We woke up to a beautiful day sun shining and light winds. The water is crystal clear and you can see every detail on the sea bottom. After a very leisurely breakfast we were disturbed by the chartered catamaran anchored next to us putting on their generator. Ugh. That was the end of that peaceful ambiance. Dan hauled up the anchor and we tootled off to Ermioni; one of our favorite places after Poros. Dan dropped the anchor close to the marina entrance in 5 meters depth in mud. The anchorage is really lovely off a wooded park and close to the town centre. I went ashore and visited the little supermarket, the butcher’s and the baker’s. Dan went for a run and we had cocktails in the c cockpit watching boats come in to anchor. By nightfall we were about 15 boats anchored there.

21 May 2025 Porto Heli - Molos, Hydra N37 19.428 E23 24.768 Distance Traveled - 18.3 NM Time Traveled - 4 hours Weather - Sunny 24C. Wind 1-3 m/s (2-6 knots) We left Porto Helo after breakfast and made our way southwards between mainland Peleponnese and the island of Spetsai before turning eastwards past Dokos on our starboard and headed for a lovely little anchorage on Hydra’s northwest coast called Molos. As the winds were too light for sailing (we did try) we motored most of the way. Hellenic Seaways ferries plied the islands passing us back and forth and rocking us with their huge wakes. Molos is prone to the north but has a couple rock islands in front of it that break the waves somewhat making it a very calm anchorage. There were a bunch of boats anchored at one end with stern lines to the rocks. We were able to anchor in the middle of the cove in 7 meters of sand. The beach was small stones that hurt like hell to walk on so we mostly stayed on FRAM with short shore visits for Varga.

19 May 2025 Monomvasia - Porto Heli anchorage N 37 19.458 E 23 02.322 Distance Traveled - 42.4 NM Time Traveled - 13 hours Weather - Sunny, 23C Wind SW 2-4m/s (4-8 knots) Such a lovely sail we had and practically the whole way though it was slow going. We never reached 5 knots, mostly 2.3-4.5 knots but we didn’t care, it was warm, the sun was shining and it was ever so peaceful. We took turns taking hour long watches, sunning and reading our books. As we passed Spetsai there was a long string of charter boats beating a path to the harbour there. It’s supposed to be a very hot spot for tourists. We haven’t been there yet because the harbour is horrible. There’s no order and it’s crowded as can be. We continued past another couple NM to get here at Porto Heli’s anchorage. From the sky it looks like a key hole. A channel. leads you in to a big round bay surrounded by the pine trees, houses, hotels and a marina/town center. It’s very picturesque. Dan dropped the anchor in almost exactly the same spot we anchored here last year in 3.9m of water and close to shore for rowing. 2 of the Swedish boats from Monomvasia are here; Vision and Freya. We got things settled and then Dan took Varga to shore for a quick visit while I took a swim round the boat and got cocktails and dinner ready. Dan barbecued beef steaks and I made a very light pasta dish with just olive oil, garlic and parsley and a greek salad. Yum. We opened a bottle of red wine too. I bought a few bottles of both white and red at Monemvasia because they seem to have a reputation for great wines. I don’t completely agree having tried 3 reds so far. They are expensive too. So not going that route again. Ouzo and Greek beer (Mythos) are much better bets. Varga has had her last trip to a supermarket. She snapped at 2 employees the last time we shopped. I normally have her in a canvas bag sitting in a shopping cart. People think she is so cute that they want to pet her and that’s when she lets them have it. It’s so embarrassing and I find I’m constantly having to apologise for her. At the same time, I don’t understand why people, perfect strangers, feel that they have a right to touch a dog, just because.

May 15-18 2025 Monomvasia What an amazing few days we have had. We knew next to nothing about this place when we got here but by the time we left we were little experts. The rock fortress of Monemvasia has been inhabited since the 6th century making it the longest continually lived in place in Europe. The Spartans left their capital of Lacadonia in the 6th century due to new marauders called Goths swooping down from the north and raiding and killing. The Spartans needed somewhere they would be protected. The rock of Monemvasia was perfect for them. On 3 sides it is vertical rock cliffs rising 300 meters over the sea. On the south side it has a more sloping contour where the Spartans built their city. For maximum protection they built on 3 levels; the upper level was for Noblemen and the Military, the middle level was for villagers and merchants and the lower level was a high wall protecting the village from attack by sea. There4 is only one gated entry into the village. Over the centuries Monomvasia was ruled by the Venetians, Greeks and Turks. Monemvasia became a very important commercial hub for the Eastern Mediterranean until 1453 when the Ottoman Empire conquered all of Peleponnese. It became a backwater place until modern times when it has become a tourist attraction. The village is still active and its main street is filled with restaurants cafées and shops. Much has been restored over the years, especially the Hagia Sophia Church. The zigzag stairway leading up to the upper level has been renovated and we were able to climb up to the top and hike around the ruins up there. The view was stupendous and we were lucky enough to have a brilliantly sunny day. The weather turned sour on Friday with very strong southerly winds and some rain with totally overcast skies, very hazy. The wind and waves caused a very powerful surge in the marina and all the boats soon had extra spring lines to keep boats still. We had 7 different lines keeping us in place but we were still yanked around by the surging water. After dinner on Friday I was carrying a big cast iron pot down to the galley when the boat was jerked violently by the surge knocking the pot out of my hands and landing on my big toe. It was ghastly painful! I have a big cut just at the base of my toe nail and my toe is black and blue. Not sure if it’s broken, don’t think so as it is not very swollen. But I have a tough time walking. On Saturday it was still windy but the skies had cleared it was sunny and nice again. In the evening we walked up to the village fortress and found the loveliest restaurant for dinner called Matoulas. It was at the end of a little side street to the main street and opened up to a beautiful terrace with a old olive tree in the middle and a stupendous view of the sea below and the mountains off in the distance. Dan had a pork steak and I had roast lamb with potatoes that had roasted with the lamb. It was amazing. A Greek salad as per usual. One the way out of the fortress we met another sailor, an Englishman on a tiny boat called Edna. He was waiting for a taxi to take him back to the marina so we asked if we could join. My toe had taken about as much as it could for the day so was very happy to get a ride in a taxi. On Sunday we puttered around the boat and went for a walk in town and an ice cream. All the Swedes left on Saturday so we were alone. We will leave tomorrow for Porto Heli so got the boat ready for sailing;took down the tent and put up the bimini, stowed stuff, etc.