Season 6

Missy Bear returns to the Icarium Mare We continued our journey south with a quiet sail around the NE tip of Chios, from Marmaro to Lakgada, chasing the ruffles of darker-blue water that betrayed where the wind could be found. We anchored up in 18m of water, as the bay is steep-to, and felt as though we could almost step onto the beach, inhabited by a few local sun-worshippers. Our peace was disturbed by some hollering from the nearby quayside. Two men were gesticulating to u

As I write this, Missy Bear is still tied up in Marmaro, on Chios. Our Windy app predicted a thunderstorm and heavy rain. And on cue, it happened. One crack of thunder accompanying a flash was directly overhead, and so loud I thought I had been shot. Not a day to leave port and go sailing. The rain has brought down an overpoweringly, wonderful aroma of aromatic herbs from the surrounding hills. On a more negative note, the clear harbour water is now a turbid brown filled wi

Crew at Molyvos (Lesbos) Over a fortnight ago (May 14), after returning from lunch at Kardamyla (Chios), we arrived back at the port of Marmaro to discover that Missy Bear’s blue, rubber welcome mat was missing. We assumed it had blown overboard. So, I donned my mask, snorkel and fins, and went for a quick search and rescue mission. But to no avail. We arrived back at the same port yesterday (June 1), and almost at the same position on the quay. As I was washing the sea-sal

The forecast was amazing. For an area where the prevailing wind is north-westerly, or at least somewhere in the top bit of the compass, we had a forecast of southerlies for days ahead. This was just what we needed as our original plan was to island hop northwards. We'd even thought about going up the Turkish coast and then drifting back down the Greek islands, but research into anchorages that far north in Türkiye wasn't very encouraging. Our friends Tony and Lynn were joi

Sail from Myrina to Moudros It was time to leave Myrina. We had spent five beautiful and peaceful days there. Well, when I say “peaceful”, the final night was less so: first, as we arrived back to Missy Bear (after a gyros supper; simply the best fast-food in the world), a very black cloud loomed. We managed to lock down or stow everything, just before a squall blew through, with an accompanying heavy downpour. Second, the local Greeks had gone mad, and were screaming their h

Missy Bear had a long journey ahead of her (about 50 NM) to get to Lemnos, the historic Gateway to Constantinople. So, we cast off early at first light (05:30) and headed north-west, on a course of 295 degrees. The breeze filled in steadily from the north-east, and we were sailing on a fine reach towards our destination, probably Moudros Bay on the south-east corner. Istanbul Expressway We were on alert as we were crossing the main shipping routes in and out of the Dardanelle

Missy Bear alongside at Langhadi, Chios The following morning was an early rise, as we had over 50NM to sail to our next island on the ladder, Chios. We weighed anchor at 07:30 and, with a F3 from the south west, bowled along under asymmetric averaging well over 6 knots. As is often the case along the Anatolian coastline, headlands of Türkiye jut out westwards, and to get from one Greek Island to another efficiently, one must cross through areas of Turkish water. This, in int

New cloth ensign for a new season Missy Bear is 5-years-old this year, and in her sixth sailing season. So, it was time to get the standing rigging checked over-winter. The technicians sent us photos, and it transpired that all was well with the stainless-steel wires and connectors, but they informed us that our Windex was broken (the wind direction indicator on the top of the mast). I wonder how that happened? Our friend Tony suggested that a fat seagull might have landed on

Flat Island - Ships' Graveyard Flat Island (‘ Yassi Ada ’ in Turkish) lies 16NM south-east of Leros, in the channel between the Greek Islands and the Turkish Bodrum Peninsula. Missy Bear regularly sails up the same channel heading home from Kos and all places further south. The tiny, low island is a ships’ graveyard. For example, in the summer of 626 AD, an Eastern Roman (Byzantine) cargo ship hit the reef there and sank in 30m of water. It was small merchant sailboat. It had

Migrating birds It’s January in France and the mornings are very dark. It was only two degrees this morning, and densely foggy. The ground is saturated, and mountain biking can be slow and muddy work in the valley bottoms. Now is opportunity to light the log fire, curl up and read, and to ponder life some more. As I write in the warmth, I am watching a feeding-frenzy as a host of great tits and blue tits rapidly empty the feeder of sunflower seeds outside on the balcony. The