Flotilla – 5.4
Table of Contents
Morning Briefing 1
Weather Usual. 1
Itinerary Final destination: Kalamos 1
Kalamos 1
The Mole 2
Taxi Service 2
The Barby 2
Taxi Home 4
Day 3 Wednesday
Morning Briefing
Weather Usual.
Itinerary Final destination: Kalamos
Kalamos
A small island off the east coast of the main channel, – almost due east from our position on the west of the channel – with a number of scenic bays and just a few small villages – hence – the plan is to self-cater, with a beach barbecue and bar over the afternoon until sunset
They have done it on most flotillas and the beach is equipped for a BBQ / bar and dining.
They estimated that the cost per head would be 20 Euros – including all drinks – any food or drink not consumed would be – where appropriate – saved for future group gatherings.
As usual – not mandatory – but the alternative choices are limited and a taxi drive away from the bay. If the majority are not interested – then they would rethink and change the plan.
Just to gauge the mood – they asked for a hand vote for those interested – a no-brainer for us -just sounded brilliant.
Obviously the same for everyone else – as far as I could tell – every hand went up straight away – that’s sailors for you. I like to think that most of us, also appreciated that doing this was a lot of hard work for the crew – who could have had a much easier day – and were happy to support them
Jean actually sought out Brigitte and asked if she could help – yeah – get the oven on for when they got back with the shopping and a pile of baking potatoes can go in – no problem.
Everybody paid up and we are off to Kalamos. Easy sail – a south westerly blowing us across and arriving mid-afternoon – then motoring into the moorings – on a mole!
The Mole
Not a burrowing brown creature – actually the rather strange name for a construction of stone or brick which sits in the water, extending to about three metres above the waterline and some fifty metres from the shore. Mooring a little more difficult than normal – the crew, in their inflatable, zipping around and tying up each boat in turn – bow to the mole and a ketch anchor over the stern.
Then Woody and Brigitte were off to do the shopping – in a taxi.
They left Pete – the engineer, to set about organising the beach – it was quite flat and a little stoney with what appeared to be two wood and charcoal fired barbecues with heavy grills.
At the rear of the beach, where it started to slope up into the surrounding hills, at some time – someone had built a form of stone steps – which actually doubled up as seats or shelves -later it housed the cold food, the drinks and dishes and cutlery – the hot food served straight off the grills.
The shoppers returned and delivered the food onto the beach. Pete now firing up the barbecues and – the rest, zipping around in their inflatable – delivering the baking potatoes, to Jean and others – for their pre-heated ovens.
Time to dress for dinner – shorts and Don Johnson (Miami Vice) shirt – will do for the beach.
Taxi Service
The crew – working non-stop – Woody set up a taxi service from boats to beach – I think that he may have had reservations about the rookies getting back to their boats alone in their inflatables – after a drink or three. He can take two at a time and a carrier bag of baked potatoes for delivery, if available.
The Barby
All on the beach pretty quickly – both grills going strong with Pete and Brigitte – and the shelves at the back well stocked with drinks and plastic dishes / glasses and cutlery.
It’s basically – ‘help yourself – no table service – in fact no tables! But no shortage of seats – few wooden benches set out and quite a lot of heavy stone blocks as stools, or even side tables – set in circles to encourage conversation.
Talking to Brigitte, later – we found out, that the beach had been created as a cooperative project between them and Sunsail – who were in effect competition – but it seemed to be in good spirits – until they were racing for a round of drinks -they shared schedules for the beach and made sure they never clashed.
Jean and I grab two seats and I get the drinks – white wine to start -there’s four 3Litre boxes – should be enough – particularly with the four boxes of red. Plus, plenty of beer as well as half bottles of local gin and vodka with mixes – and even soft drinks let’s not go over the top – we can’t walk home!
Back to Jean and she has been joined by Matt and Karen and Roy and Bernie – a hand-picked gang.
The call comes from the grills – ‘Come and get it!’ We let the rush go first.
When we get there -it’s looking and smelling great – burgers, sausage, thin minute steaks, filleted white fish in foil, large fresh shelled prawns, roasted vegetables and, of course, baked potatoes – plus a large green salad on the side along with
Even got local radio on with authentic Greek music for the ambiance.
We all agreed that it was good value for the money – and a bit of an adventure.
As you might expect the evening gradually became something of a blur. It was probably a good thing that you had to get up and walk a bit to get a drink – and then could only carry two!
We avoided the gin and vodka – we can always have a night cap back on the boat.
I do remember a conversation involving Roy – at one point he says – ‘I like you Jim’. I said – ‘Well – I’d be a worried man if you didn’t like me, Roy’.
He thought it was laugh out loud – funny! I was just happy that he didn’t slap me on the back.
As we got to sunset – Woody announces that we don’t have to rush – they schedule events like this – as close to the full moon as possible – and tonight was a full moon.
So, as the sun set, the full moon rose in a cloudless sky, of course, but full of stars – Woody even pointed out the Milky Way – streaming across the sky.
I knew that we were looking into the centre of our universe – from Earth on an outer edge of a flat galaxy – through layers of about 4 billion stars.
Taxi Home
Then it was time for home -taxi service re-instated and lifts in the order we are moored. Not a long wait and I am helping Jean into our cockpit – without any accidents.
Still felt quite warm – enough to have a sit in the cockpit whilst we have our form of ‘digestivo’ (Italian) – a brandy and soda each.
Funnily enough – we slept well again!