After a little more snorkelling, we set off towards Alonissos. The wind was generally light, and from the east. We tried to find the cave to which the Glass Bottom Boat takes its visitors after calling at Steni Valla, but were uncertain. Also Tom and Emma were not yet too enthusiastic about entering caves, so the idea was abandoned. We then decided to change our minds and head for Ormos Livadakhia, on the north eastern side of N. Peristera. We anchored off the beach, unfortunately not as attractive as it looked from a distance. It was stony, and littered with flotsam and jetsam. We swam ashore, and played at throwing stones at a plastic container until lunch time. Having started down the eastern coast, we continued clockwise, but there was insufficient wind to sail. We concluded that by the time we reached Steni Valla, there would be no space left, so we headed instead for Ormos Milia. This was an attractive anchorage between low cliffs, off a beach equipped with beach toys.
We set off in the morning under engine, there being little wind, and made to round the southern coast of Skopelos. We were trying to find the beach with the pontoon featured in the film Mumma Mia, that Tom and Emma had brought with them. We didn't find it, but anchored off 'Mumma Mia beach', swam, snorkelled and had lunch. Later we went into Panormou, and found ourselves sufficient room to anchor and moor stern to. Peter tied us back to a rock, and insisted on taking several lines ashore to reach a tree: we were then nice and square.
Yet another snorkelling and swimming session in the morning. Tom retrieved a clam shell from about 3 metres. We set off for Skiathos, but heading south about for the beach at Koukounaries, said to be one of the nicest in Greece. We anchored off, but the penalty for the scenery was motor boats with water skiers and beach toys that persisted in running along close off the beach, with their attendant wash and concern for swimmers. After lunch we set off back, and anchored on the west side of Nisidha Tsoungria. Here there are two delightful beaches where you can anchor in close to, close enough for Emma to swim to and from the beach unaided. Unfortunately they are the 'last stop' on the round-the-island tours, so are quite crowded and have tour boats coming and going: the northern beach is perhaps not so badly affected. From here we made for the anchorage in the main harbour, and went ashore for some more water so that everyone could shower. We then set off ashore and found the Scuna restaurant, in the 'pedestrianised' coastal strip, where we enjoyed a final meal together. After this, we went to see the spray painting artist, and continued along and up the main street, where Tom and Emma chose some soft toy dolphins. Back on board, we moved Fuga smartly out to Ormos Siferi, so that we could get some sleep without the noise of the discos.
Everyone enjoyed a bit of a lie-in, then we moved Fuga back to anchor off the town at the far side of the bay, while breakfast was got ready. There was only time to pack up, have a final quick swim, before setting off for the airport. Tom demonstrated some impressive dives (head first) from the side deck, while Emma fearlessly splashed her Dad by jumping in beside him.
We watched the plane take off, then moved Fuga back into Ormos Siferi so that we could relax, enjoy a swim, and have a peaceful night.
The following day we returned to anchor off the pontoon, so that we could run some water. We filled all our water bottles, and ran two loads, one for the tank and one to keep as reserve. We had upset an Italian boat who felt we had anchored too close, and they made a fuss as they went to recover the anchor. Unfortunately when we got back to O. Siferi, after picking up some shopping, we found he had pinched our 'spot' off the cemetry, and we had to anchor further down the beach, although the bottom here was sandy and clear of weed.
The forecast for Sunday promised quite strong winds, and so they proved to be. Our plan was to head for Skopelos, where we could load water from the quay, and top up our fuel supplies. The journey there and the entrance to Skopelos would be exposed to the northerly Meltemi winds, and so we simply stayed put and relaxed.
We left our anchorage, made sail, and headed out and north up Steno Skhopeloy to leave Ak Goyroyni on the northern extremity of Skopelos to starboard. The wind was just east of north most of the time, so while we had to tack, we made good progress, and then once around the headland we were able to fetch the course down to Skopelos harbour. The sea was a bit confused, with the occasional big one coming through, presumably from the much heavier weather to the east. We found the harbour crowded, with a lot of smaller motor boats and ribs, but managed to find a 'slot' into which we just fitted between a Gibsea yacht and a motor boat. When we got around to investigating the watering facilities, we were up against a deadline: to save water it is cut off during the evenings between 1800 and 2100. The port authorities have installed sophisticated metering for water and electricity, but they are not using the 'dongles' (because they lost too many). Instead, they are opening a 'credit' of 10euros. This was described as a minimum charge: it may be, but we found out the next day when the kettle cut off half way through boiling our early morning cuppa, that it is also the limit! We had only managed to three-quarter fill our water tanks the previous evening, so that was 'it'. That evening, we were down below, when the huge blue Helenic Seaways catamaran ferry came into the harbour. How he did it, we do not know, (apart from coming in recklessly at high speed), but we knew about it when the two boats on either side of us were each in turn thrown into us with fender-crushing ferocity, such as I have never experienced anywhere before. (It was worse, in fact, than hitting the East Shingles buoy a glancing blow at 11 knots relative in Golondrina: an incident that cost our insurers a considerable amount). Some boats sustained some damage, and there was much Greek shouted across the harbour, and a deputation set off across the port to see the captain. We understood the next day that someone had captured the incident on video.
We had intended to get our transit log stamped up. When we were at Skopelos the previous month, there was a chap from the port authority who did this for us, and relieved us of some euros. This time, there was no sign of him at 0830, the advertised time of his appearance. The young lady in the hut seemed to have very little English, unlike her evening time colleague, but denied that this function existed, nor could she help restore our water supply. We decided to give up, and accordingly packed up and left. We anchored free in Patitiri harbour, off the quay, so that we could do some shopping for supplies. We also found that there was free internet available from the boat in this position. We were in the end a bit late arriving at Steni Vala, and the harbour was crowded with ribs. We moored off the rocks at the entrance, taking a breast line from amidships to the shore to take some of the sideways weight of the near beam wind off the anchor. We were soon joined by numerous others. We went up to Angie's, where we met Bill's sister Kathryn, who was staying with her daughters and a friend. Angie kindly provided (northern) 'tea'.
On Wednesday morning, the wind was still blowing fresh from the north east, but we hoped that the next day (Thursday) it would have moderated. We wanted to take Fuga out with British Tiger, to give Bill and Angie's visitors an outing. The plan was to visit either Pelagos to the north east, or Skantzoura to the south east, and stay overnight. Accordingly, Bill drove Angie, Kathryn and Mo to Patitiri to get supplies for the expedition. I spent the time on the internet using the rather slow Wifi available in the Ikion complex by the harbour. During the afternoon, several boats came in including a Sunsail flotilla, and the Italian friends from Skiathos with whom (they alledged) we nearly crossed anchors.
The wind was still strong, and the forecast was giving high seas outside the shelter of Alonissos and Peristera, coming from the much higher winds further north and east. We canned the overnight expedition, but to try to assuage Kathryn's appetite for some adventure, we decided to go for a sail in Fuga in any case. Kathryn came with Daisy, the younger two staying on shore. Bill insisted on a good beat, rather than settle for a gentle reach across to Peristera, so we set off up the channel between the islands. Daisy helmed much of the way. As we reached the northern entrance, the seas began to build and we had some heavy gusts of wind. We turned down wind and anchored near the wreck to swim. Afterwards, we set off back under jib alone to anchor once more off the rocks.