​So now we have two boats – one needing to get back to the hard stand (dry dock) at Almira Boatparking near the Corinth canal, and another on the other side of Greece at Cleopatra Marina needing to be recommissioned, put back in the water and sailed +/- 400 nautical miles back to the same boat yard for wintering by 10 October. Factor in two sets of visitors – major changes in planning required – aye aye Cap’n!

Warren and Helen (our BFF) committed to buying MACSEA, which for us was great and an easy transition for them. They were already our next visitors so now were going to get hands on experience on their new boat. We were meeting them at Parikia on Paros so had about 10 days to get there. No time to get further south in the Dodecanese group per our original plan, we were now on a mission. Heading west across the width of the Aegean into the Cyclades again where the Meltemi was well established required careful passage planning. A couple of brisk days sailing via Patmos across some large bumpy seas and we were in the lovely island of Nisos Schoinousa, just south of Naxos, meeting up with good friends, Sean and Bernie Flanagan (Windhover), and ending up next to them on the very smallcowded dock for a week waiting for the wind and seas to die down to enable us to sail NW and reach our pick up point. In the event we actually got down to the day W & H were arriving and so had to go a very unpleasant 20 NM to Paros for the pickup.

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A couple of days and a long shopping list fulfilled, some more serious planning was done to make our deadline for haul out at Almira. Our first destination was Ormos Fikiadha on the island of Kythnos, a 50 NM day sailing in 23kts and 3 metre seas. MACSEA just loved it and as far as a sea trial went, Warren and Helen were very happy. We had to turn at the top of the island and run downwind to our destination – very exciting in these conditions and resulted in our fastest speed ever of 11.6 kts (this is REALLY fast for a monohull).

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Ormos Fikiadha is part of what we call double bay because two beautiful bays are just a sand spit away from each other. Last season we were were here for John’s birthday; this season we were a bit earlier but still had a great meal at the lovely taverna on the hill.

We could only manage two night’s stop here – one to recover from the boisterous passage and the next to enjoy a quiet night at the taverna. Off on another long but not as challenging day’s sailing to Poros, where we always feel at home and took up a mooring boy for the night. We were able to order all the necessary supplies here for the wintering of MACSEA and spent a pleasant day going to Hydra on the ferry. We had a bad experience here last year when a huge storm, a precursor to the hurricane, blew up and we were lucky to catch the last ferry back to Poros to get back to the boat. No such dramas this year, just a very pleasant day spent exploring and having lunch at this beautiful island.

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The next leg from Poros to Almira Boatyard for haulout and winterising was bittersweet for us, knowing that it was to be our last sail on MACSEA. We spent the next 3 days in the yard with Warren and Helen packing her away for winter before bidding her fare winds and smooth seas. We know her new owners will treat her well and can’t wait to hear about their adventures next year.