NOVEMBER 2015 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 45Kay Parkes
Retired teacher Kay and
her husband, John, enjoy
regular extended cruising
aboard their yacht, Sondela,
a Bruce Roberts 45 bought
in 2001 in South Africa and
currently residing in the
Med. They have lived aboard
on and off since leaving East
London in 2006, including
one long Atlantic cruises
from South Africa via St
Helena, the Cape Verdes
and the Azores.RIGHT:
Thassos is
busy but quiet
anchorages
are close bydecreasing when we left Limnos
plus the advertised smooth sea.
Samothraki was due to be the
next destination but the wind
was better for Thassos. The
further north we sailed, the fewer
boats we saw.
Aliki on the south-east corner
of Thassos is a pretty, pine-clad
anchorage with ancient marble
workings on the point. On the
second night, just
after midnight, a
storm broke. One
yacht dragged and
got tied up with
another one whose
anchor had fouled
our main anchor.
Fortunately, we had
also set a Fortress
kedge with 10mm
chain and 14mm
nylon line, which kept us in place.
Thankfully, a Greek boat launched
her tender and got the others
sorted out before too much
damage was done.
A pleasant day sail took us
to our destination. Porto Lagos
is a large, sheltered, harbour
with a few pleasure boats and
a commercial quay. We spotted
our friends and made for the
mooring. There was just room for
Sondela to squeak in alongside,
but only just. It was one of those
occasions when you wished for
the audience of dockside loafers
that normally witness the multi-
attempt efforts.
Porto Lagos is in a nature
reserve, which provides a
marshland habitat for a large
variety of birds. A picturesque
monastery stands in the middle
of one of the lakes. Storks were
nesting on the lampposts in the
next village. The marshes are also
home to blue crabs,
which are hard to
prepare but just
delicious to eat.
We visited the
fi shery, and that
evening we were
invited to share a
meal with Petros,
the owner of the
boatyard, at a
taverna on the quay.
We fi nished the excellent meal
with a potent unnamed liqueur
from the mountains.
The local shops and post offi ce
have basic supplies but there is
a splendid Sunday market, right
on the quay, with wonderful fruit
and vegetables, clothing and
household goods. There is a bus
service to Xanthi, some 17km
away which has the nearest ATM.
Before we left we took our
friend Petros and his family out
for lunch at a restaurant in the
mountains. Following the meal,
Petros took us some way into the
hills to show us the Byzantine
bridge that spans the gorge. It
was quite a walk but worth the
effort and something off the
normal tourist beat.PHOTO: PETER MYATT‘The marshes
are home to
blue crabs,
which are hard
to prepare but
delicious to eat’
PHOTO: KAY PARKES PHOTO: KAY PARKESPHOTO: KAY PARKESMount Athos rises
more than 2,000
metres on the
mainland to the
west of LimnosTrikeri harbour was beautiful, and one of our fi nal stops of the seasonKavala bound
We cruised to Kavala from Porto
Lagos, stopping off at Nea Limani
on the north east corner of
Thassos where we had a visit from
the Port Police who wanted to see
our fl ares and fi re extinguishers.
We were one of the few boats
to be in date but were fi rmly
reminded that we would need
to renew the following month. A
family on one of the ‘out of date’
boats were told they couldn’t
stay because they were deemed
to be a hazard. Then in the next
breath, they were told that they
couldn’t leave with out of date
safety equipment. No fi nes were
imposed, however, and the local
chandler got some custom.
We found a space in the innerharbour in Kavala having motored
most of the way. It is an attractive
harbour with a castle on the
hill and an ancient aqueduct in
the town. It was festival time so
people-watching was good, with
some very smart outfi ts passing
our stern. The following day,
after a bit of a search, we found
a bus that took us to Phillipi.
The remains of the town were
impressive, and there is a splendid
amphitheatre, which is now used
as an opera house. We were about
the only daytime visitors and
enjoyed our excellent guide.
We returned to Porto Lagos for
a fi nal few days with our friends
before heading for the Alonnisos
National Park, the Evia Channel
and our winter berth.