Santorini. Anchoring in the Caldera.

Santorini, Greek island of the Caldera. This entire island is what is left of a massive volcano that erupted. The ancient trading port that was built here was covered in lava and sank into the ocean. Ancestors built a new city on top of the cliffs that border this watery caldera. The result is a super deep port surrounded by a city on the cliffs more than 600 feet overhead. The town is reached via a 30 minute stair climb, donkey ride, or new gondola. Inside the caldera, the lava rock strewn island in the center is what is left of the still active volcano's cone. Villages are dispersed along the cliff tops of this half moon shaped outer island of
Santorini.
I felt strange stepping into the gondola this evening without my snowboard. Strange too being dropped off at the gondola lift via a tender. Views from the gondola car got better and better as we quickly ascended the steep cliff side. I snapped pictures away of the harbor, town, and surround landscapes. Once atop, the pedestrian streets stretched in various directions downhill toward the sea side of the island. My group meandered through the maze of stone paved ways past jewelry and trinket shops. Stopping at a bakery for a massive doughnut, then on to a restraunt that overlooked the beach town on the opposite side of Santorini. Pressed for time, we took a long cut back to the Gondola, and found our selves winding through alleyways past many ancient buildings. Throughout the smell of donkeys was persistent as it was the Santorinians mode of transit up and down the steep cliffs for centurys.
The ride down the cable car was a new view, it now being dark. The yacht was lit up with all her lights, and even the mooring line tying us to shore was sparkling with strobe lights. There may be a chance that we could bring different groups of guests here this summer. I hope for the opportunity to return to this awe striking Greek island.

Mykonos, Delos, and Kasadusi Turkey

I am in Kusadasi, Turkey! While arriving today, I could hear the call to midday prayer from the PA across the harbor. Tonight, we hired a pair of belly dancers and a traditional band to play for the guests. I saw the performance, it was cool and the dancers involved the guests which was fun for them.
We spent the last two nights at the island of Mykonos, Greece. I walked into the town there, it is a maze of pedestrian streets full of jewelry, clothing, and eateries. The town is also home to some famous all night clubs.
Yesterday, we anchored off the island of Delos. Delos is home to Greece's oldest ruins. The area was incredibly scenic, and especially filled with ancient ruins.
Last night, the yacht anchored in some extremely beautiful water. It was severely clear, the bottom could be seen even at night under moonlight.
Today's trip to Turkey was through the most incredible cruising areas I have seen here in the Mediterranean. Turkey is amazing, even though I've only just stepped onto the dock. I can already tell that this country has much to be seen.

An action packed trip to Idra

Idra does not allow cars, they do not allow motorcycles, they do not allow bicycles, the only modes of transport besides boat is donkey and donkey cart. Idra is one of Europe's two cities known as truly living museums. In an effort to protect and preserve the town comprised entirely of buildings more than 500 years old, the government and residents have decided on keeping the island completely pedestrian. We arrived Idra tonight at around 5:00 pm. I got a little time to walk around the town just after we arrived, the village is idealistic and seriously captures the essence of a historic Med island village.
Our journey here from Athens was eventful. The departure this morning was gargled. The radio talk did not go smoothly, and communication is a must for the crew when maneuvering a vessel of this size in close quarters. A strong wind just outside the harbor caught us with our awnings up, and we did break one support but fixed it in quick time. Next we anchored in a secluded harbor near to the island of Idra, in a spot that was a little too windy. The afternoon wind pattern gave way to an afternoon thundershower system moving by, and the wind shift force us back on our anchor and too close to shore. It took some quick thinking, and actions in order to raise anchor, get the yacht moving, and keep order of the jetski and kayaks trailing behind the stern on a line.
The trip to Idra from our cove was quick, and it was a crazy feeling tyeing up such a massive yacht in the little harbor of Idra. On the way over, the door to the Starboard side of the bridge broke, 2 of the 4 dogs that close the door tightly broke. It took us the rest of the evening to dissassemble the door, take it off the hinges, fix it, and put it back together and back on the boat in a working fashion. I have only just finished, and I can tell how tired I am getting by how much more I am hitting the backspace button. Ha, I may just cut this message a little short and get some sleep. Tommorow is a very early day with a 5 hour passage to another of the Greek islands. We will be off the dock early, but were enticed by a possibility to rest during the trip.

Birthplace of Democracy

The Acropolis of Athens, Greece is a UNESCO site rated number 3 in the world's most important heritage sites. I had a tour of the area today along with 4 of my fellow yacht crew by a local tour leader. The Acropolis is a grouping of temples located in the heart of the city of Athens, Greek port city between the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. I won't describe much more of the sites, but I recommend doing a little research on them because the history surrounding them is fascinating. I will say that the Parthenon suffered huge damage in the 18th century when it was used as a weapons magazine it took severe shelling from the enemy. Another incident further destroying the ruins involved a Scotch lord bribing the government to remove as many pieces of the structures as he wanted. Those pieces of the Acropolis are still housed in a museum in London, and the Greek government's repeated requests for return have all been denied.
The Acropolis museum is extremely well put together. Lots of glass floors are included in the construction over the ruins. The flea market in Palaca section was ok, steep prices for American goods and everything imported. Lunch was superb, kebab was best yet and pork gyro w/ mean tzetziki. I can't wait to head back to the theater at Acropolis for an event in July. Guests are coming soon, and after much hard work we have the yacht looking good again after a long ocean crossing and a harsh shipyard period. Us guys took out the tender and jet ski for some wakeboarding and skurfing after work this week. The Acropolis was a one of a kind back-drop against the polluted harbor we were riding in.

Rock of Gibraltar

Coming into Gibraltar during a rainy evening. The crew hastily prepares for the dock, ties up the yacht, then finally looks around. We are moored in front of the Rock of Gibraltar, and the rain cloud has formed a rainbow over the top of the rock! Its the last light of the night, we are cleared in quickly, and then changed as fast as we can into street clothes to see the town. Our group walks down the quay, and notices the boats, and the lights of the casino at the end of our dock. Stopping at the end of the dock, each one of us is looking down the street both ways and trying to decide which direction to take, some sailors walk by us and direct us to the square in the old city.
A short walk leads us through the massive gated walls, and into the heart of the old city. We enter an English pub called Alls Well. Its karaoke night, and a small crowd of Gibraltarians is taking turns singing songs ranging from Guns and Roses to Billy Joel, plus some American oldies that I didn't know. We have some shots and drinks, the ocean crossing is behind us and I am celebrating my first hour in Europe. Three of my group of seven leave and head back to the yacht. Leaving Alls Well, the group (now four of us) continue down the old streets, looking into the windows of shops and searching for a pub with a kitchen still open. A bartender offers a tip about where some great Indian take-away is, and we find the restaurant without any difficulty. The food tastes as amazing as it smells, and after filling up there is still enough to take some back to the boat.
The next day is dedicated to fueling the yacht, and the crew splits into two groups to take tours of the Rock during the day. Our driver, Douglas, picks us up at the fuel dock and shuttles us through Gibraltars narrow and winding streets to the Rock. Along the drive, he gives us some history and back ground about the territory. Gibraltar is currently a self governed city-state, and Douglas shows his bitterness at Spain for continually trying to take possession. The driver also points out areas where Spain is enforcing restrictions and regulations on the population of Gibraltar that the Spaniards themselves do not comply with.
The airport runway literally separates the city-state from Spain, with the road actually stretching perpendicular across the middle of the runway. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic is stopped when a plane is landing or taking off. I learn that the traffic can back up for up to four hours at the border, and the only fast way to cross the border is on motorcycle, or foot. A new road is being built around the end of the runway, and it is clear to see the new construction happening in many places in Gibraltar. Real estate prices are insanely high in the city, often forcing young adults to move to Spain as they cannot afford the high prices.
The Rock tour started with St. Michaels cave, a massive limestone cavern. The cave is well lighted to show the incredible features and classical music is played to showcase the acoustics. The Stalactites hanging from the ceiling are perfectly shaped, and they lend a fake look to the scene making it look like a Hollywood movie set. There is a plaque near the exit dating to 1954, the year when the HM Queen Elizabeth toured the caves. Our driver, Douglas, advised us that should we return to Gibraltar, the extended cave tour was a worth while activity. Now driving up the road further for views from the top of the rock. The entire area is inhabited by the imported macaque monkeys. Legend says that when the monkeys are gone, Gibraltar is to belong to the Spanish. Story goes that Churchill visited Gibraltar, and upon seeing that the monkey population was down to only 7 monkeys, he ordered more to be imported ensuring that the legend does not come true. Douglas fed the macaque monkeys that he knew peanuts enticing the monkeys to pose for us. The vistas of the bay of Gibraltar and across the Straits to North Africa were excellent that day.
As we headed down the switchback road that winds its way up the rock, the next destination was the tunnel network that the British had built inside the rock for protection from siege. The tunnels were full of magazines and gun embrasiers where cannons were pointed out into the Straits of Gibraltar. The last sight on the road downhill was a Moorish castle. The structure was a tower mostly empty, but interesting as to how long it had stood there and views from the top were good. There was also a WWII area of the rock with its own tunnels and more modern guns, but my group did not see this South facing point of the rock. That was the conclusion of the tour, and we got moving that night after finishing fueling.
The yacht is now making way East between the Southern coast of Sardenia and the Northern coast of Algeria. A couple more days at sea will land us in Athens, Greece!

Horta, Faial Azores was mental.

A gray day gave way to some blue holes in the sky as we neared the Western most island in the Atlantic archipelago of the Azores. A Portuguese territory, these islands have been home to whaling stations and a provision stop for ships in the atlantic for hundreds of years. The islands are easy seen from great distances in good visibility, as they are volcanic and have considerable elevations. The island of Faial has cliffs that nearly surround it, as do all of the islands in the chain. The green pastures and villages of white painted houses with red tile roofs were a beautiful and welcome sight after our 5 day crossing from Bermuda. The hills, trees, towns, and hillside pastures looked incredibly dramatic with the rays of sunshine beaming through the rain heavy clouds in the sky.
Our berth in Horta was on the concrete quay that created a breakwater for the harbor there. From where the yacht was tied up, we had an amazing view of the city of Horta as the sun set over the historic buildings. I took a good number of photos of the boats in the harbor, our yacht, and the waterfront of the city. The city stretched up on the hills behind the waterfront, and from our distance looked surreal in the early evening lighting. We had arranged for a late night fuel delivery, and during the process four of us went out and picked up some dinner for the crew from the local sailors pub; Peter's Cafe Sport. In a bit of a debate, Kat bartered with the proprietor about what kind of take-away food we could get at 10:30 pm. We left happy with some grilled cheese and chips after a few wines and beers. The establishment was filled with flags, floats, and sailing paraphernalia of all types. The food was good, boat was full of fuel, and I went to bed fast in my then still bed.
The next day, Sunday, I was on watch. Up early to raise the flags, I took advantage of some early day sunshine. I took photos of the town, yacht, and harbor again, this time the light was front lit instead of back lit. I spent the first half of the day reading outside in the sun, and after that grueling morning I was forced to go on a round-the-island tour with three of my crew members. Tony, our driver was an Azorean local, whom had lived in California and learned English there. He knew the ins and outs of the entire island, and was out to show us the best. We saw among other things, a whaling museum, views and vistas to no limit, two volcano's, a black sand beach, forests and fields, and a grip of coastline. In his Mercedes, Toni drove us up, down and around the island of Faeal. Between the four of us, we returned with a 3 pound loaf of sweet bread and around 600 photographs. I spent 2.5 hours today sorting them, and have published them on my Picasa page.
Yesterday, we departed Horta, Eastbound for Gibraltar. Now we are riding the Atlantic, surfing downhill in 25 knot winds and 6 to 8 foot seas. We arrive there tomorrow evening, and it remains to be seen if our next stop will be Palma Myorca..
Today was my crew member Halle's birthday. We celebrated in the bridge, and the decorations were "Hello Kitty". Yes, even us men had the pink hats, napkins, and noise makers. A Portuguese chocolate cake was served, and some hilarious shots were taken of individual and group crew this afternoon.
Check out more photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/TreSnow/HortaAzores# and http://picasaweb.google.com/TreSnow/ArrivingAzores# and http://picasaweb.google.com/TreSnow/HalleSBDaySea# .

300 nm From Horta

Still out here in the North Atlantic. We have highlights of the days, surrounded by hours of resting, reading, computers, meals, and when weather permits some work gets done. I am on the 0400 to 0800 watch schedule which basically means that I get to watch everyday's sunrise and sunset. The past two days have been mostly cloudy, with some views of the sun here and there. Todays best sights were pods of dolphins at sunrise and sunset. I saw a whale blow in the distance today, which has added to an average of at least one such sighting a day. I was amazed the past three days to see sea birds out away from land this far(boobies). They are powerful yet graceful fliers amongst the waves. Gust technicians as they flow, twist, dive and soar between the fast moving swells. Their eyes constantly scanning the waters surface for small fish to eat. The dolphins have not been riding our bow wave. The fast speed we maintain has shown them in wake, surfing and jumping high out of the water behind us.

Yesterdays smoother conditions allowed us deck guys to do a chemical teak stripping treatment on the upper deck. The teak is looking primo, and it was great to get outside and do something physical. The exercise bike on the deck up there has been getting some use as well. I am on watch with Justin, the captain. We spend our watches going over some of the ships equipment, or learning Italian on CD. He also takes some time to answer emails; while his shipboard life at sea may simplify, his cyber life is never at any further reach as long as our satellite signal is good. The satellite is good for us all, emails, web surfing, weather, phone, XM radio; but it means that the detached feeling I used to have at sea has been diluted.

My dad turned 61 today, Happy Birthday Dad! Our loose itinerary is Horta tomorrow, 2 + days to Gibraltar, on to Palma Myorca?, then to Greece. I cannot detail where, or when we will be in Greece. Instead I have to be very general about the times and places that Seaquest sails. A neat thing today, our Latitude full matched our Longitude at 36*37'.610. It's a rare circumstance and our Engineer took a photo of the coordinates with his phone. I've been reading and drooling over new kiteboarding magazines and videos. Talking gear with my crewmates and hoping for wind in the Medd this summer to have fun on. Also, there may be some decent surf in the Azores this weekend. The big swells passed us from the West for two and a half days. They are hitting the islands now, and may be there diminished waiting for us on Sunday. I am on watch though :(

Great boat, great crew, great trip so far. Summer 2010 is going to top all others.

From West Palm Beach to the Mid Atlantic

A new forum for a new adventure. Instead of doing the usual mass emails, I've decided on Google's handy blog medium. Give me some feed back, little comments, tell me if you like the format. I thought maybe the mass emails were a little intrusive, and this is more of a seek and find system. I can also incorporate some photos directly into the text, giving the reader a better mental picture of the scenario. I don't have any photos yet... well lots have been taken, but none with my camera yet. So until I can get some copies, i will have to take a few tomorrow to add here.

So, I have not made any announcement yet, but I have resigned from M/Y Relentless. An opportunity came to me to work on another yacht, for a captain whom I know, and I decided to go for it. I am now working on a 50 meter composite yacht built in Washington, USA. The yacht has a secure program, meaning that I cannot share any information about the owners, plans, itineraries, guests, and any info that i do share will be general and vague. It won't take all of the fun out of my writing, I can still describe that which doesn't violate my agreement. I am taking a risk writing anything at all, but I am confident that I can keep my word of confidentiality. With that said, I can get into the more interesting parts.

June 2, 2010 In the middle of the Atlantic. Nearly half way inbetween Bermuda, and Horta, Azores right this moment. Moving at 18 knots, we are covering some ocean miles in a hurry. The yacht left the yard in West Palm Beach, FL on Saturday, May 29. Today is only June, 2nd and our 5th day at sea. Upon leaving Florida, we were making great time on the way to Bermuda. Cruising at 20 knots, we had made landfall in Bermuda less than 48 hours after leaving WPB, FL.