Rhodes 2

Sunday saw us return to the Southern beach of Prasonisi though with a group of only 4 this time. The wind was far stronger this day, and the beach even busier. A windsurfing championship was taking place, and the waters were full of windsurfers within an hour. I boosted some big jumps, and had some great crashes. After getting back to Rhodes town, three of us cabbed to a beach for an evening session. The wind was not cooperating, so we began walking back towards the marina. As we rounded the point beach, we noticed one kitesurfer who was struggling in the light wind. "What the heck?" Thatcher and I just decided to rig and try to ride the light wind anyhow. The guy who was out there quit, and as we started riding the wind picked up! I had a great session on my surf board, and Thatcher had a major break through session and was not kiteboarding upwind!! The photos that were with the last Blog entry were actually from this evenings ride. Amazing, the wind blows harder on this beach before sunset and increases for an hour after the sun fully goes down. Its a strange phenomenon, but in the next two weeks the yacht spent at the marina only a mile away I would take advantage of it more nights than not.
That week of non-guest work flew by. I spent most of it doing engineering projects, tinkering and fixing whatever needed tweaking. Monday was light wind, so Thatcher and I decided not to go. A silly move, as the point beach again had evening wind! Tuesday would not be lost, as I was still forcing myself to wake at 6:00 am as to keep in my rhythm. The wind was already blowing at that time in the morning, so I grabbed my gear and caught a cab to the beach. This would count as my first true morning kiting session. I made it back in time for work, and then after work went back to the beach with Thatch. A double session day! I never repeated that feat on any of the other days. I did continue to rise early and get some runs in. The first path I was taking was by the edge of town and along the beaches. It was nice, especially the part that was on a path next to the sea and away from the roads. I tired of the same routine, and so tried running inside the walled city. Immediately I was happy with the decision, and it would become my new favorite running spot. Normally the narrow streets are filled with tourists, but at 6:30 in the morning I had that ancient city to myself. I developed a great route that hugged the inside of the walls, exploring the many alleys and back streets. Next I coupled it with a run through the bottom of the dry moat. I have run in some scenic settings, but this Rodos Citadel run is in the top three.
Our chef had left the boat and returned home to Boston to spend time with his family before the next guest trip. I missed him and his cooking, and after a few meals cooked by another crew member we spent the remainder at restaurants or getting takeout. The weekend came around fast, and lucky for us it was declared another three day weekend. Matt rented a car, and we used it to go camping on the beach at Meltemi, one of the kite spots we had scoped out the previous weekend. Matt took a kiting lesson and I had a good day of riding. I picked up some beer and ice at the supermarket, then we set up camp just down the beach directly on the sand. I put up my travel hammock, Matty put up his tent. After a couple of beers, we meandered up the hill to Dionysis, the Greek restaurant. Two of my other crew members were there! They were finishing up their own meals, so Matty and I took their table. Another delicious dinner was in our belies and back at the campfire we got started on the Absinthe. Drunk and happy, we went swimming in the warm Aegean Sea and I fell asleep on the sand. If only every day could be so great.
The next day Matt and I woke up with some mean hangovers. Matt had to get back to the boat early, he was on watch that day. I got dropped off at the kiting beach and put my hammock up for some needed extra sleep. A few hours later that's where my crew found me. They made fun of me for having sand in both my ears from sleeping on the beach. Haggered, I rallied and made it up for a kiting session before a late lunch. It was strange kiteboarding in such a condition. I was not yet hungover, maybe just still a little drunk. It can only be compared to kitesufing in somebody else's body. Lunch was excellent, probably the best Greek food that I have ever had. This Sunday was a Greek holiday, and many families were out celebrating and having a late lunch. The restaurant was full of local people, always a good sign when searching for the best food away from home. A rest after lunch in my hammock, then out for another session as my crew mates packed it up and drove the 35 Km back to the yacht. I was to stay on my hammock on that very beach for the night. It was pretty noisy, all the people in the restaurant were staying up and being loud as it was a holiday. I would have had a better sleep by moving up the beach, but I couldn't be bothered to carry all my gear up there. Besides, it was convenient being close to the restaurant for take away and bottled water.
I lay in my hammock, looking up at the blanket of stars stretched across the Aegean and her many islands.

A Couple Weeks in Rhodes.

Im actually writing this entry from Kusadasi, Turkey. However, before I write about what the yacht is doing now, I want to take some time to explain what I was doing for the two weeks of silence on my BLOGGING. No, the internet was not broken. Some of you may have thought so, but I hope you weren't worried about me.
Rhodes is my favorite island in Greece, Turkey, and Italy. I would have said that Sicily was my favorite island in the Mediterranean, but it was crossed off for lack of consistent wind(Messina Straight does have wind but too much traffic and current). I have chosen Rhodes for its history and heritage, ease and friendliness towards travelers, consistent winds and beautiful beaches, and wide explorabillity factor.
Upon arriving Rhodes after dropping guests off in Mykonos, the crew was given a long weekend off. I spent most of Friday sleeping, catching up on rest after an active guest trip full of long hours. Saturday I went with four other crew members down the West coast of the island in search of a kiteboarding beach. I had done some research online and knew that there were some kiting centers and schools on the island's Western coast. Rhodes has good roads by Greek island standards and the navigation is pretty simple. First stop was at a kite center to look at conditions and ask about some equipment spares. Our real focus was on a giant sandbar that connected a rocky island to Rhodes at the Southern tip.
The main road took us through towns and villages, by the airport and many beaches, and up some mountains into a forest. Dozens of signs along the roadside denoted monasteries and ruins. The road became twisty, at times with a sheer cliff on one side. Views out to sea and inland to tall mountains and pasture lands were entertaining, and the sharper the curves got the more I wanted to tour the island on a motorcycle. The beach resorts and restaurant strips of the northern part of the island faded into olive orchards and other tree crops. The sandy beaches could have been there, but they were not visible looking out off the cliffs. A mountain town named Monolithe was unique, and honey bees are a spread throughout this area of the island. Coming down the other side of the mountain revealed a broad dune covered in some scrubby bushes and criss crossed with atv trails. Our turn came up for Prasonisi, and the van made the right that would take us across this dune and up over the hill to our destination.
Coming around the curve and down the hill was a sight, dozens of kites were in the sky, and even more windsurfers were out on the water. I say sand bar, but picture a wide and long beach with ocean on both sides. A rocky island at the end of the beach, with more roads for ATVing. We drove out on the sand, checking out the spot. Many motorhomes were parked there on the sand, as were lots of cars. It was a busy spot on a busy day, but our stomaches were growling so we turned around and headed to the restaurant at the entrance to the beach. Service was slow, typical of Greece, and I was losing interest in the cheeseburger I had ordered. I just wanted to go kiting, and it seemed the wind was dropping.
Finally lunch was over and my kite was rigged up. The wind was still light, even on the wave side of the beach were it should be heavier. I got my first session on my surf board without any foot straps, a good choice for light wind. When the wind picked up slightly I switched it out for my twin tip board. After a great day at the beach we piled back into the van and drove home with the sliding doors open. For the ride home we went up the East coast for a different view and to save some time. The East coast is much more populated, and there are a few very nice bays complete with hotels. Also on this coast are some great anchorage options, weather depending.

Rhodes

The citadel is massive. Its tall stone walls are the predominant feature of the marina's vista. Inside the Old Town is a sticky tourist trap, and they really are trapped in this extensive, mid-evil walled city. I was here for one night prior to this weekend, and was not overly impressed with the hokey atmosphere inside the fabricated area for tourists. Average stores lined the old cobblestone streets selling overpriced knick-knacks, leather goods, fake watches, and "American" clothing to the "deer in headlights" passerby. However, upon arriving late Thursday night I have seen a more interesting and authentic Rhodes Town and Rhodes island as a whole.
The large group of guests was dropped in Mykonos on Thursday afternoon, and the yacht put the hammer down to Rhodes; a 6 hour passage at speed. Friday morning I started my weekend off by taking a long run through town, along the beach and beside the sea on Rhode's "cliff walk". The large number of other runners out at the time was surprising, but refreshing. It would not be an exaggeration to state that most of the population here in Greece is not interested in any cardio exercise. Off to see some more of the town, more later from Rhodes!

Guest Trip # 4. 3 More to Go.

Hello from the Aegean Sea! I'm zooming along at 20 knots towards the caldera port of Santorini, Greece. If you've been following along with me this summer, you know that this will be the yacht's 3rd visit there. We have a pretty full boat this time though. Aside from our usual nine crew we have Twelve guests aboard, comprised of two families; the group is mostly kids ranging in age from 7 years to 19 years. They are a great group, and 90% female but these girls aren't scared to be active and have fun. On the way to Santorini, we'll stop at a secret location near the Greek Isle of Paros, the preferred anchorage of Brad Pitt's yacht. The diving, and water sports in general in this area are reputed to be fantastic. Underwater caves are there, as well as a pinnacle or two. I've been thinking back on my favorite movie with Brad Pitt in the cast on the small chance that I will encounter him. Its a toss up for me between Fight Club, Snatch, and Seven Years in Tibet.
This guest trip started in Kusadasi, Turkey on Friday afternoon. Yesterday we left there and stopped in Patmos where the guests did a tour of the Church of the Apocalypse. Next we anchored in a small bay on that island to give the kids and adult kids an hour to play in the water. While tubbing, my crew member ran over the tow line with the jet boat and sucked the line into the impeller. A knife had to be heated with a blow torch in order to cut the mess out of the suction housing. It was a funny site, because the line became fouled in the tender while it was very close to the yacht. I watched it happen from the window in the wheelhouse, and another crew member went to rescue him with the sea bob; a diver propulsion unit. I snapped a photo as the tow package came near the swim deck. My friend looked so proud he had towed the incapacitated tender back until the tenders forward motion continued it ahead and ran over his head as he stopped near the yacht. It was a funny sight since he was not hurt, I should have been video taping that one.
A side note, Turkey is an amazing country from the small part that I have seen and the bulk of information I have learned through other people. There is a chance we will be seeing more of the country during our next guest trip, and hopefully getting to see the capital of Istanbul. My experiences there thus far have included walking through the historic streets of Ephesus, smoking in a hookah bar, shopping in the Bazaar, dancing in a Turkish night club, riding the public buses, and kitesurfing on the beach there. Each day there was memorable, and Turkey is currently the most exotic place that I have kiteboarded. From the moment my two friends and I stepped out of the cab at the beach, we were a spectacle. Two young boys were admiring our boards, and followed us far down the beach, nearly to where we set up to launch. Once we began inflating the kites, people really took notice. My funniest kite experience happened when an elderly Turkish man picked up my kite lines as I was unwinding them on the beach. He proceeded to yank them, as if he was going to send my kite aloft from it's position on the beach. The lines were not yet connected to the kite, but this did not stop the man from pulling more and more of my kite lines in an attempt to get some movement from the kite. I and his grandson stood in awe as he did this and spoke to me in an unintelligible language, but eventually I had to take the lines from his hands as he was about to turn my lines into a ball of string. Kiting by the women there in full dresses and head coverings was an unforgettable experience.