David's Diary: Thursday, May 22, 2003

Vathi, Ithaca

The wind blew all night and I get up around 08:00 to use the head. I glance out the window and take bearings on a local church. As I watch, Dragonsinger starts moving backwards. A moment later our depth alarms go off. Karalee, Jocelyn, Allen, and I rush out into the cockpit. The wind is blowing over twenty knots as we start the engine and head for the quay.

There is a tight spot on the quay that looks just big enough for Dragonsinger. I head straight into the quay, then I swing the wheel to turn Dragonsinger parallel with the quay. With the wind on the side it takes a long, long time for Dragonsinger to answer to the helm. My heart is in my throat and for a moment I am certain that we were going to crash into a boat tied to the quay before Dragonsinger slowly turned into the wind. We motor into the last spot and a couple of other boaters are waiting to catch our lines. It is a relief to be safely tied to shore.

Vathi Harbour

Nowornot pull anchor an hour later. They haven't dragged their anchor, but the wind is increasing and things are uncomfortable. As there isn't room on the quay, Steve takes Nowornot to a marina on the other side of the bay. After that, I explore the town of Vathi and do a lot of shopping. While I was out the port police came by and I have to go visit the Port Captain's office to register Dragonsinger and pay for a night's moorage.

Cave of the Nymphs

After lunch I have a nap then late in the afternoon we walk to the Cave of the Nymphs. In the Odyssey, when Odysseus arrived back on Ithaca with all of his treasure his home was occupied by suitors. Nymphs helped him hide his treasure in a cave in the mountains. It takes us more than a half-hour to walk up to the caves. Its hard work, but we are rewarded with spectacular views of Ithaca. The cave is obviously a tourist spot, but it is not yet open for the season. We peek inside and a steep staircase leads down into a large cavern. With no lights, we decide to not explore any further. We sit outside and try to imagine what it felt like to be Odyssus back home after traveling the Mediterranean for ten years.