2015 Where is LeeZe? Mytillini > Çandarli, Tu

2015-09-02 thru 07. We arrived in Mytillini and are safely med moored. We have been here before (2014) but the charm and grace of this city has been tarnished by the refugee crisis.

This is a shot of the castle that ones sees when arriving from the North.

I feel sorry for the locals. They are doing the best they can in "hosting" these new arrivals and there appears to be an agreement as to where and when these "guests" can be, and where/when  they are not welcomed. 

The area around the port is swarming with the refugees 

(the news reports there are 15000+ on the island) waiting their turn to depart for the mainland. They use the public beach by the port for swimming and showers (men do, not the women, except for a very select few) and clothes washing, and those that are on the other side of the port use public fountains and water supplies to do much of the same. There is an oldish cruise ship that the Greeks have chartered that can take 2000 off the island at a time. The fee is 50 € p.p. and they get to sleep only in the common areas. Per the news reports, the staterooms are not available to them. It seems this ship shows up about every other day. It appears that the regularly scheduled ferry ships to the port of Athens are not taking any refugees.

Most of the parks and open areas have been taken over by them, erecting the tents they have just bought wherever there is room to put one up. Nearly all have been quite polite and well behaved, and even their protest this morning (2015-09-07) asking for more departures to the mainland was noisy, but orderly, and contained. The police were watching, but they let them say their piece, and move on. It lasted all of 24 minutes.

They have been thru a lot. By most accounts, they left their homes in a hurry, had to travel thru a war torn land, get across a border that was guarded by military people, then make their way west for over 1000 kms, then brave a small boat ride to Greece. They are so focused in getting to an EU country that they are willing to risk death to get here. And far too many do pay that price. 

Once here, they know that others will eventually take care of them. They still have an arduous journey ahead of them (most want to go to Germany) but their need for smugglers and the like is over. 

They are frustrated in the pace of getting off this island, but with a Greek government so broke it can barely take care of its own citizens, the strain must be huge. 

At the beach yesterday, talking with some Greek locals, they have accepted that this is happening, they are not angry at the refugees (they are angry at other nations though) and they know that in time, this too will be resolved. In the meantime, the beach we are at is for the Greeks, and the public beach on either side of this beach is for them. 

We have seen no people begging, no fights breaking out, no altercations, etc etc. The refugees are not happy with how long it is taking to get off of this island, but they know that the worst of their journey is behind them. 

The two boats that were here when we arrived have now departed, so just like last year, we are all alone at the city wall. There was a 100+ footer med moored when I got up in the middle of the night to do my checks, but it too was gone by the time I woke up. The hotels along the waterfront that were full last year are not now, and the number of tourists coming is not as many as it was in years past.  

2015-09-08: Some info that is absolutely nearly impossible to get from the authorities

The services along the city wall are managed from an office in the port area, past the Arrival Hall, around the corner and go to the very end. I regret I am unable to provide a English name for this office but you are looking for Charis (+30 22510 25349) The person who cares for the shore power pods is Protogriros Efstratios, (+30 69782 81184). The pods are in a decrepit state of repair but if you plan to spend some time here, he and his electrician friend will open up a 32 amp shore power  connection and a water connection. 

If water is NOT available, give Mr. Harris a call at +30 22510 28620, wait for some Greek announcement to finish, press "0" (zero) and he can arrange for a water truck. He told me he could bring two tons (minimum) for 15 euros. I did not use him. 

In all cases, if the Tourist Office is open at the port, the two ladies inside will help you wade thru all of this (The office is open M-F between 0900 and 1430 or so.) 

Last year when we came, I thought I might use an agent to help us out. But I found them to be $$$ (actually €€€!) This year is no different. One can check in completely by themselves but be aware that the Coast Guard will ask you to tie up at the Customs Dock which is a PITA because it was built to handle ships, therefore the wall is high, and black nasty tires are used as fenders. Somehow, agents get around this and by using one, you are allowed to go directly to the city wall.

Dining: The food at the end of the port toward the south is really good, and in some cases, inexpensive. There are two grocery stores within 1-2 blocks of those restaurants, and at the southern end of the commercial pier, there is a large grocery store. There is also a Greek fast food type restaurant near to the NE corner of the port, but with the refugees set up in the small park next to this place, it is not as inviting as it was last year. The old port (a walk along some narrow streets to the north) has some great fish restaurants that we will again go to after our guest arrives. 

An OUTSTANDING butcher is located on the first street (Archipelagous) that runs parallel to the city wall, behind the row of cafes that are located at the #27 spot painted on the city wall. A well equipped hardware store is nearby to the butcher. Note the hours are M-Sat 0800-~1400, then Tues, Thurs, and Fri 1830-~2100. Nearly nothing is open on Sundays except cafes, restaurants and ice cream stores.

We are awaiting a guest to arrive either tonight or tomorrow.

And in a moment of either sheer levity or absolute absurdness, a Syrian refugee came up to me this morning offering to me his Yamaha water skiing lift vest that he used, saying quite proudly and in excellent English, "I think you will have more use for this then I will, given to where I am going to go. I used it only once!" I took it, offered his some money, but all he asked for was two bottles of water. 

Last night, about 16 coach type buses arrived, and refugees got off. Each was full. These refugees are the ones that safely made it across the water to land, then find their way to a place where these charter buses pick them up and ferry them into the city. As it was after 2100 when these buses started to arrive, the registration center in the port was closed and so was the police station, where I am told they go to get a cash stipend. Many are quite confuse, disorientated, and bewildered by what is happening to them, but then some people talk with them, explain what will happen, and slowly but surely many are taken under the wing of a "veteran" and go find a place to bed down for the night. The refugees are taking care of the newcomers. Most do take a moment to put on a smile and take a selfie. 

2015-09-09: Our guest, Vern, arrived but due to emergent issues, he cannot stay as long as we all would like him too. But it is great to see him. He took a morning ferry and I met him at the Customs House. We walked to LeeZe, had breakfast, and then I took him to "my" butcher to get whatever he wanted for dinner. 

What looked the best was some beef rib steaks so I had the butcher cut three of them, wrap it all up and pay. (For reference, we paid 32 € for 3.2 kgs of steak.)

We caught up, exchanged stores and recent events, and eventually the day ended with a steak BBQ drinks, and great fun.

Meanwhile, we are seeing less and less refugees. It appears that the commercial ferries are now willing to take them (for a fee of course!) to the Port of Athens. So between the ferries and the charter ships, it seems like more and more are leaving the island than arriving on to it. Where once we had people pitching tents on the sidewalk in front of LeeZe, last night, we had none. (The Greeks, who in the past would walk the city wall after sunset, have not been doing that these past few days. But tonight, more of them were out, slowly retaking their city.) Where before people were constantly searching for water, few if any were today. Tonight, there was no mass arrival of charter buses loaded with refugees that we saw, but at 2300, a long line of them walking slowly toward the port indicated that a island bus full of them had probably just arrived at the bus station some minutes before. 

2015-09-10: This morning, an unbelievable event happened. The police came around to all of the parks and open areas that had tents on them, said something, and then we saw the refugees taking them down, bundling them up, and walking toward the port. Cleaning people came buy to pick up the trash the refugees left behind, and slowly, the locals are taking back their parks, fountains, and open areas. 

A friend dropped by morning. Sami is a Greek who lives in South Africa when not boating in the Med. We met him when we wintered over in Cesme, then again in Kusadasi and now here, today. He tells us that he understands that hundreds of thousands more refugees are coming (not all to this island he hoped) and starting next month, when the nights get cool to cold, and the winter rains start, he has no idea how the island is going to cope. (Neither do we.) It was nice to see him and catch up. 

Our guest took some time this AM to go update his open ferry ticket, and came back bluer than blue. Turns out there are no ferries departing tomorrow BEFORE 1800 so therefore, to meet his previous commitments, he will have to leave tonight at 2000. I feel so sorry that he cannot stay longer. We try like heck to get him to modify his commitments, but what we most like about him is that he is true to his word, and remains so. So, with some sadness, we will see him depart early.

And, it looks like we are leaving Mytillini early also. Sunday the weather is not as nice as Saturday so if that holds, we are departing here Saturday AM for parts south and east. 

2015-09-11: In the last 48 hours, there has been a major change to the crisis.

Nearly ALL of the refugees that were here are now gone.

The tent cities in the parks and open areas are gone. People searching for water and a place to charge their cell phones are gone. The police came yesterday and forced those still residing in the parks and open areas  to take their tents down and move to the port.

The number of people waiting at the port is low, really low as of last night, when I dropped our guest off. 

The locals have reclaimed their city, were walking about last night, and were smiling.

From talking with them, and a policeman, it seems the government has changed their process.

Refugees are still coming. But when they get here, they are recorded and for 50 €, they are provided a trip to the Port of Athens, where they are registered. Neither knew what was done with the refugees that did not have the money to by a ticket. 

This morning, when I got up, the city was clean, and tent free. The mounds of trash are gone. Last night, the refugees that came in from the north had their "care" package in hand, their stipend, and instructions to report to the port for processing and passage to Athens (per the policeman) today.

So, unless their is a huge influx of refugees, the problem on this island is now very much under control. 

But, checkin here is still a major PITA. Last night, the Customs dock was full with two cruise ships (taking away that last of the refugees),  3 ferries from Turkey, and a Greek island hopping ferry (which is now selling tickets to refugees to take them to Athens). Therefore, two incoming boats were tied along the wall waiting to be called back to Customs to check in. One was called at 2115, the other 2245. The Customs people refuse to allow those that do their own checkin to come to the city wall and walk over to them.

Checkout: The process to check in and out of Greece in Mytillini is cumbersome, not user friendly, and a royal PITA. If you are checking in, you FIRST have to moor your boat at the Customs dock, against icky, black tire fenders that are of the same height as the walls in Kavala. If the wall is full with ferries and cruise liners, then one must go to the inner harbor and wait until the officials call you to tell you to come back. Ugh! For checking out, if you want to depart before Customs opens at 0730, then the night before, you and your boat MUST move to the Customs Dock, process your passports, and transit log, and then stay on your boat behind a locked fence until you depart. 

If the Customs Dock is full, Customs tells you they have no room for you and then they say that you cannot depart until after they open in the morning. If you complain, they tell you too bad. So, what I have seen people do is leave without checking out. I have no idea what, if any trouble they get into but it happens often enough that the consequences must NOT be too high. Personally, if I was to do that, When I got to a place where there was a Greek Embassy or Consulate, I would turn in my papers there, explain why I left, provide a written report of the facts, and make a note of my visit in my passport and deck logs. I am really struggling how a port official can order one not to depart, especially if there is a narrow weather window to safely conduct the next leg. (If one of the readers knows the answer to this, please advise!) (Can "force majeure" be invoked in this scenario?)  

So, though I tried, checking out Friday for a Saturday departure is just not possible. 

Church: There is a catholic church in town that was chained locked since we arrived. But yesterday, a note on its door that there would be mass tonight at 1800. Since it had been a long time, I went. Of course this is Greece and the the priest was late to arrive from another island, but mass kicked off at 1830. It was all in greek, but there was an Irish couple there also so there were three foreigners among 20 worshipers. It lasted 45 minutes. Later, I learned that there is mass about every 2 weeks or so, usually Fridays or Saturdays, all dependent on the ferries. 

After Church, went shopping for some last minute supplies, then dinner at our most favorite restaurant, and then back to LeeZe. Tomorrow, there is a a lot of work to do.

2015-09-12: I was up at 0630 and completed filling the fresh water tank. It has been filling for two days. The flow from the facet located 80 meters away was so low that it measured out at about 1 liter every 5 minutes. But remembering the "5P" lessons learned, I started filling on Thursday and just let it do its thing.

So, stop the fill and coil up 80 meters of hose. Then, with papers in hand, go to passport control. While waiting, the refugees at the port during the night had taken up some sidewalk space so the official opening up shooed them away. I said to him some Turkish words they would understand. He tried those and they moved right quick. Hw wrote them down and thanked me. 

Passport control opens, stamps our passports to depart, stamps our crew list (after looking at it and asking where were the two guests listed (they had departed in Thassos!). Eventually they stamp that too and them I am off to Port Authority, where I wait, the lady does something, then sends me to another Port Authority some 7 blocks away for more stamps (ugh). I go there but they cannot find my entry paperwork so they search, then tell me I cannot depart until they find it. Great But eventually they do, have questions about the guests that had departed in Thassos (again!) and then stamp my paperwork. 

Then they tell me to move LeeZe to Customs. I say no, too dangerous and to hard for the two of us. They insist. They call Customs and he insists. I am about ready to say yes, but them go back to LeeZe to leave, when I ask them where this person is. He is back at the port (7 blocks away) so I walk to him and lo and behold, it is the same person that I taught him those Turkish words. He is grateful, says "OK for this time but…" and the process is over. 

It is now nearly 0900. I returned to LeeZe, take in my two bow lines, startup, bring in shore power, cast off the stern lines and slowly take up some 80 meters of anchor chain. The anchor itself has so much mud on it that the windlass is really slow to raise it. I get most off while Zehra motors us out of the harbor. As we pass the ferry loading dock, there are two ships in, and more than 1000+ refugees waiting to board one of them. So, the government has found a solution. Bring the refugees to the port, process their names, let them pay for a ticket, and then sleep in the port until the ship(s) arrive. 

The weather is good for the first half hour but turns windy and nasty. Winds are 35-30 knots behind us and the waves are off my port quarter. The ride at time is rolly but not too bad. We are talking water over the aft deck, but this time, we remember to lock the aft door so it cannot break. 

We are off to Çandarli, Tu, some 22 nm away.

When we get within the ½ nm of Turkey, the land blocks most of the waves and wind and the ride improves greatly. We anchor on the city side of the city, in 10 meters of water, putting out more than 60 meters of chain, with the snubber some 5-7 meters below the waters' surface. The wind is till low so we lower the tender from the boat deck and tie it securing to our stern's mooring bits.

We were here last year. so on the picture above, your can see last year's and this year's position

That concludes this entry.

If you have any questions, please ask. 

Lee and Zehra

MV LeeZe

http://whereisleeze.blogspot.com

2015 Where is LeeZe? Samothraki > Mytillini

2015-08-28. We depart today for Mytillini, an island about 120 nm away. Our PLAN was to go 30 nm to Gokceada, then another 30 to Bozcaada, then another 30 to Molivos, and then onto Mytillini.

However, this being boating, plans can change, and in this case, they did. The weather was sooooooo nice on the way to Gokceada, that, after I check my GRIB weather forecast, we decided to push on to Bozcaada. About 1-1.5 nm north of the start of the traffic separation lanes for the Çanakkale Straits, the winds and waves change from nice and friendly to angry and confused. 

Maybe it was something that I missed (although later, I could not determine what I missed) but the seas rapidly build to over 2 meters at times, winds gusting to 60+ knots, and LeeZe rolling side to side. At some point, although strapped down, the tender on the boat deck comes off its mounts and landed on the starboard side, thereby increasing the effect of a roll to starboard by a very perceptible amount.  

The NEAREST safe port was Yenikoy, on the south side of the Straits, about 8-9+ NM away, but speed over ground (SOG) was < 2 knots and we did not want to take this for that long.

A safe and reasonable course took us to the west, far out of our way to Bozcaada. 

Turning around to Gokceada was not possible because the seas made the rolls even more frequent.

So, I elected to run SOMEWHAT south and west, taking advantage of the wind and the current. SOG was some 7+ knots.

There are some small islands just south of the southern limit of the traffic separation lane that if I could just get to them, MAYBE they would help block the sea conditions. (The port guide says there is no safe place to anchor or land on these islands.) 

So for 3+ hours we slug on, making course changes as needed to the east so that I do not drift too far away from the islands. Oh yes, I did forget to mention that I hand steered for these 3+ miserable hours. The autopilot was working, but the numerous changes required  prevented its use. 

Most of the stuff on LeeZe that we had not stowed for sea was now on the decks, and even stuff in the Engine Room moved (a little). It was a mess. The aft door broke off its mounts before we could get it secured, the lazarette bilge pump failed, forgot to latch shut the hatch to the lazarette so the sea water coming over the aft deck was what was filling that bilge, and there was green water coming over the bow during each and every turn, and some of it ending up on the Pilot House windows. Even the solar panels above the pilot house had a layer of salt on them by this time.

Zehra was ABSOLUTELY not happy, and in the end, for the first time since we owned LeeZe, I proclaimed that this day was NOT a fun day!

But I digress. We make it to the vicinity of those islands and the seas calm somewhat.

Once we passed south of these islands, I was able to steer a more direct course to Bozcaada. The current was pushing us along at more than 7 knots and at around 1900, some 11 hours after departing, we arrive.

We are tired, beat, NOT happy, etc. etc. etc. and now we have to deal with the locals who are waiving and yelling at us (and doing that ridiculous dance) to come tie up here, or there. All we want to do in anchor and rest, but we come to the realization that the harbor is just too small and crowded to do that, and a quick check of the charts indicates there is no safe place to anchor around the entrance of the harbor.

So we drop the hook to collect our thoughts, LeeZe drags, we get close to  small fishing boat but we get away from him, move to the other side, drop the hook again, verify it is holding, and recollect our thoughts.

Why is it soooooooooo HARD to get the harbor master to talk on the radio??????????????? Why do they elect to scream from shore, do a funny and ridiculous looking dance to indicate where they want us, etc… Just pick up the radio and call us on Channel 12, JUST LIKE THEIR PORT GUIDE SAYS THEY WILL DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zehra needs more time to collect her thoughts than we have but we have to decide where we are going to tie up. So, she soldiers on, and we accept their offer to tie up side to at a concrete pier taller than LeeZe, just ahead of the fast ferry dock.

We do tie up, and then we collapse.

By the time we leave LeeZe for dinner at 2130, we had picked up all the stuff that had fallen (did not put them back where they belong yet!), did a temp repair to the aft door, and cleaned ourselves up.

We dragged our sorry asses to a restaurant to eat, only realizing later that Bozcaada is one terribly expensive place to eat, buy groceries, and moor.

The next morning, GRIB indicates that it is BEST not to resume our trip south until at least Wednesday, 2 Sept.

So, we are stuck here a few days. I make repairs to the door and jury rig a repair to the broken bilge pump. There is no water and electricity at this pier. Since the step ashore is about 1+ meter high, getting off and on is not an elegantly executed event. 

But we make do. We come to learn that our daily port fee is over 110 Tl ($37+) a night, but Zehra, bless her soul, goes to the Port Captain and negotiates a one time payment of 100 TL for as many nights we need to stay until the weather improves. 

There is not much more we can say. This port is expensive. Probably the whole island is. Ferries arrive frequently. The pier we were at is safe and secure, but 10 meters ahead of me, rocks are just below the surface. Most boats med moor to the pier immediately to starboard of the harbor's entrance. There is electricity, water, and mooring lines there so one does not have to use your anchor to med moor. 

2015-09-02. Today is Wednesday and per GRIB, this is the day to move south. So we depart, stick our bow into the channel, see that it is nice, and turn south. This time, I have numerous places along the Turkish coast we can duck into, but we do not have to.

Approaching Babakale, I hear an alarm that I do NOT recognize. A quick check shows the engine is fine, bilges are fine, but the alarm continues. I look UP where my radios are (they are above my head) and I have a DSC alarm. Someone is in trouble and they pressed their distress button on the radio. 

OK, now what? Try to call the Turkish Coast Guard (TCG) on the cell phone but they have no English speaking people on duty right now. Zehra talks to them but cannot get them to understand.

Try to raise anyone on Channel 16 and one person answers but cannot help. Finally call "Olympia Radio" (Greek authorities). They respond, and after some confusion that it was not ME that was in distress, they finally tell me that the call in on the Turkish side of the sea border and the TCG is responding.

So, it probably took you all of one minute to read this. In fact, it took me an HOUR to resolve. Meanwhile, we had decided to bypass Molivos as the weather was still good and push on.  (About an hour later we pass a small inflatable full of people. They make no effort to signal us and I do not give it a passing thought. A Turkish patrol craft was nearby but just "hovering." Later, I figured out they were waiting for a Greek Coast Guard (GCG) boat to come by to rescue them. They were clearly in Greek territorial waters.)

We push on, having a 1+ knot current to our advantage for nearly the entire run.

At about 1900, we arrive in Mytillini. Our plan (once again) was to anchor between the marina on the southern end of the port and the commercial docks. But, Zehra suggests we poke our head into the inner harbor to "check it out."

As we do, we again have a person, this time a GCG person in uniform, yelling at us and doing that ridiculous dance telling us we have to tie up at Customs. I chose to ignore him but he is insistent. So, I come to a dead stop inside the inner harbor and call the harbor authorities on Ch 12. They respond. I ask about this ridiculous looking GCP person, they ask a few questions, I respond, they tell me to ignore him and I am free to med moor between the inner wall pier locations 26 and 28. 

The inner wall is empty except for two boats, moored side too. The weather is dead calm, so Zehra says lets moor.

With her help, I drop the anchor in the right place as required, and moor without incident. Three young men ashore help us tie up, one Syrian, one Iranian, and one Afghani. It dawns on us quite quickly that the charm of Mytillini is being masked by about 10000+ refugees that made their way from Turkey to Greece, awaiting processing by a government so broke it cannot afford a camp for them to stay. The Government appears to be processing their paperwork at a reasonable pace, but more refugees are arriving than departing. 

It appears from discussions with the locals that about 2000-4000 refugees arrive each day from Turkey, and the ships the government has chartered to take them to the port of Athens (so they can proceed to the "promise land" (which nearly all tells us is Germany)) takes about 2000 each trip. I cannot say with certainty but it appears that there are between 5-7 of these charters per week. 

There are also commercial ferries going to Athens ("Blue Star") but it appears that the refugees cannot use that ship, even if they have the money. 

So, they are stuck here until at their number is called to get on the chartered ship. They camp in nearly every park and sleep on the sidewalks and benches if they cannot find room. They are constantly searching for water and a place to recharge their cell phones. They do get some money from the government so the cheap eatery places have long lines. With their money, some buy tents but the government does not supply. (Remember, the government is BROKE.) There is no EU refugee representative here, nor any aid people. 

Each day, I can see the GCG patrol craft returning from patrol offloading people that they have plucked out of the sea. And, for those not plucked from the sea and successfully land anywhere else on the island, they make their way to a public bus stop, get on a bus to "here," and then walk from the bus station located on one side of the Port, to the other side, where the check-in station is.

I have been asked by some to take them to Chios, a Greek island off the coast of Izmir / Cesme Turkey, where they "hear" that processing times are shorter and there is a way to get off the island to the Greek mainland. I have even been asked to take a family to Piraeus, the port of Athens. Of course I say no but they are willing to pay up to 4 figure fees.

It is truly a disaster of HUMAN proportions. 

Pictures to follow. 

2015 Where is LeeZe? Kavala > Thassos

2015 Where is LeeZe? Thassos > Samothraki 

2015-07-29: We depart Kavala for the island of Thassos. We plan to spend a night at Skala (The Port of) Prinos on the west side of the island and then move the next day to the main port on the NE side of the island. We arrive at Prinos and while anchoring, a Greek Coast Guard person on the shore is yelling at me to move. After much hand waving and yelling, I get them on VHF Ch 12 and the person (who would NOT give his name) told us that he wants us to anchor 1 MILE off shore. I am SHOCKED. Why? He says we otherwise will interfere with the ferry boats. I offer to move away from the port and more toward the beach clubs but he insists, 1 MILE!  Finally, I propose and he agrees that if I move 250 meters off shore, that would be fine.  (I figured that he probably was not the smartest person on the block and that a shift in units (from miles to meters) would confuse him enough, and I think I was right. 

We move, set the anchor, and do admit that the huge ferry boat from Kavala does seem to pass fairly close.

We go ashore that night to check in, cannot find the harbor office, walk around and come back. 

The next day we planned to move but for some reason, I blurted out that maybe we should stay another day and go to the beach club nearby.

Everyone agrees and we do that, having a great day. We come back to LeeZe, change, and go back to town to eat. 

2015-07-31:  The weather is starting to build but my GRIB forecast says that once we round the northern cape of the island, the wind will die down and the waves will flatten. So, we are underway and GRIB is right. We approach Limenas, Thassos from the west and the harbor's entrance is hidden from view by the multitude of ferry boats that are at the slips. We get into the harbor, drop the hook and call the Port on VHF Ch 12. They finally answer and tell us to call them on the cell phone, giving us only 5 numbers. Trying NOT to to sound stupid, I ask them for their entire telephone # and they seem exasperated that I have to ask. (A harbinger of things to come?) Eventually I get them on the cell and we agree on a spot to med moor along the wall. 

We do moor, and it goes relatively smoothly, except in the end, I feel I am way to close to a small cabin cruiser to port. But that gets resolved and Zehra and I go to check in. I made a FUNDAMENTAL error. I failed to bring our guests' passports with us. Since we had added their names to the cruising log in Kavala, I did not think I would need them. 

But this Port Authority (Greek Coast Guard) made it ABSOLUTELY HARD to check in. They wanted to see our passports, insurance, registration and my license to drive LeeZe. I told him that the USA does not require us to have a license and then he spouted some BS that Greek Law requires me to have a license. He wanted me to prove to him that I was not required to have a license. (How does one prove a negative?) He would NOT let us leave while he checked what to do with us and while the office was cool, I at least felt that I was being detained. In all the years that we have been coming to Greece, this question has never come up. 

So while this "person" is running around trying to see what to do with us, he does stamp our cruising log (after calling Kavala to confirm that our guest has indeed checked in there) and puts in on his desk. While he is "out and about" Zehra suggests I give to him my USCG card saying that I completed a safe boating course back in 1999. I do, he is happy, and we get to leave. But the issue is still not resolved because the next American owner who comes into Thassos will have to go thru the same rigamarole because this person / office does not understand the rules. (We has this same question asked of us in Marmaris, Turkey some years ago by the agent we had to hire to check into Turkey. To make a long story short, she ACTED like she did us a favor by convincing the Port Captain that I did not need a license. Later that same week, we physically went to the Port Captain, and looked at his rules, which EXPLICITLY state that if the host country does not require their owner-captains to have licenses, neither can Turkey. MY guess is that this is the same in Greece.)

I intend to resolve after we depart Greece as I feel that if I made a scene now, retribution will follow. 

2015-08-02. We are really enjoying this port and today, I wanted all of us to got to a real beach club and relax. But Murphy heard me and about 1030, one of our guests tells me that the toilet will NOT flush. In addition, at about the same time, I figured out that the head's shower/sink sump pump is also not working. 

After trying all of the usual tricks to get the head to flush, I realize it is really broke and that I need to disassemble it and install the spare macerator I have. I kick everyone off and over the next 8-9 hours, replace the macerator and the electronic control panel because that also was burned out. 

I have NO idea how it came to be that three items (macerator, control panel AND sump pump) all broke at the same time, and with guests on board!

I am not going to go thru the gory and messy details but it is NOT a job I every want to do again! The new macerator came with a different piping arrangement than the old one and I had to try a couple of times to get it all to go together and connect with the piping in the bulkhead. (For those that might not know, the entire inner workings of a toilet are in and under the toilet bowl, where space is a premium and not a whole lot of ways to check for leaks!) Then, worried about leaks, but keeping an eye toward the future that so poor slob, (hopefully NOT me) would have to replace it, I used sealing caulk where needed, but did not go overboard. (The yard must have used TUBES of the stuff when assembling the toilet because it was everywhere!.)

The actual job to replace the control panel required me to fish wires thru a narrow space behind the bulkhead to a junction box under the sink. I knew to use string and attach it to the old wires so when I pulled them out, the string would be my guide but all did not go as planned. (Murphy!) Hours later, got the wires thru and reconnected them per the photos I took before taking they apart.

It is now nearly 1900 and Zehra has been back from the beach for a couple of hours, just to lend moral support. (BTW thanks honey, I really did need it!) 

(I replaced the sump pump while waiting for the sealing caulk to dry. Of course, even though I had an exact spare, the new one came wired differently and that took some noodling also. Ugh!)

Time to test… and it works! The macerator does its thing and I am relieved. Ah, Murphy strikes again because when Zehra goes to use it and there is NO water during the flush cycle. (I guess I had missed that when checking. 

But I find that by manually adding water, it works so I ask all to use the toilets ashore for their solid waste until I can resolve the water issue.

Now it is Monday and I then ask everyone to go topside, ashore, somewhere else while I resolve the water issue. (one guest departs for the mainland to buy bus tickets to go home.)

I verify that the valves are properly aligned up to the solenoid valve. I check the wiring and determine that I had mis-wired the power wire to the solenoid and when I switch them, still no water. THINKING that the wiring mistake fried the solenoid, I go to get a spare from the locker and install it, double and triple checking the wiring.

Still no water. By this time, I am frustrated, 4 hours has passed, and I am no closer to getting water.

So, I go up to the aft deck and make myself an electrical and piping drawing, and stare at it.

And stare at it. Finally a light bulb comes on. I can test the control board. During its function, the solenoid gets power, then the macerator, then the solenoid again. So, this time, armed with a VOM, and with Zehra pushing the buttons, I determine the controller is working!

So now I turn my attention to the solenoid valve itself. While Zehra pushes buttons, I determine that the proper voltage is getting to the solenoid. (Had to disassemble the solenoid to test.) After reassembly, I asked Zehra to push the buttons again but for some unknown reason, I left my hand on the solenoid! As the controller cycled, I felt a vibration as the solenoid tries to do its job, I also noticed that there were some small bubbles in the clear hose on the discharge side of the solenoid.

Thought that was strange, so I went to the back of the toilet and with a bucket in hand, removed the hose to see if water would flow out. Did NOT have to push any buttons! There was a blockage. I fished out three sheets of what appears to be toilet paper. Pondered that for a minute, reconnected the hose and cycled the controller. 

Water appears, the macerator flushes, water cleans. 

All is well again. Of course, the guests are mortified. They blame themselves for breaking it, and then watched me work 2 days to get it repaired. Of course even after all this, I still ask that everyone do their solid waste removal ashore for another day while I check for leaks. There is water everywhere and it will take days to dry before I am 100% sure there are no leaks. 

(BTW, I am still pondering how TP made it to the flush hose. If TP had somehow got into the fresh water tank, there is a pump, three filters, and a solenoid valve that it has to get past to get where I found it. Not likely, I think. Been there since new construction? Why show up now, 4 years later? Clueless and I believe I will never learn the answer!)

Meanwhile, our guests make arrangements to depart on Saturday. I am ASSURED that they are not leaving over this "event" but …… 

Our guests do depart Saturday evening, 8 Aug, by ferry, then two local buses to the long distance Bus Station, then an 8+ hour bus ride into Istanbul to pick up Mom and their car. 

It is 10 Aug before we are convinced that that the toilet is not leaking and I can finally properly mount it. It makes more noise, and different noises than the last one. 

And yes, I did disassemble the broken macerator. The motor is burned up and the impeller is quite hard to turn. I guess when the motor seized, it drew a big current thru the control board burning up some components. Since I was not there when it happened, I did not see the black smoke that may have escaped.

And remember about retribution? The Greek Coast Guard person that gave us a hard time harassed another Greek boater near to me, threatening him with a "large" fine BECAUSE the boat's name (Aqua) has to be in Greek letters and not "English" letters. Really???? The guy is a lawyer and will sort it out, but in plain view, there are three large GREEK ferry boats with their names in "English" letters, not Greek letters. The owner of this boat did say that he had complained the last time he was here about the garbage in the harbor so…… (fill in the ending yourself).

We did take one day to take a ferry boat ride across the straits to Kerimodi. The cost for two r/t was 14 euros. Kerimodi had really nothing to offer us. It is a small town whose basic purpose is to service the ferry boat users. There appear to be nice beaches there, but Thassos' are nicer. 

2015-08-22: Back on 8 Aug, just before our guests departed, Zehra and one of the guests went to the Greek Coast Guard office to remove their names from our sailing list. Zehra is not quite sure what was done then because today, when we went to the SAME office, there was again a rigmarole because the staff on duty said that our paperwork stilled showed the guests on board. We are BOTH clueless as to how this got screwed up, but it did. It took nearly 45 minutes for them to find in THEIR "deck log" that we had come on 8 Aug to remove their names. Then they spent MINUTES explaining to us how they were going to fix it, then minutes to fix it, and then FINALLY, our exit stamp.

For the record: Thassos' Greek Coast Guard office is the worst by far office we have had to deal with ever since we have been coming to Greece since 2011. The worst, by far. Hands down. The island is wonderful. They really taint it.

Some thoughts about this island and this city. There is a "farmer's market" in the city of Prinos (inland from the Port of Prinos) every Monday. We went and we were not impressed. If one uses these markets in Turkey, this one will disappoint. If not, by all means go!. There is public bus that takes you within meters of the market's entrance and it takes you back directly to the city wall you will be moored at. The city bus also goes around the island 3 times a day so if you want a cheap windshield tour, there is one.

The public beach just notheast of the Old Port is the place we spent many afternoons. The water is clear and clean and mostly clear of rocks. The beach has three huge trees that provide all the shade from the blistering sun one would want. There is a fresh water shower and a changing room. I did dig this up from the beach:

To me, it looked like a stone encased key and some type of tool. I gave it to the local museum and never heard from them. My guess is that they had a huge laugh at my expense. 

You need to buy a "key" from City Hall (restored two story building at the old Port) (use the back steps and go up to the second floor to purchase the key) (open M-F 08-1400, holidays and weekends closed!)  to get electricity and water from the Shore Power pods, but otherwise, there is no fee to moor at the wall. The pods have 16 amp connections, as well as 3 phase 32 amp and 3 phase 63 amp connections. They do NOT have a single phase 32 amp connection. Therefore, if you are a 32 amp boat like me and want 32 amps, need to have a male, 3 phase, 32 amp (4 pins) or 63 amp (5 pins) to single phase 32 amp connector on board. I could not find any shop on the island that sold any marine 3 phase connectors. If all you need is water, there is a free water tap in the corner where the quay and the city wall meet. The locals use this water a lot. Try not to loiter. 

There is NO cost to med-moor at the city wall or side moor (they call it "English" moor) along the quay wall. None. Nada, ABSOLUTELY FREE!! 

There is very limited electricity on the quay, and a lot of working pods of the city wall. 

The city wall is elevated about 1 meter above the nearby street so street noise is very very low. The pubs and cafes play music well into the night, but not loud. The city seems to roll up the sidewalks at about 0300 and roll them out again at about 0800. 

The old port.

This port was built by the Romans and they would still recognize it to this day. The sea wall offers little in the way of protection from a rough sea. Some port guides suggest one could moor in that harbor but I think one needs local knowledge to do that safely. I saw no boater other than locals use this harbor. 

If you need something fixed, there is a small shipyard at the Port of Prinos. Thomas (+306979614650) who speaks a little English runs their workshops there and will try to help.  I saw NO marine store in town. I am told by some boaters that they get their supplies in Kavala. 

If you need a full fledged boat yard, give Manitsas Stavros a call at +302594023180 / +306944365503 (ManitsasMarine.com). Per nearly all the boaters that I talked with they all winter their boats with him. 

Lastly, keep a sharp eye out for a 1938 Greek flagged wood boat named Lalin, No 26.

It was the 26th boat registered in Greece and languished for years on the hard, until a man bought it 20 years ago and has been slowly over time, restoring it to its as-built condition. He is now quite old and his family has agreed to continue the project. It med moored next to me a couple times and it is quite a sight to see. (Thomas was on that boat three times to fix things so he told me the story.)

2015-08-23. We depart today for Samothraki, Gr, an island about 36 nm away.

2015 Where is LeeZe? Çanakkale > Kavala

2015 Where is LeeZe?

2015-06-17 We left Çanakkale, Turkey  yesterday and anchored over night at Kapatepe, the port where the ferries from Gokceada discharge their people. And that is all that is there. One restaurant shoreside to handle those waiting for the ferry, and a bunch of fishermen

Underway this morning at dawn for Alexandroupolis, Gr, a 43 nm run. LeeZe was fine, and the seas were calms. A Turkish Coast Guard Ship comes alongside and asked me who I am, and where I am going, we provide answers, and he departs. Guess he was satisfied. (He also probably scanned us with his infrared scope to verify that there was just two of us on board.) Had some dolphins frolic with along the way and we get into Alexandroupolis at about 1300  and moor side to.

Start the check in process and by 1530, we are done, having NOT done steps we did the last two previous check-ins. (We think they will catch up with us.) Hooked up shore power, water, satellite TV and had dinner. By 2030, a t-storm started up that literally by wind alone had LeeZe rolling about 5 degrees. Still IP as I write this.

We are here in Greece during what should be interesting times. The lady that gave to us our transit log says we are the 6th boat to check in this year, and from her mannerisms, that is too low a number to be "normal."

We are moored along a quay that is used to load trucks and cargo as there is no city wall to tie up too. We hope they will move us to a nicer part of the port but am clueless if that will happen.

Now 2155 and the rain is tampering off. Probably.

But as usual, there were some chores to be done before departure. 

One event that did not happen this year was that Mom never came to visit. We missed her not coming!

Our Tender: Every Fall, after fogging the 2-stroke engine, I left the tender on the boat deck, clean it up all nice and stuff, cover it, and tie it down. This Spring, when I uncovered it, it was FILTHY!. No clue why! Check the cover for holes and found none. Maybe I put the cover on wrong or something. So, cleaning it took a day+, with pressure washer, scouring powder, soap, and grit. Ugh. 

Then, when my neighbor was gone, we dropped it into the water along side. (OH yes, at first the hoist would not operate. Electrical issue. Then, I remember a C/B that I left open because I could not find an electrical outlet that it controlled. (I completely relabeled all electrical breakers on board over the winter since some were wrong from the yard and some were labeled in ways that was just plain embarrassing.) Turn that breaker on, and now the hoist works. (I later go to the label shop and get them to engrave the label!) Now the moment of truth. With the fuel tank full, new spark plugs installed (last year engine would not start because I had forgot to connect the wires to the plugs) drain plug installed (forgot that two years ago and had a bit of a scare as the tender filled up pretty quick) etc etc etc, pull to start the motor. Nope, nada, not a chance! Ain't cooperating, being a PITA, etc. etc etc. (This happened our first full season in Mersin, and at that time, I had failed to fog the engine correctly the previous Fall so the repair was over $150.) After numerous pulls, and still no success, the memories of Mersin flood back. So, take a breather and look into the box I have where I keep tender accessories, and what do I see? I see me being stupid, dumb, idiotic, an imbecile. There staring right back at me is the red "key" one has to install on the arm of the motor because it prevents the "dead man switch" from letting the engine run. 

So, slapping me about, I install it and the first pull, the motor starts. Relief. Take it for a short joy ride, all is well, bring it back along side, lift it back up to the boat deck, cover it up, tie it down, and done for that day with that chore!.

Changing the oil and fuel-water filters: So, LeeZe's Iveco engine needs about 20 liters of oil per the manual. There is a mechanical pump built into it and unlike in previous years, started this chore when the March winds were still blowing. Getting the first 15-16 liters out is easy; (including the sample) maybe not so hard is a better choice. You pump and out comes the oil. Fill 5 liter empty water bottles and all is going smoothly for the first 3. The next one, well, out comes two liters. Before draining I was down ½ liter or so so, in my mind, I need to get two more to come out. By this time, Zehra has a chore I need to do so we go do that.

The next morning, I decide to tacking the oil change again. This time, looking at the filter, and realizing that it is upside down, and probably full of oil, I punch a hole in its top and hear the rush of oil flow. Pump again and get another liter plus. Putting oil pads around the oil filter to catch any drips take off the old and install the new, but not tight as I am thinking that maybe with the fill cap off and the oil filter not tight, more oil will drain down.

Meanwhile, remove the four fuel-water filters and install new ones. The ones from the SEPARS filters do not look so bad, especially the starboard one as that is what is used during fuel recirculation ( some 200+ hours this past winter alone).

After installing those filters, I can test the integrity of the fuel system by running the fuel record pump and low and behold, the last filter on the engine is leaking diesel fuel like a sieve. I am not using original IVECO filters but substitutes that Iveco of Marmaris sold to me. which were different from the substitutes that Iveco from Izmir sold to me two years ago. So, after much sleuthing, I come to the conclusion that the Marmaris filters are wrong. 

Go into town and talk to my "oil man" who gives me another make and mode to try. This also leaks, so I am back to him for another one, which also leaks. Finally, I ask him to special order the same make and model that was on the engine. He says they are very expensive and that is why he usually does not stock that brand! I ask him to get me four from Istanbul, which he does, and he charges me about $5.50 for each. (The ones on his shelf are less than $3 each!) Install the "expensive ones" and no leaks!

Meanwhile since the above fiasco took days, I was able to pull out some 19 liters of oil. 

So, now, I tighten the oil filter and ponder how to get the oil from the 14 liter can out of the can and into engine. I have a hand pump but it is too small and too slow. The can is too heavy to hold above the engine and pour, so in the end, I transfer the oil from the can into liter bottles which I then transfer to the engine. Note to self: Next time dummy, buy oil in smaller jugs!. Finally got the oil in, and start the engine. All is well, stop, refill (oil filter took a full liter!) and restart, run until warm, check transmission and shut down.

Hull Cleaning: Asked around and found that there is a place up stream from us that will take LeeZe out of the water and pressure wash the hull and put her back in. The waters in the straits are filthy and hull growth is a serious issue. But he wants well over $1000 so ask around and find two divers willing to do it for 1/3 of that. They even provide a before and after video just to show you what they cleaned. They came, and took about 8 man-hours to clean LeeZe. Next year we are scheduled to paint but the divers reported that after cleaning, the paint looks pretty good soooooooooo maybe we can delay a year. Will decide later!.

So, due to weather, there was no good day to do a a seat trial. I know I should have but we ended up departing that morning a little earlier and instead of going to our first stop, we meandered around the marine for a hour JUST in case. But there was no need to return so we did move on.

2015-06-23: We are along side the wall, a big rubber tire messing up the hull paint, but the authorities are clueless to resolve. I cannot move forward as there is a sailboat present. Cannot move back because a big ship is coming (heard that for the last 5 days… still no ship!). Can't remove the tire as it is just too darn heavy. 

But I take the good weather to pull 100+ meters of 13mm anchor chain out of the locker and lay it along the wall. Once out, washed it down, verified the paint markers at every 20 meters of chain (two were wrong),  spray the entire chain with galvanizing spray paint, and then remark  the 20 meter points. 

That took the better part of the day and by 1800, was slowly reloading the anchor chain into its locker. 

Town is typically Greek. On Sundays, only cafes and restaurants are open, with the exception of two tourist shops by the ferry dock. After 1 PM on Saturday, nearly all shops are closed. Many are also closed Monday and Wednesday evenings so they can be open on Saturday Morning.

All seem to close around 2PM and reopen at about 6-7 PM. All then close between 9-10 PM. 

On Sunday afternoon, we found the young people filling up the cafes along the beach, ordering expensive euro coffees and talking. There is at that moment no word about any resolution to the financial crisis currently IP (aka Grexit) and to us, they are acting as if all is normal. 

Also on Sunday, the Greek coast guard vessel comes back from the night out with what appear to be refugees on board. 

There appears to be about 10, and after tying up, a fancy Greek Government bus shows up and the people get on that. From their looks, they look scared and frighted. Not one was smiling, (at least from what I could see.) The newspapers every day have stories about refugees being pulled from the waters between Turkey and Greece, many being found dead, etc etc. Kos, the Greek island near to Marmaris is overrun with them. Many are fleeing from Syria

Monday, it rained a light rain from noon to well past midnight, which helped wash down LeeZe. 

2015-06-30: Since my last entry, the Greeks have been either unable or unwilling to resolve their debt / loan issues with their EU counterparts and the IMF so a vote will be held Sunday to ask if the people if they should accept or reject the latest offer proposed. In the meantime, the country closed their banks and limited ATM withdrawals to no more than 60 € a day. 

This all happened over the weekend. So, last Saturday night, we went out for dinner and our customary walk. Restaurants were full and people were out and about. I suggested that this was their way of saying a last "hurrah" to the life they knew. Sunday's walk found much of the same, but with the ATM restrictions in place, standing in long lines at the ATMs that have euros has now become a thing they must do. We had dinner and Zehra posed in from of the city's restored lighthouse.

Monday, again long lines, very long lines in the morning. Even lines at 10 PM when I joined one to see if my debit card worked. It was Monday so judging crowd size is hard as Mondays is typically not so many out, but we conclude there are fewer out than customary. One waterfront fish restaurant of many was busy, and of the cheaper fast food places, only one or two were busy. Some cafes and bars had some customers, but most were quiet. 

Oh and yes, my debit card did work and I was able to get the max I am NORMALLY allowed so the 60€ limit does not effect me. (Did hide this from the people standing behind me as I did not want to draw attention that I had a different /larger limit!)

On board, the ship aft continues to run its generator loudly and I continue  painting the aft deck. A sailboat came in in the afternoon for a crew change and water so I lent him my hose. Some man who claims he comes from the Port was quite ANGRY with me for doing that because I come to learn that the Port changes a 25 € fee to open the electrical-water  supplies and then some more based on what is used. So he was angry because I let them use "my" water. When we checked in, we were told utilities were included so will resolve this when we depart.

2015-07-02:  I am here in Alexandroupolis, Gr  and have seen only "no" handouts on the street. The restaurants and bars are full, and people are happy, so it appears that they are not concerned about Sunday. There are long lines at the ATMs (even at midnight!) but even that has just become a chore people now add to the list of chores they do every day. The lady at the hardware store says she will vote no because she believes that the EU really does not want Greece to give up on the Euro so another sweeter offer will come. She absolutely believes that the drachma is not in Greece's future, but if it  does come, all Greeks will be much better off. 

2015-07-03: Someone commented "These people look like the passenger on the Titanic sipping their drink oblivious to the coming disaster." Wed., I would have said that seems to be true but yesterday, it appears they now realize (to continue with the analogy) that the cold water lapping at the bottom of their shoes indicates the ship is sinking. Yesterday, the ATM limit for Greeks went DOWN to 50€ (from 60). The restaurants, bars and cafe along the waterfront were NOTABLY lacking in customers. The restaurants in the "alley" next to the port, which are always cheaper than the waterfront  ones, (but none serve fish!) had probably 70% less customers on Thurs. compared to Wed., when we ate there. More ATMs were empty and those that were working had long lines, even at 10PM, when I took my money. (I took because sometime next week, Greece may actually run out of Euros  to dispense!) So, it appears they realize something is happening. How bad it will be if they vote "No" they cannot comprehend! Our plans are to move to Kavala on Sunday to arrive Monday.  Today we paid for our 18 days  here @ Alexandroupolis (~116€), went for a walk, and then came back to LeeZe.

2015-07-04 Happy Independence Day America! Here is not so festive. Per an observation I made on a WSJ article: I am here in Alexandroupolis, Gr and was out this morning shopping. It appeared that the supermarkets were more crowded than last Saturday, and the items in most peoples' carts seem to indicate that they were buying items to stock up just in case. (The oldish lady in front of me had numerous packages of macaroni and chocolate items.) I did see credit cards in use, but those stores made their use difficult. The cafes were FULL, as were the lines at the working ATMs. (Not as many working as earlier in the week.) The cafes had lowered their prices across the board. I talked with one youngish lady in a market and she will vote no, even though that means that her kids will be paying the price for the country's actions when they are old enough to enter the job market. She said that there has been too much pain and it has to stop. But then went on to say that a "No" vote will not end the pain, only make it last longer. I also spoke with a Greek Port Authority (Coast Guard type) person who said the Greece has been around for 2000 years, and will survive this, regardless of the level of pain inflicted by others. But he also admitted that the previous governments and the people that elected them are the cause, for which we all must have to pay for. He said he does not plan to vote tomorrow, but his co-worker, a female, did chime in that she will vote yes tomorrow, because her child needs her to. 

After shopping, did stop by the port police to get the outbound stamp.  Per everyone we talked to with the Port Police and Port Control and the Greek Coast Guard, our stay and fee includes electricity and water. However the Port Authority, last week and came by and say "oh No, not true. We charge 25€ to OPEN electricity and water and then a fee of 1€ per Kw used and 4€ per 1000 liters of water used.  Well, no one giving me my outbound / exit stamp said anything about this and I did NOT raise the topic. I consider those charges to be a rip off.  The commercial freighter behind me is using 380V / 3 phase electricity (had to– his decrepit generator that made such a loud racket that we nearly departed a week ago, but it broke) must be paying those charges. 

The Port Authority did report that a private yacht marina is being built just to the NE of the commercial harbor but right now, all there is is a sea wall and there is no money to finish. We heard this story in Chios, Samos, and Rhodes so it must be a "greek thing!" One last walk tonight and we depart toward Kavala tomorrow, weather permitting.

Note that we plan to be at anchor tomorrow night and enter Kavala on a Monday, a weekday when there probably is more support for us to moor. Also, if there is a decision on yes or no vote, and the people get angry, we would like to have some water between them and us. Prudence seems to dictate this decision. 

2015-07-10 We have been here in Kavala since Monday. For would-be boaters that are consider visiting in the June-Oct period, the inner harbor is occupied by yacht club members and charter boats and the corner seems to be reserved for the daily fishing boats that go out at night and come in the next morning. As you enter, with the inner harbor dead ahead, there is a quay wall on the west side facing south that has in some places steps coming down from the wall. 

These spots are usually reserved for Kalava people who cannot get a place in the inner harbor. This quay is way over two meters high above the water line so the steps are all but a necessity. Med moor is the only way possible to moor to this wall. There is ONE shore power pod every 150 feet or so and then there are no more. On each pod is one power outlet (16 amp) that you feed a 50 euro cent coin in one at a time to get 2-3 Kw of electricity. Water is the same way. There are two outlets, and the same coin gets you 10 minutes of water.  As this wall runs west, there are no shore power pods and no steps. There is also a wall pointing south as one comes in that has no services what so ever. So, with the high wall, the poor electrical and water supplies, the sparsity of said supplies……… this place is NOT friendly to yachters.  The man that runs the port, Gregory did say that there are plans to put in floating docks but given the monetary crisis, one should not hold one's breath. (BTW, plan to arrive at THIS port M-F, 0800-1500. Outside those hours, the Port Authority people on duty will advise you to wait until the Port Control office opens on the next business day.)

If one needs shelter from a storm, on the far west side of the harbor is a storm anchorage that has good holding. With the arrival of two to three ferries a day, I think anchoring anywhere in the vicinity of the inner / outer harbor is just not in the cards. One could ride out a storm anchored there, but I think you would be told to move if you wanted to anchor for a few days and see the city.

Gregory goes OUT of his way to accommodate you if you plan to spend some time here. He got us metered electrical and water supply and told us that the spot we are in is "owned" by someone but that person has yet to put his boat in the water. We may have to move. Gregory did say that we PROBABLY could take one of the fishing boat spots in the inner harbor, but then he retracted that saying we just might piss them off. He implied that they use the spots without paying but I am not 100% sure. We tried to moor in the inner harbor and were consistently, and quite dramatically waived off, even though on the VHF, we were told to moor there.  

Kavala itself: Well, the view of the old city to the east of the inner harbor, behind a quite substantial fortified wall, with a reasonably restored castle / fort protecting the old city from marauders is IMPRESSIVE! Walking that area takes one breath away, literally and figuratively. There is a "train

to help you get up most of the way to the castle. The view is breathtaking!

The city's tourist office is quite helpful and  answers all one's questions. Up from them is a food shopping area, consisting of a huge supermarket on the first floor and above it, a fresh fruit, vegetable, meat chicken cheese etc etc market that is open 6 days a week. First we have every seen this and it seems to have reasonable prices with good to great quality.  Dining out prices APPEAR to be higher than Alexandroupolis. 

Services: There appears to be a shipyard to the east of the port and in the old city, men who work with their hands making nearly anything one could need are all around. Stuff I could not find in Alexandroupolis I found with ease here. But, for the record, the hardware stores in Alexandroupolis are far superior than the ones here.

2015-07-19 So it looks like we might get a guest soon so we are sticking around. Yesterday, we went to Thessaloniki by bus since a review of the facilities there indicates that the marina is so far out of town that for an extended stay, we would have to use busses to get into and out of town. The city has a city wall, but it is open to the sea, and because of the absence of boats, they probably do not allow people to tie up to it. 

Plus, it has no services. Thessaloniki has stores that we have yet to see, and on Friday, nearly all stayed open during the 1500-1800 period. Many were full, at least those running significant sales. Those not were not full. I would estimate that 50% of the store fronts are closed. We visited the castle on high and walked down to the water front. There is a commercial port that seems to have seen better days. One might be able to moor there, but all the gates we saw were closed and locked, so access may be a problem. The marina is to the SE and may be 10+kms outside of town. Did not see it. There was no indication of riots like those reported in Athens the previous night. The city is much more expensive than Kavala.

Saturday, the government announced that the banks will be opened on Monday for some business. Given that they were closed three weeks ago, that seem to bring a sigh of relief. The crowd along the waterfront Saturday night were festive and alive. Or so it seemed to the Saturday night a week ago. Even the carnival with the rides was bustling. Today, I saw no one waiting at an ATM to make a withdrawal, something I had not seen in the last 3 weeks. Today was not as festive as yesterday, but even the retirees that were sitting on the waterfront's benches seem to have some smile to them. 

2015-07-21 So yesterday was the first day that banks were open after 3 weeks of being closed. Took a bike run to buy bread in the morning and each of the three major bank branches in town were packed to the rafters with people. ATM lines were also long as many banking restrictions still remain. Had to move LeeZe last nighttime space to port which we did, but got the word just before dinner and after my shower. With some help from ashore, got most of the work done by 2200 and resolved to finish the work today, which we did. Took ANOTHER shower and went out for ice cream in lieu of dinner. Today, cleaned up, made an adaptor that allows me to plug my 50 meter shore power cord into LeeZe as it really is only an extension cord. washed aft deck, loaded water (source was 100+ meters away so had to run all my hoses just to get it onboard!). Finished up just before dinner and mustered every ounce of remaining energy just to get to the shower. No walk tonight! Zehra went alone. Just nothing left in me tonight.

It turns out we should have moved a long time ago. Having the passerelle lined up with a sloping ramp of a not-in-use ferry loading dock is much safer and easier to us than lining up the passerelle with the bottom step of a 5 step staircase that one can only use when the boat is not being jostled too much.

It appears that the everyday mood of the Greeks is improving. No scientific process followed. Just observing. What is STRANGE is the fishermen that use to come and fish by us every night stopped about 5 days ago and have yet to restart. Had a talk with the Captain of the 25+ meter fishing boat moored next to me. In a nutshell, they go out 6 nights a week, 11 months a year, catch MAYBE a half of ton to a ton of fish and sells that to the local market for between 2-3 euro a kilo. After expenses, the owner takes half and the crew gets half. Backbreaking work and from what I can see, safety precautions are not a priority. The men wear flip flops, handle rope with their bare hands, and wear no eye protection. 

2015-07-25: Guests from Turkey arrive: Zehra's sister and her husband. They were in Ankara when Zehra's Mom decided that she wanted to visit a relative in Istanbul. So, they drove Mom to the relative, left Mom and took an overnight bus to Kavala that got them here at 0730, bone tired and exhausted. While MANY Turks drive here, apparently to get across the border one needs to have European Insurance and an International Driver's license, which may be a PITA to get, especially on short notice.

Our guests settle in and there is more happening now: More food to prepare, more shopping to be done, more time at the beach, and of course, the dishwasher is getting a workout. No problem! All are happy.

2015-07-29: We depart Kavala for the island of Thassos.