July 25 – 28, 2016 —
Sailing south in eastern Greece is excellent with the prevailing winds from the north. From Lesvos we enjoyed three days of beautiful sailing as we returned south to the marina in Kos. Kos is one spelling for the island which is only four miles off Bodrum, Turkey. As in many Greek names there are not one, not two, but often three or four spellings for the same place. We have found three versions: Kos, Cos and Kως. Kos is the 16th largest island in Greece but the third largest in the Dodecanese group, after Rhodes and Karpathos, and one of the closest to Turkey. 
The name derives from “kofos” an island with many caves. The word “cave” comes from the Greek word “kofos.”
Our first night on our way south was at Mandraki, the only village on the tiny island of Oinoussa. Our original plan was to anchor off the town but, in discovering the much protected harbor with room on the quay, we decided to go in and med-moor for the night. 
The island is quintessential Greek quaint with all the stone buildings and fresh white wash walkways. It is amazing that, for such a small island, some of the wealthiest shipping families in Greece came from here.
It was late by the time we were settled so we decided to enjoy a dinner ashore at a nearby taverna right on the water. Dinner for two of us with wine: 22 euros–and it was wonderful! After dinner we walked around the village and did some exploring, which we continued the following morning before setting sail south again. The village shows movies outdoors several nights per week. The night we were leaving they were going to be showing “My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Part II”. The description said “times change, Greeks don’t”. The movie would be shown in English with Greek subtitles. 
It would have been a blast to see the reactions of the locals, but the winds were calling.
Before sailing off we watched the harbor come to life with sailing lessons in Optimists and summer swimming lessons off the town quay. 
It reminded us so much of growing up back in the states. The sights were different but the activities were the same. The small town wholesomeness was heartwarming
At Mandraki the fees are paid at the police department. We went to pay before leaving. The officer asked how long we had been there and when the answer was one night, he told us it was free. Nice, but we would have felt better about paying–the Greeks need the money!
That day was a short day of sailing, as we had enjoyed exploring Mandraki for most of the morning. A logical stop was along the southeast corner of Khios where there we discovered an anchorage off the beach. 
The bottom was hard sand offering excellent holding with crystal clear water.
There was what appeared to be a large fire in the center of the island as we spent several hours watching four helicopters going back and forth between the fire and the water close to our boat, filling cauldrons with water that hung from the bottom of the helicopters.
Komi, Khios anchorage: 38˚ 11.86’ N, 026˚ 02.58’ E. Excellent holding in sand. Anchor 200 meters off the beach in 5 meters of water.
The next morning we were greeted by a strange sight—glassy seas. It had been so long since we have had calm seas it felt quite odd. Thinking we were in for a day of motoring we weighed anchor and headed out.
Within an hour the meltimi winds had filled back in from the north, as there is a strong adiabatic component to the meltimis and once the sun heats up the barren land things really get going. 
By noon the winds were blowing force 7 (30 k) and we were screaming along on a beam reach at 9.3 knots. WOW! It felt great and the boat performed beautifully. High seas and no pounding! Thanks Hylas. We enjoyed a great sail for most of the afternoon and arrived at a wonderful anchorage on the east side of Patmos almost at the tip of the island.
Tripaiti Ak. Anchorage, Patmos Island: 37˚20.41’ N, 026˚ 35.95’ E, Excellent holding in sand. Many patches of rocky ledge with some shallower areas to be avoided. Great visibility to position anchor if arriving with reasonable sun angle. Anchor in 5 to 7 meters.
On thursday we arrived back at Kos Marina where we plan to spend two weeks doing boat projects. Maintenance does not wait!