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Reading Homer's
Odyssey, thumbing through Rod Heikell's Greek Waters Pilot , and
checking out our travel guide books, we decided to go into the small
port at Frikes on the Island of Ithaca. Do you ever wonder why Odysseus
had so many problems? Maybe we have some clues.
The guide book described
the village as post card pretty with little commercial development
but a good supply of tavernas on the quay side. Remarks were made
about winds being funneled through the narrow valley creating gusts
in the harbor so we made mental note of that.
We entered the harbor at
19:00 with the sun directly in our eyes and twenty-five knots of
wind registering on the instruments. When we got inside, we were
thrilled to see that a new quay had been built since the guide book
was written in 1997 and there was space for us to dock port side
to the concrete quay. This means we did not have to deploy an anchor
and back in, install the gangplank and set ourselves up "Med.
mooring" style. As we approached, people on three other boats
prepared to take our bow and stern lines. As we approached, I wanted
to explain that we were going port side to, rather than starboard
side to, as the other boats were docked. I didn't want to launch
into this dissertation and then be answered in German, "No
English." So I asked, "Do you speak English?" This
received a laugh from all, for they were English. After securing
the lines, placing our fenders in position and making sure the boat
was secured we walked the short distance around the harbor to the
main part of the village which is truly post card pretty.
We visited with an English
couple from one of the charter boats who helped us dock, and surveyed
the grocery store. We planned to return in the morning and buy some
of their local specialities such as Ithaca honey and local olives
packed in olive oil and garlic. The grocery had all kinds of delicacies,
as well as standard items, all inside a small store where the owner/artist
has painted murals on every available space. He was currently working
on a sea scene mural outside.
From there we visited the
local office, Kiki's Tours, which has local information, books tours,
in season, and rents motor bikes. We chatted with Kiki, who spoke
excellent English, and talked about hiring a taxi the next morning
to visit the other towns on the island, see the Odysseus' sites,
and visit the museum. We then walked out of the town on the narrow
ascending road which tracked the valley through olive groves, past
homes with stone fences, gardens, fruit trees and flowering plants.
Ithaca is greener than the islands to the south and this area of
Ithaca seems to benefit from the water that seasonally flows seaward
from a spring deep in the hills.
We strolled back into town
and started restaurant shopping. A woman saw our interest and invited
us into the kitchen to see what they had to offer. Everything looked
good and the English couple we had met agreed to join us for dinner.
We had an excellent meal in pleasant surroundings, at water's edge
overlooking the picturesque harbor. Dinner takes a while in Greece
and by the time we got back aboard it was about 23:00.
Charlie went in to shower
and I was in the salon working on the computer. All of a sudden
the boat started rocking wildly, crashing into the wall. Charlie
was knocked about in the shower. Loud banging and scraping noises
grated my hearing. I rushed topside to find we were being battered
by a huge surge and the fenders were too low to protect the rub
rail that was taking the scrapes every time we hit the wall. I struggled
to get a fender raised and by that time Charlie rushed top side
amazed at what was taking place. He was ready to cast off and get
away from the wall but then the water settled and we were sitting
serenely once again. We didn't know where the huge swells had come
from but no sooner than things had calmed down, here the treacherous
rogue swells came again. This time they were even more devastating
and the grinding was horrible. The force of the swell pulled the
stainless steel stanchion over because the fenders were tied to
the lifelines. The fenders were pulled down but held, so did the
lifelines, but the stainless bent like willows in the wind. Twenty?nine
tons of Sea Gem crashing against a concrete bulkhead had bent one
of the stanchions into the shape of a pretzel.
The swells were bouncing
around the small harbor unleashing chaos where the local fishing
boats were moored near the restaurants. I looked over and everyone
in town had rushed to the water's edge where one of the fishing
boats was tossed up on the shore and destroyed. The town was lighted,
where we were tied was dark, so no one was aware what was happening
to us. One of the boats, there when we came in, had left much earlier
and the two much smaller and lighter boats docked near us were not
being pounded like we were.
We started the engines and
removed the lines quickly and swung out into the center of the harbor.
Charlie was debating on leaving or anchoring, and if there was enough
swinging room. A man on the other side of the harbor yelled, "Come
on over here, we can get you in here and you'll be ok." We
had doubts but heading out of a harbor in the middle of the night
is not something we want to do. Charlie eased Sea Gem toward the
empty space while scores of people lined up to take lines and help.
The fenders were dragging, the life lines hanging limply from the
bent stanchions. All the helpers grabbed fenders, lines and secured
us.
People had left their dinners
sitting on the table to come down and help. I believe all the boats
in the harbor were charter boats and all smaller than Sea Gem. The
man that had been the most helpful and shouted for us to come to
that side of the harbor knew the place from coming there many years.
He said in the past there had been rocks and rip-rap where "a
man behind a desk had designed the new quay." Before the huge
new quay the rogue swells would enter the harbor but because there
were rocks for them to dissipate upon they did not ricochet like
a bullet in a steel room, destroying boats and property. Unfortunately
we had docked at the "new quay" which had the latest facilities
installed and looked great.
We were so gun-shy by the
time we were again tied up that we showered and sat down to watch
an old movie to be sure to be awake if another "ferry wash"
roller entered the bay. Nothing further happened and at 02:00 we
went to bed only to be up again at 06:00 to cast off before any
ferries might come by, and head for Levkas town where repair services
are supposed to be available.
You are never truly "off
duty" when cruising. Just when you think everything is so tranquil
you get a wake up call and are reminded there can be emergences
in the most unlikely places. We sustained more damage at a quay
side in a tranquil little harbor than we have on our entire Odyssey.
The perils of Odysseus/Ulysses
become vivid when you travel in these waters: rogue waves, blinding
fog, sudden storms. Now all we have to do is find the sirens and
Medusa,
I hope we escape without either. Until later . . . from Sea Gem
on the way to repair.
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