Island hopping in the Aegean
In July we left the boat high and dry. Summer commitments in Vermont (family and camp) and a summer cottage on the Baltic Sea in Sweden take us away from the boat every summer for a couple months. These annual summer plans also coincide nicely with the massive influx of tourists to the Greek islands and the intense summer heat in the Mediterranean. We chose Syros in the northern Cyclades because it would be a great spot to return to in September and start our fall sailing season. We found a family-run boatyard in Ermoupolis, the main town on Syros and also the administrative center of the Cyclades. The yard stayed in contact with us over the summer which is always reassuring and when we returned to the boat it was ready to sail again, except for the very thick layer of dust and grime coating the entire exterior. The winds blow hard all summer long in the Aegean and combined with the dry, dusty islands, the boat was dirty. It took a couple rounds of powerwashing and elbow grease, b...