Tuesday 15 September 2015

Tuesday 15 September 2015 – Kos

We were up not too early, but early enough to make a decent start.  The weather is still settled and the forecast is for very little wind, but on the nose.  So we set out just on motor without even taking the sail cover off the main.  After a while we think that the wind is building.  Richard decides to put out the genoa to boost the speed of the boat a bit.  Then he decides that the wind is going up to 9 or 10 knots and as we don’t have very far to go, we should sail.  But of course, about 15 minutes after we get the sails up the wind dies.  So after a short time we give up, put the sails away and motor. 

Of course when we get within 3 miles of Kos Town the wind builds up to a force 4 and it is on the nose.  But it does not cause us too much trouble.  The marina remembers us and helps us to moor into a suitable space, so we are well tucked up.

The only problem is that I have developed a terrible pain down my right leg.  As I am getting ready to leave the boat it gets worse and worse and when we get to the marina office I can barely walk.  A sit down in the office helps.  At first I thought it was my bad knee acting up, but it is becoming very obvious that the problem is with my back.  It has started to ache badly and the pain in my leg is suspiciously like sciatica!  I have taken some ibuprofin, but that does not seem to have helped.

At the marina office they phone the coast guard for us to see if we have to check back in to Greece.  To our delight the answer is ‘no’.  We still have our DEPKA (private yacht certificate) so we are fine.  That relieves us of one job.  Next we walk (me very slowly) in to town, with a first stop at the pharmacy where they sell me some stronger pain killers; I can only take them with food, so I won’t know how effective they are until tonight or tomorrow morning.

We are going to look for a Vodafone shop to top up the Greek sim on my phone and the internet device.  However, we have goofed.  We forgot that the shops all shut for the afternoon, so we have to kill an hour or so before the shop opens at 5:30.

We were worried about the immigrant situation.  It is very obvious.  On the beach just outside the marina we saw two collapsed large ribs, obviously used by the immigrants.  However the worst is the tented camp all around the police station and right at the entrance of the Mediaeval castle.  There are dozens of tents, many looking fairly new.  The inhabitants are mostly young men, but there are a number or women and families.  There are a half dozen portable loos just by the police station.  It is ugly and dirty, but there do not seem to be any problems with crime or aggression, that we can see.  However, the tourist shops and cafes seem particularly keen on tourists being here, so maybe they are suffering.

After we kill an hour having iced coffee, we get to the phone shop and top up our devices so we are now connected!

So after that we go back to the boat.  We have a quiet evening on board trying to save my back in the hope it will get better soon.  I have had this once before on the boat.  I think it comes from twisting around while sitting in the cockpit trying to look forward.  I should know better!

Nice showers at the shower block and then dinner on board.  It is a pleasure to be able to do the washing up and not worry where to drain the water!


We will stay here tomorrow.  We have arranged to hire a car, so we can see some of the interior of the island. 

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