Santorini to Agios Nicholaos

22 July 2024

In remembrance of Scott on a trip to Florida – I love you!

We brought up the anchor from our spot at Santorini to head to Crete, our final island together as Brian will be leaving to join his family in Warsaw and then Oslo. We had strong following winds and the forecast was for more of the same. Unfortunately, Crete is flat on top of the island, so it is not very well protected from the northern gusts. We decided to go east to Agios Nikolaos, a nice small city that had a good marina according to the reviews we read. I called the marina, and they had a berth for us, so we headed there, altering our course a bit and arrived around 1930. They were helpful in getting us settled as it was a very tight berth and my port stabilizer caught the starboard bow line to the sailboat on our port side. After some finagling and finally letting the bow loose from the sailboat to let it sink, we were free. Not only was the berth very narrow with two sailboats on either side, but I was also negotiating a very strong starboard stead wind of 20 knots or so. We made it after the second attempt and were able to avoid the bow line.

Agios Nikolaos is a very nice, modern, small “city” compared to the other places we stayed during our Greek voyage. It is located in the eastern part of Crete and is renowned for its picturesque harbor, which is part of the Gulf of Mirabello. The marina was nice, modern, and had all the facilities, which was a pleasant change from other marinas. The city itself offers a mix of traditional Greek charm and modern amenities, making it a popular destination for tourists.

We found a very nice marine supply store while eating dinner at a local restaurant. They were open until 2000, so we took a look. I purchased a new diving mask, swimming goggles, and a few other things. We were fortunate to find the place as they had some motor oil for me, which I needed to change the oil after 300 hours (we had 395 when I made the change). I thought I had a 30L container plus two other 5L bottles, but it turned out the 30L container was only 20L, so I was 10L short. While the oil I purchased and filled in the engine is rated at or above what is needed for Anna, it was different from the John Deere oil I always use, so I am worried about how it will work. I am 6 hours into the voyage from Crete as I write this and all systems are working well! Knock on wood.

We ended up downtown at a small lake and shore with many restaurants lit up at night with small boats, reminiscent of the pictures in Milos. This lake, Voulismeni, is a unique feature of Agios Nikolaos and is connected to the sea by a narrow inlet, adding to the town’s charm. Brian has the photos and will upload them to Box when he can, so they may be in the next post. Our final dinner was also in the same area, but the meal was mediocre and the wine was warm. Nevertheless, it was nice to celebrate our two months of cruising together. The next morning, Brian left for the airport at 0730.

We both got up around 0600, had some coffee, and checked his baggage. Luckily, he found my passport where his toothbrush goes in his backpack, or I would be in a bit of trouble. After double-checking everything, Brian left after a good hug and a sincere thank you for his companionship over the last 10 weeks—395 hours of cruising, 2,819 nautical miles, and using 4,959 liters of fuel! Brian, again thank you for your camaraderie—you will be missed!

I left at 0645 this morning from Agios Nikolaos and am headed to the other side of Crete. I may stop for the evening or keep going until I hit the southwestern mainland of Greece. We’ll see how it goes.

I hope this adds the necessary details about Agios Nikolaos and enhances your narrative.