Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Day 128

After returning to Siros by plane and then ferry, the nautical club there was happy to put me in a hotel for the night.  After dropping me off,  I had a warm bed and a hot shower to myself.  Only, the lights didn't work.  There seemed to be no electricity in the room, except for the refrigerator.  I unplugged it and tried to charge my phone from the same outlet, only my phone plug wouldn't fit.
I ate dinner on the floor in the hallway.  A neighbor opened his door, looked at me, and then  quickly shut it.  I wondered if he could help me.
Stranger Danger was shocked to learn that I was a guest of the hotel, but once we were past that, he showed me how to insert the key-card into the slot on the room's wall and activate the electricity.

Day 128
4/23/2014
Force four beam winds were forecast, so I set out.  I measured my bearing off my chart before I began the 12 mile crossing, but that turned out to be unnecessary since I could see Tinos from Siros.
I took a snack break at sea and turned around to see a large ferry coming at me fast.  It too was going from Tinos to  Siros.
I paddled to the side and waited.  Passengers waved to me from the upper decks.
When I pulled up in Tinos and took out in the port, I was exhausted.  I lay down next to my boat, life jacket for a pillow, and rested.  I guess I was out of shape from my week and a half break.  The 12 miles took me six hours.
A man asked me how far I had paddled to get here.
"Siros."
He was thoroughly unimpressed.  I had no right to be so tired.
"There was a headwind."  In the port we felt no wind.
"Barcelona?"  I tried.  He was no longer interested.
Eventually, I got up.
Mr. Alimonos was the head of the Tinos sailing club, but all our efforts to reach him before my arrival failed.  I asked random people if they knew him and they did.  I followed directions to his hotel and was warmly welcomed and invited to stay the night.
I learned that I had paddled for half the day into force five headwinds.
The next day was similarly rough and I enjoyed more of Mr. Alimonos's  hospitality.

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Nautical miles paddled: 13
Current location: 37.5326883, 25.1650482

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