We’re Swinging On The Hook

We had our shakedown sail for the season today. It was our first sail since we mothballed Waiata back in September. We have left the lovely island of Leros behind and are now swinging on the hook (sailing parlance for ‘being on anchor’) on the island of Patmos. It was a short sail of less than 20 nautical miles.

We had rain on the way and it was a rare occasion that required the Admiral (meaning me, Connie aka the ‘shadow captain’) to venture deep into the sailing wardrobe and get my wet weather gear on. Based on today’s attire it would be easy to think we look more like we are sailing in the Southern Ocean rather than the Mediterranean. It would be fooling you to think that we are experiencing a harsh end to the Greek winter, however. In all honesty, the winter climate is more than fair and the water temperature today is 18 degrees. But there was rain today and as they say, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices.

So here we are hanging on the hook in Patmos. Like all Greek Islands, it is soaked in legend and almost drunk with ancient mythology. The island is shaped like a sea horse and has been inhabited since 3,000 BC so it kinda creaks with the weight of the history of previous settlers such as the Pelasgous, Romans, Byzantines, and so on.

But many people come to Patmos on a pilgrimage. It is the Holy Island. It is said that the Apostle John wrote the final book in the bible, the book of Revelations, here on Patmos. This is where he conveyed the horrors of his visions about the Apocalypse, the Four Horsemen and the Beast with Seven Heads, and his wild prophetic horrors about the end of the world. So it is no surprise that a little bizarrely, you can actually go to the candle-lit ‘Apocolypse Cave’ where John purportedly wrote the final book of the bible.

But I’m into more rapturous goings-on than that. Patmos is nowadays considered a type of yachties and intrepid travelers paradise. It is a haven that is not easy to reach and there are more than just the traditional ouzo serving Greek taverna. There are seasonal dockside restaurants that will let you tie up your tender and enjoy a lingeringly long meal over some exceptionally good wines. Some restaurants are only accessible by boat. And you can be tantalized by the sea whilst enjoying the comings and goings of the monied who splurge cash here. All we need now is for the wind to stay away, the rain to stop, and the sun to peek out because wearing one’s wet weather gear to a fine dining establishment just isn’t right somehow. Good food and good weather. That’s the best medicine when you’re hanging on the hook.

“We could bring in the morning, girl
If you want to go that far
And if tomorrow find us together
Right here the way we are, would you mind
Sharing the night together, oh, yeah
Sharing the night together, oh, yeah
Sharing the night”

Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show – you can listen here