This post comes to you from the lobby bar of the Sun Suzer hotel in Alacati (pronounced Allah-Chet-Ee). It's 4:30 in the afternoon, and around 35 degrees under a cloudless sky. The horizon is dotted with wind farms, always a pleasing sight for a wind junkie.
However, this is my third day here and I'm yet to get a sail. The wind has pretty much dropped out, leaving the surf centre staff to practice their hackey sack and look apologetic when you rock up in the morning to look at the wind report (walking past sheds full of new mistral boards and rigged north sails in every known size).
We have been teaching the girls how to sail on beginners kit and having a play around ourself, but I can't help feeling a little mocked by the gods after crossing half the globe and lobbing into a dead patch in a traditionally windy month in the Aegean.
In two day's time the report looks better, and in the meantime, there's plenty to see and do so I can't really complain. I could be at work...
Hey dude! All will be OK on Monday! It won't be the meltemi/mistal yet (I think it's about a fortnight away) but you'll be getting the same wind that the Dodecanese islands will get (about 25 knots). The wind will be funnelling between the Greek islands and the Turkish coast for at least a week!
We've been in Athens for a couple of weeks now and been killing time building a windsurfing trailer and repairing some earthquake damage on the house. Alex has been lucky (being only 7 he weighs so little he has been able to catch a couple of good days sailing) and get a bit of a warm up before the stronger wind comes on Monday. We are going to be at Chios which is only about 5km off the Turkish coast then. So looking forward to some good sailing...
I think it's good you've had some time to teach the chicks. The best thing I ever did was teach Anna - it's added so much to my own windsurfing fun (and the family windsurfing budget has never suffered from having a partner who might try to limit it because they don't see the point in making all that expense...). Now the little guy is sailing too - we've just got one more to teach and the whole family will be on the water. If you have the time, check out Alex (www.star-board.com) - the little guy is only 7 and he's on the front page of the Starboard website - another one of our great Canberra windsurfers (just like the Jamaican bob-sled team) that manage to stand out even though we really haven't got the conditions to get as far as we do... I reckon it's because we've got such a tight windsurfing community and alot of support from Wetspot.
Keep positive - it's coming! Have fun! Ark
