David's Diary: Saturday, June 21, 2003
Siros to Naxos to Meet Linnea
Leaving Finikas
We leave Finikas at 07:00 expecting some heavy winds. The forecast calls for Force 7, a lot of wind to be sailing in. We are looking forward to today. We hope to meet up with another cruising family on their sailboat Linnea. We met the family last October when they spent a week in Monastir, Tunisia. We have been emailing each other through the winter and spring and if things go according to plan we will spend a couple of days together.
Anchored in Naxos
After lunch the wind is blowing over thirty knots and Dragonsinger is heavily reefed. I'm at the helm when Karalee comes out and says that Walter from Linnea called. I asked Karalee if Walter confirmed that we were still going to meet on the island of Dhenousse. We had exchanged email messages a couple of days ago, but I have learned that plans change. Karalee said that she had not checked on our destination with Walter.
I got Karalee to take over the helm and called Walter back on our mobile phone. The Meltemi has pushed Linnea to the South and there is no way that they can reach Dhenousse. They are heading for Naxos, but are not certain which bay they are going to. Walter and I hang up after first agreeing to check our Pilot Guides. Ten minutes later I called Walter back and we agreed to meet in Ormos Panormou on the SE corner of Naxos. We alter course to the South, which for us makes the sailing easier and in just over two hours we pull into Ormos Panormou and anchor next to Linnea.
Despite months of planning and continuous communication we almost missed Linnea by ten or fifteen nautical miles. Today is a vivid demonstration of how difficult it is for cruising families in the Mediterranean to get together. It is very easy to miss each other by a day or a bay. To help cruising families get together, Noonsite dedicates a Web page to cruising families. If you are cruising with your children, I highly recommend that you get a listing on Noonsite. It will greatly increase your chances of meeting other cruising families.