We spent the afternoon swimming and exploring the town of Hydra, and a pleasant night stern-to on the quay. The steep mountains framing the town seem to focus all the sound on the center of the harbor, where we were comfortably situated. The bells on the clock tower go off in an elaborate way early each morning, and they seemed to be focused into the bunk room and fo'c'sle to start our day. Some of the crew reported not hearing them at all.
Claire was JWO taking us off the dock and on our way north. As we pushed away from the harbor, the wind started to build as we sailed out of the lee of Hydra. Our fastest point of sail is somewhere between a beam reach and a close reach, and we were in that sweet spot, surging up to moments above 11 knots while Celia was at the helm. As to be expected in the Mediterranean, this did not last very long - and before too long we were becalmed in the lee of Poros. Kate had the next watch, and brought us into an anchorage on the south side of Angistri, where we went for a swim, played on the paddle board and snorkeled into a cave. To find a more comfortable spot to spend the evening, we went around the corner to the southwest side of the island. Sadie made burritos for dinner, and the crew that still had schoolwork to complete made a final push.
Yesterday morning those that were done with work climbed into our inflatable with Mr. Brown and me, and went off exploring. This created a quiet study environment for those still completing work to do so. It worked out well, everyone finished their schoolwork. With everyone back on board, Jacob lead the watch sailing us off the anchor and north. Just north of Angistri, the wind was steady enough - so we initiated "chase the buoy" - where we deploy a small floating object for the student crew to retrieve completely under sail. Each student takes a turn, and they all did a great job successfully stopping Geronimo next to the buoy. While this was happening, Mr. Brown was in the galley preparing a layered mountain of sushi rolls for lunch. The crew was salivating. To create order and fairness - everyone took one piece at a time, staying in order clockwise around the table. Millie started with the first one, as everyone eyed their potential next piece. We got up to 17 before we ran out.
With Athens not more than 20 n.m. away, and our trip log reading 950 n.m., Xander was lobbying to get to 1000 n.m., by intentionally steering a "snake wake" or spending the evening doing circles. It is going to be close, but I don't think we will make it. We approached the anchorage in the late afternoon and Jacob, with Celia at the helm and Sadie navigating, did a great job sailing us up to the anchor. Swimming soon followed, and of course, backflips. Xander, Celia and Dureti are fully practicing devotees, while Millie is on the cusp of joining. Speaking of Millie, her lasagna dinner was a hit, as was her tiramisu dessert. The evening was concluded with a raucous game of the Mallory Family Fun Game (similar to Salad Bowl, etc.).
Today is our last full day before going to the dock tomorrow. When I woke up this morning, Xander was sleeping on deck in his usual spot, and Jacob was starting to think about making pancakes and sausage. Plan is to have the Marine Science final exam today, sail to an anchorage off Piraeus, and then go into the marina tomorrow morning. Cleaning Geronimo and ourselves, and exploring Athens are on the agenda for our last few days.