Every crew change aboard KORA brings mixed emotions. This one was no different. We were saying goodbye to Kaitlyn after a wonderful week together, while eagerly awaiting the arrival of two very familiar faces. Amanda and Evan.
If you’ve been following KORA from the beginning, you’ll remember Amanda the and Evan from our 2024 maiden voyage, when they joined us sailing from La Rochelle, France, across the Bay of Biscay to Gijón and on to A Coruña. Below are the links to our first sail if you’re interested in revisiting. We’ve covered over 4,500 nautical miles since that maiden journey!!!
- June 1, 2024: Setting Off On Our First Major Sail
- June 2, 2024: Second Night at Sea
Evan and Amanda are also part of the reason this whole adventure exists. Karen learned to sail through SailTime Houston, the boat club and sailing school Evan and Amanda own and operate, where we spent more than a year sailing one of their 40-foot monohulls before setting off on our own Mediterranean adventure. If you’ve ever thought about learning to sail – or simply want to enjoy sailing without the commitment of owning a boat – we couldn’t recommend them more highly!
Before they arrived we had one more rough day of Meltemi sailing with Kaitlyn before the seas finally brought us to Kardamena, on the southern coast of Kos. Once a quiet fishing village, Kardamena is now one of the island’s most popular seaside towns, with long sandy beaches, waterfront cafés, beach clubs, and a lively holiday atmosphere.
We were excited to dock to land for the airport drop-offs and pick-ups. However, the small marina, had other ideas. All six visitor berths were full. So… out came the anchor.
With KORA safely settled, Doug and Kaitlyn headed ashore for one final father-daughter afternoon while I stayed aboard preparing for our next guests.
What followed could best be described as one of those boating afternoons where everything happens at once.
Within minutes of reaching shore, Doug slipped while stepping from the dinghy, opening a rather impressive gash along his shin. With blood gushing down his leg, their sightseeing plans were immediately replaced by an island-wide search for medical care. Being Saturday afternoon, most clinics had already closed, but thankfully a local pharmacy came to the rescue with antiseptic, Steri-Strips and a Tagaderm dressing that did an admirable job patching him back together.
Back aboard KORA…things weren’t exactly quiet either. One particularly strong gust decided one of our cockpit cushions looked lonely and launched it overboard. (Cushion was untethered while accessing the dinghy.) Without thinking too much about it, I dove in after it. Despite moderaturely rough seas and currents, I figured I’d give it a go – for at least a short distance Mission accomplished with the cushion saved, but getting back aboard proved rather more interesting. The swim ladder wasn’t down, the current was pulling me away, and apparently my upper body strength was a little lacking. But after a few determined attempts (and collecting a couple of new bruises) I finally managed to scramble back aboard.
Neither were exactly photo moments. Haha! But, let’s just say that KORA keeps finding creative ways to keep life interesting!
That evening we enjoyed one final dinner ashore with Kaitlyn before saying our goodbyes. Rather than risk a pre-dawn dinghy ride for her early flight, Kaitlyn and I checked into a nearby Airbnb for the night while Doug returned to KORA to welcome Amanda and Evan, who had just completed nearly 24 hours of travel from Texas.
The timing of the arrival of our new guests couldn’t have been better. The next morning the Meltemi had passed and the water became almost glasslike! After restocking provisions, the four of us motored the short distance north toward Kos Town, enjoying the calmest water we’d seen in days.
At one point we spotted what appeared to be a bright green inflatable floating offshore. There had been some radio talk about missing persons in the region, so, fearing someone might have been washed away from shore, we made a sharp detour to investigate. Fortunately, nobody was attached (and we learned that the reports referred to a different incident). The inflatable now has a new home aboard KORA, where it will undoubtedly see considerably more use than Kaitlyn’s float ever did. (Sorry Kaitlyn!)
Kos itself felt noticeably greener than many of the Cycladic islands we’d just left behind. Fruit trees lined the streets – pomegranates, grapes, pears, citrus and flowering gardens everywhere (including bottlebrush, native to Australia!) – giving the island a freshness that immediately stood out. We even found some of the wild plums we had been introduced to at the farm, which Evan enjoyed sampling.
Entering through the fortifications of the Medieval town walls (top left), we wandered through Kos Old Town. Here ancient ruins seem to appear between cafés, shops and busy streets. Within the Ancient Agora are the remains of the Sanctuary of Hercules, established around the late fourth or early third century BC and dedicated to Heracles, the legendary hero known for his strength. Nearby, the Sanctuary of Aphrodite once honored the goddess of love and beauty (bottom left), while the remarkably well-preserved Roman Odeon (middle left) was built around the second century AD for music, performances and public gatherings. Its curved rows of seating once accommodated hundreds of spectators and still make it easy to imagine the city in Roman times.
One highlight was seeing the legendary Plane Tree of Hippocrates (above, top right), where tradition says the “Father of Medicine” once taught his students more than 2,400 years ago. Whether the tree itself is quite that old remains debated, but the connection to Hippocrates gives Kos a special place in medical history.
Of course, we didn’t explore all of this without a few strategic drink stops along the way! Kos Town has no shortage of inviting cafés and bars, so we paused more than once for something cold before continuing our wander.
We finished the evening watching the sun sink over Kos, while, in the opposite direction across the water, the hills and lights of Bodrum, Türkiye, were clearly visible. There aren’t many places where you can enjoy sunset in Greece while looking across at another country at the same time!
Tomorrow… with calm seas finally on our side, it will be time to introduce Amanda and Evan to the Dodecanese. Can’t wait!
