Adagio was my first paid delivery job I accepted as crew. I had just returned from my daily rock-climbing exercise and I was preparing dinner when my eyes caught the glimpse of a mast coming into Chania Port where my sailing boat Nala was stationed. That day the wind was gusting at 35 knots from the west, a common weather pattern in Chania.
After finishing my meal and while washing the dishes, I observed that the same mast (I could not see the whole boat from my slip) was in the middle of the port still trying to maneuver.
I decided to walk to the outer port and see if the new comers needed assistance mooring the boat, from the dock I observed that only one sailor was on board and he was trying to unstuck the anchor that was stuck on the chain that supports the floating pontoons mooring lines.
I was really excited, I remember thinking “WoW another solo sailor just like me!” (back in 2017 I was just starting my solo journey ). Being eager to help I hailed the boat and asked him if he needs a hand, he accepted the help and I run back to my boat and start inflating the dinghy so I can go over and help him out.
While I was pumping the dinghy he manage to unhook the anchor from the chain so I gave up the dinghy and went back to the visitors pontoon ( a nasty concrete and swelly pontoon with a huge need for mooring lines ) to help him with the lines. We successfully moored the boat but just after exchanging our names we noticed that the anchor was dragging, so I went onboard and helped him re-anchor, after succeeding not with much trouble we went for a beer .
My new friend’s name was Jim and we got along really well. After a couple of beers and something to bite we decide to sail together to Leros, where he would take his boat out of the water. 2 days later and after provisioning we left Crete heading to Santorini and then to our final destination Leros where we hauled out Adagio and store it for the winter.After thant and I took the ferry to Athens and a plane back to Chania .
The passage to Leros was uneventful and pleasant. me and Jim (where getting along well and) end up good friends and the following year we met again and we cruised with both our boats the Eptanesa islands in Greece, my last cruise before I sail to the Caribbean.
