photo contest - Yacht Essentials

Earth Trek: Land of the Gods
pecially considering the arrival of a Meltimi (strong northerly
wind). We had a terrible night!
I decided to check out the south shore and exited the
main crater through the southern entrance, passing
the two giant heaps of jet black solidified lava that are
thought to be plugging the volcano. Much to my surprise,
I found at least five good anchorages and a tiny marina
that allowed us to pull alongside another yacht so we
could pick up our guests. Aside from that, we were witness
to some of the most amazing typography we’d ever
seen. The rocks changed from black to red to white, then
brown and back to red. A huge white rock resembling a
crystal thrust high into the sky seemed to be the center of
attention as several small day-tripper boats would stop at
its foot. Just around the corner from this was a beach at
the foot of a scarlet cliff. The blue-and-white umbrellas
that were perfectly placed along the water’s edge made
a great subject for photography.
My guests decided to stay on Thira for the four days they
were aboard, returning to the southern shore anchorages
48 YACHT ESSENTIALS
every evening. We took a taxi from the marina up to Santorini,
which seems to be precariously perched atop the
volcano rim 300 meters up. I cannot begin to explain the
wonder that we all felt as we strolled around. I’d highly
recommend at least three days on the island, as it’s most
certainly a highlight of the Greek Islands. We’ll certainly be
returning in 2011. If you see us, come by and say hello.
I recommend studying the Greek Waters Pilot by Imray
before taking on the Greek Islands. And if you’d like to
ask any questions before you go, feel free to email me at
charter@wonderfulcharters.com.
Captain Warren J. East has completed more than 300 charters
around the world and has sailed close to 180,000 miles.
He holds a commercially-endorsed 3000 tonnes (class 4)
license awarded by the Maritime Coastguard Agency and
now stands at the helm of S/V Wonderful, which he was
commissioned to design and project manage in 2001. Visit
his website at www.wonderfulcharters.com.