“Houston, we have a problem.” The windlass circuit breaker kept tripping and we could not raise the anchor. It was our first major failure, although fortunately we were in a safe bay. After a four-and-a-half-hour recovery operation, we left for Patmos at 11.30 a.m. and entered Skala harbour around 12.30.
Yannis introduced us to an electrician. When we learned that the windlass motor needed replacing, our plans changed and we decided to stay on Patmos for two nights. That evening we went up to Chora, had drinks at Stoa and ate a modern interpretation of Greek cooking at Vaggelis.
Around the Monastery of Saint John, bougainvillea-lined lanes, colourful doors, wooden balconies and fifteenth-century houses made Chora an elegant medieval village. We browsed its galleries, then slept deeply aboard in the harbour breeze after a very long day.