Accidents do happen

We have been on the beautiful island Alonissos in the northern Sporades just over a week now. Although it is a lovely place, we were not planning on staying here this long. Unfortunately Max had an accident and hurt his hand. While we were taking up the anchor to leave the town quay in Patitiri, our anchor chain got wrapped around the windlass – the electronic winch that pulls the anchor up or lets it down. As Max was trying to get the chain off again, his knee pressed the electronic foot switch that pulls the chain up. His hand got wrapped into the chain. He broke a finger, ripped a nail out, and had some cuts on other fingers. But it could have been so much worse. A big lesson learnt here for both of us.

So we had to go back to the dock, and Max went to the local clinic.He also had to take a ferry to the mainland the next day to visit a bigger hospital.  Since Max cannot manage the boat tasks with one hand, and I won’t be able to handle everything on my own, we are taking a break here.

When something like this happens, we are suddenly vulnerable. It’s just the two of us responsible for our family and a big boat. When one of us ‘breaks down’, the other person has to step up. There is no family and friends nearby to help out. Off course we talked about this before we set off on this adventure, but this is the first serious incident we have had so far. Luckily it was pretty easy to get to shore and get help.

Bored in paradise

So we have made the most of it and become quite familiar with Patitiri. We take our iced coffee at the same place on the beach in the mornings, go for a little evening stroll like the locals do. But to be honest, I can’t wait to be on the move again, feel the wind on my face and explore new places! It is quite addictive, that…

Bianca Kindler