Meltemi, A Breathtaking Storm At Sea

Without warning, this storm almost swallowed our sailboat; here’s what happened.

Alan and our friends Nick and Maureen decided to take our boat to the beautiful Island of Skopelos for a picnic. We had spent two glorious weeks sailing the Aegean.

The sun was reflecting golden light across the water, making it glisten. What a day for a sail. We loaded our boat with food, water, and, of course, wine, then set out.

About an hour after setting sail, without warning, the sky turned a gothic gray. The winds picked up, and the Aegean began to swell. A skilled sailor, Alan began easing the mainsails so the boat wouldn’t heel too far into the water, which could make the sailboat rollover. The swells were now over 8 feet and rising, pulling the rails closer to the water.

Meltemi winds can pick up incredibly fast, and they appear seemingly out of nowhere. You don’t want to be caught unprepared.

Lulu’s photo

The sailboat was a French Beneteau, wide a beam and seaworthy but Alan had to fight to keep it from flipping.

I was heavily into photography then and saw a rare opportunity to get a great shot. Alan turned and saw me barefoot, with my bum against the stern rail, and began to yell, “Lu, get below; if you fall in, I won’t be able to save you. The swells are too wild.” So I quickly snapped the above photo just before I went below.

Eventually, the Meltemi began to subside, and we sailed to the nearest port, arriving exhausted but happy that we made it.

But, our adventure was not over.

Famished, we decided to go to the nearest Taverna for dinner then we walked back to our boat for some Ouzo. It was now evening. The lights from the boats sparkled, illuminating the port.

While enjoying our Ouzo, we heard the horn from a huge Island Ferry. When we went on deck, we noticed our lights were out, and we were in direct line to where the ferry was beginning to turn into the port.

If we couldn’t get our lights to work, we’d have to jump off the boat and swim to shore because the ferry captain wouldn’t see our boat and plow into it.

Alan feverishly tried to find out why our lights were off to protect the boat and us. He and Nick told Maureen and me, “Put on your life jackets, and if we say jump, leave the boat immediately, and swim to shore, we’ll follow right behind.”

Miraculously, the lights went on just in time for the captain of the ferry to see our boat. Thus, the second crisis of the day was averted.

When Alan arranged for this trip, I had my doubts that a die-hard New Yorker who lived in Manhattan through the craziness of the ’60s would be able to sail in Greece, but he turned out to be a skilled sailor. Along with his friend Nick, I think we were in the best of hands.

Well, I know I don’t have to tell you that we went back to the Taverna for a few more Ouzos.