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Boat Trips from Astypalaia
on board
Thalassopouli, The Seabird
Towards the end of the season boat trips become less frequent, depending on a sufficient number of passengers to make it worthwhile. But we were fortunate enough to spend two wonderful days on board the ‘Thalassopouli’, or the Seabird, with Captain Ioannis and his charming wife.
Sunday 7th September 2008
On the first day we left the harbour at 11am and sailed for about an hour to the Island of Kounoupa. The trip enabled fabulous views of the Chora, as well as a valuable opportunity to see the scale of Astypalaia and its topography. We passed several small islands\islets on the way (on the West side of Ligno we’d seen a fish farm from the air as we flew in). Even some of the otherwise unpopulated Islands have their own little church, as well as seagulls and cormorants; seals are also rumoured to inhabit them.
We arrived at Lada bay in Kounoupa and Ioannis’ wife skilfully hooked the float that bore the rope to which the Seabird was then anchored. Fellow passengers shot enquiring glances as we assessed the distance from the Seabird to the shore, along with the bulk of our assorted beach bags. Ioannis grinned and flipped up a section of wooden rail, before pulling on a thick blue rope that dragged the tender round. In groups of six we climbed down the steps off the Seabird on to the tender, Ioannis fired up the outboard and ferried us to the beach.
A short walk over Kounoupa’s thin, pebbled waist from Lada revealed Nisyros bay – a lovely, shallow bay on which we spent a couple of happy hours swimming, sun-bathing, reading and watching birdlife through binoculars. We saw one particularly impressive bird with a bright lemon-yellow chest, a flock of small sparrow-like birds and hawks nesting on the cliffs opposite. A couple of short blasts on the siren announced Ioannis’ return to pick us up. Sue and I were in the last group to be picked up; Ioannis asked if there was anyone else and we replied, ‘No. There are no Robinson Crusoes.’
Back on the Seabird the
Captain’s wife provided food and a selection of drinks. 
A
short sail later and we anchored at another bay between Koutsomytis and
Tigani to which Ioannis ferried people again, before having his lunch
and then motoring over to a nearby fishing boat to chat with the
fishermen. 
I decided to stay on board and recline lazily under the awning over the prow to read my book and enjoy the gentle rocking sensation and peace,
while
Sue jumped in for a swim.
After another couple of very pleasant hours we headed back and had one final treat. Ioannis’ wife gave us bunches of grapes to eat from her own garden.
Arriving back at the harbour around 6pm, with a great view of Chora and
the kastro from the bay, we paid Ioannis for our trip and he let us know
that he was planning to go to some of Astypalaia’s beaches the next day.
We decided over dinner that it was too good an opportunity to miss.
Monday 8th September 2008
There were fewer passengers the next day and Ioannis’ wife joked, ‘Today we are family.’ We felt very privileged to be in small group and our hosts had the chance to enjoy the day for themselves, too.
As we sailed west from the harbour the rocks and cliffs towered above us, displaying their superb geology and resident birds.
The
outward-bound trip was fairly choppy and made for exciting sailing, but
Captain Ioannis and the Seabird easily took it in their stride.
Ioannis’ wife pointed out various beaches en route and a spot high in the hills where a cave is to be found. She’d been there, but said it was quite and climb and difficult to find the entrance, which she then had to squeeze through to gain access to the cave. She also showed us Ag. Ioannis high up on the hill, from which you can see wonderful sunsets.
We pulled into Ag. Ioannis bay and the Captain ferried us to the beach that shares his name. As we jumped off the tender we were greeted by a pair of holey old boots and a huge coil of rope – presumably washed ashore from a freighter. We spent about an hour and a half on the beach and had a little picnic under an umbrella that Ioannis’ wife leant us.
The next stop was Kaminakia bay. Instead of heading for the beach, Ioannis set off towards the rocks.
Suddenly we could see why.
He took us right inside a sea cave and bobbed about for a while so we could take photographs, before dropping us on the beach.
Kaminakia beach is a sandy, shallow stretch with shade under the tamarisks, more interesting bird watching, goat bells tinkling in the hills and a taverna. It was a fabulous place to stop and I have to admit, when Ioannis sounded the siren to return we’d both fallen asleep. It is possible to get to Kaminakia by dirt track, but the road is said to be very steep and a bit scary, so I’m glad we had the chance to go by boat.
A short while later we stopped in a shaded bay beneath tall, sheer cliffs. It was Ioannis’ wife’s favourite place to swim and she said that the water felt like silk on the skin, like swimming in champagne (presumably from a high mineral content dissolving in from the adjacent rocks). The water was a deep blue and some forty to fifty metres deep.
As
we set off again Ioannis’ wife bought us a packet of Digestive biscuits
to share and we joked about the English liking their tea and biscuits
she scurried away to make tea. A moment later we heard her voice calling
but couldn’t see her, until we realised that she had passed two mugs of
mint tea through the glass hatch on the deck next to us. We sipped our
tea gratefully and enjoyed the rest of the journey back to the harbour.
We thanked them and bid farewell to the charming couple who’d given us
two glorious days on board the Seabird.
The trips cost €17 each per day (as of 2008) with snacks and drinks very reasonably priced.
Depending on the weather, the boat sometimes goes round the island, too.
If you’re in Chora/Pera Gialos we recommend going to the harbour and finding the Seabird on her little jetty to see if Captain Ioannis is planning a trip.
Their charm and generosity made for a very special day out.
Here's a little YouTube video of the boat trip