This part of the Aegean Sea can have some of the strongest winds in Europe during the summer months. July and August can be particularly ferocious. And this week the Aegean delivered on its promise of these annual northerly winds. It is these winds that my boat gets her name. Etesian is the old Greek word for the annual northerly winds. The winds are the results of a high-pressure system lying over the Balkan/Hungary area and a relatively low-pressure system over Turkey. You can tell when the winds are starting to form because the dew quits appearing in the morning and the boat deck is dry. As the week progresses, so does the wind strength. And where there are strong winds, big waves follow. We can reef down the sails to accommodate the increase in wind speed, but there is not much to do about the mounting waves. Given the right conditions these winds can strengthen even further on the leeward side of some islands. We watched on Amorgos as the winds plunged straight down the cliffs into the sea. A circle of wind would radiate out and within less than a mile form large waves. Fortunately the catamaran handles the winds and the waves very well. And when the waves get too rough we can go inside the salon area and literally sail the boat from in there using the automatic pilot.
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