Ios

From the first spreaders

Papa gave me and BeBe the test for midshipman while we were at Ios.  Elisabeth barely passed.  She is a good sailor but is too girlie for some of the stuff we did.  I passed and am now rated Midshipman 1st Class aboard S/V BeBe.  Papa gave me a certificate saying this.


We had to tie bowline knots.  I can do it with my eyes closed, but BeBe needs to watch what she is doing.  We had to tie deck cleats (of course).  We had to know how to throw the heavy dock lines and how to secure the lines to docks on bollards and cleats.  We had to know how to tie a midshipman's knot.  Tutu said this knot is also called a double clove hitch.  We had to know how to steer the boat manually and also how to use the auto-pilot.  

At the first spreaders

Of course we had to know the difference between port and starboard and which color goes to which side.  And we had to know which boat is the give-way boat and which one is the stand-on vessel when 2 boats are approaching.  Papa didn't ask us about every possible encounter position of boats moving, but I knew the ones he asked about.  I also know to tell Papa or Tutu anytime I see another boat approaching when we are sailing.


It was not on the test, but I also know how to follow a course on the electronic charts.  And how to identify AIS targets and find out if we are on a collision course or not.  

Here feet are barely off the deck!!!

Tutu said part of passing any midshipman test should be going up the mast at least to the first spreaders.  So I did that too.  It is really high up there!  I got a little scared after awhile up there, but now I want to go all the way up to the top next time.  Or maybe at least to the second spreaders.  I took a photo looking down at the deck.


BeBe was scared of going up the mast.  Tutu said she had to get in the bosun seat and go at least 3 feet up.  She barely made that.  She did not get rated 1st Class, but she did get a basic Midshipman certificate.  I don't know why she was so scared sitting in the bosun seat.  Her feet were barely off the deck.  

BeBe's 10th birthday

BeBe's 10th birthday in Ios, Greece

BeBe had her tenth birthday the day before she and her parents left.  

Church in background

Restaurant church in Ios

That night Papa and Tutu and I went out to eat dinner for our last night in Ios.  Tutu let me pick the place to eat.  I found a restaurant built next to a tiny church that was half underground.  The dinner was pretty good, but what was best was the desert!  I had Oreo crepes and they were delicious!  Papa said the crepes were big enough to feed 4 people.   He ate 4 bites and I ate all the rest.  Tutu doesn't eat Oreos so she didn't want any.  Good.  More for me!

Half underground church at restaurant