My sailboat, ‘Comfortably Numb’, is my (early) retirement home. I'm based in the South Eastern Aegean Sea. I alternate between Greek Islands and the Turkish coast. Each has it's good points. The southwest Turkish coast is crenelated with bays and fjords. The landscape is beautiful with mountains that flow into the sea. The Greek southeast Aegean Islands, called the Dodecanese, meaning twelve, are generally rocky and dry, but the villages are terminally cute with white houses flowing down hillsides around town harbors. All the Aegean islands but one, in the north, belong to Greece. The people are wonderful in both countries.
I'm currently single. It wasn't by choice, but I'm getting used to it. Of course, being alone makes for boring cruising, so I always travel in company with other boats. I've been here for the last ten years, so I've made some friends. Occasionally I get lucky and manage to get some crew. Sometimes I get lucky with the crew. Not often, but it happens. I'm over six feet tall, not overweight. I don't lift weights, but I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in. Women tell me I'm not bad looking. I'm no sexual athlete, nor do I sport a twelve inch dick, but I'm pretty good in bed - I've been told.
Recently I was cruising in company with another 'real' American boat - there are thousands of boats in the southeast Aegean with US flags owned by Turks that set up a Delaware corporation to avoid paying taxes in their native country. We had tied up on the island of Tilos, not far from the big island of Rhodes. Tilos has a tiny harbor with room for about ten boats. If you are lucky, you can find a space. The anchorage outside the harbor along the beach is great during the day, but at night when the wind drops, you sit parallel to the beach with the waves sideways and the rocking is enough to drive you crazy. You can put out two anchors, but that usually doesn't work - or hasn't for me, anyway.
Tilos has almost nothing. No night life, no discos, just small quaint hotels along the beach. You can rent a car or a moped and tour the island, but it's definitely a place for people that are looking for relaxation rather than excitement. There is a wonderful ice cream shop along the beach. After some time in Turkey, where the local ice cream has mastic, a gooey substance that I find positively revolting, it's good to be in a country where you can get decent ice cream. It is, after all, a basic food group.
My friends on the other boat had decided to take a nap and, as I'm not old enough for afternoon siestas, I used my time productively to get an ice cream fix. There were only two other customers at the ice cream shop, a couple that I guessed to be British (a better than fifty-fifty bet here) who appeared to have finished with whatever they had had. I had settled into one of the comfortable deep chairs and turned my tablet on to see if the promised Wi-Fi still existed. An opportunity to check the weather forecast, email and to see how Wimbledon was going.
"What can I get for you?" said a soft female voice with a wonderful Greek accent.
Greece will not be the country I return to in my next life for a woman. I know you can't generalize, but I had yet to see a Greek woman over about the age of thirty that I would consider beautiful. Fortunately, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I looked up and beheld beauty. I sort of startled. Waiting to take my order was a statuesque black haired woman of maybe twenty-five. She had short shorts on and seemed to have endless legs. I hate fuck-me shoes (apparently unlike most men) and she had Roman sandals on with straps that went around her ankles. Other than hating fuck-me shoes, I have no feeling either way for shoes in general; shoes are shoes. Except for Roman sandals. Maybe when I was sixteen years old a teenager in Roman sandals played with my willy and now that I am able to actually get a hard-on, Roman sandals are a trigger. In any case, she had big dark eyes that I just wanted to stare into. Her wide mouth held a big smile. She looked at me and repeated:
"Are you ready to order?"
I swallowed, and she could clearly see that she had made an impression, but I suspected that that was pretty much how men always reacted to her.
"Can I have a bowl with one scoop of pistachio and two of your delicious vanilla parfait?" I asked.
"So you've been here before?" she opted.
"At least a couple of times a year, but I don't remember you," I said, adding sheepishly, "and I would have remembered." That was pretty lame, Fred, I thought.
"Thanks for the compliment - it was a compliment, right?" she asked.
"Oh, it was definitely a compliment, but excuse me for being an idiot."
"Every girl likes a compliment. I'll get your ice cream.” She walked away.
Soo-ah-vey, I thought. How to impress a girl. She came back right away with a small slip of paper with the Wi-Fi code.
"I think you'll want that?" she asked.
"Is it working today?"
"It was earlier. Maybe still okay if government hasn't gone bankrupt since," she laughed.
I loved the Greek-accented English.
"Where did you learn to speak English so well?"
"I lived in the UK for a year," she replied, "au pere."
"Cool. So how come you're here?"
"This shop was my parents' but they decided to move back to Athens this past winter. I had been in Athens hoping for work, but no jobs, you know. So I take over the shop."
"What do you think about living here?"
"I grew up here, so I know the island, but it's not a great place for a single girl."
"I can understand that; so, what will you do?"
"I don't know yet. I have a brother who is five years younger than I am. He is in school in Thessalonika, but he may come back and run the shop, I don't know. This is a nice island if you are settled, but not if you are looking for something to do. I'll be right back."
The guy behind the counter had called her, my dish was ready. She returned with my ice cream and a small bottle of water. You always get water. It's hot, and dehydration is an issue.
"Have a seat if you have time," I said.
"I'll be back."
She came back two minutes later with a small cup of coffee and sat down. When I first laid eyes on her, I had had a lust attack. I didn't tell you that she had large breasts and, like many Greek women, insisted on displaying them as much as possible by wearing a low-cut top with a push-up bra. In any case, I do belong to that category of men for whom breasts are a big deal. The hard part is to look the person in the eye, not in the breasts.
"I'm Fred," I said.
"Georgina," she replied extending her hand. I said hi and we shook hands. She had a firm grip.
While bimbos (wearing fuck-me shoes) may cause an instant hard on, I have trouble keeping it up if the girl has no substance. Georgina was a woman of substance and, I sensed, passion. Passion is good.
I had my boat built new, but after five years I planned on making some major changes and, not being Daddy Big Bucks, I elicited the help of friends to do work. I had t-shirts printed with the name and line drawing of 'Comfortably Numb'. Volunteers got t-shirts, lunch and beer afterward. The beer might have been a stretch. Never offer cruisers free beer. Skinny gals and guys can get thirsty.
I was wearing one of the t-shirts
"You're on that aluminium boat that came in today, aren't you? I recognize the picture on your shirt. She's a French-built Garcia isn't she?"
I stared at her in disbelief. "Will you marry me?" I replied.
She looked at me strangely; people do that often, sort of 'whaaa...?'
"Sorry, it's a joke. I am just astounded that you know this boat. It's not like the seas are crawling with them."
"Nice boat, I know why the seas are not crawling with them," she said. It was a very expensive midlife crisis that left me with much less cash than I should have at my age, but I don't mind eating spaghetti every night if I can be on a boat that's as close to perfection as I know.
"My older brother is a marine surveyor. He loves alu boats. I know them all. I can take tomorrow off. The weather is supposed to be nice. Take me out on your boat for the day, I'll make sure you keep your space in the harbor. I'll bring lunch and I know a great place where we can have it." she said.
"Best offer I've had today," I said. All year, no doubt, I thought.
The following morning Georgina appeared as agreed. She had gotten her neighbor to take my place with his fishing boat until we returned. I love resourceful people, especially when they come in such awesome packages. Georgina was wearing very short shorts and a little top that came just below her breasts. She carried a lunch basket and a bag with her beach stuff, I assumed.
I started the engine and we cast off. The fishing boat moved in immediately. My friends had planned on staying another two days and then going north to the next island, Nissiros, with its active volcano. I was ready to stay here a while if duty or opportunity called.
The plan was to sail around the island. Georgina said she knew a little cove that, with my shallow draft - my boat has a centerboard - we could anchor in, and that's only accessible by water, where we would have privacy.
I don't get laid very often, unfortunately, and when the opportunity seems to lurk around the corner, I tend to get pretty worked up. Once we were out of the harbor, Georgina helped me put away the fenders and dock lines. Woman that know about boats are few and far between. I put the sails up and let the auto pilot take over in the light breeze. Georgina suggested setting the auto pilot in wind mode, as the wind tended to shift a bit as we rounded the island, but to have no fear as it was always off the land. What a woman, I thought. Georgina had taken off her shorts, revealing a bikini bottom that hardly hid her firm, round, but small ass.
"Now you," she said.
"Now me what?"
"Take your shorts off."
"I'm not wearing anything underneath," I said.
"Now is that my problem? Really! Okay, I'll give you incentive," she said, removing her shirt and the bikini top.
"Now it IS your turn," she added, lifting her breasts with her hands as to show them.