Plytra-Caves of Diros

We followed the red arrows round overnight. My watch started just before the Cape and ended about 6 miles from the Pirgos Diros. It was extraordinary.

As we rounded the Cape, it was pitch dark -- except for the lights of a village to our right and the lights of a couple of ships to the left. Although I knew, for a fact, that we were not headed straight for land in between these lights, I would have sworn we were. The lights of the ships just weren't obviously ships -- although the radar and the AIS told me they were.

As we hit the third arrow, the land to my right was practically uninhabited and there were no comforting lights at all -- just formless black. Just under the third arrow is a rock sticking up out of the sea -- not identified by a lighthouse. The rock was visible on the radar, but I couldn't actually see it at all -- there was no moonlight. So my heart was in my mouth all the time we were near it. Finally as I was checking the lights of two ships sailing in opposite directions on the horizon, they both suddenly disappeared from view -- they had gone behind the completely invisible rock ... and once I'd recovered from the shock of disappearing tankers, I had a "visual" fix.

Technology is wonderful but there's nothing like the evidence of your own eyes.

The rest of the night and dawn was uneventful. I handed over about 6 miles from the caves and went to get some sleep.