http://www.crete-holiday.org/crete-greece-travel/
Is southwest of Crete, Rhodes, Greece?
When he traveled to the area, found the waters to be extremely difficult. Is this normal?
Yes it is SW of Rhodes. In the mid distance from Africa and Europe. Karpathian The sea and the Cretan Sea waters are known to occasionally rough, yet are nothing exceptional than any other sea. Must have been a day they were traveling very stormy, although 7-8 Beaufort winds are not uncommon in this region, but certainly not typical.
Crete – Travel Documentary