2015: In the Marina & Loving It

Preveza Marina continued (Part 2):

Generator Coolant Water Pump.  The generator has a coolant system that you fill with antifreeze and this keeps the insides of the important bits of the engine cool.  Keeping the coolant cool is the job of the raw water that is circulated around the engine and spat out with the exhaust.  Well, this time it was the coolant water pump’s turn to fail.  Shortly after we set off on our trip north for Croatia there was clearly a major leak and gathering in the drip tray was all this coolant.  We returned to Preveza where our new best friend Stefan soon diagnosed the problem as being a failed coolant water pump ie it had corroded through its casing.  I thought that’s what the antifreeze coolant was supposed to stop.   Two weeks later, we had a new spare pump and fitted, at a modest cost that I still grit my teeth over – US parts imported into Europe means BIG money, mostly taxes.

This folks is what caused all the teeth gnashing, many weeks delay
and almost broke the annual cruising budget!!

Masthead Anchor Light.  This was working perfectly when we tested it shortly after we returned to the boat this year.  Once on anchor, however, we found it would not work, or would eventually.  After a trip up the mast to check the fitting and globe, when it seemed to work properly after some fiddling and testing, we then found that it would flash regularly rather than remain constant when turned on.  I still have no idea why it flashes but we just left it – it made it so very easy to identify our boat when returning to the anchorage at night time!  I might add, for all of you that are tut tutting, there are any number of combinations of anchor lights around Europe eg flashing single and multiple red and/or white lights at mastheads, in cockpits, tiny cheap solar lights that you can hardly see (especially when near a town with all their lights showing), and many boats without any anchor light at all.

There'll be a few more folks in town shopping today

Bike Repairs.  Our folding bikes are indispensable.  I’m surprised to see so many cruisers walking to/from/around town when they could be biking it.  Ours needed a service and a local Greek bike shop owner in Preveza did a wonderful job of restoring (read replacing) our fancy Shimano gears and generally fixing the bikes back to almost new.  We also lashed out and purchased some helmets.  The shop was a referral through Aktio.

Outboard Safety/Cut Off Switch.  Our Yamaha switch had given up the ghost some time ago although it would cut off when you pulled the clamp from the ignition.  Eventually it wouldn’t do that so I had to disconnect the switch, let it hang down and then use a coin or copper washer to make the electrical contact that would turn it off.  Tried to get a switch in Greece but not possible apparently.  Will get one in Oz and take it back overseas in 2016.

Ruins always seem conveniently located in Greece.
This is Nikopolis, Augustus's celebratory city just outside Preveza