2014: Lessons in Anchoring & Pest Control

Preveza, Greece

(Temporarily) Lost Anchor.  I’m saving the best until last!  On our visit to check out boatyards in Preveza we anchored off Aktio Marina, in about 25’ depth of water.  We were then asked to go in and tie up alongside one of Aktio’s groins to drop off our mainsail and outboard for repairs.  We could stay there too until repairs were completed - bonus!  The crew duly raised the anchor and when she turned to me, as she does, to tell me that the anchor was raised so that I can then power away, she advised (somewhat hesitatingly) that there was NO anchor.  I questioned this unwelcome news but it was repeated, more forcefully this time.  Sure enough, no anchor was what I found when I strode purposefully forward to confirm said crew’s statement. 

On instruction,  she dropped all our chain hoping that would slow any drift.   I then quickly dropped another anchor we had on rope and there we sat.  Luckily there was little tidal movement at that time but we had moved a bit.  I donned snorkelling gear and searched in murkyish waters, no luck.  GS then surveyed where she thought we had been when we pulled the anchor up and directed me accordingly.  First dive down and there was our much loved Rocna anchor sitting nicely, with the pin lying neatly next to it.  It must be that woman cave thing!  We recovered anchor and chain, joined them together again and recovered the second anchor.  Much discussion followed. 

The anchor is where?  Out there - somewhere!

What we did was enough as it turned out but if it happens again I would hit the Man Overboard button on the chart program almost immediately then do what we did.  Luckily we were in reasonably shallow water.  Why wasn’t the pin moused down?  Well, you can’t with these new stainless steel swivels that have a pin that sits countersunk and is done up using an allen key.  You need to screw them in as firmly as you can and observe "often" for any subsequent movement.  Also check them regularly which we now do religiously.  I would also consider lock tight on the thread and will research this a bit more.  Yes, you can also utilize a tripping line and buoy but they have their disadvantages too and we haven’t gone down that route.

Rats Onboard.  We subsequently stayed on the groin for several days and were able to use the marina’s facilities while there – very nice.  One visitor however, was not welcome.  A foraging rat decided to join us late one night though thankfully did not get inside before being given a karate chop incentive, through an open hatch in the galley, to move on.  Ratus Sparticus learned to fly that night.  Next morning we gathered & cut a crate of plastic soft drink bottles to assemble our rat defences.  We never saw him, or any of his mates, again.  It goes to show that you can never be too careful when tied up in a marina or at a dock.

Despite these shared experiences, Aktio is highly recommended for a haul out yard. 

WJ3 looking somewhat bohemian in her plastic "rat discouragers"

2014: Repairs Underway in Preveza

Ionian, Greece: 2014

Preveza Marina - getting ready for haul out

Companionway Step.  I managed to break the side lip on the bottom step of my companionway ladder while standing on it; replaced it with the top step and in turn had that replaced with a flat piece of timber (bamboo actually – a cutting board).  The original steps curl up at the edges and so they are particularly important on the bottom step as there is nothing else to stop one’s foot sliding sideways.  The other five above all have stainless railing to support your foot and prevent it sliding.  The companionway steps are one of our most loved parts of this boat ie a gentle rise, rather than a steep one like many other boats, and at rest it is quite easy/safe to carry a drink in each hand while ascending, without spilling anything.  I actually now prefer my new top step/cutting board as it is bigger than the original.  It’s fine at sea too.

Light Connections.  Located and repaired electric connections (that had come loose over time) for a bunch of cabin lights over the galley and in the store room.

 

Floating through the Corinth Canal

Leaking Fresh Water Tank.   For several seasons I had always wondered as to why there was water pumped from the bilge whenever we refilled the water tanks.  It only occurred a few of times then it would stop altogether.  To cut a long story short this year I heard a strange sound while refilling the water tanks and lifted some of the flooring access plates.  I could hear a hissing gurgling sound and sure enough one of the (five) plastic water tanks had a small slit at its top.  

I could feel it but not see it as most of the water tanks are hidden from view under furniture.  As it is, I can’t get to it to repair it and would have to lift some flooring and may be some of the galley furniture (which is not removable as far as I can see) to be able to do so.  I believe that you can repair these tanks with plastic welding but you need to be able to get to the damaged part relatively easily.  It looks easy on You Tube.  So, I’ve had to leave it and I use this tank first off whenever I refill tanks.  Fortunately all tanks can be isolated from each other using the ball valves for each tank located near the fresh water pump.

Starter Battery Died.  At the island of Meganissi, on the Ionian Sea and not very far south of Preveza, the starter battery died.  Working fine one day, not the next.  Fortunately, Meganissi was only a 20 minute fast dinghy hike in Bruce to a decent chandlery on Lefkadha and I was back on the boat in an hour and a half with a brand new battery.  No further problems.  I did try to use jumper leads from the storage batteries to the starter battery but it was not enough to turn the engine over.  I’m sure there must be another solution and will let you know when I find it out.  What if one were far away from civilization and the starter battery died?

At the marina, we had time for side trips

Maintaining Stainless Steel.  This year I made a startling discovery.  To keep the stainless clean and shiny, with minimum rust marks, clean it with fresh water.  It gets very salt encrusted as you cruise around and builds up rust stains but, rather than leave it until the end of the season or on visits to marinas where there is plenty of fresh water to hose them off, just wipe them with a wet rag of fresh water every now and again.  We carry four jerry cans of spare fresh water but you really don’t need to use much anyway.  A bucket half full will easily cover all the (considerable) stainless railing around the boat.  Anyway, just remarkable, no need for polishing all the time (which I rarely do although I always feel guilty for not doing it).  I suppose everyone else out there knows this simple technique but I had never read about it.  I just discovered it by accident. 

Generator Raw Water Develops Galloping Diarrhoea.   About a week or so before we reached our port of storage at the end of the season (Preveza), the generator shat itself and the drip tray was full of dirty brown water.  The raw water pump bearing had died again (last time seven years ago) and so it was leaking lots of water from the engine cooling system.  No other damage resulted as water was still being circulated around the engine but the generator could no longer be used.  We had it repaired once we were on the hard by a very helpful German mechanic, Stefan, arranged for by the yard – Aktio Marina.  This was to be the beginning of a growing but unwelcome relationship - only because of too many boat bits needing TLC!  Our relationship continued on in 2015.  The Other Woman is loving the attention....

2014 - an Interesting year for repairs!

Aktio Boatyard, Preveza - Haul Out

2014: Repairs Underway in Poros

Poros, Greece

Raw water inlet hose on engine started to leak, just a few drops every minute.  I hate water inside the boat at the best of times so, having found the leak by feel, I bound it with some very stretchy tape that I carry on board which is designed for just this sort of eventuality.  It stretches about four to five times (I’m guessing) its original size and you wrap it around whatever you want – it sticks to itself if you don’t ruin the sticky part with grubby fingers.  I also wrapped some duct tape over that and it stopped leaking for the rest of the season. 

We had a great trip north up the Turkish coast from Marmaris, with some
isolated anchorages, clear waters perfect for snorkelling and amazing
ruins (like Pergamum) to explore along the way.  Highly recommended!

Continuous Furling Line for the Mainsail.  It needed replacement I thought as it was looking a bit hows-your-father.  Tried at the Marmaris marina boatyard sailmaker but, by now, we weren’t talking to each other so no luck there.  Tried other contacts but, although promising to get back to me, didn’t.  At this stage we were on anchor just off the Marmaris boatyard and, I have to admit, I sensed  a lack of enthusiasm by tradies to work on boats when at anchor (perhaps they worry about getting paid before boaties sail away in the night).  So, we gave up trying and departed Marmaris still with the original line and it lasted fine (for quite some weeks) until reaching the west coast of Greece and about to enter Poros, with a good wind blowing.  I started to furl the mainsail, probably under a fair bit of pressure but not as much as we’ve experienced before, then, bang, the line snapped.   I simply furled the main using a winch handle on the winch on the mast. 

In Poros there is a popular chandlery and the staff there were very helpful, selling me some new line and also arranging for someone to come out the next day to do the splice.  I might add here that the furling line is braided, this splice has to be pretty much exactly the same diameter as the line is so it will easily run through a bunch of blocks and winches, while at the same time be almost as strong as the line itself. 

The one that got away!

We had arranged that I would meet the ‘splicer’ the next morning and take him to and from the boat, which was on anchor.  The chandlery man very kindly came along to the pickup point to make introductions and off we went.  The ‘splicer’ was a local, in his late seventies, couldn’t speak English and had a gammy leg (at least one of them).  On arrival at Windjammer he almost fell into the water as he endeavoured to cross from the dinghy to the boat at the stern (it doesn’t get friendlier than this let me tell you) and all crew had to come to the rescue – it was a near run thing.  

Unperturbed he set about his business and nothing I could say would influence him as he went about his task.  Anyway, after an hour of honest toil I had a splice that did indeed slide through all the sheaves and winches but with about 5% strength.  We all agreed that it was a fine effort and I duly returned him to shore, paid him the agreed amount plus a healthy tip, and we parted on very good terms.

We had spectacular scenery through Greece too. 
This is Cape Sounion.

I now did what I wanted to do in the first place – do it myself.  I had watched YouTube for ‘how to’ instructions several times and also had written instructions to refer to.  It was a fairly easy fix by following the instructions.  The hardest bit was the three splices you have to stitch in place to hold the joins neatly and securely together – it took me two goes to do a neat job ie making sure the rope’s diameter was not increased so it easily moved through blocks and jammers.  Very satisfying effort in the end!  Why didn’t I do it myself in the first place?  Well, I thought that for such an important repair I would watch an expert do it first, then do it myself next time.  Oh well, he was a lovely old bloke and it was one of those magical experiences you only get when boating.  We also think he’s dined out a few times with his mates on the strength of his “near death” experience on our sailboat.   In 2015, when the rig was checked by professional riggers for insurance, they noted that the furling line is too stretchy and too large so I may replace it next year.

Outboard Doesn’t Go Fast When Powered Up.  In Poros, one night we headed into shore for dinner and since we were anchored a fair distance from the town docks we sped into town at best speed on the plane.   Our 15hp RIB dinghy ‘Bruce’ can tow a skier.  On the way back to the boat we motored along fine but when trying to get onto the plane the engine would rev madly but not have the "umph" to get the boat going on to the plane.   We could still use the dinghy but only at slow speeds.  I checked the prop and it seemed to be locked in ok and couldn’t find any fault with the gear box.  When we eventually got to Preveza the first time to check out the boatyard, we gave the motor to the mechanic arranged by the Aktio Marina.  The mechanic took the outboard away and next day it was back with a new propeller fitted.  Seems that the old prop had worn its gearing so badly that it slipped on the gear shaft at high revs.  So, there you go, I certainly didn’t think of that.

Poros is the quintessential Greek island village

2014: More Repairs in the Marina

Marmaris, Turkey: Part 2

Work in the Boatyard continues....

Anemometer Smashed.  On checking our electrics etc after returning to the boat I noticed that the anemometer (wind meter) was not showing any reading.  It was on at the screen but not indicating any reading of wind speed or direction.  On checking the masthead through the binoculars I couldn't see it.  I climbed the mast only to find the plug all by itself without the usual staff, with windcups and wind vane completely gone.  I made enquiries of the locals and was informed of a massive hail storm experienced some months beforehand and presumably the wind vane was cleanly knocked off the masthead.  It wasn’t difficult to source a new one and install it.  Just another expense!

Although it doesn't look like it, a storm of 30kts blew over soon after we
arrived at the anchorage off Yat Marin at Marmaris.  Welcome to boating!
And I hope everything is working, including the anchor....

VHF Antenna.  I had previously noticed that our handheld VHF radio had a better range than the mounted VHF radio.  Turned out, after a lot of checking, that the cable plug where it entered the back of the radio had lost its solder from its core.  Our antenna cable has a join at the base of the mast so I only had to remove the cable between radio and mast (thank goodness) and not the cable going up the mast to the masthead antenna.  Had it repaired by a friendly local technician (a lady) in a local shop at the marina, reinstalled it and everything ok again. 

Window Screens.  Our two forward fixed deck windows have mesh screens permanently in place, attached with press studs, which do a superb job, in addition to the tinted windows, in keeping light to a comfortable level inside the main cabin. They were old and needing repair so had them copied by a canvas maker in Marmaris town proper. A superb job & the screens fitted perfectly. 

Marmaris for Work Done on Boats.  Marmaris is probably one of the best places we have had work done in all the places we have been to ie a balance of fair quality work for a very reasonable price, bearing in mind my other observations.  There are plenty of tradespeople to choose from and so there is good competition even at the Yat Marin Marina.  If you didn’t like one or two quotes there were others to approach.  You can actually get firm quotes although in one case one quote was only an approximation which turned out to be much less than the bill ie regassing the fridge in 2013.  The quotes did vary markedly so this is a great place to shop around.  There are also a heap of yacht services in Marmaris town but you either approach them directly or you need to get permission from the marina before they are allowed to work on your boat at the marina, which in our case wasn’t necessary.

Off Datca under a full moon

 

2014: Repairs in the Marina

Marmaris, Turkey: Part 1

(Finally there's a bit of time to update the H460 blog...between bouts of boat maintenance and house renovations!)

Life on the Hard - with unsurpassed views

Sails Cleaned and UV Stitching Replaced.  I took up an offer at the marina sailmakers in 2013 to have the sails washed and inspected when we stored the boat on the hard in Marmaris.  It was all quoted and we left the sails with the sailmaker to pick up on return in 2014.  I left a deposit (payment of 50% was what the rules said) and, I noted accordingly on their invoice as the sailmaker doing the paperwork said she was not going to issue a receipt just now but when I paid fully next year.  Okey, when in Rome …  To cut a long story short, when I went to pick up the sails she denied any payment having been made.  I pointed out my note and she said ‘this has never happened before … la la la … but I was not backing down.  So, she reluctantly accepted my point and the balance.  I complained to the sailmaker manager only to find out that everyone working there is family so no real point taking it further with that lot.  I was quite prepared to take it up with the marina manager but not really necessary as it turned out. 

All the stitching on the UV covers was redone however, so overall I got what I paid for.  Big lesson, whenever making a payment always get some receipt or, if in Greece where they don’t know about receipts, make some note of any payments, like I did with this lot.

Bike Bags.  Before our falling out I had also purchased a couple of big old sail bags quite cheaply and we use them to store our bikes in – much neater and good protection from the elements as we put the bikes in the dinghy on its davits when sailing.

I also needed my continuous furling line replaced but, at this stage, the sailmaker was not interested, for obvious reasons.  For my solution, see below.

I should also have included the webbing on the clew of the mainsail to be restitched, but didn’t (my fault) and paid the price - more on that later too.

 

A very professional launch in Marmaris

Boat Detailing.  At the marina, very shortly after being placed in a cradle on the hard in 2013, I was quickly approached by a few of the private tradespeople that occupy their own workshops around the wall of the marina.  I accepted one quote to polish the topsides and stainless steel and also to undertake professional gelcoat repairs to hairline cracks and other minor scratches and repairs that have appeared over the years on the deck and topsides.  It also included one coat of antifouling to the bottom and he also raised the waterline around the stern as requested.  All for a very reasonable price.  He also undertook to wash the boat down each month while we were at home and that he would let me know when he had done so each time.  He gave me contact details of previous customers whom I contacted and they were generally pleased with his work.  One said don’t make the final payment until the boat is back in the water as his staff did not do the final anti fouling on the spots on the hull that can’t be done while the boat is in its cradle.  As it turned out on the launch day it was more convenient for me to do it myself anyway.

All the work was carried out as promised except I had to chase him up about the wash downs each month.  When I did enquire he answered promptly and also gave me updates on the work to be, and being, done.  He only required a very small deposit before I left, a part payment shortly after I returned, and then the balance on completion of all the work ie when the last dabs of paint were put on when the boat was picked up for relaunching .  Highly recommended providing you take an ongoing interest in progress etc.

Turkey's coast is a picture postcard delight

2013: End of Season Comments

Repairs & Maintenance Underway:

Spinnaker Furler  - a further comment… (Spanish Experience).  Well, we didn’t purchase one this year as the particular Profurl model I was after didn’t have any torsion lines available.  They were coming up with an improved torsion line as it turned out and it is now on the market – it looks much better than the original (it appears to have all these little balls on the line which, I assume, makes furling more efficient).  The winds we experienced on our voyage this year didn’t really suit flying spinnakers ie on the nose or, if in the right direction, too strong to fly a spinnaker on a cruising boat.  Something for the future perhaps and it certainly remains on my shopping list.  I will also purchase a removable bowsprit to get the tack of the spinnaker forward of the pulpit.

Some subscribe to really slow boating

Broken Dunny Seat Hinge.  Someone sat down too heavily on our guest dunny (I think it was me) and a hinge broke making it very unsafe at sea (just use your imagination).  New hinges were purchased and one of our guests was asked to take off the old and attach the new (using stainless steel screws this time – why Jabsco use normal steel screws on a marine toilet seat escapes me as they are otherwise an excellent product) while the skipper did other things.  Apparently, it was quite a performance to remove the old screws and hinges but I did realise how “handy” or self-reliant boaties must be in general to keep our boats ticking over and in good working order.  Anyway, the throne is all back together and providing safe seating once again.

Fridge Repairs Underway.  In Greece our fridge and freezer gradually lost most of its refrigerant/gas.  We had to revert to our trusty and reliable (touch wood) Waeco.  Some friendly Canadian neighbours we shared an anchorage with at Kuruca Buku, Turkey had a handheld refrigerant leak detector.  This worked a treat and we quickly identified the leak along the gas line at one of the fittings.  A bit of a tighten with a spanner and no more leak.  When we arrived at Marmaris a fridge technician topped up our gas, checked for any further leaks and we were back in business.  It makes a huge improvement to life on board (for the galley slave particularly).  I will purchase one of these detectors and use it to scan for leaks every week or so – they only cost around $30-50.  If I had done this earlier I would have detected and fixed the leak and regassing is not cheap.  This experience also speaks volumes about cruising camaraderie - somewhat in short supply in a touristy Med.  So, well done & greatly appreciated!

Sunset over Ibiza, Balearics

Internet & Phone Solutions in the Med

 

Who could be cranky with scenery like this?  Pylos, Greece.

Internet Solutions in the Med.  We really like internet access simply because you get very good easy-to-read weather reports.  Emails can also be the best way to communicate rather than try and talk to someone on cellphone (mobile phone) that has a non-Australian accent (most people outside Oz) and most marinas have English – speaking staff!  If your emails are not answered then you have little choice but to call them direct.  We have adopted the following as the most convenient and thrifty solution for "long-term" stays over the sailing season:

a.  On arrival in a new country we purchase a data dongle and a pay-as-you-go SIM card.  We normally start with about $/Euro20 and see how we go but they may have a special plan so check.  Lesson here is to make it a priority as soon as you enter a country.

b.  The shop may not have what you want so there may be a delay while they get it from their warehouse or another dealer.

c.   The data dongle we retain and will use it again if we re-enter the respective country and purchase credit on the SIM card (as the original will have time-expired).

d.  Check to see how long the SIM card $$$ lasts for.   We have been told one thing eg a month, only to find that it lasted a fortnight. Make the salesman say how long it will last and confirm again before you leave their shop just to be sure.  It’s very frustrating to find you don’t have internet access when you think you should and then you find you have run out of time rather than memory power.  This becomes doubly frustrating when you lose internet access, you are in a remote-ish area and you can’t find a local dealer.

e.  We use Vodafone and have found it generally good, except on one occasion as per the previous paragraph.   You would think that Vodafone would produce a universal dongle for all countries but, alas, data dongles are unique to their respective countries.

f.   Find out, at time of purchase, how you can monitor your usage.  This normally shows up on a drop-down menu which comes up when you open or close your connection but will probably be in the local language. Reading Turkish, for example, is challenging.  If you simply can’t work it out then you can take your paperwork and dongle to the company and they will be able to check your usage.

g.  Keep all paperwork and if you have to go back to your provider they will want to know some number(s).  On each box, SIM card etc there are various serial numbers and so we just let them rummage around amongst all our paperwork (that we keep in assorted plastic bags) and extract what they need.

h.  In Greece there wasn’t a Vodafone shop at Pylos where we entered, however, there was a Cosmote shop and, as this company is the largest mobile network operator in Greece, we assumed that they would be okey.  We purchased a dongle and SIM card, checked it back on board, found it didn’t work, phoned for assistance and were told to check at the next port.  We sailed away, only to find that when we checked at the next Cosmote store, that they couldn’t do anything to assist – it had to be fixed at the shop that sold us the gear.  Emails were exchanged but without result.  The problem was that the SIM card had been used before and so was out of date and couldn’t be ‘revived’.  How it ended back on the shelf as a new dongle is anyone’s guess.  To cut a long story short we continued on our journey with promises by all the friendly staff at various Cosmote stores that it would be sorted by the time we reached the next port, or we would get a new one at the next shop (they never had one in stock), and all-in-all it was never resolved.  Make up your own mind.  Of course, we eventually found a Vodafone shop that had a dongle that suited our requirements (but it wasn’t the first V shop we tried to obtain a dongle). 

Of course, many things change over the years,
some more than others

Phone Solutions in the Med.  We used Go-Sim, a prepaid travel sim, which we purchased in Aus before leaving for our sailing season 2013.  I should add that we have "unlocked" handsets.  Go-Sim gave us a British phone number and we used it to make calls from our smart phones.  It worked well except in some out-of-the-way places.  When you dial a number you get a call back when you are being connected.  It’s a bit weird but you get used to it.  On board and offshore, to find a network that would provide a connection, entailed a bit of searching on Settings trying various providers.  We had new smart phones and we aren’t smart so there was a fairly steep learning curve.

The phones came in handy for speaking (or sending SMS messages) to marinas, contractors or each other, however we mostly used Skype set up on our laptops to call home (Aus).