Adventures of Thésée: Rain, Floods, and NEW SAILS !!

Thursday 22nd December...

Linda - Well, this week has brought quite a mixed bag of events. Dean spent a day repairing some worn areas on the snood and mainsail lazy bag. The sewing machine came in useful, once Dean had sorted out the right tension for the cotton. Some swearing required. He also waterproofed the sailbag, now it's rolled up and nicely packed away for next season's adventures.

Sail bag repairs, notice you need a headtorch for this job 😂

One night the weather treated us to sustained torrential downpours with thunder and lightning. It was windy too, but the pouring rain drowned out the noise of the wind. Next morning we got up to find the water in the marina had unexpectedly turned brown! It was a bit surreal to see, but un-perturbed we walked into town for a spot of grocery shopping.

We hadn't got very far, just outside the marina in fact, when we soon realised how bad the rain downpours had been. The roads were covered in mud and unpassable in places. We had to pick and choose where and which roads to cross. As we ventured further, it became obvious that the mud had been washed down off the mountains and through the roads into the town. On one of the roads the mud slide had washed away a large ditch all down the middle of the road, and the rubble had been washed down into the town. We took a look at the canal. It was running fast out to sea with muddy brown water and small whirlpools. One of the hotel swimming pools which had been empty was now completely full and overflowing with mud. I've never witnessed anything quite like it with my own eyes. Later that day we heard that our neighbouring town 'Kumluca' had been flooded even worse with cars floating down the streets!

Muddy marina water

Someone took this drone shot of the muddy marina water

Roads in the town

The muddy canal

Roads washed away here

Main road through town

The weather improved after that and it was time for painting. We recently bought some new safety floatation devices for the boat and they are both yellow. Dean decided to spray paint one of our other MOB devices (the Danbuoy) in yellow to match. The casing had faded and it needed some TLC. Now it looks fabulous after a coat of yellow paint. He also checked it was all connected up properly and he weighed the gas canister to see if it was still useable.

A little bit about this device.... should anyone fall overboard, this danbuoy can be thrown over the side of the boat, where it immediately inflates. It has a float that sticks high out of the water so the MOB can see it clearly above the waves and make their way towards it. It also has a light making it visible at night.

Painting the Danbuoy casing

Weighing the firing canister

Re-packing the goods

All set and ready to re-install

Well the BIGGEST and MOST VERY EXCITING news of the week was the delivery of our NEW MAINSAIL and NEW GENOA. They were supposed to be delivered on Thursday and we waited in especially, (even passing up the chance of a ramble) but they didn't turn up. The nice lady in the marina office called the delivery company at 5pm and we were told the sails would be delivered the next day, Friday.

Dean eagerly looking to see if there's any sign of the sails delivery

Finally, the delivery van appears and Dean goes to help (take over!)

HIP HIP HOORAY, our new sails have arrived.

They also sent our old sails back too.

New mainsail and genoa on the quay ready to open

Dean can't believe they're really here, and peeks into the bag

Sails onboard now, Dean's hugging his new babies.

His face was just like a little boy on Christmas morning.

We got the new sails out on deck and unrolled them to have a quick look over. But we waited until Sunday to get them out properly and put them up. All seems to be in order but we can't test them out properly until we go sailing next season. Once we had put them up we took them down again and rolled them away to store inside the aft cabin. We don't want them outside all winter.

First look at the mainsail unfolded

Nice big Beneteau logos on the mainsail

Top attachment of the main sail

Now a look at the genoa

Pleated prettily

Made by Q Sails

Now my turn for a photo with the genoa

Just starting to raise the mainsail from the deck

Part way up the mast

Checking it over as we haul it up the mast

View from the pontoon

Here's the genoa nearly up

That's it

Last few days now until Christmas begins, and Dean is still finding things to do. He changed the engine and gearbox oil (an annual winter job). He's been busy washing Thesee's halyards and sheets. Some of them he has turned around so that they don't wear out in the same places all of the time.

Pouring the new oil into the engine

He cleverly uses this cut off bottle as a funnel

The old black oil now removed and awaiting disposal at the Yard

This is the 'pole up' halyard.

You can see the difference where it has worn

And again, this time it's the 'spare spinnaker' halyard.

This is why the lines need to be turned around now and again.

Finally one job this morning...

maintaining the blocks on the main sheet traveller

Close up of the blocks

On Christmas Day we shall be getting together with about 20 other yachties here in the marina. We are going to have Christmas dinner in our small social club, all bringing food. We have been allocated the job of making roast potatoes and sprouts. Thesee is decorated with fairy lights both inside and out, and to make it even more cosy we have finally found and bought a new rug!