Thursday 28th September...
Linda - Today's the day we lifted out at Moor & Dock boatyard in Leros. But first, I must tell you that overnight the forecasted rain, thunder, hail, and wind did not materialise. Good job as I was cursing that our last night on the water be blighted by storms. But, there was a lot of lightning about. We slept well though and this morning I couldn't believe that it had been a very peaceful night indeed.
We were first to be called to lift out at about 8.15am.
Nice calm morning for it, thankfully
In the slip
Travel hoist moves into position
Colourful local boats around the area
Dean keeping an eye on the job
Big clouds forming
Now moving slowly up to the boatyard
It's like watching the space shuttle moving to the launch pad
Miniature boats
Map of the yard
Going into our new berth
Arrived
Thesee's hull was pretty barnacle-less. But tonight we are still waiting for the boatyard to do the jet-wash. Here's a few photos of the hull inspection.
Prop
Bow thruster
Keel cooler
The boatyard is right next to the airport runway. Bonus for me, but only two flights today.
My new friend, a tiny six week old pure black kitten
We have to get our transit log put in 'bond' as we're now ashore so we went to the office for the paperwork and they set up the appointment with the customs office tomorrow. The transit log is valid for 18 months but by putting it into bond it stops the clock ticking, and makes the 18 months last longer. So, currently we have only used 3 months worth, and when we come back next springtime the clock starts ticking again and starts at month 4 etc....
There are lots of cats and kittens near the office. Once we had everything set up, electric, hose, ladder etc etc we set to with some cleaning....canvas, fenders, and also lowered all 100 metres of anchor chain out of the locker and gave the locker a good clean out.
Scrubbing the various canvas items
Fenders drying off, 6 down, 4 to go
Dean down the anchor locker
That chain locker is getting smaller
Good job you're a skinny Mr C
And finally to finish off our very busy day, our friend Phil came over for sundowners on Thesee. He's organised us a scooter for a week too. Thanks Phil.
Friday 29th September...
Linda - Our friend Phil who is already here in the yard kindly organised a scooter rental for us for a few days. The two boatyards here are quite remote, and this morning we had an appointment with the Customs Office at 8.30am back down at the main town Lakki. So we needed some transport to be able to get around.
Why the Customs Office? Well, as you know we have to have a Transit Log to be able to sail the boat in Greece. The Transit Log only has an 18 month validity, but if your boat is ashore and out of use so to speak you can stop the Transit Log clock from ticking away and using up the 18 month validity. We have only used 3 months of it so far. The boatyard have to give you some paperwork stating the boat is ashore etc, and we have to take this paperwork along with the Transit Log to hand it in at the Customs Office. It's called 'putting your boat in bond'. When we come back to the boat next year, we go back to Customs and they release our Transit Log back to us and the clock starts ticking again.
It's all to do with your boat being VAT paid in the EU, and really only applies to Non-VAT paid boats and the amount of time they can stay in Greece. Thesee is (and always has been) VAT paid but since Brexit the whole thing has gone tits-up for us Brits and the Greeks won't accept that our boat is still VAT paid even though we have all the relevant documents. So we just have to go along with it if we want to be in Greece. Believe me, this is such a sore subject.
Dean outside the Customs Office in Lakki
Customs Office
After we'd done the duties, stopped for coffee, and visited the Chandlery (again) we scootered back towards Partheni (where the boatyard is), stopping off for a few minutes as we passed Gourna Bay. This is on the west coast, there's an anchorage but not a popular one as it's open to the 'rougher' sea side of the island. Quite scenic though, and we made shadows on the sand.
Gourna Bay looking south
....and north
Shadows looking like aliens with our crash helmets on
Dean points towards a little bird on the sand
The Chandlery in Lakki is part of the 'other' boatyard here in Partheni. The yard (called Artemis) is on the other side of the airport runway. Dean had ordered two replacement fans and we needed to go and pick them up from Artemis yard. It's down a dusty and bumpy track. Whilst Dean sorted out his purchases I was kept busy fussing the old and loving shop dog.
At Artemis Yard
We were back at Thesee around 11am. There was a helicopter at the airport along with the daily Olympus Airways plane. The helicopter created a lot of dust. Also in the next photo you can see someone's sail hanging up to dry after washing.
Photo taken from Thesee's deck
Well this afternoon it was back to the boat jobs. We're still waiting for the hull to be jet washed. Dean did a little work on the propellor and wiggled it about to see if we need a new cutlass bearing. Phil came along too and they measured how much 'play' there was. Verdict = 0.86mm. Dean tells me that if the play is 1 - 2 mm then he needs to replace the bearing, so I believe that all is OK, and one less job to do. He still wants to buy a spare cutlass bearing though (he found the exact sized one here in the boatyard chandlery).
Quick scrub of the prop
Anode removed
What's left of the anode!!
Phil and Dean measuring the 'play' in the cutlass bearing
Looking down the bow thruster tunnel, yuk.
Blades removed, obviously.
Here's our 100 metres of chain and anchor
It was a long old hot afternoon spent washing out the remaining limescale from the aft holding tank. Eventually Dean managed to get the drain unblocker wire all the way through from the deck fitting to the hull outlet, and here it is hanging out about a metre. After a while on deck pushing and pulling I got fed up, much too hot in the sun, with painful knees on deck, and hanging over the side to see what was going on. That, along side Dean shouting instructions which I couldn't hear because the travel lift hoist was lifting and moving numerous boats and bleeping every time it moved, and workmen shouting to each other.
I left poor Dean to battle with it on his own,which he did for another few hours. He's amazing. Just a little more work to do on this now we hope.
See the drain unblocker wire hanging down
Flushing clean water through the tank
Saturday 30th September...
Linda - Dean was busy outside working his way through Thesee's winterizing job list, when I heard tinkling noises. I popped my head out to find about 15 goats making their way through the boatyard. It seems that every now and then the staff have to round them up and shoo them off. I don't really know how they get in because the yard is surrounded by fencing and two big gates. They must sneak in during the boat lifts I guess.
First goat passing the boat
Here they come now
There they go
Mid morning we went to the office to pay our balance due for the winter, so we're good until next May but we'll be back before that. Didn't see my tiny kitten today though. There's a chandlery here, and as predicted Dean bought the spare cutlass bearing which had been put aside for him. Would you believe he even gave it a kiss. Hmmm. Whilst he was getting prices for other stuff I was browsing the shelves, and at one point I was looking at strange boat parts and thinking 'I know what that's for!' I had to giggle to myself, who would have thought I would know such things.
Cutlass bearing
Looking through the bearing
When we got back to the boat the workman was jet-washing the hull. We can't believe that they wait two days before doing it. By now, all the crud and wormy things were well dried on. Every other place we have ever lifted always jet-wash immediately after the lift. After the workman was finished Dean did an inspection. He was not pleased, because there was still dried on wormy bits, but worst of all sections of the copper coat had been blasted away. This is bad news indeed and will cause Dean at least an extra week's work to put it right when we come back next year.
The bow thruster tunnel after cleaning
A boat that we met the other week in Kalymnos was lifted here today. It's a big one indeed. He did his own jet-washing.
Big boat
Next on the list was to put the anchor chain back in the locker. Dean likes to WD40 it when he puts it away for winter, so as he raised the anchor chain I was spraying WD40 all over it as best I could. Then he patched up the anchor with zinc spray.
Spraying the anchor
Close up
Still at it I found him scraping the left-over wormy bits of the hull. He was cussing and blinding, and said he wished that he had jet-washed it himself instead which would have saved him a lot of work in the long run. And here's me thinking that once out of the water there would be no more stress!
This evening we jumped on the scooter, nipped down into Gourna to fill up two bottles with drinking water, and then came back to Blefoutis bay (first visit here) where we ate at Artemis restaurant. Everyone has said the food is good and Phil our friend said the pork chops are massive. He was right!
Dean ordered pork chops, and for a change (not) I ordered chicken souvaki. The food was very good, nice crispy cucumber in the Greek salad and super french fries.
But the best thing of ALL was they had a Saffy Dog !! 😮😮.
And not just a likeness, but a SPITTING IMAGE. We couldn't believe it. It was if we were looking at and talking to Saffy. This dog was called Snoopy, and even when we gave him some chicken and pork he took it so gently, just as Saffy used to. It was quite emotional.
Arrival at Blefoutis
Artemis restaurant place mats
Pork chop is good
Chicken souvlaki good too
10 out of 10 for the french fries
Is this Saffy's double or what??
💕 💕 💕 💕
Sunday 1st October....
Linda - Whoever decided that the meltemi season ends in August obviously had no idea about the weather. It's been blowing hard and will be for a few days, but at least we are on land and not having to worry about the sea state and where to shelter. Our outside jobs were put on hold and we started on the indoor jobs.
Dean's completed jobs today....
Stowing the clean and dried ropes from the sails etc
Removing two solar panels from the sprayhood
Backflushing the engine with Barnacle Buster (a big job), and then clean water
Removing the broken seacock from the aft heads (another big job)
Scraping the rest of the wormy things from the hull, keel, and rudder
Scrape and clean the bowthruster tunnel, and keel coolers
Linda's completed jobs today...
Polish all the vertical sufaces, doors etc
Thoroughly clean the forward shower unit and polish the metalwork
Clean the oven (not a big job as not used it much lately)
Check-in for our flights home
Sort out some clothes cupboards
Dean has to remove the impeller before backflushing the engine
Barnacle Buster time
An engine pipe during the backflushing episode
Looking down into the engine compartment during the backflushing
Clear water coming through now
Monday 2nd October...
Linda - Carrying on with the indoor jobs, Dean couldn't resist replacing his engine hoses with new ones that he bought in Finike before we left. This was supposed to be a job for when we come back next year, but the outside jobs are a bit tricky at the moment with the high winds, so indoor jobs it was.
The old hoses removed
Yuk, how did it get that colour?
It's an awkward job reaching into the back of the engine, there's just no space to work in and Dean has to twist himself to get in. He'll be suffering tomorrow.
The position that Dean spent most of the day in
One of the lovely new clean hoses awaiting fitting
There's a new one on now
....and another.... nice
We also removed the solar panels from the sprayhood, Dean started the hull grinding, and then we went out on the scooter for a bit of a run about, to get more drinking water, and a trip back to the Saffy Dog restaurant. We went back to the restaurant because when Dean was checking his receipts he realised that the restaurant had only charged him 4 euros for the meal on Saturday, instead of 40 euros! It was only right that we went back to let them know and to pay the missing part.
Found this causeway to a chapel on our run-about
It's at Gourna Bay
Then we ended up in Alinda at the war cemetery and had a walk round looking at the memorial grave stones. It's so sad, most of the dead in their 20's.
Memorial book
All from HMS Intrepid
We were on the lookout for a restaurant but most places are now deserted, the holiday season is definately over here. You don't get much atmosphere sitting in a restaurant, just the two of us and no-one else. So we ended up at Panteli for a drink at a beach bar. The sea was rough and three boats on buoys rolling all over the place. The beach bar was good with a nice waiter, who served my wine in a very nice glass goblet.
Panteli
The rock and rolling boats on buoys
Along the beach
Panteli windmills
My goblet of wine, Dean's cold beer, and nibbles
Tuesday 3rd October...
Linda - Very windy throughout the night, the boat shuddering as if a constant earthquake was in full swing. After breakfast we took a windy walk around the boatyard. Dean carried on with his hull grinding and put a layer of copper coat on the damaged patches. We removed the bimini cover then Dean went to wash it along with all of the seat cushions. We're right next to the sail washing area. I tried out the boatyard showers. Better than normal but still a nightmare. I had to change showers half way through because the shower water was cold and spraying up along the ceiling. Second one was better, but still very poor, and the water just collects at your feet, so you might as well be standing in a bath. And people think all we do is sip cocktails in the sunshine!
Travel hoist trailer in the boatyard. Didn't know they had one.
This afternoon I was cleaning the shower drains on the boat and noticed that one of the drains had little wormy things in the water. Yikes and double yikes. We think that they must have been on the hull when we lifted the boat, and as you know the yard didn't jet wash the hull for two days so the wormy things must have found their way up the pipe and into the shower drain. All gone now though we hope, Dean did his extermination job on them.
Last but one day with the scooter so we went out to eat again. The food supplies are getting extremely low on the boat, it's hard to judge meals to last just until the weekend without having left over food to throw out before we leave. We went back to Alinda again to a restaurant we haven't tried before. Again, we were the only ones in there.
Decorations in the restaurant
Lights
I think I'm becoming more used to the scooter now, and dare say enjoying it once I settle down.
Wednesday 4th October...
Linda - Up with the lark today, almost. Only one thing on our minds, our mission to re-fold the genoa.
Thesee's right next to the sail washing area so we always know when it's free or not. As the wind had dropped off overnight we took our chance this morning to commandeer the area before anyone else beat us to it. But first we had to sweep the area clean after the winds had brought in sand and dust. We don't want our lovely (new this year) sail getting dirty, especially as Dean washed it down last week when were on Lakki quay.
The sail is extremely heavy and the only way to get it down off the boat was to hoist it up and over the side using the topping lift line on the electric winch. We do this all the time when offloading the dinghy from the deck into the water. The plan went perfectly. Then we only had to carry it a matter of a few metres.
Dean with the sail which we just hoisted off the side of the boat
Sail washing area after Dean swept it all
The genoa sail took up almost the whole area!
Dean found a couple of marks which he cleaned off
Getting ready to fold now
There we go.....easy peasy when you're on a flat surface
It was almost pleasurable, in fact, it was pleasurable!
There we go, perfectly rolled
Dean measures himself agains the sail 😂
Wrapping up now and getting ready for hoisting back on board.
Thesee right there in the background.
All tucked up and neat in the aft cabin for the winter,
genoa, mainsail, and staysail
A few small jobs were completed today also, and then this afternoon I helped Dean to scrub the dried on weedy bits from the hull. That was a wet and dirty experience. Other jobs done today....
Modified the new engine pipes as Dean wasn't happy with them
Cleaned and greased the duogen propellor
Laundry
Washed our two fold up/down seats
Sanded the bow thruster propellors
In the early evenings the cats appear and hang around near the bins. Here they are all lined up and ready to pounce on anyone with food. We've been told they sometimes board the boats by climbing the ladders! And in fact Dean just had to shoo one away after he found the cat sitting in our cockpit. I have no idea how they climb a ladder, but Dean said the cat in fact went down the ladder when he shooed him off.
Cats waiting for food
Only two more full days here before we depart on Saturday morning.
Thursday 5th October...
Linda - THE JOBS ARE DONE, and more, our holdalls are packed and we're not far from ready. I'm sorry to disappoint all the lovely avid Thesee Followers, but this post will be the last one for this sailing season 2023 😞 sad face.
The last piece of canvas to be removed for washing was the sprayhood. The last time we took this off was 3 years ago in Licata, Sicily. But because the boat is facing south and most of the wind comes from the north we thought it best to take it off to avoid damage, dirt, and dust.
Sprayhood removed
There it is on the side deck awaiting washing
Now in the sail washing area
Dean gets stuck in to the scrubbing
Plane on the runway
So the jobs list was complete, and time to do some extras. Dean mixed some coppercoat and applied it to the bald patches on the hull. There's quite a few places to touch up.
The bow thruster tunnel
Around the rudder
Not content to stop there he fitted the two new replacement fans inside the boat, and wiped all of the stainless down on deck and around the solar panel arch. Then it was packing, dinner, and blog.
However are we going to amuse ourselves tomorrow?
Well, Season 6 has come to an end. It's been a shorter season than normal having not left Finike until mid May. We haven't travelled great distances this year, but we have visited a lot of lovely places and Greek islands. Thesee has been a diamond, performed impeccably, and kept us safe and sound once more. Now it's time for Thesee to take a rest until next springtime. We shall miss him.
I have to give a big thankyou to Dean for all the hard work he puts in every single day keeping Thesee in great working order. And of course a big thankyou to all Thesee Followers around the World.
We'll be back in 2024 with more 'Adventures of Thesee'
Ta Ta for now xxxx
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