On 4th June, Nigel and his crew brought Stratagem in to Woolverstone Marina, exactly a month since leaving Corfu. The passage of 2807 nautical miles included stops in Palermo (Sicily), Ibiza, Gibraltar, Cascais, Portomao, and La Caruna and then on to Woolverstone after a brief stop in Dartmouth for fuel. The weather had proved favourable with only one forced stay in port at Potomao awaiting large Atlantic swells to abate before rounding the cape. The passage had been without incident or damage/breakages, thank goodness. That said, we did find a couple of issues needing attention. The Facnor genoa furl was sticking (not experienced before) and was found to be as a result of a bent piece of wire used in the original installation back in the Beneteau factory to hold the extrusion in place whilst assembling the system. This had dislodged and was catching on the drum when furling/unfurling. All it needed was to remove the offending piece of wire. The old genoa showed signes of wear which needed some stitching at the sailmakers but highlights the need for a new sail. The only other issue is a damaged port side navigation light, broken by a wave accross the bow in heavy weather. Not a big deal.
So, Stratagem is back and safely berthed in Woolverstone marina and in the process of being emptied of all the cruising gear and paraphenalia that long term cruising attracts. This season will be no more than some local sailing, some tlc inside and out and agreeing work to be done for her major winter refit, including hull respray, new standing rigging, new sprayhood and cockpit tent and as previously mentioned, a new genoa. We will decide on the furling gear after it is removed.
To summarize our Mediterranean adventure, we visited France, Spain (including the Ballearic islands), Italy, Greece (including the islands of the Ionian and Aegean) and Turkey. Stratagem covered 12409 Nautical miles, and added 2594 hours on the engine.
That's it ..............
Monday, 30 June 2014
Friday, 2 May 2014
All good things come to an end!
The big decision of 2014 has been to bring our Mediterranean cruising to an end! Once that decision had been made we could turn our attention to how to get Stratagem back to the UK. Sailing her back ourselves was a non starter as Sandra downright refused to do the trip, which is predominately against winds and currents, not to mention that the passage is close on 3000 nautical miles! The alternatives were :-
1. Have her shipped - discounted on the ridiculously high costs quoted.
2. Have her brought by road on a low loader. The overall height from keel to top of the arch prevented this option as it exceeds the maximum height transporters are prepared to accept.
3. Me to sail with a hired-in crew.
4. Use a delivery crew.
We chose (4) and finalised our choice as Nigel Woodcock of Falmouth Yacht Delivery, with a total of 3 crew.
We returned to Corfu on 21st April to complete last minute (below waterline) maintenance items prior to launching on the 23rd. The launch day was fine and sunny with no wind allowing us to get Stratagem back on her berth with no fuss. Sails were delivered from the sailmakers, Kastos appeared as pre-arranged to change both primary and secondary fuel filters on the main engine, and we set to, to get Stratagem all spruced up after a long winter ashore. By the time the delivery crew arrived on the 28th April, Stratagem had been returned to her usual clean, shiny and well maintained self, fully prepared for the long passage home. All was left for us to do was to spend time with the crew giving a full briefing on Stratagem's systems and general location of seacocks, safety gear, spares and the like.
It was a rather surreal experience handing over Stratagem to people we didn't know and leaving her in Greece whilst we returned home. The next time we see her she should be tucked up in her marina berth at Woolverstone on the River Orwell where we started this adventure 11 years ago........
1. Have her shipped - discounted on the ridiculously high costs quoted.
2. Have her brought by road on a low loader. The overall height from keel to top of the arch prevented this option as it exceeds the maximum height transporters are prepared to accept.
3. Me to sail with a hired-in crew.
4. Use a delivery crew.
We chose (4) and finalised our choice as Nigel Woodcock of Falmouth Yacht Delivery, with a total of 3 crew.
We returned to Corfu on 21st April to complete last minute (below waterline) maintenance items prior to launching on the 23rd. The launch day was fine and sunny with no wind allowing us to get Stratagem back on her berth with no fuss. Sails were delivered from the sailmakers, Kastos appeared as pre-arranged to change both primary and secondary fuel filters on the main engine, and we set to, to get Stratagem all spruced up after a long winter ashore. By the time the delivery crew arrived on the 28th April, Stratagem had been returned to her usual clean, shiny and well maintained self, fully prepared for the long passage home. All was left for us to do was to spend time with the crew giving a full briefing on Stratagem's systems and general location of seacocks, safety gear, spares and the like.
It was a rather surreal experience handing over Stratagem to people we didn't know and leaving her in Greece whilst we returned home. The next time we see her she should be tucked up in her marina berth at Woolverstone on the River Orwell where we started this adventure 11 years ago........
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
A Caribbean Diversion
With Stratagem safely tucked up on the hard in Gouvia Marina and in the custody of Will and Gill to look after her and carry out some essential maintenance, I turned my attention to a little diversion by way of an Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean. This was a crossing scheduled way back in 2012 with a friend Alan to take his Discovery 55 from Tenerife to the Caribbean.
The plan involved a flight to Tenerife at the end of December 2013 and a crossing to Barbados where our wives would join us for a couple of weeks cruising down to Grenada and then northwards through the Grenadines ending in St. Lucia.
The crossing started on 1st January 2014 and took 19.5 days, arriving at Bridgetown, Barbados on 20th January. Details of the crossing and our "fun and games" en route are recorded on Alan's blog at ticketeeboo.blogspot.co.uk. The track we took is shown below.
The plan involved a flight to Tenerife at the end of December 2013 and a crossing to Barbados where our wives would join us for a couple of weeks cruising down to Grenada and then northwards through the Grenadines ending in St. Lucia.
The crossing started on 1st January 2014 and took 19.5 days, arriving at Bridgetown, Barbados on 20th January. Details of the crossing and our "fun and games" en route are recorded on Alan's blog at ticketeeboo.blogspot.co.uk. The track we took is shown below.
The distance run from Tenerife to Barbados was 2772 nm and the best 24 hour run, 172 nm. Thereafter we "cruised" a further 353 nm over two weeks ending in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia.
In summary, the crossing was very successful and we had a good laugh in the process. The time passed very quickly and unlike other reported crossings, we were never bored.
The "cruise" however was less enjoyable (not reflected in Alan's blog). Beating into winds of 25 to 40 knots is not most people's idea of a nice cruise, not helped by a badly set jib which eventually collapsed when the stitching failed at the head of the sail. Security issues heightened by the death of a skipper murdered on his yacht in St. Lucia resulted in a cruise which did not involve visits ashore - simply sailing from one anchorage to the next. Such a shame.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Our last Med cruise?
Our journey back to Messolonghi worked out well, the car we had booked was at Kalamata airport as arranged and the drive up to the marina was interesting and an easy drive up the west side of the Peloponnese.
Stratagem was filthy and covered in spiders webs as it was last year! Nothing that some hard work in the blistering heat can't sort out but the main problem we found was a burst cold water pipe which meant no water supply on board until I did the repair. This is not the first time this has happened and I suspect the problem is the excessive heat in the pipe during the hot summer where the pipe lies against the side of the hull. An awkward job but it got done and so a few days later we got underway for the mainland anchorage at Astatos.
This was a new place for us - and we liked it. Unfortunately we had strong winds coming into the bay, but our anchor held and the worst was the loss of our bucket off the deck!
Another repeat cruise around the Ionian islands (is it all becoming a little repetitive?) trying to find anchorages away from the crowds which seem to be busier than last year at the same time. So long as you stay away from the charter routes, reasonable seclusion can still be found so long as the weather remains settled.
On the 14th September my sister, Pat came out for a week on board and we had to make sure we located Stratagem in Ay Eufemia so we could pick her up from the airport. The weather had been breezy so we arrived early and tied stern to the quay so she could get on board easier. Unfortunately her week on board coincided with a week of (relatively) poor weather but we still managed to cruise and visit a number of anchorages through the "inland sea area". After Pat left, again from Ay Eufemia, on 21st September we started making our way northwards, spending a few days in Levkas whilst a storm ran through and then on to Paxos and then Gouvia on 4th October.
The thunderstorms started early this year and were more intense, lasting over several days rather than passing over in 24/48 hours. In fact just after we arrived in Gouvia we had a period of wet and windy weather which lasted well over a week!
One thing we did see a lot of this year were jellyfish and some were really beautiful. This photo is of a group of three, and on this particular day we were surrounded by them!
Laying up for the winter included having a number of outstanding jobs done not least of which included essential work to the main engine. An intermittent starting problem was solved by a new starter solenoid and some rewiring including fitting a relay at the solenoid. Research shows this to be a common problem to these engines brought about as a result of a failed electrical harness from the starter switch to the solenoid which gives a voltage drop at the solenoid. The same research also shows the solution adopted is the right one.
We were blessed with a lovely calm sunny day for the liftout on the 22nd October which went without a hitch. The bottom was clean and the pressure wash simply removed all that lovely, and expensive antifoul paint. The Gori prop had a little crud on it but that came off easily with an old credit card. The new travel lift shows the weight being lifted and Stratagem was showing 15.1 tonnes after deducting the weight of the slings. Taking account of the fact that water tanks are empty and sails are off the yacht, she is presently displacing a heavily loaded 15.8 tonnes!
Two days later we flew home with a lot to think about. I seem to think we are in the same position, and indecision as last year. Are we finished with cruising in the Med, or do we do another year? Time will tell!
Stratagem was filthy and covered in spiders webs as it was last year! Nothing that some hard work in the blistering heat can't sort out but the main problem we found was a burst cold water pipe which meant no water supply on board until I did the repair. This is not the first time this has happened and I suspect the problem is the excessive heat in the pipe during the hot summer where the pipe lies against the side of the hull. An awkward job but it got done and so a few days later we got underway for the mainland anchorage at Astatos.
This was a new place for us - and we liked it. Unfortunately we had strong winds coming into the bay, but our anchor held and the worst was the loss of our bucket off the deck!
Another repeat cruise around the Ionian islands (is it all becoming a little repetitive?) trying to find anchorages away from the crowds which seem to be busier than last year at the same time. So long as you stay away from the charter routes, reasonable seclusion can still be found so long as the weather remains settled.
On the 14th September my sister, Pat came out for a week on board and we had to make sure we located Stratagem in Ay Eufemia so we could pick her up from the airport. The weather had been breezy so we arrived early and tied stern to the quay so she could get on board easier. Unfortunately her week on board coincided with a week of (relatively) poor weather but we still managed to cruise and visit a number of anchorages through the "inland sea area". After Pat left, again from Ay Eufemia, on 21st September we started making our way northwards, spending a few days in Levkas whilst a storm ran through and then on to Paxos and then Gouvia on 4th October.
The thunderstorms started early this year and were more intense, lasting over several days rather than passing over in 24/48 hours. In fact just after we arrived in Gouvia we had a period of wet and windy weather which lasted well over a week!
One thing we did see a lot of this year were jellyfish and some were really beautiful. This photo is of a group of three, and on this particular day we were surrounded by them!
We were blessed with a lovely calm sunny day for the liftout on the 22nd October which went without a hitch. The bottom was clean and the pressure wash simply removed all that lovely, and expensive antifoul paint. The Gori prop had a little crud on it but that came off easily with an old credit card. The new travel lift shows the weight being lifted and Stratagem was showing 15.1 tonnes after deducting the weight of the slings. Taking account of the fact that water tanks are empty and sails are off the yacht, she is presently displacing a heavily loaded 15.8 tonnes!
Two days later we flew home with a lot to think about. I seem to think we are in the same position, and indecision as last year. Are we finished with cruising in the Med, or do we do another year? Time will tell!
Monday, 8 July 2013
Best laid plans....
April15th and it's time to get back to Gouvia (Corfu) for the annual maintenance. I had instructed Will Broadbent to do a lot of what had to be done e.g. antifouling, caulking, replacing the cutlass bearing and other things, all of which he had done quite well. This left me with the dreaded polishing of the hull - always a full weeks work, and fitting my nice new Gori folding propeller.
After a bit of confusion with the travel-lift man Stratagem was put back into the water on the 22nd April, ready for a major clean up! By the time Sandra arrived on the 29th, Stratagem was looking rather better and ready to leave for our spring cruise.
So, the plan! We arranged with, and reserved a berth at the marina in Kalamata on the west coast of the Peloponnese for the summer months (9th June to end of August) whilst we would return home. Approx 5 weeks to meander down to Kalamata revisiting island anchorages on the way looked like an easy relaxing cruise? A plan is no more than that - and can, and often does, change....
The new Gori folding prop is a revelation! Never before has Stratagem sailed so well. Getting rid of that 20 inch fixed prop and all that drag has simply transformed sailing. Faster under sail, faster under engine and an improved pointing ability, not to mention the advantage of an "overdrive" facility giving even faster speeds under engine in calm conditions or motorsailing and a smoother waterflow over the rudder under sail. I guess you could say I am rather pleased with the Gori! The only thing I don't like is the clunk it makes when engaging gear, so real care is needed! Also, the claims of reduced prop walk are not evident to me.
Between leaving Corfu on the 3rd May and arriving in Vlikho bay on the 5th, after a few peaceful days in Lakka on Paxos, the weather remained fairly calm with hardly enough wind to sail. The Gori was well tested and giving 7 knots in "overdrive" at 1700 rpm made motoring or motor-sailing a more pleasant experience. No sooner had we anchored off the restaurants on the northeast side of the bay, the wind increased to 30 knots and the sky looked very threatening.
A windy night but our anchor was well set so no problems. The following day was a work day catching up on laundry and general cleaning. The weather was not yet in the sunbathing category and, we didn't know then, the weather would take a turn for the worse!
A couple of days later we had a wonderful sail down to one of our favourite places - Sivota. The anchorage was virtually empty and we anchored in the middle and that evening enjoyed a meal ashore at Stavros's restaurant. The wind forecast was for some fresh winds and so our next stop was determined by the forecast - Vathi on Ithaca. This was not a great choice as the strong winds kept us awake all night, as well as the night after given the winds failed to ease during the nights. So it was time to move and for the sailing alone, we headed back to Sivota and had one of the best sails we have had in a while. This time there were more boats and we had to anchor a little further out, in 8 to10 metres of water. Always an eye on the weather we were not surprised to hear that another storm was forecast with gale force winds from the south. We have not been in Sivota in gales and whilst it should be OK from any wind direction, the proximity of other yachts at anchor could be a problem particularly as we have seen them dragging their anchors in even light winds, and so we voted for a return to Vathi where there is plenty of room and perfect in southerlies.
And so, on 15th May we were back in Vathi, anchored in 4metres with 40 metres of chain out and no-one close. We weren't going anywhere! Towards evening with winds increasing the stupid port police came around the anchorage instructing every boat to move further into the corner of the anchorage as the big ferry was coming in and would drop his anchor where we were anchored. Despite pointing out that the ship couldn't get anywhere near us because of his deep draught and the shallow water we were in, he insisted. Chaos ensued! We again re anchored but with less scope now and because of the inability of yachts to position themselves properly we had yachts lying far too close to us for the prevailing and forecast conditions. Colin and Shirley on Silent Wings came in during the afternoon and tied stern-to the quay. Later in the night we wished we had done the same!
The winds increased to 38 knots and yachts started to drag. A large yacht close on our starboard side was sailing around his anchor and whilst not dragging, recognised the danger and moved. By this time the ship had been in and gone, and of course came nowhere near us, so the yacht moved out into clear water down the anchorage. We were to do the same in the morning. In the meantime we had a sleepless night on anchor watch, but at least it was a very mild night. Someone needs to educate the port police on ships draught-v-depths of water to prevent this sort of thing happening again! That evening we had drinks aboard Silent Wings and a meal out in town.
It was time to continue our passage south and so next stop Zakinthos. We motored the 39 nm in flat calm but poor visibility, arriving in the harbour mid afternoon. It had been a very long time since we had berthed stern-to a quay using our own anchor and the first attempt didn't go well, ending up perfectly at the quay but with hardly any scope out on the anchor! The second time worked fine and we tightened up on 50 metres scope lying next to Papa Jo, a yacht we last saw many years previously, in Marmaris. No sooner had we tied up the fuel bowser arrived and so we filled up both the main tank and the spare cans. That should do for this season. We liked Zakinthos and planned to stay awhile but "best laid plans....". The next day saw winds in the harbour of F5 or 6 causing the yacht to our starboard to be pushed back onto the quay with the danger of damage to the stern. The owners were not on board and so I got on board and pulled the anchor rope as much as I dared for the stern to clear the quay and placed a fender to prevent damage. It was nice to know our own anchor and Papa Jo next to us were holding firm, but once again we had decisions to make based on yet another lousy wind forecast - gale or severe gale from the south!
Our plan was to go from here to Katakolon on the Peloponnese coast and then down to Pylos. One option was to miss out Katakolon and do a long leg straight to Pylos and hole up there while the storm blew through. Our friends on Papa Jo were in touch by phone with yachts heading north and presently in Pylos and the information was that there was no room in the harbour which would mean lying to anchor during the forthcoming storm. This we did not fancy at all! After a great deal of debate - and a few gin and tonics, we decided to abandon our plans to go to Kalamata and head instead for the safe option of the marina at Messolonghi. Of course when we left the next day there were no signs of any southerly winds, but a light to moderate northeasterly on the nose! With a left over sea from yesterdays strong winds we were glad when it all disappeared and we completed the passage in a flat calm.
When the storm did arrive (through the night of course) we were glad to be tied up in a marina. The winds came from the east in Messolonghi and got up to 55 knots for a time, but continue very strong for several days. Those who were in Pylos at anchor reported terrible stories of dragging anchors and damage to yachts so we consoled ourselves that the changed plans had been the right decision, but what to do now?
The monies we had paid to Kalamata were simply transferred to our account in Gouvia so no loss there but our flights home were still booked from Kalamata. As we were able to obtain a one-way hire on a car to be left at the airport we left flights as arranged and sorted out some hotels to do a week long tour of the Peloponnese. This turned out to be the highlight of our spring cruise as we visited some wonderful places on the way. The following are some examples -
This is at Ancient Corinth which we called in on our way to Nafplio. Not the greatest set of ruins we have seen on our travels but a nice stop, including time for a light lunch.
The two photos below were our next stop on the tour. The street is in the town of Nafplio where we stayed in one of the best Pension's we have stayed in (mid picture - right side) and the second photo is the view from the fort which overlooks the town. No we didn't walk up the 1000 steps. Fortunately there is road access to the rear of the fort!
From Epidavros it was another short drive to Mycene where we struggled to find the site. Following instructions in the guide book were hopeless and so the I-Pad and Google Earth came to the rescue where we were able to site the ruins on screen. The tombs come up first on the road and were well worth the drive. Further up the road is the main site and a small museum. The photos show the entrance to the tomb and the other, the domed tomb inside.
So, the plan! We arranged with, and reserved a berth at the marina in Kalamata on the west coast of the Peloponnese for the summer months (9th June to end of August) whilst we would return home. Approx 5 weeks to meander down to Kalamata revisiting island anchorages on the way looked like an easy relaxing cruise? A plan is no more than that - and can, and often does, change....
The new Gori folding prop is a revelation! Never before has Stratagem sailed so well. Getting rid of that 20 inch fixed prop and all that drag has simply transformed sailing. Faster under sail, faster under engine and an improved pointing ability, not to mention the advantage of an "overdrive" facility giving even faster speeds under engine in calm conditions or motorsailing and a smoother waterflow over the rudder under sail. I guess you could say I am rather pleased with the Gori! The only thing I don't like is the clunk it makes when engaging gear, so real care is needed! Also, the claims of reduced prop walk are not evident to me.
Between leaving Corfu on the 3rd May and arriving in Vlikho bay on the 5th, after a few peaceful days in Lakka on Paxos, the weather remained fairly calm with hardly enough wind to sail. The Gori was well tested and giving 7 knots in "overdrive" at 1700 rpm made motoring or motor-sailing a more pleasant experience. No sooner had we anchored off the restaurants on the northeast side of the bay, the wind increased to 30 knots and the sky looked very threatening.
A windy night but our anchor was well set so no problems. The following day was a work day catching up on laundry and general cleaning. The weather was not yet in the sunbathing category and, we didn't know then, the weather would take a turn for the worse!
A couple of days later we had a wonderful sail down to one of our favourite places - Sivota. The anchorage was virtually empty and we anchored in the middle and that evening enjoyed a meal ashore at Stavros's restaurant. The wind forecast was for some fresh winds and so our next stop was determined by the forecast - Vathi on Ithaca. This was not a great choice as the strong winds kept us awake all night, as well as the night after given the winds failed to ease during the nights. So it was time to move and for the sailing alone, we headed back to Sivota and had one of the best sails we have had in a while. This time there were more boats and we had to anchor a little further out, in 8 to10 metres of water. Always an eye on the weather we were not surprised to hear that another storm was forecast with gale force winds from the south. We have not been in Sivota in gales and whilst it should be OK from any wind direction, the proximity of other yachts at anchor could be a problem particularly as we have seen them dragging their anchors in even light winds, and so we voted for a return to Vathi where there is plenty of room and perfect in southerlies.
And so, on 15th May we were back in Vathi, anchored in 4metres with 40 metres of chain out and no-one close. We weren't going anywhere! Towards evening with winds increasing the stupid port police came around the anchorage instructing every boat to move further into the corner of the anchorage as the big ferry was coming in and would drop his anchor where we were anchored. Despite pointing out that the ship couldn't get anywhere near us because of his deep draught and the shallow water we were in, he insisted. Chaos ensued! We again re anchored but with less scope now and because of the inability of yachts to position themselves properly we had yachts lying far too close to us for the prevailing and forecast conditions. Colin and Shirley on Silent Wings came in during the afternoon and tied stern-to the quay. Later in the night we wished we had done the same!
The winds increased to 38 knots and yachts started to drag. A large yacht close on our starboard side was sailing around his anchor and whilst not dragging, recognised the danger and moved. By this time the ship had been in and gone, and of course came nowhere near us, so the yacht moved out into clear water down the anchorage. We were to do the same in the morning. In the meantime we had a sleepless night on anchor watch, but at least it was a very mild night. Someone needs to educate the port police on ships draught-v-depths of water to prevent this sort of thing happening again! That evening we had drinks aboard Silent Wings and a meal out in town.
It was time to continue our passage south and so next stop Zakinthos. We motored the 39 nm in flat calm but poor visibility, arriving in the harbour mid afternoon. It had been a very long time since we had berthed stern-to a quay using our own anchor and the first attempt didn't go well, ending up perfectly at the quay but with hardly any scope out on the anchor! The second time worked fine and we tightened up on 50 metres scope lying next to Papa Jo, a yacht we last saw many years previously, in Marmaris. No sooner had we tied up the fuel bowser arrived and so we filled up both the main tank and the spare cans. That should do for this season. We liked Zakinthos and planned to stay awhile but "best laid plans....". The next day saw winds in the harbour of F5 or 6 causing the yacht to our starboard to be pushed back onto the quay with the danger of damage to the stern. The owners were not on board and so I got on board and pulled the anchor rope as much as I dared for the stern to clear the quay and placed a fender to prevent damage. It was nice to know our own anchor and Papa Jo next to us were holding firm, but once again we had decisions to make based on yet another lousy wind forecast - gale or severe gale from the south! Our plan was to go from here to Katakolon on the Peloponnese coast and then down to Pylos. One option was to miss out Katakolon and do a long leg straight to Pylos and hole up there while the storm blew through. Our friends on Papa Jo were in touch by phone with yachts heading north and presently in Pylos and the information was that there was no room in the harbour which would mean lying to anchor during the forthcoming storm. This we did not fancy at all! After a great deal of debate - and a few gin and tonics, we decided to abandon our plans to go to Kalamata and head instead for the safe option of the marina at Messolonghi. Of course when we left the next day there were no signs of any southerly winds, but a light to moderate northeasterly on the nose! With a left over sea from yesterdays strong winds we were glad when it all disappeared and we completed the passage in a flat calm.
When the storm did arrive (through the night of course) we were glad to be tied up in a marina. The winds came from the east in Messolonghi and got up to 55 knots for a time, but continue very strong for several days. Those who were in Pylos at anchor reported terrible stories of dragging anchors and damage to yachts so we consoled ourselves that the changed plans had been the right decision, but what to do now?
The monies we had paid to Kalamata were simply transferred to our account in Gouvia so no loss there but our flights home were still booked from Kalamata. As we were able to obtain a one-way hire on a car to be left at the airport we left flights as arranged and sorted out some hotels to do a week long tour of the Peloponnese. This turned out to be the highlight of our spring cruise as we visited some wonderful places on the way. The following are some examples -
This is at Ancient Corinth which we called in on our way to Nafplio. Not the greatest set of ruins we have seen on our travels but a nice stop, including time for a light lunch.
The two photos below were our next stop on the tour. The street is in the town of Nafplio where we stayed in one of the best Pension's we have stayed in (mid picture - right side) and the second photo is the view from the fort which overlooks the town. No we didn't walk up the 1000 steps. Fortunately there is road access to the rear of the fort!
From Nafplio we visited Epidavros to see what is reputed to be the best ancient theatre in Greece! Whilst that may be an exaggeration was worth the short drive, although the rest of the site did not seem to be overly interesting to be worth wandering around in the very hot sun. The small museum is
worth a look.
From Epidavros it was another short drive to Mycene where we struggled to find the site. Following instructions in the guide book were hopeless and so the I-Pad and Google Earth came to the rescue where we were able to site the ruins on screen. The tombs come up first on the road and were well worth the drive. Further up the road is the main site and a small museum. The photos show the entrance to the tomb and the other, the domed tomb inside.
Next day we travelled up into the mountains to see the gorge at Stemnitsa which is a walk through only. After some hair-raising driving down into the entrance to the gorge, Sandra found it too hot for the walk but we got some good photos anyway!
The hot weather down in the gorge was in sharp contrast to the cold evenings up in the lovely town of Stemnitsa where we had to wrap up and eat our evening meal indoors!
The following day was the long drive down to Monemvasia but we were again surprised by the quality of the roads and so arrived there just after lunch. We took the car across the causeway and on the advice of the hotel, parked outside the walls as there are no vehicles allowed through the gates (nor could you get any through!!). Our mistake here was not to contact the hotel to be met by a porter thinking, "well it is a tiny place so we will manage ourselves". Correct on the first count - it is small- but unfortunately it is all cobbles (so you can't drag your case) and is up hill and down dale! We were shattered by the time we found the hotel and were admonished by the hotel owner for not calling! The place itself, and the hotel in which we stayed were just fantastic. The upper part of the walled town leads up to a church and fort together with other ruined buildings. The following photos give a flavour.
From Monemvasia we took the scenic route along the coast up to Kalamata. Great views and well worth the extra effort in driving. Kalamata itself we found a little disappointing and having visited Colin on Silent Wings, who by chance got into the marina the day we arrived, we were not overly impressed with the marina. We had heard of swells getting into some berths and unfortunately for Colin that is exactly where they were! That said, we had a very good meal with Colin and his friend Harry at a restaurant adjacent to the marina and flew home from the airport the next day. All in all a very successful trip.
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Just messing about
The end of August and we are back in Messolonghi Marina. The Ryanair flight from Stansted to the local airport near Patras is very convenient and our taxi awaited us on arrival - which is always a worry! Stratagem was not a pretty sight. Covered, yes - but everything was covered in a layer of dust and cobwebs! Yes cobwebs and even 2 months later we were still finding spiders to get rid of. Fortunately none ventured inside so I guess they must enjoy the hot sunshine.
Stratagem needed a lot of cleaning but the water flow from the metered water taps is nothing other than a joke. The purchased volume is no where near correct and the flow hardly exits the hosepipe making washing down a long and difficult process. So, not the best clean-up but it would have to do so we visited the supermarket (by taxi) and filled up again with food and booze for our autumn cruising. We were glad to get underway again and made our first passage to Vathi on the island of Ithica. The whole of this autumn was planned to just take things easy and revisit the many places we loved from our cruising here 6 years ago and hoped we would not be disappointed.
.JPG)
Our stay in Vathi was spectacular to say the least! Sitting there having our usual evening "sundowner" we suddenly noticed a brush fire starting up on the hillside behind us, caused we think from a BBQ some people were having at an apartment block. The speed the fire took hold was breathtaking and whilst it is easy to be critical of a lot of stupid people who grandstand these events putting themselves in danger from the flames, the fire crews worked very well in getting the fire under control and extinguished without damage to property or loss of life.
.JPG)
The most noticeable thing (and remember we are now towards the end of the high season) is the marked increase in the number of boats, particularly charter boats. This is no more evident than the Nidri area on Lefkas where the new jetties are lined with dozens of charter yachts and the anchorages are crowded beyond belief. That said, if you keep away from the routes of the charter flotilla fleets then peaceful anchorages are still possible. Take for example Meganissi which is always a popular spot. Our cruising had taken us to Skorpios (Onassis's island) where we intended a lunch stop on one side and a night at anchor on the other. Neither were possible a) because of the swarming wasps but b) the anchorages were simply full! So off we went to Meganissi - not to the well worn anchorages used by every man and his dog but into the south end of the anchorage just to the east of Vathi where we had a night on our own after 2 yachts left following there lunchtime swim. We returned again a couple of weeks later and again had the place to ourselves whilst adjacent anchorages remained very busy indeed.
We found similar seclusion over on on Kastos. Here, the little harbour at Kastos was full and the adjacent anchorages - the usual charter boats heading for the tavernas in the evening. As the weather was settled we found an anchorage to ourselves down towards the southwest tip of the island. A little swell crept into the anchorage but the silence was deafening!
Not all our cruise was seeking out secluded anchorages but socialising with friends also in the area, much to the detriment of my liver again! We met and spent many days with Alan and Sue aboard their beautiful Discovery 55, Ticketeeboo enjoying good food, wine and conversation - not to forget the help Alan always freely gives in helping solve my problems on Stratagem (more of that later).
In Sivota on Lefkas we met up with Mike and Jo on their Legend 45, Harriette coincident with Mike's birthday. That of course meant a party starting on Harriette and finishing with a meal in Stavros's restaurant. Also there was Pete on his boat, and who was also a previous Kemer resident a few years ago.
.JPG)
Later we came across Colin and Shirley on their lovely Malo, Silent Wings for similar ruination of diet and liver function! We had arranged a "meet" with them but when we came across them (unexpectedly) they were sailing up the channel between Ithica and Kefalonia and we were admiring the yacht catching us on our port quarter - we were motorsailing at the time (shame on us) only to find when they got close it was indeed Silent Wings (see photo). Whilst it prompted us to stop the engine and give chase under sail, it was too late, this being the signal for the wind to disappear somewhere else!
.JPG)
Our next passage was no more than a couple of miles to Gaieos where we anchored outside the southern entrance (the entrance itself is too shallow to enter, although we could have gone up to the north entrance) with the intention of staying the night. I was not happy with the location, although we have anchored overnight here in the past and so we went into the harbour for supplies and some of the best olive oil in these parts. The harbour was deserted but we got what we wanted.
.JPG)
On we proceeded to Lakka at the north end of Paxos where we anchored in the beautiful clear water on sand.Great for swimming but to get out of the swell we moved further in where the holding is also good in the weed over sand and spent a few days just chilling out. Our relaxation was interrupted by a bad weather forecast giving thunderstorms for a week in the area starting in a few days time so we continued on our way, firstly to Mourtos over on the mainland which is always a good spot a nice sunset, and then up to Gouvia marina on Corfu where we arrived at lunchtime in glorious sunshine and windless conditions.
Stratagem needed a lot of cleaning but the water flow from the metered water taps is nothing other than a joke. The purchased volume is no where near correct and the flow hardly exits the hosepipe making washing down a long and difficult process. So, not the best clean-up but it would have to do so we visited the supermarket (by taxi) and filled up again with food and booze for our autumn cruising. We were glad to get underway again and made our first passage to Vathi on the island of Ithica. The whole of this autumn was planned to just take things easy and revisit the many places we loved from our cruising here 6 years ago and hoped we would not be disappointed.
.JPG)
Our stay in Vathi was spectacular to say the least! Sitting there having our usual evening "sundowner" we suddenly noticed a brush fire starting up on the hillside behind us, caused we think from a BBQ some people were having at an apartment block. The speed the fire took hold was breathtaking and whilst it is easy to be critical of a lot of stupid people who grandstand these events putting themselves in danger from the flames, the fire crews worked very well in getting the fire under control and extinguished without damage to property or loss of life..JPG)
The most noticeable thing (and remember we are now towards the end of the high season) is the marked increase in the number of boats, particularly charter boats. This is no more evident than the Nidri area on Lefkas where the new jetties are lined with dozens of charter yachts and the anchorages are crowded beyond belief. That said, if you keep away from the routes of the charter flotilla fleets then peaceful anchorages are still possible. Take for example Meganissi which is always a popular spot. Our cruising had taken us to Skorpios (Onassis's island) where we intended a lunch stop on one side and a night at anchor on the other. Neither were possible a) because of the swarming wasps but b) the anchorages were simply full! So off we went to Meganissi - not to the well worn anchorages used by every man and his dog but into the south end of the anchorage just to the east of Vathi where we had a night on our own after 2 yachts left following there lunchtime swim. We returned again a couple of weeks later and again had the place to ourselves whilst adjacent anchorages remained very busy indeed.We found similar seclusion over on on Kastos. Here, the little harbour at Kastos was full and the adjacent anchorages - the usual charter boats heading for the tavernas in the evening. As the weather was settled we found an anchorage to ourselves down towards the southwest tip of the island. A little swell crept into the anchorage but the silence was deafening!
Not all our cruise was seeking out secluded anchorages but socialising with friends also in the area, much to the detriment of my liver again! We met and spent many days with Alan and Sue aboard their beautiful Discovery 55, Ticketeeboo enjoying good food, wine and conversation - not to forget the help Alan always freely gives in helping solve my problems on Stratagem (more of that later).
In Sivota on Lefkas we met up with Mike and Jo on their Legend 45, Harriette coincident with Mike's birthday. That of course meant a party starting on Harriette and finishing with a meal in Stavros's restaurant. Also there was Pete on his boat, and who was also a previous Kemer resident a few years ago.
.JPG)
Later we came across Colin and Shirley on their lovely Malo, Silent Wings for similar ruination of diet and liver function! We had arranged a "meet" with them but when we came across them (unexpectedly) they were sailing up the channel between Ithica and Kefalonia and we were admiring the yacht catching us on our port quarter - we were motorsailing at the time (shame on us) only to find when they got close it was indeed Silent Wings (see photo). Whilst it prompted us to stop the engine and give chase under sail, it was too late, this being the signal for the wind to disappear somewhere else!
This autumn proved to be one of the longest settled spells we have experienced this time of year. The Greek summer had been hot so the water was warm and the air temperatures remained high. All things have to come to an end and the weather forecasts all showed a deterioration in the weather with thunderstorms and high winds. Now you might think us crazy after last autumn's storm in Vlikho Bay on Lefkas - and on the anniversary of that particular storm which caused so much havoc and sadly, loss of life, for us to head for the same bay for shelter, but that is exactly what we did. We have always found the (virtually) landlocked bay to be a safe haven where you can set your anchor in about 5 or 6 metres with as much chain that takes your fancy (in our case about 55 metres) and weather the storm without any significant swell or waves. The forecast was right and when it came it lasted a few days providing for some, difficulties with anchors dragging. Since changing our main anchor 6 years ago for a 30 kg Spade anchor we have had no such problems - thank goodness!
We got stuck in Vlikho on maintenance issues. Our trusty Evinrude outboard developed a water leak from a cover on the engine casing necessitating ordering spares from the UK, the supplier promising "express delivery", the spares to be sent to the Vlikho Yacht Club. Those spares took 3 weeks to arrive but at least got our outboard back in commission. The other issue which Alan (Ticketeeboo) helped me with was leaks in the pressurised domestic water system. This was in fact 2 leaks which happened simultaneously but not connected. The first was the pressure relief valve on the calorifier which on removal was suffering from the residue from hard water. Immersion in kettle de-scaler cured that problem and so I thought that was that. Not so. We still could hear the pressure pump going off when the system was not in use - a sure fire sign something is wrong - plus - Sandra was convinced she could hear water running somewhere in the aft cabin! After much head scratching and poking around in cupboards and under floors I found that indeed it was running from a cold water pipe buried in the internal structure of the hull! Oh Beneteau, how I love your construction methods! The only answer was to cut the pipe at both ends and route another pressure feed from the pump. An awkward job and problematic in getting watertight joints, mainly due to poor quality jubilee clips purchased in Nidri.
At the end of October we went into Lefkas marina for a few days and thoroughly enjoyed being in the town again. We wintered here 6 years ago and whilst there have been some changes on the marina side of the town with a new road and some Government buildings, the town remains exactly how we remembered it. A superb meal (2 actually) at Ey Zin (means eat well in Greek) where we also met up again with Mike and Jo.
It was time to make our way northwards towards Corfu where we had arranged to winter Stratagem. There has been much written on web sites about the navigation marks being out of position in the north end of the Lefkas canal so we navigated very slowly keeping to the centre of the channel as we saw it. The depths were certainly low in parts with only a metre under the keel but thankfully we passed through safely and headed for Paxos. Our first stop was the delightful anchorage/harbour of Mongonisi where we anchored with only one other yacht. Another virtually landlocked harbour, both beautiful and peaceful. It doesn't get much better than this!
.JPG)
Our next passage was no more than a couple of miles to Gaieos where we anchored outside the southern entrance (the entrance itself is too shallow to enter, although we could have gone up to the north entrance) with the intention of staying the night. I was not happy with the location, although we have anchored overnight here in the past and so we went into the harbour for supplies and some of the best olive oil in these parts. The harbour was deserted but we got what we wanted..JPG)
On we proceeded to Lakka at the north end of Paxos where we anchored in the beautiful clear water on sand.Great for swimming but to get out of the swell we moved further in where the holding is also good in the weed over sand and spent a few days just chilling out. Our relaxation was interrupted by a bad weather forecast giving thunderstorms for a week in the area starting in a few days time so we continued on our way, firstly to Mourtos over on the mainland which is always a good spot a nice sunset, and then up to Gouvia marina on Corfu where we arrived at lunchtime in glorious sunshine and windless conditions.
After checking in we decided it would be best to take advantage of the present weather and get the sails off whilst they were dry. That proved to be a good decision. The following day we took off the bimini and erected the winter cockpit tent in advance of the coming rain and thunderstorms. Another good decision as when these storms moved in the rain was torrential.
With coming in early we now had 3 weeks instead of 2 to prepare Stratagem for the winter, and fortunately as it turned out we progressed with that work with some vigour. We have also met up with a delightful couple, Gill and Will on It's a Doddle, a Jeanneau 36. Will does some maintenance work on yachts through the winter and has agreed to add Stratagem to his list. It is also comforting to know someone will be looking out for Stratagem whilst she is on the hard over the winter.
Then came a problem (for me) with a nasty ear infection which needed help at the new if chaotic Corfu hospital. Having refused admission and as an outpatient not succeeding in solving the infection there was no alternative but to get back home a.s.a.p. The office were helpful in arranging to have Stratagem lifted the next day and we were lucky to be able to rearrange our flights for the following day back to the UK. Because we had advanced the laying-up work very quickly we were able to leave Stratagem on the hard knowing she is prepared for the coming winter................
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Accross the Aegean
April 2012 and I am back on board Stratagem to do the annual fit out together with the repairs to the stern which was damaged in January. I have brought a full case loaded with spares, so there is a lot to do. Initially, a quick clean up and checks of engine, batteries and seacocks before being lifted out the following day. The battery check showed a completely dead starter battery for the generator which I suspected at the end of last season, so a new one was quickly ordered and replaced.
The work in polishing the (blue) hull gets ever harder each year and I am now convinced that it is time to have her painted - but not this year! I was unable to get the shine I achieved last year but she looks good nonetheless and with her stern repaired and the antifoul re-done we were back in the water within about 10 days. In the meantime I stayed in a hotel and enjoyed the "all-inclusive" arrangements.
Back in the water and I spent the following week fitting all the spare parts and new equipment I had shipped from the UK. Fitting the new VHF antenna was easy but the cable down the mast was something else. During the process of replacing the old cable with the new I let both slip and the old cable disappeared down the mast with no mouse line to pull down the new cable. After many hours of trying to get a new line down the mast, and dismantling the headlining inside the boat to get a better view below decks I realised that the cable duct fitted inside the mast did not line up with the duct through the deck plug and down to the bottom of the keel-stepped spar! An email to Z-Spars in France received the confirmation that indeed that is the case and is done that way to help prevent water getting below. They nicely told me I had a problem!! Fortunately a know a man who could help, and that is my good friend Alan from the yacht Ticketeeboo who was due in a few days later. His ideas (with a little input from me) and shear doggedness on his part (he never gives up!) we managed to complete the exercise. How? Well we dropped the mouse-line down the mast until it hit the plug above deck and via a drain hole in the mast pulled the line to the outside. I then "pushed" a separate line from below, attached to a wire, and Alan also collected that line through the hole in the mast. After tying both together we were able to manipulate the line through the offset cable duct giving us a continuous line from top to bottom. The new VHF cable could then be drawn down the mast in the usual way, this time with a spare mouse-line also attached. Job done!
One success story was the replacement of the solar panel regulator for a MTTP type and whilst I do not fully understand how it works, what I can say is that it has transformed the efficiency of the solar panels. The 4 stage charger circuitry is superb and I am now seeing anything between 10 and 14 amps charging out of 215 watts of solar panels through the middle of the day. For the first time since I had the solar panels fitted nearly 6 years ago I now have a surplus of power!
Sandra arrived on 28th April and after getting food and drink aboard we got under way for our return passage across the Aegean to Messolonghi. Our first job was to get to Gocek to have our liferaft reserviced as it had not been done properly, and then to Bozburun to formally check out of Turkey. A trip into Symi enabled us to then check into Greece and so continue our passage knowing we were legal to do so. We sailed (or do I mean motored?) over 600 miles to Messolonghi via the Corinth Canal taking in the islands of Leros, Paros, Kithnos, then Korfos on the Peloponnise - through the Corinth Canal and stopping at , Galaxhidi and Trizonia and finally into the marina at Messolonghi. The weather en route was cool for the time of year - some rain - and some heavy winds at times, "on the nose" of course!! We were delayed in Paros, Kithnos, Galaxhidi and Trizonia with strong westerly winds, the strongest occurring whilst we were at anchor outside the harbour in Galaxhidi when we had gusts of 45 knots, fortunately only for a short time. At the same time, our friend Alan (a-la mast helper) who was sailing his Discovery 55 single handed around the Peloponnise to the Ionian was having a torrid time sailing in these dreadful conditions and suffered damage to his yacht. Better him than me!!
We have very fond memories of Trizonia from when we visited 6 years ago - 
an unfinished marina in a superb setting and a most delightful little harbourside village. We managed to get alongside on the outside of the first concrete jetty facing the prevailing wind with (the wind) just off the starboard bow keeping us nicely off the rough concrete.
The marina (which of course is free) is now cluttered with what appear to be abandoned yachts, some of which now look to be beyond economic repair, and there is even a sunken yacht in the middle which has been there for the last couple of years and which no-one has come to claim or
take responsibility. A pity really. These boats should be removed as they take up valuable space and hopefully when Greece sorts out its financial problems perhaps the marina may get finished? It is a valuable resource for the island of Trizonia which is not presently providing an income for the community.
an unfinished marina in a superb setting and a most delightful little harbourside village. We managed to get alongside on the outside of the first concrete jetty facing the prevailing wind with (the wind) just off the starboard bow keeping us nicely off the rough concrete.The marina (which of course is free) is now cluttered with what appear to be abandoned yachts, some of which now look to be beyond economic repair, and there is even a sunken yacht in the middle which has been there for the last couple of years and which no-one has come to claim or
take responsibility. A pity really. These boats should be removed as they take up valuable space and hopefully when Greece sorts out its financial problems perhaps the marina may get finished? It is a valuable resource for the island of Trizonia which is not presently providing an income for the community.
The marina at Messolonghi is not yet finished and there is much to do. The completed facilities e.g. office, shower blocks, laundry, shop, chandlery and cafe bar are good quality, spoilt only by the poorly laid concrete "roads" and hard standing areas. Perhaps they will eventually tidy these up? It is a long walk into town which itself is a lovely place with all services catered for. The berths are good and the general views from the marina are very pretty. We are happy to have left Stratagem there for our summer break back home.
Before leaving we cellebrated the Queen's Jubillee by dressing ship which you can just make out on the photograph (Stratagem is the left blue hulled yacht with her foredeck under the summer cover). A number of other British yachts arround us joined in and soon there were plenty of flags flying!And so another cruise comes to an end and it is off home for the summer and some house maintenance! Fortunately there is an airport reasonably close by to the west of Patras, about an hour or so from Messolonghi by taxi. It would seem that there are only flights using Ryanair from this tiny airport, but at least they fly direct to Stansted. Couldn't be better!
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Ouch!!
A new year and a short visit to Kemer to spend a couple of weeks on board Stratagem and do some maintenance work mixed with some socialising with friends who are also on board their yachts. After the usual journey via Thomas Cook and mad taxi driver we arrived at the marina in plenty of time for "happy hour". But shock horror(!) we found Stratagem has been damaged at the transom with an area of gelcoat scraped to the extent that the underlying glass is exposed! As the yacht was too far away from the concrete pontoon we sought the marina's help to get on board. Only then did we find out that there had been a very severe storm the previous day and that the bow line (as provided by the marina) had failed. The marina were quick to acknowledge their liability and undertook to execute the repair at their cost. This took the "sting" out of the situation. The repair will take place when Stratagem is lifted out of the water in April.
The visit was worthwhile in that the worklist was successfully completed but the weather was much wetter than we expected - perhaps that is how the work got completed? The next stage is fitting out time in April when I will come out in advance of Sandra to prepare Stratagem for the coming season.
The visit was worthwhile in that the worklist was successfully completed but the weather was much wetter than we expected - perhaps that is how the work got completed? The next stage is fitting out time in April when I will come out in advance of Sandra to prepare Stratagem for the coming season.
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Why do we do it?
2nd September and we are back on board Stratagem in Yacht Marine, Marmaris. It is very hot - at least 35 degrees C and not a lot less at night! The yacht is in good shape, needing no more than a wash down before doing the re-commissioning to prepare her for sea once again. The hot weather is an incentive to getting things done to get out of the marina and to the (relative) coolness of being at sea once again.
A visit to Simi (Pethi) to check-in to Greece, our plan being to work our way northwards via the islands until time presses to get back to Kemer. Well, plans are no more than that and there are always obstacles to overcome on the way and this cruise was no exception to that!
Batteries (failure, that is) were the first thing but could be overcome by charging using the mains generator - that is until the generator decided it wouldn't start! Fuel seemed OK but valve timing, probably as a result of incorrect tappet adjustment was suspected as there was soon backfiring through the inlet valve. Without a way of turning the engine to set the tappets we had to "park up" the generator for now and hope the solar panels and the main engine would suffice.
We had worked our way northwards against the prevailing winds in what was quickly becoming a strong "meltemi year" but finally decided to stop bashing our heads against the wall and make for Turgutries in Turkey for repairs and eventually (hopefully!) some downwind sailing southwards. The marina at Turgutries is excellent but expensive for daily berthing at this time of year. The Technical Services however proved to be reasonably priced, helpful, and technically capable. It took them no more than 30 minutes to reset the valve timing and get the generator running sweetly and to obtaining and fitting a new domestic battery bank of 3 Delphi Freedom 140 amp batteries. Suddenly things were looking up and we looked forward again to the rest of our cruise back to Kemer.
It is worth saying that despite Turkey's changes to the law regarding disposal of both "black" and "grey" water from boats we have never experienced seawater contamination as bad as we found in Fethye this year. It would seem that each morning, a sewage pipe from the shore is released into the bay, making lying at anchor a most unpleasant experience! We had no alternative but to leave to get away from the smell and danger of being anchored in such contaminated water.
The weather forecast was showing strong winds to come so we decided on the new marina at Kas. We were subsequently very pleased to have done so, as the gales and torrential rain kept us there for 8 days. We were safe and were able to get ashore and enjoy the lovely town of Kas, where we enjoyed some good food at local restaurants. Our friends Terry and Margaret on Cerise decide to go on to Kekover where they had to withstand 40 knot winds lying at anchor, and our other friends Stuart and Jenny on Ananita were tied up in the old harbour in Kas - less comfortable than the marina, but much cheaper!
With thunderstorms in the offing and plenty of maintenance work to do to Stratagem before laying-up for the winter it seemed the best decision was just to get back to Kemer and some fun before going home.
The mix of people at the marina this year includes many from previous years, although a larger number of German and Swiss than previous compared to previous numbers of Brits and Americans. What is also noticeable is that there are fewer people living on board throughout the winter, with most returning home for a greater length of time. We have prepared Stratagem for a winter afloat and will return for a couple of weeks in January.
So, "why do we do it?" Well, despite the irritations of failing equipment the lifestyle is still attractive and of course the weather is rather better than back home - not forgetting of course the superb sailing area that the Aegean presents.
Can't wait to get back!
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
2011- More Agean Cruising
All went well with completing the maintenance work on Stratagem, and relaunching her ready for Sandra arriving on 19th April. Polishing the hull was tough but well worth the effort and she gleamed as she did when she was much younger! Photos never fully show the result but this one taken with a mobile phone gives the idea.
The work at the chart-table was also completed - the hole left by the GPS filled with a direct replacement (Furuno) and the old chartplotter replaced with the Navtex unit. All very successful and neat, if I do say so myself!
Re-commissioning took another week, but at last the time came to leave. Our intentions were to leave Kemer for good this time, but no, we decided we will return later in the year for a "last" winter! And so the die is cast for this years cruising.....
The cruise up the Turkish coast incorporated the usual stops at Kekova, Kastelorizon, Fethye and Bozburun where we crossed to Symi to check into Greece. With our cruising permit suitably stamped we proceeded to Kos, where we haven't been for some time and met up with Alan and Sue on Ticketeeboo. We met them again a few days later in the delightful anchorage of Xerokambos on the southern end of Leros. At this point we did the last damage to our liver before parting company and going our separate ways!
We sailed northwards in lumpy sea conditions to Patmos where we anchored off the town out of the way of other boats which use the quay there. Little has changed since our last visit and we enjoyed our stay, safe in the knowledge of good holding should the weather deteriorate. The town was quiet and this was repeated on the subsequent islands we visited - a combination of people tightening their (financial) "belt", riots in Athens (?) and even the worsening political situation in the Eastern Med. What is also noticeable is the higher cost of food and drink. Not only have prices (in Greece) gone up sharply but the poor exchange rate between the £Sterling and the Euro also compounds the problem.
On leaving Pat
mos we were heading for a couple of islands not previously visited. The first, Lipsi, is a short sail (or mot oring in our case - in calm winds) eastwards to the harbour of Leipsoi. On arrival we found blustery winds inside the harbour and nowhere to anchor safely although plenty of quay room if that is what one is looking for - but not for us. We had read of a good anchorage to the east and so we carried on, and glad we did as we found ourselves in a delightful anchorage of crystal clear waters and entirely to ourselves. Even the taverna on the shore was not yet open!Next stop was Agothonisi (a small island to the south of Samos), where we were also visiting for the first time. There is just enough space for a couple of yachts to anchor without getting in the way of the quay - again in crystal clear water and good holding, although (lack of) scope might be a problem if it blew a bit! The harbour police are vigilant about where yachts anchor insisting the quay is completely clear for boats to tie up without difficulty. The shoreside village is a delight and has a choice of restaurants to try. Still relatively early in the season, the evenings were cool but not too cool to sit out for eating at the restaurant with a perfect view of the harbour.
At this point we decided against going any further north as we had promised ourselves a few days in the Bozburun area against a deadline of getting Stratagem to Marmaris for the summer. So that's what we did and spent a week in Bozburun just "chilling out" spending time with other friends who were also doing the same thing.
Every cruise has its problems and ours was once again - the generator!! Only rebuilt in October last year and only used since then for a handful of hours, the cylinder head gasket was blowing, evidenced by oil leaking at the gasket. Fearing potential damage from water ingress via the failed gasket into the cylinders the generator was mothballed. Fortunately the solar panels were giving us ample power for our needs. Blues Yachting, who did the rebuild agreed to join us in Marmaris to do the repair which they did without question despite the necessary work being much more extensive than just a gasket change (e.g. new cylinder block, piton and rings!). Let's hope it lasts longer this time!
With Stratagem laid up for the summer, including covers to protect her from the fierce summer sun, we returned home to the UK to resume life there. No doubt the garden will be high on the list of jobs to be done............................
Sunday, 13 March 2011
2011 and more maintenance!
The last days of February and the prospect of a week spent on board Stratagem to do some essential maintenance. Things did not start off well!
The Thomas Cook flight to Antalya was a bit of a nightmare. The flight was due to leave at 0720 from Gatwick (no flights from my usual Stansted) but was given a 1 hour delay as the incoming aircraft developed a fault and needed essential repairs.....Ummmm........After a couple of hours they admitted a delay until 1300. So at 1215 we were boarded only then to be told the crew had run out of hours and we still had no pilot - but not to worry as he would arrive in 10 minutes. What a lie!! By 1500 they admitted he wasn't coming and so a pilot from another Thomas Cook flight was to do the flight. By now a couple of passengers had caused such a rumpus they were removed and taken away by police, but unfortunately their luggage had to be taken off as well - so more delays. To end a long story, arrival in Antalya was in torrential rain - didn't bode well for my short visit to the boat.
Thankfully things turned out well and I had an enjoyable if hardworking
week. The stern tube seal worked out well and I was successful in removing the horrible scratched area on the starboard side of the hull caused by someone storing a dinghy between us and the adjacent boat. Of course I now have to do the whole hull when I return in mid April, but the attached photo shows the difference.
The other success was fitting an AIS receiver, a Vesper Watchmate 750. At the same time I removed the Furuno gps to take back to the UK for repair - if possible, although I am not hopeful. I am also left with re-locating the navtex on my next visit. Ignoring the hole which shouldn't be there, the photo shows the new unit in place.
When I return again in April, I have a lot of work to do to get Stratagem ready for re-launching and getting her ready for sea. With only 2 weeks before Sandra arrives I will have to be going some!! Until then it is back home and a very busy few weeks of family and friends including a visit to the Lake District to see some very old friends - something we are very much looking forward to................................
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
August 2010 - and back to the boat!
After a great summer at home in Suffolk it was time to get back to the boat and see how Stratagem had fared in the heat of a summer in Kemer. All was not well.......
Firstly, the white cover over the aft deck (to protect the teak deck) was burnt brown and had "melted". It was only fit for the skip!
Secondly, all the "mouse lines" which temporarily replace the halyards had also "melted" and turned to ash when touched! This was a bigger problem as all the halyards had to be taken to the top of the mast and fed down to the outlets at the bottom. Fortunately I had left (the boom) topping lift on, and by replacing that with a heavier rope I was able to be winched up to the top of the mast - in temperatures still over 40 degrees C. The job turned out easier than anticipated and so we could get on to the next problems.
A lot of plastic tubes kept inside the boat (hand creams etc) had all gone the same way and simply disintegrated when touched. It makes you wonder how hot the temperatures got inside the boat. We were glad that we had taken precautions and stored important items below the floors against the hull - keeping them more at water temperature. That proved successful at least!
We could only work an our or two each day, very early in the morning due to the unusually high temperatures for this time of year, but eventually Stratagem was ready and we set sail westwards for a 10 weeks cruise.
The next "horror" immediately became apparent. The Volvo shaft seal was leaking water. Not too much but a worry non-the-less. An injection of grease slowed things down and a regular inspection was necessary, and of course some mopping up of water coming in. The "crew" was rather nervous as I was initially but it all settled down after a while. The important thing is replacement when the boat is lifted and a check to make sure nothing more is damaged.
As a cruise it proved uneventful - the usual motoring in light (or no) wind and flat seas. We reached as far as Keci Buku where we enjoyed an area we love, including Bozburun. We met friends of old and a few from Kemer. The weather remained very hot! The actual sailing remained elusive with sails firmly furled!
At our first anchorage we found problem number (whatever number it is!) in that our trusty outboard wouldn't start. "Just the carburettor gummed up" says I, and proceeded, several times, to clean it - but all to no avail. It remained doggedly "dead" resulting in some rowing practice for this cruise.
It became time to head back eastwards towards Kemer for the winter and Gocek was the target for our first port of call. This place gets busier and busier each time we come here and with marina expansion encroaching on the anchorage, the anchoring room is getting smaller and smaller for an increased number of boats. Still, we found space and settled down for a few days ashore. We were not to know how extended that stay was to become.
The generator failed - again!!
What appeared at first to be an electrical failure in the alternator side turned out to be a total collapse of the rotor shaft bearing and as it turned out from further examination a needed rebuild of the diesel engine which drives it.
Blues Yachting in Gocek turned out to be the saviour in rebuilding this generator, and whilst the end result has some reduced electrical power output, they did well in doing the job in a short timescale necessitated by our need to get back to Kemer to get home. In all the work done included :-
-repair to the rotor windings
-replace the shaft bearing
-replace the diodes
-re cut the valve seats in the cylinder head
-replace valves
-replace piston rings
-service the fuel injector
-replace some water pipes
-replace (part of) the exhaust pipe
-clean out internal water passages which were heavily corroded
-clean corrosion from the engine casing and completely repaint
-replace engine mountings
It is difficult to believe that this generator has only done 960 hours - and this is the second time it has been taken out for repair! So are the joys of yacht ownership!
Or, and by the way - Blues Yachting also got my "dead" outboard working again. It looks and performs like new!
And so it turned out that our leisurely sail back to kemer became a quick hop so that we had time to again de-commission her ready for lifting out for the winter. At least the lift out went well and I had time together with my good friend Alan off "Ticketeeboo" to replace the leaky Volvo shaft seal. His help in getting the shaft coupling off proved invaluable and his engineering expertise and ingenuity ensured success. Quite frankly, I am not sure I would have succeeded on my own. Thanks Alan.
There are new people in Kemer, together with some of us who have now been there for a few years, although it would seem -like us- many are going home for at least part of the winter. The party atmosphere is still there and in the couple of weeks we spent before leaving for home we had two very good parties; a BBQ birthday bash for Stuart - a young 80 year old, and a Halloween party.
Stratagem is up on the hard needing some tlc next spring and on 2nd November we returned home again to the UK.
What will 2011 bring? Who knows, except to say that we will be spending more time at home than in the past and may well re-locate Stratagem to somewhere else. We shall see.
Firstly, the white cover over the aft deck (to protect the teak deck) was burnt brown and had "melted". It was only fit for the skip!
Secondly, all the "mouse lines" which temporarily replace the halyards had also "melted" and turned to ash when touched! This was a bigger problem as all the halyards had to be taken to the top of the mast and fed down to the outlets at the bottom. Fortunately I had left (the boom) topping lift on, and by replacing that with a heavier rope I was able to be winched up to the top of the mast - in temperatures still over 40 degrees C. The job turned out easier than anticipated and so we could get on to the next problems.
A lot of plastic tubes kept inside the boat (hand creams etc) had all gone the same way and simply disintegrated when touched. It makes you wonder how hot the temperatures got inside the boat. We were glad that we had taken precautions and stored important items below the floors against the hull - keeping them more at water temperature. That proved successful at least!
We could only work an our or two each day, very early in the morning due to the unusually high temperatures for this time of year, but eventually Stratagem was ready and we set sail westwards for a 10 weeks cruise.
The next "horror" immediately became apparent. The Volvo shaft seal was leaking water. Not too much but a worry non-the-less. An injection of grease slowed things down and a regular inspection was necessary, and of course some mopping up of water coming in. The "crew" was rather nervous as I was initially but it all settled down after a while. The important thing is replacement when the boat is lifted and a check to make sure nothing more is damaged.
As a cruise it proved uneventful - the usual motoring in light (or no) wind and flat seas. We reached as far as Keci Buku where we enjoyed an area we love, including Bozburun. We met friends of old and a few from Kemer. The weather remained very hot! The actual sailing remained elusive with sails firmly furled!
At our first anchorage we found problem number (whatever number it is!) in that our trusty outboard wouldn't start. "Just the carburettor gummed up" says I, and proceeded, several times, to clean it - but all to no avail. It remained doggedly "dead" resulting in some rowing practice for this cruise.
It became time to head back eastwards towards Kemer for the winter and Gocek was the target for our first port of call. This place gets busier and busier each time we come here and with marina expansion encroaching on the anchorage, the anchoring room is getting smaller and smaller for an increased number of boats. Still, we found space and settled down for a few days ashore. We were not to know how extended that stay was to become.
The generator failed - again!!
What appeared at first to be an electrical failure in the alternator side turned out to be a total collapse of the rotor shaft bearing and as it turned out from further examination a needed rebuild of the diesel engine which drives it.
Blues Yachting in Gocek turned out to be the saviour in rebuilding this generator, and whilst the end result has some reduced electrical power output, they did well in doing the job in a short timescale necessitated by our need to get back to Kemer to get home. In all the work done included :-
-repair to the rotor windings
-replace the shaft bearing
-replace the diodes
-re cut the valve seats in the cylinder head
-replace valves
-replace piston rings
-service the fuel injector
-replace some water pipes
-replace (part of) the exhaust pipe
-clean out internal water passages which were heavily corroded
-clean corrosion from the engine casing and completely repaint
-replace engine mountings
It is difficult to believe that this generator has only done 960 hours - and this is the second time it has been taken out for repair! So are the joys of yacht ownership!
Or, and by the way - Blues Yachting also got my "dead" outboard working again. It looks and performs like new!
And so it turned out that our leisurely sail back to kemer became a quick hop so that we had time to again de-commission her ready for lifting out for the winter. At least the lift out went well and I had time together with my good friend Alan off "Ticketeeboo" to replace the leaky Volvo shaft seal. His help in getting the shaft coupling off proved invaluable and his engineering expertise and ingenuity ensured success. Quite frankly, I am not sure I would have succeeded on my own. Thanks Alan.
There are new people in Kemer, together with some of us who have now been there for a few years, although it would seem -like us- many are going home for at least part of the winter. The party atmosphere is still there and in the couple of weeks we spent before leaving for home we had two very good parties; a BBQ birthday bash for Stuart - a young 80 year old, and a Halloween party.
Stratagem is up on the hard needing some tlc next spring and on 2nd November we returned home again to the UK.
What will 2011 bring? Who knows, except to say that we will be spending more time at home than in the past and may well re-locate Stratagem to somewhere else. We shall see.
Friday, 9 July 2010
2010 - Not a sailing year!
We knew from the start of our cruising life that sooner or later one of us would like more time on terra firma! Predictably, Sandra was first to crack and so it was time to sell the house we had and find the house where we will be happy living.
Selling proved easy and took only 2 weeks! Buying was more difficult as we didn't even know where we wanted to re-locate to! After discounting our first choices of Devon and Cornwall (too busy in summer and too remote for visiting familly) we looked at Dorset. Very nice but Sandra fancied Suffolk! Well, it's close! We eventually found a super house not too far from the coast, which was an important factor in our search - and so on 14th May we moved our belongings and started another chapter of our life in Suffolk.
Since moving in we have been extremely busy doing some urgent maintenance, neglected by the previous owner and bringing the garden back to life. Being without a garden for most of the last 7 years meant that Sandra has an enormous amount to catch up on to satisfy her missing interest in life. A wonderful English summer (we didn't think such a thing existed anymore!) helped her to spend just about every minute of the day working in the garden. Me - I just can't wait to get back to the boat and do some sailing.
That raises the thorny issue of what to do now about where to keep Stratagem. Our present thoughts are to remain in Kemer, Turkey for now as it is convenient to fly from Stansted to Antalya, and it remains our plan to sail in the spring and autumn. The alternative is to bring her back to the UK but we both feel that we would probably do even less sailing given Sandra's dislike of the local weather conditions in this country. We will have to wait and see............
Monday, 3 August 2009
Marmaris to Kemer
Our summer break away from the boat was most enjoyable despite the poor wea
ther back in the UK (so what's new?). Time with family and friends is always time well spent and this time included a side trip to Sweden to see Lars and Maud who live to the north of Stockholm in a lovely country retreat. Suffice to say we were very impressed with what we saw of the country and we hope to return in the not too distant future.
ther back in the UK (so what's new?). Time with family and friends is always time well spent and this time included a side trip to Sweden to see Lars and Maud who live to the north of Stockholm in a lovely country retreat. Suffice to say we were very impressed with what we saw of the country and we hope to return in the not too distant future.So, back to the boat and into the summer heat again. After finalising the new canvas work with Claudia and Moshe - new hatch covers and windscreen cover this time, our plan is to just "sail where the wind takes us" but end up in Kemer by the end of October to spend another winter there (our 3rd) with the many friends we have made there. Our spring cruise had necessitated far too much of the engine and so our target is to sail as much as we can.
We left Marmaris on 28th August and sailed/motorsailed to the Greek island of Symi. Here we wanted to stock up on some pork products not available in Turkey and some cheap(er) booze! After a quiet overnight stop we headed back to turkey and into Keci Buku to meet up with our friends Jan and Tony on Red Marlin. They arrived the day after and we celebrated with a meal ashore, and of course the obligatory drinks! We lazed about for the next few days in the still very hot conditions, eating and drinking, swimming, and some general maintenance on the boat. Sandra and Jan also fit in a visit by bus into Marmaris for some shopping therapy!
On 4th September we sailed along to Bozburun for some important celebrations. On the 5th, we celebrated 45 years married, and 3 days later, Jan and Tony celebrated 47 years of marriage. Not bad in this day and age!! We have always enjoyed, and had good service from a restaurant called Kandil, run by two brothers , and we decided they would be the venue for our celebrations. We had 2 excellent meals there in 3 days - with an appropriate increase in our personal weights! Unfortunately we also had some boat problems whilst in Bozburun in that the dreaded watermaker pump failed yet again (it seems to last only a couple of seasons before trouble returns). Fortunately we know a man who can help - and a trip into Marmaris enabled the broken shaft to be successfully welded. On start up - which also needs the generator to maintain battery power, the water pump impeller for the generator failed which absorbed a further session down in the engine room! All is now well and we are back to a water surplus again and frequent showers.
This was the parting of the ways with Red Marlin, who carried on to Marmaris for the winter whereas we headed south-eastwards towards Kemer; Gocek being our first stop. Here the weather change
d. No sooner arrived that the forecast took a turn for the worse and for the next couple of days we had thunderstorms and heavy rain - much earlier than we have experienced in earlier years. At least there was no wind to speak of. The only good sailing we experienced was back and forth accross the bay between Gocek and Fethye. Being the period of Ramadan, the drums of Fethye eventually drove us out (no sleep!) and so on we went down to the delightful (Greek) island of Kasterlorizon. Here we anchored in the corner of the small harbour and enjoyed the atmosphere of the local town, including a pleasant meal ashore. A very large turtle could be seen swimming in the harbour and even came alongside the harbour wall whilst we were in the restaurant.
d. No sooner arrived that the forecast took a turn for the worse and for the next couple of days we had thunderstorms and heavy rain - much earlier than we have experienced in earlier years. At least there was no wind to speak of. The only good sailing we experienced was back and forth accross the bay between Gocek and Fethye. Being the period of Ramadan, the drums of Fethye eventually drove us out (no sleep!) and so on we went down to the delightful (Greek) island of Kasterlorizon. Here we anchored in the corner of the small harbour and enjoyed the atmosphere of the local town, including a pleasant meal ashore. A very large turtle could be seen swimming in the harbour and even came alongside the harbour wall whilst we were in the restaurant.After a couple of days we were asked to leave! Not that we had done anything wrong you understand - but it was the day the BIG ferry comes in from Rhodes and it takes the whole harbour to turn arround. As we dont care for berthing to the restaurant quays we headed the couple of miles over to the bay to the south of Kas. We have anchored here before but still enjoyed the relative peace of the place, once the local boats stopped running with their un-silenced engines!
With a stronger wind forecast, we decided to do the short hop down to Kekover Roads, where we anchored below the castle together with a host of other yachts. We concluded after a day or two that these yachts were simply waiting for the 1st October to start their winter contracts in Finike (and elsewhere) and sure enough, on the morning of the 1st, they cleared off like the start of a Grand Prix.
We had been in touch with Alan and Sue who were sailing their new Discovery 55 from Southampton to K
emer and arranged to meet up with them here in Kekover. They c
ame into the anchorage (see pics - the smaller blue one is Stratagem!) and lay close by and then it was like a whirlwind passed through! An escorted tour of the yacht, washed down by lots and lots of "bubbly", drinks on Stratagem, a meal ashore etc etc left our livers a bit under stress. They were keen to get to Kemer and on they went, to be replaced by Helmut and Mary on Lady-B, and Ron and Susan on Gemini. More drinks on Stratagem, and another meal ashore just kept the social life bubbling along.....
emer and arranged to meet up with them here in Kekover. They c
ame into the anchorage (see pics - the smaller blue one is Stratagem!) and lay close by and then it was like a whirlwind passed through! An escorted tour of the yacht, washed down by lots and lots of "bubbly", drinks on Stratagem, a meal ashore etc etc left our livers a bit under stress. They were keen to get to Kemer and on they went, to be replaced by Helmut and Mary on Lady-B, and Ron and Susan on Gemini. More drinks on Stratagem, and another meal ashore just kept the social life bubbling along.....Unfortunately our stay in Kekover had to come to a premature halt as the domestic water pump failed, preventing us getting any water from our onboard water tanks. Pouring water out of bottles and no showers on board is not for us and so we headed for Kemer where we knew we could get a replacement pump. And so, after another motorsail in light winds we arrived in Kemer, only 250 miles from leaving Marmaris on August.
Did we achieve our objective of sailing every where we went? NO WAY! As per the rest of this season we had either no wind or winds "on the nose", needing the ever trusting Yanmar engine to get us there. Still it is nice to be back in Kemer and to the social life that is still one of the best despite staff changes at the marina (we think for the better) and of course many new faces.
We will see what the winter brings.
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