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| My wind scoop |
I haven't actually sailed for a while. I've been spending every day aboard working on my new book from 7 am to 7 pm with a break for lunch and a nap at the hottest time of the afternoon. The temperature is often 35 c in the cabin and my "air condition" consists of a wind scoop which catches the lightest breeze and sends it down through the boat.
When the heat gets too much I cool off by taking a swim in the sea followed by a 1 litre fresh water shower.
When the heat gets too much I cool off by taking a swim in the sea followed by a 1 litre fresh water shower.
For a few days I stopped writing to paint a new watercolour of the view. This will be an illustration in the book.
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| Painting the view from the boat |
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| A storm rolling in, Galatas can be seen here on the right, Poros to the left |
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| This is what you might call "a Greek bail out" |
Unfortunately one problem was becoming a serious issue. Having my boat tied up to a buoy a few hundred metres from the shore I am totally reliant on my rubber dinghy to transport myself to the town quay to get provisions, water and diesel.
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| balancing in the dinghy to use the foot pump |
The dinghy was loosing air again and having to be pumped every morning which meant there was a new leak somewhere. I took the cover off and wiped soapy water over the surface but couldn't find a specific leak, it looked like I had washed it in champagne! I ended up alternately pumping and rowing like mad over to Galatas where a dinghy specialist has his workshop. After taking a water taxi back to my boat I felt rather isolated. The following day I got a phone call with the verdict. "Dinghy no good, total kaput!" It was a right off, with all the seams disintegrating!
This meant I had to buy a new dinghy to be sent from Athens for the grand total of 650€. I had to use the water taxi service several times the following days at 10€ per trip before I finally could row my new dinghy back home to the boat.
This meant I had to buy a new dinghy to be sent from Athens for the grand total of 650€. I had to use the water taxi service several times the following days at 10€ per trip before I finally could row my new dinghy back home to the boat.
The next morning I was picked up by watertaxi again for the first leg of my trip back home to Sweden for 2 weeks. I had been asked to participate in an exhibition in Denmark called the World Wide Watercolour exhibition and wouldn't miss this opportunity. I had to leave Aquarella to fend for herself in the meantime which I didn't like but there are many other boats left at buoys here so I reckoned she would be safe enough.
The watertaxi came half an hour too early when I was standing there in my nightdress! (No picture of that)
To be continued...
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| Pick up with the watertaxi |
