That sinking, deflated feeling ...

I'm back at the Basimakopulos boatyard in Kilada, Greece after a long busy winter in Sweden.

For months I had been looking forward to completely relaxing on my boat and just looking at the horizon in the warm Greek sun. 

It didn't turn out that way at all.

climbing up and down the ladder every time I'd forgotten something

Firstly my brother in law Uffe who usually helps me for the first week couldn't join me this time as his wife Kerstin was ill. We had to cancel his tickets at the last moment. Really sad, especially for Kerstin who was so sick but also sad for him as he'd been counting the days to the trip. My thoughts were with them both but the prospect of being alone with all the work of making the boat seaworthy before launching was nevertheless daunting. 

With only 3 days to the launching date,  I had to work non stop 12 hours a day. 

And where was the warm Greek sun? It was pouring with rain and 15 degrees!

I quickly realized I could only manage to do the absolute necessary. That was: cleaning the hull and painting the antifouling on the bottom, polishing and waxing the waterline, changing the zinc anode on the propeller shaft and replacing the bottom plug. Everything else had to wait.

Aquarella about to be launched (notice the fully inflated dinghy on deck) 

The sun came out at last, Aquarella was launched on schedule and I could tie up to a mooring buoy in the middle of the bay.

I'd inflated my rubber dinghy, the only life line I now have to civilization ashore. The first trip with it went fine and the engine started on the first pull. It must have looked very entertaining though when I collided with the quayside at full speed without being able to slow down or stop the engine. I had to use the choke to stop it. This problem resolved itself without my intervention on the way back. 

I noticed in the evening a little air had gone out of the dinghy but I thought it might be owing to the cooler temperature. The following morning I realized there must be a leak somewhere. I climbed down to attach the air pump and the next thing I knew the dinghy was rapidly on its way down! 

Nearly all the air had gone and the engine was sinking fast. I quickly took a line and secured it, then took the first dip of the year, albeit unintentional. I had to unscrew the engine mount from the transom in order to pull it aboard. Wearing my life-jacket as an extra precaution I swam around taking oars, the pump, the seat etc before I could climb aboard again to hoist the dinghy on deck.

I still don't know what the problem is but I suspect it must be the valves. I won't be able to get help or get ashore before Monday so I'm stuck for the time being.

The deflated dinghy just after I had secured the engine with a line

To be continued...