Earthquake in Aktio

We just had the biggest earthquake I have ever been in, here in Aktio. 5.2 on the Richter scale. It woke me up. The boat was shaking on its supports and I screamed. Very frightening. 
I got up and noticed that the books on a shelf shifted, an empty flower vase fell off a shelf but everything else was ok. Except for me. Half an hour later, my heart hasn't returned to normal beat yet. After it was over we've had several smaller aftershocks. 
I checked the website for the earthquakes in Greece and there was only one stronger than this all of last year in all of Greece. I hope that's good news and they will never get any stronger. I was also thinking that people in boats in a marina probably never felt anything. On the other hand, what about people in apartments? I hope everyone is ok. 
Usually, after a strong earthquake here, some old buildings crumble but most other ones are built according to the earthquake code so are able to withstand a strong earthquake without damage. And I suppose after a while people get used to them. 
My older son lived in Taipei for four years and he says that you never get used to them. He experienced a 6.9 while living in a highrise. He said that shaking concrete makes a really scary noise.
Since this morning we've had several aftershocks with the biggest one 3.3 at 11:25. 
I've noticed the Aktio boatyard crew going around and checking all the supports on the yachts and tightening them up this morning. 
It makes me feel a bit more secure but I'm wondering if it isn't better to be on the water all winter with a diesel heater keeping me warm. What would you choose: an earthquake or a winter storm?

Earthquake

 Early this morning at 03:25 local time, we had an earthquake 4.3 on the Richter scale, centered 15 km west of Preveza. At 04:59 another tremor of 3.7 hit followed by 2.6. Altogether, there have been five tremors in the last two hours.
I could feel it on my boat in Actio. It felt as if a truck had hit the boat. Fortunately, nothing fell and my heart is back to beating normally, but there is no way I can go back to sleep. However, the supports for boats at Aktio Marina boatyard are very strong and secure, of which I am very glad.

Back in Aktio

Welcome back! What a mess!

I arrived back at eight in the evening so luckily, was able to stay in the studio apartment above the boat yard office the first night. On Monday,  I secured ladder, opened up all the ports and hatches, connected the electricity and water, removed the winter tarp covering the boat, and prepared quarterberth for sleep.
I had all day to air out Eidos and sort a few things on board, get groceries in town and start cleaning. My first helper will arrive next week, so I'll save the best jobs for her!
 

View north

View east

View south east

New dinghy

 

I now have a new dingy. No, it's not a wooden or fiberglass one like I had dreamed but it was cheap and will do for awhile. It's used but new to me and in really good condition. I saw it with a For Sale sign through the fence at Aktio, while walking to Panos Taverna one evening and a day later it was mine. The previous owners decided to buy another one and had no room for two. So, now I can anchor out and get to shore easily. And no, I have no intention of buying an outboard - need the exercise.

Come sail in the Ionian next summer

Sometimes we just want to feel the earth under our feet for awhile, to grow a garden, perhaps to get to know our neighbours a little bit better than we do while cruising, and so we anchor somewhere or even, horrors, haul out our boat and live in a boat yard. This is exactly what I have been doing for the past few years.

During this time I published a magazine and have met many wonderful people. I am learning Greek, doing some inland travel and now and then some boat work. I love Greece and the Ionian, want to see more of it and so plan to launch Eidos in spring to do a bit more local cruising.

Once again I will be offering sailing opportunities during the summer to like minded people with the goal of seeing more of the Ionian, staying in one place longer and exploring more inland. Most of the time when cruising, we only see the harbours and to tell you the truth, after awhile, they all begin to look the same. I often catch myself remembering the scene from some port and not remembering which country it was in, much less what city. 

Motor sailing along the north coast of Mallorca

Inland, there are ancient ruins everywhere, hiking trails, ecological sanctuaries, and lovely mountain villages. So, the plan is to sail one day and then spend a few days exploring inland. Perhaps rent a car or a scooter, or take the local bus. Then we can go hiking, visit a monastery, spend the day swimming, or see the nearby town. Perhaps there is a special festival in a few days, so we'll stay and wait. No need to rush. No need to add up miles. And we can use Eidos as a base.

I will be publishing The Ionian magazine from April to October, so this will also be a working cruise for me, and I think that this can work quite well - it involves about a week of intensive concentration on the laptop but the rest of the month there is plenty of time for sailing and exploring. I will also be offering basic Greek lessons to anyone who is interested.

So, this is an invitation for you to come and visit for a week, a month or the whole summer. And if you'd like to help with launching, that would be wonderful. Shared expenses, shared work, shared fun. I'll be updating this post as I firm up my plans a bit more so please keep checking.

Boat storage in Greece

Eidos getting hauled out on a trailer

View from Eidos

Strong supports mean peace of mind

Several people have asked me whether I'm bothered by or worried about earthquakes while in a boat yard in Greece. Many times (usually around the time of the full moon), I have experienced light tremors while on my boat. Most are minor and feel as if suddenly the wind came up and was causing the rigging to vibrate. Yet there is no wind. I was on board during the 6.3 quake in June, (centered near Patras) and that's all I felt. It actually reminds me that really, the earth is not solid - it's all molten lava inside with only a thin surface crust keeping us from disaster. That's kind of amazing, isn't it?

Anyway, the supports that keep Eidos upright are some of the best ones I've seen. They are specifically made to withstand earthquakes and they actually form a steel cradle - every piece is connected to every other piece with a frame on the ground. I have seen some flimsy ones in other places but not where Eidos is. I would definitely recommend Aktio Marine as an excellent place to leave your boat in Greece. Although, I wish Panos Taverna would stay open all year and that the ferry was still making runs to Preveza...

For more photos of Aktio Marine, click on the menu above.

Scary storm in the Ionian

No, it's not a winter storm. I took this photo at the end of June near Aktio the day after I sailed in from Corfu. The storm lasted only about two hours but I was really glad that I was safely anchored and not out at sea. Eidos was anchored near Aktio Marine where the holding is quite good. The wind reached 56 knots. 

Planning ahead for summer

For those of you who would like to come sailing with me this summer, here is a bit more about what I'll be doing for the first week back. 

The work in early May involves mostly cleaning after the winter - I am expecting some mold inside the boat and grime from the winter on the decks. We will be living in the boat yard and that means up and down a ladder while the showers and toilets are a short walk away. There is also a washer available with a place to hang your laundry. In case you just love cleaning and living in a boat yard - you're welcome to join me.

On the positive and fun side, there is social life with other boat owners; we often have barbecues together, there is a great taverna (Panos) close by, table tennis, books to swap, and we have access to lovely places for walks, Roman and Venetian ruins, a beach for swimming, free rides to Preveza and bus to anywhere else. (Scroll down to see some photos.)

What I am offering to those of you who like this kind of thing, is a "shared work, shared expenses and shared fun" adventure. To give you an idea of what this involves - if you were to work 6 hours a day, it wouldn't cost you anything for bunk and board, but I know from past experience that six hours is a lot of time. For three hours of work a day, you would get your accommodation and access to all the facilities and fun things to do, but I'd expect a contribution to the food bill. The amount would depend on whether you wanted to eat out sometimes or if you are a vegetarian or not - 5-10 Euros a day is a good ball park figure to keep in mind. Hey, where can you live in Greece for 5-10 Euros a day? Also, if you want to check other opportunities exchanging work for room and board, take a look at www.helpx.net.

Anyway, I hope to be finished with the cleaning and in the water in about a week and then we would sail. Once we sail, there won't be much work to do unless you have special boat maintenance skills (electrical, mechanical or carpentry). Perhaps sanding in preparation for varnishing but I won't know about that until I get there. While we sail, I will be asking for a contribution to the expenses. Of course, if you have an adventure of your own to trade - like a car or a scooter on one of the islands, or kayaking trips on Zakinthos, or hikes on Ithaca, lets talk.

Back soon.

Sometimes life is like that - stuck in the boat yard

The original reason for staying put - water in the hull

Roman baths near the boat yard

Cleopatra's boat in Preveza

Lots of room to roam for Sefti the yard dog

Panos - the local taverna
BBQ at the boat yard

First an apology for not posting since May. I have been living all summer in a boat yard in Greece and Internet access was not the best! And in case you are thinking that I must have been crazy, check out some of my photos. It wasn't all that bad. There are ruins nearby, places to go for walks, people to meet and tavernas to sit in and enjoy a glass of wine. And yes, I did some work on the boat as well.

First of all, I was almost ready to put Eidos in the water in May, but had to wait for some money to arrive from my publishers. While waiting, I found a small crack at the bottom of the hull through which water has been getting into the keel. We decided to enlarge the small crack so that water would drain out more quickly (see photo). Still, it took two months to dry the hull out sufficiently to make repairs. That made it middle of August.

Then, I decided to change the anodes and the oil in the engine. You'd think it would be a one day's job. However, August is when everyone seems to go on holidays and no one seemed to have the air filter nor the sea water separator screen I needed (it's an old engine).

To tell the truth, I wasn't upset about the delay - I was writing, meeting people and enjoying the neighborhood. Sometimes it's good to stay put in one place.

I am in Canada now with good Internet access, so I will update my website next. Check back soon!

Life in the boatyard

It's actually better than I expected. There is a whole community here of people working on their boats, coming and going all the time. We have a shuttle bus that takes us to town every day, the taverna close by has incredible food and a bbq every couple of days at the back of the yard provides a great place to socialize and moan about our work that is not getting done as quickly as we'd like.

There must be at least a thousand boats in the three yards and the owner of Aktio is leveling some more land where the cows are now grazing to extend his. Cleopatra Boat Yard has power and water at their new docks and it looks like the new marina is more or less operational.

Not too far away are some Roman ruins and dolphins and turtles swim in the bay nearby. Lots of places to go for a walk too. Oh, and if you'd like to find a boat of your own, there are quite a few for sale. Sorry, not mine.

Life in the boat yard - not bad at all.

Hope to see you in the water soon!

Hauling out at Aktio

Once again I hauled out Eidos for the winter at Aktio Marine. Although it is still warm and sunny most of the time, the storms come in often and they are frightening.
The last one was in the middle of the night and although Eidos was tied to the dock, the waves and wind were causing so much stress on the mooring  lines, I thought she'd crack her hull either on the concrete dock or by hitting bottom. Better be safe on land. Besides, I think it's time to head to Canada once again.