Next job on the list - electric windlass

Finally, after many years of hauling rode, chain and anchor hand over hand, I have decided to install an electric windlass on Eidos. Here is an example of what another owner of an East Orient did on his boat:

 He added a beam in the center of the boat which provided support for the windlass so that the chain  and rode just drop down into the locker below. Looks simple enough. But his windlass is a manual model - Lofrans Royal. A new one costs only 550 Euros. 

After reading a lot about the benefits and drawbacks of electric v.s. manual and vertical v.s. horizontal anchor windlasses, I am drawn to a horizontal manual one. One of my constraints is a small anchor chain locker, so a horizontal windlass is better as it is mounted on deck and needs only 30cm (12in) distance from the deck to the top of the chain. 

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.

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!

The best way to travel on land

During the Mistral, while Eidos was safely tied to a dock in Propriano, Filippo and I went sightseeing on a scooter.

Corsica

It's an amazing island - very rugged and harsh. I am still suffering from lack of good Internet access so will have to wait until winter before catching up. Meanwhile back to repairs and maintenance chores and very slowly moving south. If you're interested in joining me, I hope you have some interest and skills in boat repairs! Possibility of room and board in exchange depending on skills both sailing and maintenance.

Sailing the southern coast of France

Crossing the Gulf de Lyon, France

Octopus reading the news

Paula and Moa

Stowing the groceries

And so summer is finally here. The heater is put away and so are the sweaters and long pants. Out come the bathing suits. Hopefully the Mistral and Tramontana winds will go back to where they came from. I certainly don't want any more force 7 and 8 conditions. Been there, done that.

I took the photo with the scrap of jib out during a relatively calm moment on the way to Marseille when I didn't have to worry about getting salt water on my camera. Need to remember to buy one of those waterproof disposable ones. And one of these days I'll write up about sailing in the Gulf de Lyon with 40 knots of Mistral wind and a French Navy helicopter hovering over Eidos with its crew wondering what the heck we were doing out there. Well, it was only blowing 15 when we started out... They told us to head for the nearest port immediately. Right, guys, at 7.5 knots it should only take a minute or two. Atlantic crossing was easier.

I didn't set up the photo of the octopus reading the newspaper, honest. Just one of those lucky moments when I had the camera with me.

The two ladies are Paula from Venezuela and Moa from Finland who came for a week. And the messy galley is right after we received three bags of food from a charter boat in Marseille. Lucky for us, because the food in France is twice as expensive as in Spain.

More coming soon...

Eidos ... bottom paint and launch

So she’s back in the water now ready for the season. A bit of varnish topside, fill up with provisions, water and fuel – let’s go sailing. Yeah!!

Price of four bolts

View from the hatch
Eidos' cockpit during haul-out

While in the middle of the Atlantic two years ago, I decided to tighten a loose nut on a bolt holding the binnacle to the cockpit floor. Instead of tightening, the bolt sheared off - completely rusted. That left three bolts holding the steering wheel in place plus four screws on a metal covering sleeve making the whole assembly impossible to access for repairs at sea. I should have thrown the whole thing over the side right then and there.

Instead, we checked to make sure that the emergency tiller was easily accessible from the cockpit locker, lashed the binnacle to a cockpit winch and prayed for the steering to hold for the remaining 2,000 miles to Portugal. It did.

Once back near land and faced with only day sails, I got slack and ignored what could have been a huge problem when (not if) the remaining bolts broke and I lost my steering. My excuse? I didn’t have a large enough screwdriver to take off the covering sleeve. Until now.

Seeing that the boat was hauled out and I knew a trustworthy mechanic, I asked him to do the job. Change four bolts – what could be simpler, right? I could have done it if I had a big screwdriver and the muscle to turn it. Not!

The job turned into a maze. To take the four rusty bolts off, Albert and his helper had to take of the covering sleeve over the bottom part of the binnacle. Of course the whole bit underneath was corroded, not just the bolts, because water in the cockpit drains that way. So they had to disconnect the chain, the cable, the wiring, and take apart the entire assembly before they could access four measly bolts.

About ten hours later and 300 Euros bill, it’s done and in working order again. And for what? Just to have a wheel instead of a tiller? Whoever thought of this “improvement” should have their head examined and be made to spend ten hours in the space under the cockpit in 30-degree heat.

My advice? Never buy a boat with wheel steering.

Changing four bolts
Another world away from the boat yard.

Day Two of haul out

So here is day two of the haul out. Eidos is getting the power wash treatment and what a difference it makes – she still has some paint left! She has a bit of damage at the bottom of the keel where someone ran aground in Florida (Moi? Never! Well, only once or twice). Anyway, this has to dry out and then will get plugged up with some fibreglass. Meanwhile she needs a light sanding to get the hull smooth and one of the thruhulls has to be replaced.

The other photo is a view of the boat yard and marina – Eidos is way in the back under the white crane. If you’d like to see more photos, go all the way down this page to the Flickr slide show and click on MORE!

San Feliu de Guixols, Spain - Eidos haul out - before

Finally, I have given in and hauled Eidos out. My wallet is screaming in agony but Eidos is smiling, “it’s about time.”

It’s been almost three years since she had her bottom painted and I only scrubbed her in the Bahamas two years ago while she was in the water, timing it with low tide and letting her settle on the bottom so I could do it standing up rather than swimming. However, that only got the top two feet cleaned.

And then last winter, we were on the Guadiana river for a few months, which helped to discourage the salt water critters from hitching a ride on her and encouraged the river rats which got off when I returned to the Med last spring.

But as you can see from the “before” photos, she definitely needs the exfoliation treatment. I’m thinking that I do too, but can’t afford it now. ;-)

Yahoo East Orient Owners Group

We have a new page - the East Orient 32, Shearwater 32 and Union 32 Boat Owners Page. You can go there directly through Yahoo. I hope to attract to it owners, past, present and future, who want to share ideas and information about these wonderful boats. They were designed by Ted Brewer, a well known Canadian yacht designer. Also, take a look here for more information about Eidos.