WHERE ARE WE ANNE?: July 2015

Guests, Gusts, Getting Older and Gushing Fine Blue Powder.

The log says we've stuck around the Lipsi quay for 12 days. Some of that was sheltering from the annoyingly excessive Meltemi wind gusts and watching for a weather window. Some of that was waiting for two lots of guests to arrive. Some of that was having fun on my birthday. Some of that was waving off guests on the ferry, some was boat jobs, some was in no rush and the last day was because Anne threw herself down the companionway carrying two bags of laundry, landed heavily on the fire extinguisher and managed to break the pin and squirt fine blue powder over herself and the boat. Severely winded and spluttering, she was unwrapped from the fire extinguisher and dragged out of the powder to clear air above deck. This time we had another Australian doctor named Mike on hand from 'Skedaddle Again'. A cracked rib was considered unlikely but the captain called an extra day quayside for recuperation and vacuuming. Anne seems to be much better although very tender. The carpet needed a vacuum anyway and we now know the fire extinguisher works well.

Lipsi is a nice island. Not over run with tourists and plenty of diversions from whatever you were meaning to do. We've taken on three guests here, Anne's brother Doug and Larry and Miwa from Brisbane who made it to help celebrate my 60th birthday. We've been swimming everyday though the water temp is still on the chilly side at 18o-19oC. Throw in some bike rides, walks and being ever vigilant for new neighbours reversing in alongside, our days have been full. In fact quayside life is always exciting, there are always crossed anchors or someone's tricky or outrageous mooring manoeuvre to take your attention.

The 'Meltemi' wind picks up in the afternoon and typically blows about 20-25kts with gusts up to 40 knots. Some nights it dies down, others it just blows and blows. Last year the Meltemi was not too bad. This year it seems to be making up for last year's poor performance which is the main reason we have been here so long.

I turned 60 on Lipsi. We all had a great day cycling the island, swimming and tasting some very passable Greek sparkling with my birthday dinner at Dalaila's Taverna, a lone taverna on Katsadia Bay overlooking the sheltered anchorage. Very special spot.

Alan on 'Jalano' joined us in Lipsi from Didim in Turkey where he was having teak work done after an unfortunate smouldering incident involving a mosquito coil. We said goodbye to Lipsi and motored with 'Jalano' in little wind but a confused sea the short distance to Arkhangelos, a very beautiful island anchorage. So nice to be on anchor again!

THE VERY YOGIC 'DECANTING DIESEL' POSE.

LIPSI HARBOUR FROM THE CHURCH

NEW WATERMAKER MEMBRANE ASSEMBLY

ANNE'S BROTHER DOUG ARRIVES

'SKEDADDLE AGAIN' CREW, MIKE AND SUE. ANNE AND DOUG

MORE GUESTS! MIWA AND LARRY, THE BIRTHDAY DELEGATION

THE CREW ON LIPSI QUAY

MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT!

WE SAILED FROM OVER THERE.

ENROUTE TO THE BEACH

ARRIVING PLATIS GIALOS BEACH

BACK FROM ANOTHER BEACH, ANOTHER SWIM

BACK TO LIPSI TOWN

LIPSI TAVERNA

MIWA AND LARRY HEAD OFF TO ATHENS

WHEN YOU CAN'T SELL YOUR HOSES...

GET A BETTER SIGN!

CUBIST HOLIDAY HOMES IN THE MAKING

THE LANDING SITE

OUZERI

ANNE TRIES OUT ALAN'S KAYAK, ARKHANGELOS

GOOD THROW ANNE

SUNSET WALK ABOVE ARKHANGELOS CROWDED ANCHORAGE AFTER THE DAY BOATS HAVE LEFT

DOUG & ANNE SWIM BACK TO 4D. THIRD SWIM FOR THE DAY. 20oC

BOZUKALE, TURKEY.

A BRIEF RECALL OF THE LAST FOUR MONTHS

WITH LOTS OF PICTURES. (click on one pic then see the rest in larger format)

You certainly know you're alive when you newly own a boat. The word 'challenge' assumes new meaning. It's a big job fixing and preparing. Throw in sailing in adverse winds and the heart stopping action of charter flotilla boats in a mooring frenzy around you, never a dull moment. Then there's the unexpected boat repairs in exotic locations. But don't get me wrong, challenge surmounted is satisfying growth as long as the money holds out. You wouldn't be dead for quids. We've managed to piece some of the jigsaw together to reveal a very nice part of the picture. We're loving it and Life Is Good.

The story so far, in the smallest 1000 word nutshell I can find:

Just on four months now since April when we returned to Finike, Turkey to recommission 'Fourth Dimension' and prepare for our first sailing season. With the boat hauled out for three weeks in April, I sanded and prepped the hull for antifouling, did the antifouling myself and then did a monster polish job on the hull. Not sure I will go to such lengths on the polishing again but it was good to set a baseline and discover all the nicks that needed gelcoat repair before polishing

As for all my meticulous, by-the-directions-on-the-can anti-fouling of the prop, I recently dived on the prop to discover the primer is stuck fast but the three coats of antifoul has gone. So much for that. The learning curve is steep.

We had intended to set off from Finike Marina with 'Red Rackham', a fellow Australian boat, but they departed ahead of us. After extending our contract by three weeks doing endless jobs, we finally cast off from the marina on the last day of May. It became apparent that we might catch up to Michael and Anna on Red Rackham if we didn't delay so after clocking up some quick miles it was a happy occasion when we dropped anchor next to them out of Gocek.

All looked set for a bit of buddy sailing, good company, shared adventures, Miles Davis and boat to boat pics as we made our way north around the Turkish coast. That was until we weighed anchor to leave the next morning. The final report isn't in by the electrical forensic pathologist, but it seems several things lined up to cause the starter motor to melt, the alternator to melt, the two bow thruster relays to weld and the smart charger on the alternator to take a fit. Anne was still putting away the anchor when I yelled to her to drop it all out in 60 metres of water, figuring it would catch somewhere before we drifted to the rocks while I went below armed with a fire extinguisher to address the acrid smoke coming out of the engine bay. The learning curve is steep.

The people you meet along the way make it special. From the outset, the depth of combined wisdom and experience amongst this sailing fraternity that we have joined, has been invaluable. Support, good counsel and friendship, freely given. We are indebted to many. High on that list is Mike and Anna, the crew of Red Rackham. They became our saviours, towing us for two hours to Gocek where the crippled 4D was pushed in to a berth at Marinturk Marina for repairs. Once again Red Rackham slipped our clutches as they pressed north leaving me to track down a good electrician in a bad situation. The learning curve is steep.

Two nights in Gocek, a good several thousand Euros lighter saw us back on the road and in pursuit of Red Rackham again. It was a blessing actually, forcing us to get north as quickly as possible given our late start and the threat of the dreaded N-NW Meltemi wind. We caught up again in Yedi Adalari, Gulf of Korfezi and finally sailed with the Rackettes to Kusadasi via Didim. Some spirited beating in 15 -25 knot winds. We got pretty familiar with two reefs and a staysail.

On board Red Rackham was a doctor and a pharmacist. Very lucky for Anne who had earlier slipped on rocks when laying a stern line and did some nasty damage the length of her shin. Not everyone can have the Australian doctor of their choice within five minutes in Turkey. We now know the best stuff to have in our medical kit too! That learning curve leads on.

At Kusadasi after visiting the extraordinary ancient ruins of Ephesus for some land content, we bid goodbye to Red Rackham, cleared out of Turkey and sailed over to enter Greece on Samos at Pythagorio with fellow fine friends from Finike, Alan and Jo on 'Jalano'. In Pythagorio it turned into a Finike reunion with seven yachts from Finike coincidentally turning up. Anne's friend from Brisbane arrived at Pythagorio as our first guest for the season. We hired a car on Samos, did a round island trip to some great little villages and restocked with a shop at Lidl. (A store something like Aldi). From Pythagorio we had our first downwind sail to Port Augusta, Arki which is where we comfortably holed up against the Meltemi wind before doing a quick hop to Lipsi (Lipso) while relatively calm. Meanwhile all around us, Greece weathers an economic disaster. Tourist numbers are possibly down with the uncertainty but we can get money, food and diesel and all is well.

I call it global warming while old hands in the Med say nothing is predictable with the weather anymore. It's early July and the weather is unseasonably cool. It's very comfortable but unseasonably cool. Although we briefly swim, the water temp here at the moment is a cool 18.8oC. Samos even had a violent rain storm a short while ago. Very atypical, almost unheard of. The winds have been wild with a story from another Finike boat of 56 knots at the point his bowsprit chain gave way. The Meltemi wind typically kicks in around July and August, howling for anything from a day to a fortnight, sweeping down through the Aegean. We intend to hoard our northing, plan our lives around safe shelter and weather windows and stick around these parts for a while before sailing south and eventually entering Turkey again. But then again plans always change......

Meanwhile we'll enjoy Greek hospitality and wait for swim all day water temps!