January 1st 2014

Finally an update on my blog?

I would be telling a lie if I said that I was so busy that I couldn't find time to update my blog as originally planned. It's the typical excuse of just not getting round to it. To be honest, today's the first time I've actually logged onto my sailblog site in 6 months. Just to see what I last wrote and what photos I had put on. Thanks to everybody who made comments, and who might have looked at the blog in 2013.
Well where do I begin, my last entry was me getting ready to travel out in May for my first look at Nanjo ashore and to spend a week on board. So that's where I will start I guess.

May 2013 Nanjo visit:
I had been buying plenty of bits of e-bay and down at my local B&Q, as seen in the picture of the box strapped to my Yamaha. Luckily my sister took me to the airport, and brought me back later. I had purchased my easyjet ticket back in December, so it was pretty cheap. Luckily my company allowed to let me have the week off work, after I had explained about the pre bought ticket ( I originally bought it to go back out for good?). I found a very good web site to pre-book a car for the week from Athens airport before I went out. A weeks hire was 80 euros, and included the basic insurance needed and unlimited mileage.
Everything went well for the trip, and I even managed to arrive at Messolonghi just after midnight and get a mythos at the bar. The temperature difference was startling after leaving the UK on a cold May day. I was greeted by thye dogs and a couple of liveaboard friends I had met over the winter. Climbing on Nanjo after being away for so long was a great feeling, I had spent every day and night on her for a year. Tom and Anne had done a great job of stowing bits below for me and making sure she was put in the yard cradle correctly and put to bed, after I had left in March. I'm very glad to say Nanjo was a dry boat below, the plastic bags over the leaking windows had done there job. Climbing back into my skippers cabin and just curling up on the bunk, was superb. I knew that I had come home and would always feel happy and contented on board Nanjo. I slept like the dead, only waking up when the sun was beaming down into the cabin and friends were knocking on my hull. I don't think they were at all surprised to see me the last person to wake up in the marina again, something I constantly did during the winter months.
The week on board went really quickly, I had a long list of jobs I wanted to do. Typically, some got done, new ones were added to the list and even more didn't get done? I partly fitted a 240 volt system to Nanjo, it was never very cleaver having the power lead coming in through the heads porthole and hooked up to an extension lead. Every time we had rain, I expected to see blue sparks flying around the cable. The pictures I've posted are as the system is now, I've now realized that it's not really that safe?? I will fit an rcd where the power first come on board, and I'm going to fit a galvanic isolator as well. Maybe a bit more research on my part before I left would have pointed the correct way to go?
I've posted some pictures of where the fiberglass was coming detached inside, some of the internal fitting bulkheads were no longer attached? It was all found out in my initial survey, but not cause for concern as Nanjo as an internal molding for the fitout. I spent a very dusty, and not pleasant time having a go at cutting out some of the old fiberglass. I had picked up a used dremel on e-bay with a flexi shaft and it was ideal with it's cutting wheel. Having a go at re-glassing, was not as easy as the books had suggested. Purely down to my lack of experience with the stuff, I should have practiced in the UK really. The smell on board after the first day, quickly convinced me that trying to sleep below even with the hatches open, might not be good for my health? Luckily after chatting to Peter and Trix of my problem, they put me in touch with Marco who lives on his yacht in the marina, and is renowned for his glass fibre repairs. A quick chat with him and showing what needed doing, it was more than I expected, after I had removed the two water tanks. He agreed to take on the job, and do it for me before my next trip out in October, he could then work onboard and vent Nanjo when he had the spare time. Result.
Nanjo is ashore in a great location, near the showers and loo block and a power lead just at the back of her. It was also the perfect spot to sit in the cockpit and watch the yachts and motorboats being launched. I was impressed just how quickly and organised the shore team were, and watching every yacht being a hell of a lot larger than Nanjo, meant I need not worry when it's her time to go back in. I've included some pictures of a yacht that was being launched, you can see what a beautiful condition her owner had her in. But tragedy was not far away, he motored out into the harbor and from what i heard had anchored. There was an explosion and very fierce fire onboard soon after. I heard the fire engines around the port area but had seen nothing as I was working down below. The pictures of her in the trailer burnt out, show what condition she was in just a few hours after her launch. The smell of burnt fiberglass hung over the marina all the time I was there. I never found out how the fire started, chatting to several other yachties and the theories were, gas leak or a diesel leak and the fuel catching fire on a hot engine/exhaust? A sobering sight for all of us there.
I had some lovely evenings ashore catching up with friends I had made in the winter, and of course chatting to liveaboards who were still to leave on there summers sailing expeditions.
The week went way to quickly for me and before I knew it, I was back in the hire car and driving back to Athens airport. The flight home went well, and the pilot even made us all laugh when he mentioned we would be landing at 22:30 and only 5 degrees. What a difference after leaving Greece in the constant high 20's. I had flown back with my banjo, it had only been out of it's case three times last year and was easier to sell in the UK than Greece. I'm trying to play the guitar now I'm home, to be honest, it's not going that well?