sySpringDawn

On Friday, there were priority jobs to sort out not least was paying the Customs man the required 3 Dinar for our entry stamp and getting some washing done. There's a service wash facility in the marina and after leaving two loads with the lady in the launderette she told me to return at 11.30 a.m. which I thought was odd because that would mean the washing was only going to take 15 minutes. After a quick check with one of the local lads who was working on a boat nearby, we realised that Tunisian time is the same as UK time, and not the hour ahead that both Sicily and Malta are! Clocks adjusted and off we went to the yard to ask when it would be convenient to arrange to lift Springy out on to the hard and were pleased to be offered a slot on Saturday morning at 08.00 a.m.

We were duly lifted out (after having to remove the backstay and the wind generator blades due to the travel-lift being quite small) and were able to spend a good part of Saturday and all of Sunday getting the coppercoat scrubbed, the anodes changed and the propeller serviced. By 11.00 a.m. on Monday we were back in the water and, after a quick visit to the fuel berth to fill up with diesel, we were back in our marina berth. The topsides and inside of the boat were covered with the local sandy dust which had blown through the yard which meant Monday afternoon was spent thoroughly washing down and cleaning the boat - hard work, hot work but a very satisfying result!

Everything here is really reasonably priced; the lift-out, two days on the hard and two gas bottles refilled only costing £150.00. Diesel is 42p per litre. The marina berth is costing £13.00 a day and that's the high season price! A very decent bottle of wine - they have a good wine industry here - is £2.50. On Saturday evening we dined out with some other yachties, Gabby and Paul, at a 'touristique restaurant' where a fillet steak cost £7.00 and, I have to say, was one of the best steaks I've had for a long time. Gabby and Paul have been an invaluable source of information having over-wintered here, they know the town well and we've been able to pick their brains for lots of information. On Sunday evening we had dinner on their boat, Bellanova, along with Marie and Pele a Swedish couple who we met in Licata in 2013.

We've had to make the switch from using our (basic) Italian to now having to re-remember the French we both learned many moons ago! However, most of the locals in and around the marina who are working on the tourist trip boats and dive boats, do speak some English. The local lads are all very friendly and seem to have a sort of mischievous sense of humour....we've been made to feel very welcome in Monastir.