We have decided that the good old Avon dinghy and the outboard are well past their sell by date and have ordered up replacements. The new outboard is electric and will be charged by an upgraded solar panel system and an increased battery capacity.

I may have posted earlier that the two stroke petrol outboard had been submerged in Astipalaia. It was now seized so I thought I would Google how to un-seize it and fix it just for the challenge – I had otherwise intended to bin it.

However I was successful in getting it going again! so decided to advertise it along with our old dinghy and our original (to be replaced) solar panels on Samos Face Book

The engine went to a Greek policeman, after a hasty re-strip to get it going an hour before he arrived. He hasn’t been back so I am assuming all still OK!

The solar panels to a woman from Karlovassi.

The old dinghy was retired to a good home, a wee disabled boy Dimitris who will have hours of fun in it tethered to the beach at Ireon in Samos. I have no doubt he will drive his mother Effi mad .

When he came to see it we had to put it in our pool for him to try out 

Result !

Only other non-general winter maintenance worthy of note was :

Removal of gearbox to hopefully find oil leak & replace drive carrier bushes.

Repair windlass & install remote operation capability.

Upgraded solar panels, controller & installed a further battery under the chart seat.

……and of course mounting of  the new bathing platform which turned out to be quite difficult in the end, but I’m sure will be a game changer along with the (hopefully) more stable dinghy and (hopefully) more reliable motor.

Hardboard prototype

Final installation – quite nice and in keeping with the boat dimensions

We will see next year .

The biggest frustration this year was arranging and waiting for deliveries.

Pesado in Spannish apparently means pain in the arse.

This is Pesado one of the most voiciferous and affectionate cats I have met.

He has adopted Nicolas’s boat and installs himself there every night for a kip. Pytha doesn’t seem to mind too much.

We have been tasked with feeding him every now and again when Nicolas goes home.

Well as I arrive back in Greece Louise heads off for Scotland, the Cotswolds and London respectively.

From previous blogs you will know she has been having increasing discomfort with her back.

Joni, our sailing friend from Samos, has offered to put her up and had introduce her to Casper Aylott her Harley Street spinal surgeon who after an initial telephone consultation recommended spinal injections to see if they would alleviate her symptoms and constant pain.

Diane had agreed to accompany Louise and they both stayed at Joni’s lovely cottage for a few days before heading up to London for some sightseeing and of course the op. the following day.

Joni’s cottage & local pub & great hospitality

The AbFab girls do London

On the day of the procedure Louise was contacted by the airline to advise someone on the plane had tested positive for covid and she was advised to get a test!

Luckily she was negative.

Harley Street

The operation went as planned and they both flew back to Scotland that evening.

Back in the boutique hotel EK – Harry happy to see his auntie

The culinary standards do seem a bit different to those to in Greece.

Chinese in London , Curry in Scotland ………

Meantime in Greece

However I didn’t suffer too badly as you can see.

and the surroundings and companay were none to shabby either

I had a couple of busy weeks back home where I found the house in a reasonable state of repair given the time away and the fact I suppose that tenants will never look after the property like you would. I had a little painting and repairs to do. The garden on the other hand was overgrown and needed major surgery as did the shed which had rotted. My pal Billy provided one of his guys who re-roofed and re-floored the shed and cut back the bigger tress at the back whilst I got stuck into the rest of the garden including power washing the stonework and decking – two flatbed truck loads of garden waste were taken away.

Before

After

Diane had kindly lent me her car for the duration with coincided with COP 26 at the Exibition Centre, the traffic was a nightmare getting back to the boutique hotel EK each evening.

I did meet two of the prospective tenants whilst on my restoration project – an Israeli woman & a Chinese guy  – both relocating, but with two kids each- they were not going to be longterm . Diane & I also caught a brief glimpse in passing of a third, a single mad cat lady with a handicapped cat. We initially went for her, which caused ructions, me having mistakenly giving the Israeli the impression the house was hers to move into, LOL. Anyhow the mad cat lady (a psychologist) proved herself in need of one of her fellow professionals in the end. She had numerous outrageous demands amongst which were a minute querying of all the contract details, that the shed, newly renovated and tidied out, should have all tools removed -as she preferred her own, and as the house was advertised unfurnished the TV stand left for tenant convenience should also be dumped. In the end the both the agents and us decided SHE should be dumped! Meeeeow.

Diane came over one afternoon to help with replacing the curtains that had been damaged with condensation from the windows

  

All repairs completed & new lamps and curtains it was ready for the next tenants, whoever they turn out to be?

Restoration over it was time to return to Greece. I had a quick visit to Spencer Street – our old flat and caught up with Tony my  pal from those days, who still lives there.

Don’t know if Im getting out of touch or what? but I thought the prices at Heathrow were crazy for a beer & a snack !

No sooner had we settled in when we got the news that our tenants were moving out. It was decided (I wus telt!) that since we hadn’t inspected the house since our original let in April 2014 this would be a good opportunity for someone (me!) to go home and inspect the house and possibly get to see & vet prospective new tenants.

We did manage to have the “annual” BBQ with the French arsonist before both he & I returned to our respective home countries.

Two days after moving into the house we had emptied the boat of all the cushions, clothes and paraphernalia required to cruise and lifted Camira out the water.

Lily was left to settle in and acclimatize to her winter pad. We think she remembered it from the previous year and seemed quite content, probably glad to be off the boat at last!

Later the same day ,in the afternoon we were driven to an up market restaurant, not at all classically Greek, high up in the hills called Orizontas, which I suspect, means horizons. From here you can see both the Northern town (and old capital) of Karlovassi & the South beach resort & harbour of Marathrocambos at the same time.

The chef obviously is trying to be a bit different from the normal fare and very good it was to. It was here we had our first taste of Vakakis wine, from vineyards not far up in the hills from Karlovassi.

Saturday 9th October:

At 10:30 it was a sad farewell (for this year, anyway) to Silvie. We were off to Agathonisi our 2^nd last stop of a strange season. Just before 13:00 we anchored in the 1^st cove Ay Georgious (waypoint 3) and had a last swim.

Sunday 10^th October:

Next morning we left at 10:00 for a 15 mile motor to Samos Marina. I see from the log we arrived and tied up at 13:30.

Our winter hire car was delivered to the marina and left with the keys in it for us to pick up at our leisure by Yiannis.

Monday 11^th October:

We moved into “Another Day in Paradise”

Sailing season over for this year.