October 2011

Our last log update took us up to the end of May, and it's now October, so it's about time for an update. We haven't done much sailing this year, but here are a few snippets to give an idea of how we've spent our time.

Much of what follows was typed while we were still ashore, and is in the present tense. Rather than change it all, we've left it that way.

Job Done!

The most significant piece of news is that, after almost 12 months ashore for repair, the boat is now back together, and was re-launched on Monday 3 October. This, as you can imagine, was a big relief.

Having drilled out all the blisters by the end of April, we were obliged to wait while the warm summer weather dried out the fabric of the hull. In July we took some moisture readings, which showed that there was still too much moisture in the hull. We therefore delayed further work on it until after our visit to England. A further moisture check on our return showed that we needed to wait a bit longer before continuing. We finally started filling the holes at the beginning of September. We had hoped that we would be able to finish work on the boat in time to do some cruising at the end of the season, but it took a lot longer than expected. Now, with October already here, we have decided that it's too late to start, so Wild Thyme will not be going anywhere until next Spring.

For the inquisitive, after filling each hole individually with epoxy filler (2 weeks), I (Peter) sanded off the surplus epoxy to give a surface more or less the same shape as it was before we started (minus the blisters). This took 5 days, when I was glad I had exercised my shoulders by swimming almost daily through the summer. Then we painted the hull with a primer, then 2 coats of epoxy paint, then another primer, then 3 coats of antifouling paint, all of which took the two of us 4 days. We only hope it works, as we don't plan to do it all again!

It's a Hard Life

The area where Wild Thyme is parked ashore is called the Hard Standing, or Hard for short. It's not near the pontoons where most of the other yachts are kept afloat, but further along the marina, where the locals keep their fishing boats and other small motor boats. This, plus the fact that we live some 8 feet above the ground, means we don't get as many casual visitors as we would if we were afloat, so we feel a bit isolated much of the time. Of course, when P is working under the boat, passers-by often stop and enquire about the work, and sometimes offer their own (usually unhelpful) opinions about how we should be dealing with the problem.

Once you get used to climbing the ladder to get aboard (safer than some of the gangplanks and steps used to board boats on the pontoons), life on the hard is not too bad. The main inconvenience is that any waste water we generate, from the galley or elsewhere, has to be collected in a bucket, and carried away for disposal. Apart from immunity to any swell that comes into the marina with strong winds, we also have a magnificent view across the bay to the mountains beyond.

Though we don't expect any sympathy from people who have to endure what passes for summer in England, we have to say that the Cretan summer is not entirely to our taste. For much of the time the daytime temperatures are above 30°C, and at night it never falls below 20°C. Fortunately, in Crete the Meltemi blows for much of this period, which makes it more bearable, provided you stay out of the sun. We were lucky enough to acquire a large mains-powered fan which someone was throwing out, and this has proved a life-saver, keeping the air moving in the cabin, especially when the wind drops at night.

If there is work or shopping to do, it is usually done in the morning. We cool off in the middle of the day by going for a swim before lunch, then spend the afternoon as the locals do, relaxing in the shade, reading and possibly having a short sleep.

The Malaka Club

On the quay near where we are parked, a small fishing boat is moored when it's not at sea. The fisherman in question usually goes out twice a day, in the early morning and late afternoon, then spends some time preparing his lines for the next trip before going home. Because of his convenient location, and because he is the president of the local fishermen's association, he is visited by many other passing boat-owners, who sit on their motor-scooters to talk, or lean out of their car windows. The Fisherman speaks English and is quite friendly, though rather shy with us. He is a strong character, able to out-talk all his fellows while continually smiling.

These gatherings can be quite large and animated, often continuing until 11 at night, but of course we haven't a clue what they are talking about. The one word which we hear more than any other is "malaka". This is lavatory slang, not fit for translating on this respectable website, but has led to us referring to these informal gatherings as "the Malaka Club".

Many of the men who own boats on the pontoon near us have acquired nicknames, so we have Socrates, Aristotle, the Shouter, the Whistler, Tanker Man, the Ice Man and the Thinker. All these are named after some personal characteristic, except the last, whose boat is called Always Thinkin'.

Greece in Crisis

You're probably tired of hearing about this, so we'll keep it short. The sad fact is that the Greeks have got so used to not paying their taxes and living on borrowed money that they can't get used to the idea that they have to start paying their way. We know a number of non-Greek women who are married to Greek men, who can't see any chance of them changing their ways. They are even taking the precaution of not putting their money in the bank, in case the banks go bust. In the meantime, since it's so difficult to get credit from the banks, quite a few local businesses have closed down, while others are running short of stock. It's a bit depressing.

The Greek government have not helped the situation by ducking the issue of widespread tax evasion. When cases have been brought to court, they have failed due to the corrupt judiciary. Instead they are introducing pointless and unpopular taxes on people who are already paying their dues. No wonder the Greek people are in uproar.

Meandering

At the beginning of June our old friends Jilly and David decided to sail to Hania, in the north-west of Crete. They took pity on our shore-bound state, and invited us to join them for a few days. We sailed with them on their elegant 41-foot ketch Meanderer as far as Rethymno, visiting several anchorages along the way. We had a great time, including lots of swimming, then took the bus back to Agios Nikolaos. This was only the second time we had been to sea this year, the first being a day-trip out into the bay on P's birthday, with Dave and Lindsey on Rosa di Venti.

At Rethymno we went to a concert in an old mosque, featuring local schoolchildren. A few of the children played classical instruments such as flutes and violins, but the majority played instruments more associated with Greek folk music. The atmosphere in which this took place was not what we were used to, as people were coming and going throughout the concert and holding conversations while the music was going on. Apparently this is normal in Greece. The Greeks are not really into culture, except the most basic, folksy kind. Their folk music is fun but rather repetitive, and more suitable for accompanying Greek dancing than listening to at a concert. Strangely, for those of us who associate Greek folk music with stuff like "Zorba the Greek", the music they listen to now has a much more oriental flavour, more akin to Turkish folk music, though we're sure the Greeks would not appreciate the comparison.

A Bit of Culture

There are, however, expatriates of many nationalities, mainly Northern Europeans, who do like our kind of music, and they were the majority at a concert we attended at the end of June. It was part of a week-long classical music festival, organised by a very wealthy Norwegian on the patio of his grand villa, and featuring excellent musicians from many countries. A friend was going there, and gave us a lift. It was nice to hear some live chamber music (Beethoven), though the price they charged for half a flimsy plastic mug of wine in the interval was rather steep.

Apart from a free concert given by a visiting choir from Finland, if we want proper music, the only way to get it is to listen to our CD collection or make it ourselves. During the summer we have had a few sessions when we have made music with a couple of our German neighbours. Sissy is quite an accomplished guitarist, with whom P played some simple classical duets. Ulrich, her husband, helps by listening and making approving comments. One evening we got Sissy's keyboard out and Kay and Peter played some clarinet/piano duets. Considering how out of practice we were, we think we didn't do too badly. Even the people on the next boat thought so too.

International Incident

The following piece is largely based on an eye-witness account by Tony Cross, one of the yachties who is based here. Any implied political comment is mine (P).

At the beginning of July we had an international incident in the marina here. An aid organisation bought a number of boats, intending to sail them from different ports in Greece and Turkey, to carry aid and support to the Palestinians of Gaza in defiance of the Israeli blockade. They tried this last year and the Israeli navy fired on them, killing several people.

This new ship was planning to leave Agios Nikolaos marina and head for Gaza, but the Israelis got wind of it. They refused it permission to enter Israeli waters and put pressure on the Greek government to prevent it from sailing. A number of port policemen came to the marina and instructed the ship not to leave.

We (K & P) spoke to a number of Canadians who were travelling on the vessel. We suggested that, in view of the lethal response by the Israeli Navy last year, there was no chance of them breaking the blockade, and the best they could hope for was to bring the situation to the attention of the world's media. They insisted that this was not just a publicity stunt, that they were genuinely trying to get medical and educational supplies through to the beleaguered inhabitants of Gaza, and were prepared to risk their lives doing it.

A few days later the protest boat made a dramatic escape attempt, right under the noses of the port police and the coastguard. They left the marina without warning and sped out to sea. The port police and the coastguard were caught completely by surprise, but gave chase in the coastguard cutter. The skipper who was due to take the boat to Gaza was left on the quay in the marina (evidence, if any were needed, that this was not a serious attempt to break the blockade). We were told that a senator from Belgium had flown in to take charge of the vessel, presumably because he/she would have diplomatic immunity.

A sea chase then ensued. The crew of the coastguard cutter did not distinguish themselves, as at first the aid vessel thwarted their attempts to stop them. However, in the end the Gaza boat was boarded by the coastguard and taken back to the main port of Agios Nikolaos. As she docked on the cruise ship quay the people on the Gaza boat were shouting "Free Gaza" and "Wake up Greece".

The boat returned to the marina and stayed there for some time, but eventually all the people aboard left, as did the boat, and we assume the mission to Gaza was abandoned. A number of other boats attempted to make the trip to Gaza from other ports in Greece and Turkey, but, as far as we are aware, they all failed. In two cases at least they suffered mechanical damage which was blamed on sabotage. For a few days, though, the incident did get onto TV news programmes, in Canada at least.

Another Holiday

On 18 July we flew back to England. The reason for this was the arrival of our second grandchild, Holly, on 4 July. We spent a week visiting Jenny and family in Shalford, then a week with Graham, Emma and Sebastian at Girton, near Cambridge.

On 31 July we travelled with Graham and family back to Shalford, where we celebrated Kay's birthday with our family, plus Kay's sister Anne and her son Michael. We then went back with Anne to her flat near Swindon for a week.

It was the first time we had returned to the UK in the summer since 2005, and it was a pleasure to get back to reasonable temperatures, and even a bit of rain, after the debilitating heat of Crete.

On 7 August we flew out of Heathrow, and next day arrived back at Agios Nikolaos, where we were very grateful to be met at the bus station by our friend Alan of Sula Mac, who drove us back to the marina.

After recovering from the journey and the shock of returning to the heat, we started working towards getting the boat ready to re-launch.

Better off here

Although we would have liked to be able to get out and do some cruising this season, we have to admit that we have fared better than many who did. A number of our friends' boats ran into nasty weather, and one of these quickly returned to Agios Nikolaos, and has not moved since. We think they are possibly members of the growing band, ourselves included, who are on the point of giving up the cruising lifestyle. Others suffered gear failures of one kind or another, and struggled on, or returned here for repairs. Still others have medical problems of various kinds.

Circumnavigators, pirates and a priest

Some of the boats passing through Crete this Spring had come up from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, having crossed the Indian Ocean and run the gauntlet of the pirates operating there. The stories they told about the dangers they had faced were not amusing. Rather than take the risk, most of the sailors on the round-the-world Blue Water Rally diverted to the Persian Gulf and had their boats transported to Turkey on a ship. These rallies are not being run any more, and we'll be surprised if anyone else tries to make the trip.

Because of these horror stories, the marina management decided to organise a ceremony in which a local priest came to the marina and blessed the boats. While we doubt the efficacy of this, we had to admit that it was a nice gesture. Just to be on the safe side, we don't plan to venture into the Indian Ocean (we never planned to anyway).

The Party

On 11 September the customers of the marina were all invited to a party organised by the Town Council for our benefit. The general consensus among the yachties seemed to be that we would rather see the resources put into improving the way the place is run, but that clearly wasn't on the agenda. Anyway, we went along and enjoyed the free food, drink, music, and Greek dancing. It was a pity that it took place before most of the winter residents arrived back in the marina.

Silkworms

If you have a good memory, you may remember that in our update of May 2008 we reported on seeing silk being made at Kusadasi in Turkey. We promised that we'd let you know if we found out how the silkworms manage to wind a thread up to a mile long round their body from the inside. For the complete answer, you could visit www.cocoon.org, or several other sites. The short answer is that the caterpillar spins the thread from a saliva gland on its head, and uses this to make a loose-fitting case (cocoon) around itself, twisting around inside the cocoon as it does so. It then pupates and, if left alone, turns into a moth. In most cases, though, it is killed by placing it in hot water, then the silk is removed as we previously described.

Looking Forward

As we have done no sailing in Wild Thyme this year, there are not many things to be repaired this winter, though there are of course still jobs left over from last winter. We hope that this relatively light work-load will give us plenty of time for enjoying ourselves this year. Kay will be playing bridge and possibly joining a music group, Peter will be playing the clarinet, and we'll both be singing in the Rainbow Choir and joining in with the weekly walks and barbecues. P will also probably join K in attending art classes, and will try to revive and improve his knowledge of Spanish, ready for next winter, which we hope to spend in Spain. There is also going to be a Computer Club, which should dispel some of the ignorance that most of us have over these things, and possibly talks by various yachties about their cruising experiences. Apart from that we'll be exercising, reading and socialising a lot. They have squeezed many more boats into the marina this winter, so there will be plenty of company to choose from, including a good number of friends from the last two winters. We're looking forward to a good time!