There were several changes/improvemets this and last year. These were:
- Yearly Maintenance:
- New standing rigging was install.
- A new roller reefing system was installed.
- The genoa was modified for the new roller reefing system.
- The mainsail and the tent, were washed.
- Serviced the engine.
- Serviced the outboard.
- Serviced the genset .
- Serviced the dinghy.
- Checked the autopilots.
- In addition, there was the yearly maintenance of the hull and keel: eliminating all scratches, polishing of the hull and stainless rails, and applying of anti-fouling painting.
- New items:
- Standing rigging.
- Roller reefing system.
Sunday May 22, 2022
Evelyn and her older daughter Ovelyn drove me to Dulles airport. At the British Airways website the check-in, unlike last year they did not asked me for my Covid-19 record. Check-in was fast and easy, especially since they had upgraded me, without any extra charge to first class.
My flight to Heathrow in the UK was scheduled to depart at 22:40 but it was delayed and it actually departed ½ hr after midnight. It was very comfortable inside the cabin and I slept.
Monday May 23, 2022
In Heathrow instead of my scheduled 3 hr margin my connecting flight to Athens was now just 1 hour away and I had to rush. Now you do not walk but take a train to the transit area where you go through security. They were agonizingly slow. I made it to my Athens plane with only 5 minute before its scheduled departure. But it actually left 1 hr late.
We arrived in Athens at 20:15. After I got my bag I wheeled it to the Sofitel hotel, just across the street from the airport. Since I had already told them that I will arrive late there was no problem. I checked-in and had a light dinner at the restaurant.
Tuesday May 24, 2022
I was back to the airport by 5 AM and checked-in to my 6:40 Olympic Airways flight to Leros. The plane left on time. In Leros airport Mr. Gianakos was waiting for me with the rental car. I drove it for 3 minutes to the Moor & Dock (it used to be called Agmar Marine). There is now a new customers relations person, Angeliki. She had notified me via email that she had left an envelope for me at the box gate with a gate pass.
Thetis was near the gate and looked gorgeous. But inside the cabin, however, it was a total mess. They had replaced the cabin upholstery lining (ταπετσαρία) and everything had been moved around.
Outside they had replaced all the standing rigging and installed a new roller-reefing system. Part of all this work was replacing, on the mast-top, the tri-collor mast light, the wind speed & direction sensor, and the VHF antenna. But contributing to the cabin mess all the old parts and sensors, including screws, were piled inside the cabin.
It took me hours to remove the old parts and to put the cabins back in order. Eventually I was able to make my bed in the right cabin.
I met all my old friends in Moor & Dock including the owner Angelos, the 3 Irenes, Mastro Michalis and Antonis, the customer relations technical coordinator.
I had a problem with my MacBook computer. When I packed it back home in DC I forgot to include a tiny adaptor (picture) that takes the AC on one end and connects to the smaller AC input on the computer. I waited until my housekeeper Evelyn was at my Washington, DC home, about 10:30 EDT, and I called her on FaceTime. Following my instruction she located the the adaptor. I emphatically told her to send it to me here with a courier service. I even told her where the nearest to my home is. Unfortunately, and against my orders, she put it in the mail. Mail here in Greece, when they do deliver it, can take several weeks. In desperation I called my childhood friend Jenny Assimakopoulou in Athens. She promised to go to the Apple store tomorrow morning and try to find the adaptor.
In the evening I took a shower in the yard’s facilities and then drove to my favorite Mylos (windmill) restaurant where I splurged and had a lobster and salad for only 100 €.
Back in Thetis I went to sleep but I woke up at 2 AM.
Wednesday May 25, 2022
I read for about 2 hours and then went back to sleep and woke up just before 7 AM.
An item that needed to be addressed was a payment of a new Greek tax for the months that Thetis will be afloat in Greek waters. Angeliki filled out the form for me but I had to drive it to the post office and pay it. The post office in Lakki has closed down and the only one in Leros is in Ayia Marina. I drove there and payed the 165 €. I also bought some fruits and other stuff.
The problem of not having the use of my computer was that I could not get into my “to do list”.
In the evening I walked to the nearby Archotiko taverna. I was greeted warmly but mosquitos attacked my feet. Next time here I must put on socks.
Thursday May 26, 2022
Today I woke up at 6:30
At 9 AM I was expecting a fresh water delivery. While waiting for the delivery the technician, who had modified the Genoa and had installed it to the new furler, came and showed me how to unroll it and re-rolled it. While watching this the water delivery came. I filled the tanks.
Now Thetis had been scheduled to be launched this afternoon.
My friend Jenny called. She was at the Apple store in Athens and with the help of the photographs of the adaptor that I had sent her she found it. But she wanted me to speak to the clerk and confirm it was what was needed for my computer. After she bought it, she took it to the ACS courier service and shipped it to me here in Moor & Dock.
I could not find the small alarm clock although I looked all over. Under a government regulation Moor & Dock does not sell Camping Gas anymore, only 2 places in Leros can sell it. Mr. Parisis called both of them and asked the one in Lakki to to expect me at 4 PM.
The yard delivered to Thetis all the missing items: sails, covers, laundry, genset, outboard, etc. After a while the Travel Lift came. While they were raising Thetis I returned to the office the extension cord and the AC panel key.
Thetis was launched at 14:20. Since she was the last boat to be launched I could stay in the “pool” until tomorrow morning.
At about 4:30 I drove the car to Lakki and exchanged the empty Camping Gas canister with a filled one and also bought a largish alarm clock. I went to the super market and bought some cold cuts, an olive spread, and cheeses.
I drove to Alinda and had a nice dinner at the Steki tou Yianni taverna. Then I drove back to the “pool”. For the first time since my arrival I felt that now I was fully adjusted to the Greek time. I slept well and uninterrupted,
Friday May 27, 2022
I woke up some time after 6 AM after a good night sleep. Around 8:15 Thetis had to vacate the “pool”. I cast off and caught one of Moor & Dock’s mooring [37° 11.3' N 26° 48' E].
At the office the very helpful Miss Angeliki looked in her counter at the ACS shipment for the adaptor. It turned out that ACS is no longer using the airline service but ships via ferry boat. So, most likely the adaptor will not be delivered here until tomorrow.
I accepted Angelos lunch invitation for tomorrow. Then I took the 2 empty jerry cans to the car, drove to fuel station, and refilled them with Diesel fuel. I also bought 2 cases of spring water. Back in Partheni I took, with the dinghy, the cans and the water to the boat.
I then called Mr. Yianakos and asked him to come and pick up the rented car. After he came I paid for the car in cash but this left me low in cash.
Later I found that I had forgotten to refill the 2 small jerry cans with gasoline. These are used for the outboard and the genset. I called Angeliki in the office and asked her to please call a taxi for me. When the taxi came it drove me to the National Bank of Greece ATM. I realized the my PIN for the NBG ATM is different for the ATM in DC. I looked it up on my iPhone and withdrew 600 €. Then the taxi drove me to a gas station and I refiled the cans with unleaded fuel. Back to the “pool” I took the cans with dinghy to the boat. I still had no access to my MacBook computer and the “to do list”.
For dinner I walked to the Archontiko taverna. Back on board I slept well.