Cleo got us our haul out Saturday at 08:00 - that was our only choice. What a mad scramble. To get come out on Saturday … the boat will be perfect but we may be a bit of a wreck with three nights in the boat yard. I am hopeful that we can get everything ready to go before Monday. That way we can take Monday and do something more fun than just sit around … maybe drive to Pargas and take a day trip to Antipaxos or something on a tripper boat? Or perhaps just drive down to Lefkas and enjoy the beach somewhere.
We started out from Pargas toward Preveza pretty early because it was about 30 miles away. In putting the boat away the big issue is getting the jib down, that’s the one job that is a bit of a bitch … so on the way to Preveza Marina noticed there was no wind and boom … down it came. We did a nearly perfect job of folding it but there just wasn’t enough deck, but it was manageable so when we were stern to the mole in Preveza we took it ashore before the crowds were on the boardwalk and properly flaked it. We also did all the chrome inside the boat and I lanocote’d everything I could think of. I decided not to work on the engine until we were stopped and thought I might do it while we’re out of the water. No point in tempting fate – having the engine in pieces when you might need it.
We started out from Pargas toward Preveza pretty early because it was about 30 miles away. In putting the boat away the big issue is getting the jib down, that’s the one job that is a bit of a bitch … so on the way to Preveza Marina noticed there was no wind and boom … down it came. We did a nearly perfect job of folding it but there just wasn’t enough deck, but it was manageable so when we were stern to the mole in Preveza we took it ashore before the crowds were on the boardwalk and properly flaked it. We also did all the chrome inside the boat and I lanocote’d everything I could think of. I decided not to work on the engine until we were stopped and thought I might do it while we’re out of the water. No point in tempting fate – having the engine in pieces when you might need it.
The girls worked hard, cleaned the SUPs and put them away, and also washed the sheets (ropes) in our bucket which used up water (which we wanted to do). Staying at the mole in Preveza is very cost effective relative to being in the Marina at Cleopatra -- about 50 Euros a day less, and you have so much more to do than just work on the boat. The only challenge is being on board Saturday night when the local disco goes hard until 05:00.
Once the sails were down and the windex was off, it was just a matter of getting the boat cleaned up. Lots of vacuuming, wiping and scrubbing, getting rid of food, taking the sheets (ropes) off. We powered over to Cleopatra .. a whole 5 minutes from Preveza, and backed into the haul-out station where the travel-lift picks up the boat and moves her into the boatyard. The current runs 2-3 knots sideways at Cleopatra so you must seriously commit to getting the boat behind the concrete wall, where the current stops. It's really interesting when your stern in in sheltered water but your bow is being pushed by current. Causes a slight pucker-factor.
The next two days were fairly easy as we had done so much in advance: washing cushions and canvass, putting the Halyards away into their Ikea box, getting the interior put away, changing oil, transmission oil, and antifreeze, then doing the same (except antifreeze) for the generator and outboard, washing stuff with fresh water, waxing, turning off the fridges, emptying the water tanks, surreptitiously filling and emptying the holding tanks several times to clean them out and putting Lanocote on any metal part we could think of that could possibly seize.
Meanwhile someone is doing laundry -- like 5 loads of it ... sheets, towels, stay-behind clothes, walkabout clothes; everything was in great need of a proper wash with laundry soap. Finally, off come the steering wheels, the canvass and all sun-shade elements so we're all buttoned up for another year. How well you do is evidenced by how hard it is to startup the following year ... this we will find out in about 10 months time.
Once the sails were down and the windex was off, it was just a matter of getting the boat cleaned up. Lots of vacuuming, wiping and scrubbing, getting rid of food, taking the sheets (ropes) off. We powered over to Cleopatra .. a whole 5 minutes from Preveza, and backed into the haul-out station where the travel-lift picks up the boat and moves her into the boatyard. The current runs 2-3 knots sideways at Cleopatra so you must seriously commit to getting the boat behind the concrete wall, where the current stops. It's really interesting when your stern in in sheltered water but your bow is being pushed by current. Causes a slight pucker-factor.
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