So excited to be back on board Mossy Joe and to bring you news of our latest adventures! In my last post we were leaving Mossy Joe in Kos Marina and heading back to Hertford for December with no set date to return to Kos. Once various plans had been agreed around work, the boat, Easter (and my birthday!) we then had time for a short visit back to Kos during February, to escape the UK winter and to supervise the solar panels installation.
All the way from Athens, our wonderful solar panel engineer, Dimtri and his assistant, Texso, had travelled overnight to Kos by ferry and were on board with us for three long working days whilst they installed the panels. You may remember Dimitri as he was the brave man who endured the 40 degrees plus temperatures whilst swapping out our old acid based gel batteries for new lithium ones in Athens marina back in July.
The mess (my beautiful saloon and galley!!) caused by the solar panel work was worth it. We are now more or less fully independent electricity wise and hopefully the panels will pay for themselves quickly given the rates that marinas charge to ‘plug in’.
Having the solar panels in place also meant that we could get rid of the ‘floating bomb’ that is the gas cylinder and replace the gas hob and oven with new electric ones! Jacques has asked me to point out that yes, he does know that it needs finishing off! That task is awaiting on special materials – another long anticipated arrival from Athens!
After the successful solar panel installation we took the two lovely chaps, who had worked so hard, out to dinner to say ‘Thank You’. We also ended up saying ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’!!
We had a couple of weeks left in Kos before heading back home again at the end of February so we decided to jump on the ferry and go see the Island of Leros which is where we would be heading in April to have the boat hauled out of the water.
Leros was such a joy and in my opinion a much more authentic example of the Greek Islands with a charm that you don’t get in the big tourist places like Kos. A few pics of our weekend adventure.
Back to the UK for a few days on 1st March and then off for another special adventure, 19 days in Vietnam and Cambodia (without the boat just to be clear!) That was a spectacular trip and a subject of a totally separate blog!
Easter was combined with a party for my BIG Birthday and then the focus turned to preparing for our long term return to Mossy Joe.
Suffice to say that on the 8th April we left home again laden with bags of ‘important technical things’ for the boat. On arrival, with mixed emotions of the joy of being back on board versus the pressure of the enormous amount of work to be done we cracked on with the essentials e.g. unpacking the delivery of Hendricks and Ricard and joining the local gym! Not sure these two activities are that compatible but we’ll see!
We were thrilled to see that the purpose built black shades we had commissioned for the windows all around the boat, as well as the cockpit, had been made and put in place (see pic below). Although not such an issue at this time of year, the ability to provide shade from the hot summer sun is crucial. We had many creative attempts last year mostly with sheets, towels and sarongs that were not terrible effective so this new addition is very welcome. Part of the beauty of them is that they create shade but do not compromise visibility – it’s like having tinted windows on your suped up BMW!!
Then the serious work of checking that everything still functioned as expected and identifying what was in need of repair after the winter. The two most severe items were not sailing related but very important – first the hot water tank was leaking and in fact had we not noticed, it would probably have exploded in a matter of days! Secondly the now many times repaired fridge was chugging along at a not very chilly 12 degrees! We have had to accept that a new one is needed and it is on its way from Athens as we speak – hopefully not on the tortuous route that befell the winch!!
We had a manic few days trying to meet our deadline of leaving Kos by the 13th April but with so much work to do and the new boiler and other small but vital parts arriving ‘tomorrow’ we were delayed by another week. We also had the challenge of some very windy days (30 plus knots) which meant that putting the sails back on and hoisting the dinghy onto its new cradle were not possible as planned.
Once conditions abated it was full on ‘boat reconstruction’ mode! Sails and dinghy back where they should be and homes created across the back rail for the new life rafts. The eagle-eyed amongst you, and particularly our poor guests who came a cropper with the old one, will spot the new swim ladder! Hooray!! The previous one had been designed by a sailing sadist – it was lethal and by the end of last summer had taken the skin off of numerous shins, thighs and feet! Ouch!
Once again the cockpit turned into something resembling Wickes’ spare parts and tools room!
When the bikes decided this was their new home I shut the doors! Those of you that are fully acquainted with my strange foibles will know that even a small amount of mess can make me twitch so you can imagine how I was reacting to this!!!
On one of our final nights in Kos, we did manage to get time for a meal at Ali’s, our favourite restaurant midway between the marina and the old town. It has a true Greek and Turkish menu without a trace of pizzas or burgers!!
With the sails back in place and the fridges stocked we prepared to leave Kos and head to Leros. It did actually feel a little daunting having been moored up for five months – would the boat ‘work’? Would the engine start? Would the winches jam? Would I get sea-sick?
And more importantly, would Charlie arrive on time to accompany us on this next phase of our journey?
It appears the lure of the Souvlaki was enough to guarantee his safe and on time arrival!
A short and uneventful three hour hop to Leros resulted in us being moored up next to the travel lift which in a few days would pick us up and deliver us to our home in the sky! We used that time to prepare for the event, taking down the Genoa sail (which had only just gone back up the day before!)
There was a fair amount of wind and not ideal conditions to bring down a sail but we had to get it done before the lift out. The challenge was to ‘catch’ the sail on its way down without getting smacked in the face with the ropes! So much very heavy material ended up covering most of the surface of the boat! We stood staring at it for quite some time before coming up with an approach to folding it.
And once folded, how to keep it from flying away!!!
The following days would bring two exciting moments. The first would be the reunion with our friends from Let Go, Let’s Go who were heading to Leros from South Africa to begin their new sailing season and the second would be the haul out of Mossy Joe!!!
Both moments were emotional! More to follow next time but here’s a taster of the more heart pounding event!!
Thank you for reading, please comment or ask questions if you have any.
More soon, in the meantime be kind and sail safe xx
T and J Sail Away 