Life on the Hard

RoundAbout's haulout via tractor and hydraulic lift

We hauled RoundAbout out at Planaco Yacht Yard, on the island of Aegina, Greece on Valentine's Day. We spent the next two weeks getting all sorts of things crossed off the list.

Powerwashing commenced immediately after hauling out.

Here is what we accomplished:

*fiberglass and gelcoat repair (various areas on deck, a cleat, rudder, dinghy davits, etc).
*serviced sail drives and engines (changed all seals, oil, belts, etc)
*replaced leaky hatch seals
*re-bed the traveler
*re-seal joints on the Starboard side (we did the Port side a couple of months ago)
*serviced propellers
*serviced dinghy motor
*remarked our anchor chain
*installed underwater lights
*installed a new thru-hull for the water-maker
*installed new transducer with speed log
*sanded all the old paint off the bottom and added an anti-osmotic sealer/primer and two coats of anti-foul paint
*repair broken hinge on anchor locker
*generator exhaust elbow repaired (it was leaking and water ran down into Cadence's closet)
*repaired stove rails (re-welded a spot that had come apart).

*ordered custom cockpit enclosure, new interior cushions (recovered), replaced our helm station cushions, new window screens, and ordered custom cushions for the cockpit. It will be so nice to be able to sit outside in comfort!

Various repair work.

This is how we made it easier for Sunny to get on and off the boat. The stairs were a much better option than the ladder off the transom.

Being in the yard was challenging, but we survived. The boat was a mess and so dirty! The antifoul paint residue is very hard to get off the boat. Sunny's fur was tinged blue! (we are still trying to get if off the trampoline--hoping over time it will fade and bleach out). Total cost of this haul-out and all repairs/materials: about 10k! Ouch!

The yard did have restrooms and hot showers, which was helpful. A taverna next door was a place we spent a lot of time, using their wifi and enjoying their delicious food and coffee. The kids scootered around the yard and played with the yard's dogs. Sunny also enjoyed the extra time on terra firma.

We also had some time to explore the port town of Aegina. the Temple of Apollo, and some other historical sites. During the weekend, we encountered Carnival, also known as Apokries. It is celebrated with parties, feasts, and parades three weeks before Lent Monday. It is sort of like Halloween without the trick-or-treating. There was a parade, kids in costumes everywhere, as well as confetti and streamers covering every surface!

Exploring the Port of Aegina during the festival weekend.

Aegina is famous for growing pistachios, so we had to try some. 

Testing our systems.

Relaunching! 

We re-launched on Tuesday, February 27th around 11:30am and after testing all of the systems, we sailed for Poros.

We flew the drone during the re-launch. Check out the video! (linked here in case it doesn't load below)

Enjoying the new helm seats!

Anchored off the eastern part of Aegina, while we had lunch.

That night we encountered a mighty storm with winds of at least 20 knots sustained and gusts over 30 knots. Yes, we checked the forecast. It was incorrect! The wind kept clocking all around and of course, we dragged anchor. Jared and I stayed up for most of the night. Finally, around 2am, we gave up trying to reset the anchor. While Jared stayed at the helm, I went forward in the freezing rain and wind to haul up the anchor. Usually, we use our forward hose and give everything a good rinse. Not this time, and it really needed it, as we harvested a ton of sea grass. We turned around and motored back to the town quay and tied up. Exhausted, we fell asleep and woke up to a sunny and calm morning. Go figure.

Sailing back to Piraeus and transisting the shipping lane. This ship was 899 feet long! Our boat was barely the size of its rudder!

Testing our underwater lights!

It was so calm, we all enjoyed sitting up front for a change!

We returned to Pireaus later that afternoon, so we could attend our visa extension appointment the following day. What a load of paperwork that was! I think the stack of all our paperwork was about 6 inches tall. We had to make 2 copies of all documents for each of us, get letters of confirmation that our boat was in the harbor from both the marina and the port police, obtain a new transit log from customs, certificate from the citizen service center, and receipt for paying the fee. Three days later and 5 hours sitting the immigration office, we were finally given our visas! We can now remain in Greece until June 14th. This gives us time to wait for our stuff to arrive from the Caribbean and slowly work our way north towards Croatia.