Adventures in Greece

Visiting the Acropolis

We do take time out for fun here and there, amidst all of the boat projects. Here are some photos of our time spent at the Acropolis in Athens and the Museum.

Exploring the Parthenon and Acropolis

Sitting high on this hill in Athens, is the Acropolis. It is derived from the word "polis" which translates to the 'highest point in the city'. In ancient times, the city would lay just below with markets and an active trading center.
Once you pass through the entrance gateway, also known as the Propylaea, you will see the Parthenon of Athena, the Erechtheum, the Temple of Athena Nike.

If you have time to explore this amazing place, do it!


Another experience you can't miss is the Changing of the Guard at Syntagma Square in Athens. They change about every hour, but there is a parade and ceremony at 11am on Sundays. This is when we went and it was totally worth staying the extra days in port to do so!

We took some time for a quick trip down the island chain to Milos. The waters are a beautiful turquoise and it was fun to explore the village.

Anchored off Milos.

Weather soon chased us back north.

Checking the weather.

On the way back to Piraeus, we stopped at the port of Loutra on the island of Kythnos. This area is known for the hot springs that flow right to the beach! We highly recommend a visit, if you are in the area. The village was empty, as it was off season, with the exception of the harbor master and one cafe who opened a few hours each day. Wifi is free in the port.

Port Loutra. Hots springs are on the beach, left of RoundAbout.

After picking up some parts back in Piraeus, we set off for our haul-out at the Planaco Yacht Yard on the nearby island of Aegina. They have free wifi, bathrooms with showers (lots of hot water!) and a nice taverna next door. Everyone we spoke to goes here because of the professional staff and the unique way they lift out the boats: via tractor lift! Check out the videos of our haul-out on our facebook page.

We spent a little over a week on the hard, getting all sorts of things crossed off the list. In addition to new antifouling (after sanding, they added a primer/epoxy coat before the antifouling), we serviced the saildrives and engines, generator, and propellers (we had fishing line on the port side and a net in the starboard--definitely recommend pulling the propellers to check them, as all sorts of things get sucked up into them), added a speed log, new thru-hull for our water-maker (ours temporarily shared one with the a/c unit), fiberglass/gelcoat repairs, marked our anchor chain, entire boat polished, underwater lights added, seals replaced for leaky hatches, and ordered new window screens, a cover for the BBQ, replacement helm station cushions, recovered the salon cushions, and added cockpit cushions and pillows. We also ordered pieces to enclose the cockpit area on rainy days to keep the area dry. The upholstery order will take a couple of weeks, and so we will island hop while we wait.

The boat yard has been so busy hauling and re-launching boats, it's like a bee-hive here! Work is going on constantly! They are also building a wooden luxury yacht in their building and we were invited to tour it. Wow! It was incredible! This one project guarantees jobs for the yard employees for at least 3 solid years!

The weather has been rainy off and on, but we are seeing signs of spring, which means more sunny weather and great sailing! We are looking forward to being back out on the water and exploring more of this wonderful country. We have applied for and received an extension to stay in Greece until June. While we may not stay that long, it gives us plenty of time to look for good weather windows as we make our way towards Croatia.

Buying a Boat Overseas is NOT Easy

sailing around the island of Milos, Greece

Disclaimer: not all deals are like this and I am sure others have had much easier and less stressful experiences when purchasing a boat in the Med. This is just our account and we hope it serves as information for those in the research phase. Buyers beware, research like crazy, and be prepared for it to take more time than if things were happening in the USA. With that in mind, you will hopefully have a less stressful experience than ours!

Going to be real with you all up front. The boat-buying process in the Med drastically differs from buying in the Caribbean! Time just does not seem to matter in the Med. There were so many delays, we lost count! We were used to 'island time' in the Caribbean, but take that and double it over here.

We had an accepted offer on the boat in late September and did not sign final paperwork until the end of December! Talk about exercising patience!  Our broker was not there, so we didn't have anyone looking over things. Then we couldn't physically get to the boat due to the travel visa suspension between the U.S. and Turkey, and finally, paperwork that was incorrect--not once but twice! We were never so happy to sign our name on those final documents! It meant we were finally moving forward!

Here are a few examples of the differences:

Boat buying from Moorings, BVI:

Buying in the Caribbean was a piece of cake. Seriously, no stress involved what-so-ever. This is mostly due to our broker being right there the entire time and following up with the seller while the phase-out was in progress. When they say the will clean, polish and fix the boat, they meant it.  In fact, several small issues that did not come up in the survey and were not apparent upon delivery of the boat, they still fixed.  These included things like missing towel hooks, broken water tank lids, and loose shelves.

Buying a boat from Moorings, Turkey:

When they say the boat is clean, they cleaned it enough that the pictures on the internet appear clean.  Under the oven were bread crusts, miscellaneous crumbs, grease, and even a fork!  Toilets were stained a disgusting shade of brown from not being cleaned, possibly ever! There were leaking hatches, leaking traveler and jib track, various chips, nicks, and shoddy gelcoat repairs, worn and weathered caulked joints, removed equipment, engines overfilled with oil that leaked nearly a quart into the bilge, worn out air conditioner pump that nearly started on fire and had to be immediately replaced, exhaust stains at the stern of the boat, leaking holding tank and stained bilge to go with it, leaking raw water strainers for the heads, and leaking generator exhaust elbow.  But according to the Turkey base, the boat was clean and in good shape! 

Buying in the Med was stress-city.  Let me specify--buying from this same company in Turkey was stress-city. We experienced a complete 180 in terms of communication and honesty. Basically, all the horror stories you read about on the internet were rolled into one and served to us on a platter--er boat. It seemed as though each day brought up some new challenge we had to solve and left us with huge migraines. 

We had chosen to buy from Moorings based upon our previous experience. Sure, we were a bit hesitant to buy a boat sight-unseen and so far away. However, we felt we would be taken care of, and so we put our full trust once again into their hands. To give them some credit, they did agree to change the delivery location to Greece for us and paid for the dockage so we could move aboard. They also (after many emails and us sticking to what was on the inventory listing) agreed to reinstall the electric winch that had been removed from the boat. They paid for the shipping and re-installation costs, as well as our dockage during that period. 

In the end, we appreciate all of the extra work all parties involved had to go through. It was a mess, but eventually worked itself out. We also want to say our experience in Greece has been absolutely wonderful. The Moorings Greek base were more than willing to help us sort out issues and recommend various contractors and supply stores. They actually talked to us and helped us to work though the repairs. This again shows that it all comes down to the individual base management of this company. They have boats for sale and I would not hesitate to recommend them (ask for Mike, as he is the manager and is a genuine and overall wonderful person).  If buying from the BVI base, ask for Giles; but honestly, any Moorings broker in the BVI will probably treat you well, as the culture across the pond is different. 

Escape from Boat Projects!

Flying the Parasailor the kids named Big Red!

The weather over this past weekend was a perfect excuse to escape the marina and boat projects. We left Friday afternoon, after speaking at a local elementary school (sharing what life is like aboard our boat and a little of our California school's STEM and ROV programs).

We pointed our nose towards Aegina, an island about a 2 hour sail away. We were right away in the high traffic zone of the Piraeus Port, but it was smooth sailing all the way across. We anchored in a bay on the southern end of Aegina and settled in for a calm and peaceful night.

Sailing towards Aegina from Piraeus.

At anchor off the southern coast of Aegina.

Sunny is a pro at getting in and out of the dinghy.

All tucked in                                        Tavernas and shops along the quay

The next morning, we pulled anchor
and headed to the island of Poros, about 3 hours away. Once we arrived, we found a nice spot to moor up to the quay lined with tavernas. Once RoundAbout was tucked in for the evening, the crew set about to explore ashore.

Exploring Poros

After a lovely weekend, we had to sail back to Piraeus for some final boat projects: installing our electric winch, water outlet at the front of the boat (so we can rinse the anchor and wash down the deck), and some other small items. We will then be finished (for now) and be able to set sail for Crete later on this week!

Boat Projects

We do try and find time for some fun amidst boat projects! 

We sort of knew what we were getting into after RoundAbout's survey. However, as most boat owners know, it isn't until after you move aboard that you truly find out all the things that need attention. So far we have done the following (photos of some of these below):


Repairs:
*genoa sail repair (about a foot needed repair)
*starboard engine
*port side holding tank sewer hose (added all new hose just to make sure we don't have to do this again)
*fresh water pump (pressure switch went bad)
*joker valves on all heads
*rub rails (cleaned up with acetone and made some small repairs)
*gelcoat repairs
*re-sealing joints (dug out all old caulking, cleaned, and replaced with new)
*the above solved the leak we had above the port side aft cabin, near the electrical panel
*torn hatch screens and clips replaced
*serviced life raft and fire extinguishers
*added adhesive felt under the floorboards to eliminate squeaking
*replaced burned out halogen head light (replaced all head lights with LED instead of halogen)
*replaced broken wind index
*helm hard-top supports were cracking, so we repaired those and added extra supports.
*fridge was only freezing, so we discovered someone had bypassed the compressor. We fixed that and then realized that the temp knob was not really working that well. Repair in process.
*heating/air con unit (wasn't putting out heat and making a loud noise)



Upgrades:
*adding more solar for a total of 1200 watts
*water-maker, Osmosea
*washing machine, Candy 7kg (also ran power to the 'laundry room' so we have an extra outlet and cord is hidden away).
*radar
*AIS
*new chart plotter
*wifi booster (the Wirie)
*mantus 85lb anchor (we will use the old anchor as our secondary)
*new dinghy and outboard (12 foot hypalon dinghy with Yamaha F25 outboard).
*new batteries
*new running rigging (it was time to replace anyway)
*added a swing for the kids (it qualified as an upgrade as far as all of us are concerned--its a lot of fun!)
*low flow shower heads (to help conserve water and make our hot showers last just a little longer)
*privacy shades in salon/galley area
*lifeline netting (more of a safety item than upgrade, but well worth it for peace of mind).
*converted front forward cabin into storage to hang extra lines/sheets.
*Installed a 'passerelle' instead of the plank of wood we were using (again, more of a safety thing, as the wooden plank caused Stef to visit the hospital).
*built up a store of spares on board, as well as organized a tool area (we use hanging nets and had storage areas inserted into lockers)
*new propane tanks
*gas grill (Magma) and new gas connection valve


I will add to these lists as we go along.

Here is some of what we have been up to these past few weeks:

Meet RoundAbout 2.0!

What you all have been waiting for, meet our new home RoundAbout (2.0)! Believe me, this moment could not have come fast enough for us! =)

RoundAbout2.0 is a 2012 Leopard 46 catamaran. She is the 4-cabin 4 head version (she actually has a 2 additional crew cabins, but we use those for storage). (Our first RoundAbout was the 2010 model).

Stats:
Length: 46' 4"
Beam: 24' 10"
Draft: 4.5" (we can get into some pretty shallow spots)

More details here.


We are working every day to get her repaired and adding upgrades such as solar, radar, AIS, new chart plotter, a washing machine, new running rigging, and a water-maker. The boat project list is long but we are slowly checking off those items. We've also got to have our de-naming and re-naming ceremonies! However, that is all for another post. ;)

Our AIS works!

Checking out our new 'family car'

Boat Cards and our Ship's Stamp

I finally got around to designing and ordering our boat cards and stamp for RoundAbout. Boat cards are a cruiser's way of staying in touch and are very handy to have on hand to pass around. Think of it in the same way people on land use business cards. I ordered these via Vistaprint and for less than $20, we had 250 cards printed. They often run promotions, so google around for those promo-codes. You can also print your own cards at home or use a local print shop.

What goes on a boat card?

This all depends on your preference, however, most boat cards we have seen include the boat's name, owner's names (or family name), contact info (email and blog url), and a photo or illustration of the vessel.

For more information, you can check out The Boat Galley's post on boat cards (she has some great info in her post on what to include, as well as what NOT to include on your cards).

A boat stamp is often recognized as the official method to signing customs paperwork. We have not yet needed one, however, we have read that it makes the customs process a bit easier, as to the agents, we are more 'official'. We have our boat's logo, name, USCG registration number, hailing port, and owner's names on our stamp. There are many variations out there, so it really is a matter of personal preference.
As quoted from Noonsite: "A ship's stamp is is greatly appreciated in many countries, where, for some strange reason, a rubber stamp has a certain authority". Other sailors we've spoken with mentioned the stamp came in handy with both receiving shipped goods and processing through customs.

It was a pretty easy and inexpensive to order a custom stamp. I used rubberstamps.net and for a little less than $25, I received our ship's stamp and an ink pad.