Still doin’ the boat “thang”

Yup! The past 2 weeks I’ve been a 70% liveaboard… and luvin’ it! I stay in my totally messed up home in Athens Monday and Tuesday (with the “good” dinghy rolled up in my living room, laundry hanging and stuff everywhere), and Wednesday thru Sunday avec Zoot Allures (while commuting to my $&^% day job).

(Primus rules! Saw them open for Living Color in ’88(?))

Hey, I’ve got over 3000 hits! Thanks to all of YOU! And to think essays were my worst subject in school.

So…!

Wednesday… Overcast and humid. Hung out in port with the other sailboat dudes and went for dinner consisting of raki and lots of do-dad nibblies. Yum…

Thursday… picked up another dehumidifier and crystal thingie and also some non-slip tape. Last week my buddy Kenan almost killed himself slipping on the “man overboard” ladder. Sorry we gotta get things done the “hard” way. before

after

No, I’m not an artist when its time to make evenly trimmed and cut tape. Fender’s there to protect the deflatable, top stair has been bent forever. But hey, they don’t slip!

Friday… at last, took it easy and had dinner, where else, @ G.S. His twin sons were in from the city. We made plans for a boat ride the next day. I just luv their house. And of course the ouzo and the Vicky cuisine!

I’m a terrible photographer with a terrible camera, but this is how/where we hang. (click to enlarge in a new tab)

Saturday… my neighbor Alex shows up all hyped to go sailing. Nice and shinny sun, the winds are south-westerlies, not over 15 knots, the most beautiful day for a sail. There was also a race and I could see plenty of sails out there, all head for Petalious Islands. I also headed out and played around 2 miles offshore. It was beautiful and a perfect day for experimentation which I did. For instance, balancing the boat with the rudder centered, which I still cant do! Anyway, after 4 hours I was pooped and tied back up at my mooring to relax and enjoy the rest of the day.Bytheway, my dumbass starter motor got loose again and the Perkins wouldn’t turn over. Got it back in place at sea…whoopee… but getting rather boring…

Then Vicky called to remind me of our plans from the day before (which I had forgotten => shit for brains). So the G.S. clan showed up and I took them for a nice ride around the Rafri Island and thru the port. We had a grand time!And of course dinner at there place.

Sunday… Mom comes for the day for a swim and a ride! I picked her up off the beach and got her aboard. Not that easy, but she took it like a champ! (She has vouched to get me a decent boarding ladder!).  So we sailed off on another beautiful day. I had the genoa half way out/furled but Mom was expecting some more heeling and we were going kinda slow so I let it all out. The day before I had pinched/traumatized one of my genoa sheets and guess what… it snapped, of course! All I can say is Mother was impressed! No prob, tacked over, furled it in and pretty much headed back, nice and slowly with the main sail. If that wasn’t enough, winds where southerly and gusting to 20knots. Getting moored up again was rough with alot of huffing and puffing (on my behalf) but all went well. Later in the afternoon she took off to go visit an uncle across the bay.

Being a such a nice day, I decided to head out to my uncle aswell, but with my dinghy and to get some hours on the outboard (still breaking her in). After a “cold one” and a few laughs with uncle Takis, I took off and went to the harbor to find Alex and the rest. It had gotten dark, the winds where still up and I could see a squall coming. Long story short, I headed back to Zoot Allures, in the dark, without a flashlight (I should be arrested), lightening flashing, thunder booming and I missed the bend and went all the way around the little Praso Island. What a dummie!!!!

Back on ol’ Zoot, safe and sound, it eventually rained, nothing to write home about, I had a few pops, played some Primus real loud and amused myself with the thoughts of my “dumbass-ness”!

green… G.S. root

white… Mom root

red… dumbass dinghy root

Monday morn….. back to the city and to schizophrenia

Stay tuned

Capt Pete

ps…. I should stick to editing and mastering and stop trying to figure out Photoshop

pss… I did have oars and an anchor on the dinghy, but the flashlight thing was real dumb… still learning!