
Spartochori At Last!
Date: Tuesday, September 10, 2024. 2154Z |
Location: 38°39'33.6N, 20°45'49.1E — Spartochori, GR |
An interesting couple of days, to say the least! Boats, eh? Between engines, storms, and busy ports, it has been a challenge. Let me elaborate…
The boat had spent the summer on the hard, as there was a long delay from when Tim launched her in May and it seemed reasonable to put her back on the hard until we arrived, in September. Rabbit had kindly arranged the launch for us, and tied her up alongside his father’s barge.
Yesterday, we decided to leave straight away and have breakfast en route to Spartochori, our usual “day one” destination. Due to some confusion about the laundry, we went in search of a missing third bag. It turns out the yard in Vlicho doesn’t do laundry any more, and this was a surprise to me. I guess I wasn’t paying attention. Anyway, no-one knew the whereabouts of the missing bag, so we decided to head away and would figure it out, later. Unfortunately, we had waited around until the yard office opened, to query the laundry situation, and this meant it was closer to 10AM before we got to cast off from the barge. I know I have said I don’t like schedules and I prefer a lazy departure time, but everyone was in agreement that we needed to untie from the barge and get to the azure waters of Meganisi as soon as possible. That wasn’t to be, unfortunately.
Rabbit also wanted us off the barge because there was a gale (from the South) forecast, and he wanted to remove us and the motorsailer, so that nothing was pulling on the barge during the gale. Given that the storm was from the south, and Spartochori bay faces north, we figured this would be an ideal shelter. So did everyone else, it seems!
Anyway, step one was to fire up the engine. The engine purred to life, and I allowed it to warm up, which is always a good idea. Especially yesterday! After a few minutes, the engine shut off and wouldn’t restart. We had checked the exhaust and cooling water was being thrown out, so it wasn’t that. Also, no temperature or oil alarms. I removed the stairs, and discovered the glass for the fuel filter had shattered. There is a drip tray under the engine to prevent oil (and fuel) from entering the bilge. This was full of diesel. I went to the chandlery beside the yard office, but strangely they don’t sell fuel filters. Rabbit suggested an engine parts store at the foot of Vlicho bay. As I had parked the rental car, and it was now boxed in, I decided to walk. This was a mistake! The bottom end of Vlicho bay is quite a distance from the yard (at the top!). Google tells me JFK Marine is a 21 minute walk from the boat yard. It felt longer. Anyway, they didn’t have anything to fit, so I walked back. Rabbit volunteered that there was a place in Nydri and he would drive there. At this point, I gave him the project of fixing the filter. We also noticed that the water pump was leaking.
We went off in search of a late breakfast while Rabbit secured a new fuel filter (and glass separator bulb). Replacing the filter was relatively straightforward for him, but bleeding the engine was quite the challenge. He turned the engine over quite a few times before he got it running. In the meantime, we called Taverna Spilia in Spartochori, and eventually got through, only to be told their quay wall was very full. Our phones lit up with messages telling us to beware of incoming gales and storms from the south. Rabbit offered us a raft-up alongside some of his other boats, but we decided the best thing to do was to head to the bottom of Vlicho bay and anchor off. We motored the short distance (well, it’s short if you’re not walking!) and anchored near the mud at the bottom of the bay. Given a southerly breeze, we would be pushed away from the shallow water and into the deeper bay, so a line ashore wasn’t necessary. Once we had confirmed the anchor was steady, we went to the Vlicho Yacht Club for showers, food and libation.
As the rain started in, we ran back to the dinghy and returned to the boat. I set up an anchor alarm and waited for the storm. My travelling companions went to their cabins to get some sleep. I sat in the companionway with a nylon jacket belonging to Martin, my legs under the coachroof. I watched through the gloom as the bow swung left and right, with each passing squall. Interestingly, the wind blew from the west, not the south. Not ideal conditions if we were to drag anchor. An unoccupied boat to the north of us did exactly that, and fouled itself around the anchor of another neighbour. Vicky from the Vlicho Yacht Club came out in a RIB and helped to untangle the mess. She towed the boat over to a shallower section of the bay, where it could do less damage. Then she came alongside us and gave me her phone number in case we too ran into difficulty, during the night. It is an incredible relief to have that kind of support. Eventually the wind died off, and I took my anchor alarm (phone) below to recharge and to get some sleep. It kicked off again around 3AM, but not as severely. The anchor did not budge, and I got some sleep.
The next day, the clouds parted, the sun shined, and Spilia confirmed they had space on the quay. We hauled up the anchor, cleaned off forty-seven tonnes of Vlicho mud, and motored to Spartochori where beers, food and a swim awaited.
What a difference a day makes!