Tioram blog starts for 2013---- April/May-- Tony has spent too much time in the boatyard.
Tioram 4
Tina & Tony
Sun 30 Jun 2013 17:43
Tony returned to Greece and to Tioram in early April. His intention was to
spend 3 weeks preparing Tioram for the season including sanding and
anti-fouling the hull, general maintenance, rig checks and organising the
servicing of safety equipment. The 3 weeks turned into 6 as I was delayed in
the UK looking after my Aunt.
When I arrived at the boat yard I found a long haired man on a mission who
clearly had spent too much time away from civilisation.
Tony's usual intellectual conversation had turned into an enthusiastic
discussion about valves, pipes, generator parts, electric loos, sanded teak
decks, highly polished chrome and top sides and crisply painted water lines.
The conversation turned to the lubrication of 'seacocks', ' which made my
eyes widen and water at the thought of it !!!!
Yachts can be wonderful, comfortable places in the water but for those of
you that haven't experienced living on a boat out of the water it has none
of the usual services or fridge....a problem in 30c as this is normally
cooled by a plate on the hull under water. However, the marina has a good
shower and service facility.
So Imagine your 'normal' middle of the night trip to the bathroom. For poor
Tony this has involved the equivalent of climbing out of your first floor
bedroom window onto a ladder to descend 12 ft to the ground below before
making a world breaking 100m sprint to the loo block !!
Worse still was he expecting me to do the same when I arrived ??
Over the six weeks, Tony had decided that using the washing machine was a
must and began by using it at night sending clean water out onto the ground.
This continued by day to the amusement of passing yachties watching soapy
water shooting out of the side of the boat followed by the whole boat
vibrating....on fast spin.
He said he was so popular that he had considered taking in washing as a 'get
rich quick scheme'!!!!
His only link with civilisation was the occasional conversation with the
very pleasant boatyard staff and his evening trip to the marina restaurant.
This long haired man on a mission decided that cooking on board was a bridge
too far and during the six weeks managed to eat his way through everything
on the restaurant menu... 2 or 3 times. By the time I arrived he was Chicken
penne pasta-ed out.
Thankfully two days after I arrived Tioram was lifted into the water. The
sight of a 20 ton yacht swinging around in the air with slings from a crane
is always an anxious moment even if the staff are very professional.
She looked every inch a new boat gleaming in the sun, polished and
beautiful. In the two weeks since we have had several people ask us if the
boat is indeed new this summer.... a prize for Tony's hard work. It is
amazing how little time people spend on their boats before they put them in
the water....even more worrying how little time is spent getting their old
life rafts and jackets serviced, we take safety very seriously as it
liberates us to just enjoy the sailing.
After Tony's six weeks of climbing down ladders in the night and the sprint
to the loo block, I half expected to hear a loud splash on the first night
with him falling off the back transum in sleepy state, but no now his
conversation has turned to the joys of ice cold beers from the fridge,
electric flushing loos and of course his fully functioning lubricated
seacocks!!!!
I am of course delighted with his wonderful efforts to have the boat in
beautiful mint condition for the summer...... now perhaps Tony can slowly
return to normal life and conversation free from his polishing mission as he
has clearly spent............ too much time in the boatyard!!!!
Love to all
Tina and a long haired guy x x x