Summer, Winter, Spring Update

Wanderingdragon
Stephen & Anne
Thu 4 Jun 2015 07:26

36.46.832N 14.32.744E

 

OK - so it's been a while  since we last wrote a blog. We are sure you are wondering what we have been up to.

 

To put your minds at rest we are fine and nothing bad happened at the end of last summer. We just got lazy and Facebook kind of took over our updates.

 

Summer 2014 - we had a great time drifting around the Greek Ionian islands. Arthur (our autopilot) was diagnosed as terminally ill, so we had to hand steer our way back to Marina di Ragusa. We did day hops up to the top of Corfu, then across to the heel of Italy and then down the sole. We got to stop at some new places, only one is worth a re-visit in our opinion, Rocella Ionica where they sell pizza by the meter J

 

Autumn 2014 - safely back in Marina di Ragusa ( affectionately referred to as MdR) we got the boat ready for winter. Taking off the sails and ropes. We decided to install a washing machine. We carefully measured and re measured, then ordered a machine that would fit.

 

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When it arrived it was a few centimetres too big and apparently they don’t work very well installed horizontally.

 

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This meant some major carpentry work and the lowering of a shelf.  Anne is strength testing the new shelf.

What was supposed to be a quick job turned into a major project. Luckily getting the washing machine working was quite quick, it was plumbing and wiring afterwards that took the time.

 

Winter 2014/ Spring 2015 - We needed to replace Arthur (the autopilot). This took quite a lot of planning to design the new system and then investigation into the cheapest way to source the items.

 

We managed a trip away sightseeing to Agrigento , the valley of the Temples.

 

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One of the temples.

 

Then came the massive job of taking out the old instruments and wiring and replacing it with new. We did the work ourselves and with only a few problems ( a faulty radar and a few extra items purchased) we finished the task on the 17th May. The new autopilot is called James!

 

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Anne had the job of installing the new Radar on the mast (twice due to one unit being faulty)

 

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An interim test of the new equipment.

 

Since then we have been working hard getting Wanda back into sailing mode ready for Summer 2015 including changing the engine mounts.

 

We did manage to fit in some socialising in between these jobs.

 

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Impromptu party on Wandering Dragon

 

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We were involved in the organising of a “British Tea Party” and made 100 scones for the event.

 

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In between all the other activities we fitted a pair of solar panels. In theory we won’t need to run the engine to charge the batteries over summer.