Every time you leave a boat at the dock for an extended period of time (like 10 minutes) something breaks. So when you come back after 6 months off, there is always a period of figuring out what’s wrong and how to fix it. Here’s an excerpt from the book I’m writing (not) on “How To Cruise!”
- After returning to the boat, go on a short, like a week, cruise and make sure you use everything. Heater, water maker, computers, refrig. Everything!
- Make sure you return to a good marina in a major boating city with good internet after the shake down cruise so you can find and or order the pieces you need to replace.
- ALWAYS sucker a good friend to visit you in your remote location about 2 weeks after above cruise. That way they can bring you all the various high temperature hoses, high pressure water valves and candy thermometers that TSA stole out of your bags and they don’t sell ANY@$&@$@WHERE in Greece because, obviously, no one actually makes candy in Greece. (Thank You Mike and Paula…)
- Get your International Drivers Licence. This is a simple piece of paper you trade $10 for in the US. Don’t worry… You don’t have to know a damn thing about any other countries driving laws to get it. Which signs mean one way? Which ones mean no parking? Doesn’t matter ’cause no one pays any $@@&& attention to the signs and if you do something wrong, they’ll let you know with a friendly beep of the horn and a wave. You then use this piece of paper to rent a car with 2 squirrels for an engine, then drive your husband through various industrial ghettos of (in this case) Athens, trying to find the most obscure little shops, selling the most specific pieces of boat equipment imaginable. An example?? How about gel filled electrical connectors, or a US powered right angle drill battery charger. All the while listening to Seri try to pronounce the Greek street names.
- Cruise with a guy who can fix anything. While I really don’t want to inflate his ego even more for fear of loosing him to to the stratosphere, Jim is awesome at this stuff. Last night he was up until 3:30 am installing the fruits of our death drive through Athens, Piraeus, and Glyfada. First he installed a new starter battery. (I held the flash light.) Then he re-installed the €12 repaired computer modem instead of a $800 replacement because he diagnosed the issue and got the sucker repaired. (He had help from Jim Corenman). Woot! (I found the repair guy AND I clapped when sail mail worked). Then he installed the new super cool stereo that we can control from our iphones because the old one was burning up. Literally. (I went to bed).
Anyway. That’s the excerpt from my fictional book. And, honest Mike and Paula…. I don’t think any more Amazon package will be arriving on your doorstep….
Deb
Morpheus Sailing 