September 19th, 2011

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Monday evening Sept 19. Up the creek with the Greek

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Without that magic paddle. The Harbor Master roused up an insurance agent. I followed him to his office. But then ran into a wall because without a master’s navigation certificate no insurance.

So, just think of all the insurance premiums I get to keep… But I have a hunch that this hurdle will be thrown up again beyond Greece before I am done with the Med. Was I just lucky to visit 45 countries without insurance and a captain’s license? This will make it difficult to plan to have guests aboard beyond the Turkish ports.

From here tp the next anchorage is over a 50 mile haul, so, I stay here till early in the morning and then clear out with the Greeks. The weather is changing. Rain is in the forecast and only weak winds from unpredicted directions. So probably a lot of motoring. I am starting to become a little more bolder with the RPMs and the stuffing box is not overheating any longer. The fixed prop delivers more power than the folding prop ever did. And, knock on wood, the Raymarine ST2000 autopilot is still working flawless.

Like Eros, I still have a few arrows in my quiver as far as seeing more of Greece. Stay tuned.

Monday Sept 19 Still in Greek Limbo

Monday, September 19th, 2011

I fessed up to the harbor mistress. They are searching for an insurance agent and I’ll bechecking back with them. In the meantime I searched on line. Not a fat chance. Not for foreigners and in the USA I would need to be hauled out and a $ 500 plus survey done. I tried that already once in Green Cove Springs, Florida.

So, if you happen to see a 30 foot brown hulled sail boat crossing your path on the World’s oceans you are seeing the Flying American Dutchman.

I walked up to the old fortress overlooking the town. That had to be hard nut to crack for the Turks, Saracens, etc. I stopped in at St. Theodorus Greek Orthodox church. And I happen to find there the only Asian I have seen in Greece so far. A young Filipino who was an assistant there. His folks had been raised Catholic in the Philippines. He answered some more of my questions I had about the two churches.

I met the Dutch couple of “Wilde Zwaan” from Harlingen. Henk Jansen, who happens to be born in Ommen…, and Ankie Woudstra (?). They also sailed the Black Sea this summer and they had even less hassle and clearing expenses than “Stella Maris”. So, it sounds that there are ways to see this part of the Black Sea without the horror stories I had read on the web from other boaters.  They sailed into the Med three years ago and keep their boat for the winter in Fethiye.

You now know where the word Marble comes from, Hamburger and Caulking (Calafat, Romania) here is a new one: Lesbian comes from this island of Lesvos. According to a mythical poetress from this island who wrote about her female lover.

The below picture of Giovani and I was sent to me from “Stella Maris”. Inge took it of us in Sozopol at our get together on Christopher’s boat. You all know that I am a very modest person, to the point of shy, but I like this picture because it shows that the sailing life is keeping me fit. The overhaul job in May/June and the physical part of sailing is a healthy life style. So, just in case you thought I am drinking water. Wrong. Raki. Similar to Ouzo, Pernod (Anisette).