Week 208: One boat, two boats
With moving Clair de Lune delayed due to closures, we decide that I should head back to Mytiline and Matilda to get her ready to leave.
A highlight of this week is the new laptop arriving! That's been a major relief and makes our lives a lot easier. It's a new Macbook Air, the 13" with the M3 Apple Silicon for those interested. It's fast (for the sorts of work I do with it these days, which involves the internet and writing), and the battery life is phenomenal. Although it was unfortunate to need to spend the money on it, I'm very happy with it overall. Lighter, faster, longer battery life and more reliable with a better screen? Yeah, I'm good with that.
New laptop. Balloon above Lederberg and local street art.
A brief recap on moving Clair de Lune. There are four routes we could take. One, through Paris, is out because we need radio equipment (AIS) that Clair de Lune doesn't have yet. One is closed because a bridge is being rebuilt, and the lock is out of order. The other two are notorious for low water. Well, we heard from the skipper, Paul, that the two routes with low water are now being closed. This means our only options for bringing Clair de Lune north to Belgium are either to go through Paris, which we don't want to do, or wait for Reims to open at the end of September (maybe).
Drinking Gentse Strop. We are trying to adapt to the local ways. Note we are using the CORRECT glasses. This is a big social faux pas in Belgium if you drink beer from the wrong glass. Some bars will refuse to serve you if they are out of the proper glass for a specific beer.
We've decided to wait on Reims. It will only delay us by two weeks, as it will take two weeks to get there from Digoin, and we were planning to leave at the start of September.
This meant we had some options on the table. We never like standing still. It's frustrating at times because right now, we feel like we're waiting on so much when we want things to happen quickly. In general, though, we've learnt that things more often than not fall into place when we take action and a little risk.
We still need to move Matilda. With Clair de Lune pushed back a couple of weeks, it made sense to return to Matilda, replace the generator filters, and resolve the diesel leak. If nothing else, having resolved the issue, we could fly back and go if a weather window did pop up on short notice. Also, there are a lot of things that we want in Matilda.
Back in Greece. Mytiline is busy at the moment with lots of Greeks here on holidays.
After weighing the options, it made most sense for me to head back to Greece and Mytiline to prep Matilda and pack bags to bring back with me. It felt like a difficult decision, but as with most things, now we're moving forward, it's so clearly the right one.
Matilda needed some TLC, having been neglected in Mytiline during the heat. This time, the generator fuel filter has been replaced with an official one. I'll be taking Matilda for a sea trial today. The weather is looking good for the next few days. If it stays to plan, I'm leaving early tomorrow and bringing Matilda across to Athens, a two-day journey.
Lots of things moved forward last week, but it doesn't always seem that way! We had quotes from some branding agencies. We met with some architects for lunch; our business bank accounts were created (which cleared the last roadblock for Karina's Belgian residency). I travelled to Brussels by train and then flew to Athens.
Being back in Greece feels different this time. It's coming to a close and winding down. I cancelled our phone contracts. Matilda feels more like a boat and no longer quite like a home. All the best stuff (like our sharp kitchen knives) has already ended up in Belgium. Where it felt expensive in Greece (compared to when we arrived), it now feels very cheap compared to Belgium!
That's an €8 breakfast. Greece really is cheap.
But overall, it feels right. This chapter is coming to a close, and being able to push it along a little more feels right. I'm excited about moving Matilda to Athens and getting her up on the hard in a shipyard. It will make it easier to sell her, and it also means we have fewer security worries or concerns. We can push Greece out of our minds (more or less) until we have to return for a sea trial.
Back in the engine room, trying to replace the AC pump. Of course the fittings are the wrong size! The brulee tool was very handy to heat the brass fitting and ease it off.
Now, I have a busy Sunday ahead of me. I have a sea trial, and I am moving Matilda alongside the dock so I can depart early in the morning. I will prep and clean, then relax for the afternoon.
Until next time.
Tim & Karina