After a few days back in the UK, we flew out to Greece on the 2nd of May, spent a night in Athens, then flew on to Leros the next day. Merryn was back in the water by that afternoon, and all looked set for a rapid re-commissioning then the start of our sailing season. Unfortunately, as with all the best laid plans… we first hit some bad weather. Cold and rain (not what we were bargaining on!) kept us tucked up inside the cabin. After a couple of days, the sun came out and we began work in earnest: scrubbing the decks, putting up the running rigging, sails, safety kit, re-starting the water maker, replacing old flares, and so on, and so forth. The mechanics at the marina had just installed a new water pump, and with our new-found water pressure we discovered a leak in the hot water boiler.
The leak is bad: on close inspection we have found corrosion in the bottom of the tank, and are now trying to source and install a new tank. It is the worst time of year from the perspective of the boatyard. With everyone’s boats retuning to the water, they are very busy, and we can only hope they will find some time in the next few days to get us sorted.
Meanwhile, we are hanging around. We have run out of things to repair, clean or replace (except the tank!) and have started some exploration of the island. Thankfully, the weather is getting better and better, so we have visited Pantelli beach, spent some time in the town, and even dipped a toe in the water (no more than a toe, though, it is still pretty cold!). Hopefully we will have more to report in the next post.
