03/04/08 Still fighting this 'bug'.....I think I may be winning but a long way to go yet. Spent the last two days more or less resting and lying down, popping pills and swigging medicine, though some jobs still have to be done obviously. Managed to get to the Orange Bar last night with Roger, Astrid and Gina for a meal. Today is the turn of Storm Dodger to be lifted from the water, which took the whole day because of winds, torrential rain and hailstorms. By the time we finished, I was cold, wet and again not feeling very well, having missed some of the tablets during the day, so returned to my own boat and had yet another early night.
04/04/08 Made an early morning trip into Marmaris for more medicine, returning on the 10am dolmus. Completed all the wiring and installation of the solar panel, it's a 130 watt job and should run all my electrics including the fridge - so hopefully no more battery worries! Waved Astrid, Jordan and Leah off as they left for a holiday in the UK before going to the restaurant for the Friday 'happy meal' with Gina, Jan, John and Mike (the new owner of Roam).
05/04/08 Up at my usual 6am, but not feeling too much better, so went back to bed until 4.30pm!! Had a shower and went to the restaurant for Pete and Dottie's wedding buffet, sitting in a corner with my two coca-cola's for the evening. At the same table....Gina, Roger, Mike and Sam. Roger is now full of a cold too, so I hope it doesn't develop into the same bug that is plaguing so many yotties here. High winds and torrential rain on leaving the 'do', so it was a quick dash back to the boat, dry off and into bed again.
06/04/08 There was no let up of the rain throughout the night, nor today until around 4pm. I went over to help Roger on his boat and we spent almost the entire day trying to free rusted bolts on his sacrificial anodes, gradually stripping the interior of the boat to get to each nut. Astrid would go mad if she could see the boat just now....it has no flooring in the after cabin, no shower tray, no bathroom flooring, no doors - and still we need to shear off the bolts to fit new ones!
08/04/08 On Storm Dodger most of the day, fitting new seacocks whilst a hired crew scrape all the anti-foul from the hull. At least today was wall to wall sunshine and very hot, more like the weather we should be having. I seem to have got over the worst of the 'flu' and am left with a tickly cough which irritates during the evening. Several boats left today including Mike and Sam on Master Spy, Mark and Emma with children Tom and George onboard Cowrie and others are getting ready to leave......the winter liveaboard group is beginning to break up! Hamsi night in the restaurant, so went up there with Gina and had a couple of beers afterwards whilst watching the Chelsea - Fenerbahce match on TV, the waiters becoming somewhat animated during the game!!
09/04/08 Another day with Roger, fitting new seacocks for waste from the galley sink and washing machine. He still has a mountain of jobs to do before the boat will be ready for re-launching and is now very pushed for time.
10/04/08 As yesterday....on Storm Dodger all day, wedged in cupboards or bilges, overhauling seacocks, fitting anodes - and like all boats, nothing is straightforward, there are always problems to solve and overcome.
11/04/08 Over on Roger's boat by 08.30am, last seacocks ground in and all the anode earth wires connected before replacing decks. Welcome back to Astrid, Leah and Jordan, who returned from UK around 3pm. Friday is liveaboard night of course, so joined Roger and family, Gina and the two youngsters from Nisroc in the restaurant for 'happy meal', then karaoke in the bar until late.
13/04/08 Sunday morning - another boat jumble in the restaurant garden (I only bought a book!) followed by a good BBQ and a lazy afternoon.
14/04/08 A full day of painting! Joined Gina and Astrid at Storm Dodger and got the primer coat on the hull, then the first coat of anti-foul, finishing around 7pm. We then all showered and caught the eight o'clock dolmus to The Orange Bar for dinner.
15/04/08 Final coat of anti-foul on Roger's boat, anodes fitted, bow thruster props replaced, new stern gland in.......nearly ready for re-launch!!
18/04/08 Roger's launch date of yesterday was cancelled due to work load of the yard. This extremely busy yard has two hoists working full time with around 2000 boats and even at 10pm boats from 5 to 300 tons were still being moved, lifted and launched under floodlight. Today's launch was also cancelled because Roger still has no engine and the 20 knot winds prevented a tow from the hoist to the berth. I opted to skip the Friday night karaoke and have an early night - the partying has become too much, it's time to get moving from Marmaris!!
19/04/08 Happy Birthday Astrid! Finally got Storm Dodger back into the water and settled into her new berth. Sarah arrived late last night for a holiday with Roger and Astrid, nice to see her here again, and she brought her friend Charlie along too.
23/04/08 St George's Day......are all the town halls in England decked with the flag of S.G? I somehow doubt it, wouldn't want to offend the minorities would we? Why can't the UK be proud of it's history and it's flag and make all 'visitors' accept it. Here in Turkey, the national flag is flown with pride in almost every available spot. A very hot day, (25o) and everyone back in shorts, 'cept me (I chose the wrong clothes this morning!) and I spent most of the day trying to alter and extend the Navtex cable run. I am still without a depth sounder, the problem lying in the active speed/depth module. Of course they are no longer made and no spares are available, so I need to find someone capable of repairing the unit, and so far there has been no success on that front.
24/04/08 Ha! Got the shorts on today, and it's 26oC.
26/0408 Definition of gossip……."idle talk; trifling or groundless rumour; tittle-tattle, unrestrained talk or writing, especially about persons or social incidents"
Sadly, there are some within any community who delight in gossiping and perpetuating malicious rumour but a recent example here in the marina has resulted in major disruption to a lovely family who unfairly had their private affairs yelled across the marina, causing them unnecessary embarrassment, damaged their and other's reputations, and led to the irretrievable breakdown of friendships. This totally needless occurrence was due to just one extremely self opinionated person who, disliking not being the centre of attention, set out with the sole intention of destroying the friendships of others by making unsubstantiated comments to any listener who was gullible enough to believe. Fortunately, this pathetically insecure and selfish person was not wholly successful and the more intelligent members of the community formed a more structured conclusion when presented with the unfounded allegations. Although I don’t count myself as being a religious person as such, it is interesting that Christianity condemns all kinds of gossip, whereas Islam considers it the equivalent of eating the flesh of one’s dead brother. According to Muslims, it harms it’s victims without offering them any chance of defence, just as dead people cannot defend against their flesh being eaten.
Personally, I hope this gossiper learns from their gross error, regrets their selfish actions and rues the lost friendship of their victims......... and in future makes sure that they are in full possession of the facts before opening their big stupid mouth. Pravis Assuescere Sermonibus Est Via Ad Rem Ipsam.
27/04/08 I somehow managed to twist my knee during the night and aggravate an old injury - so today I'm limping around!! Never mind, it's Sunday...day of rest! Not such good weather today either, overcast most of the day with several showers, so I stayed onboard and 'rested' my leg. Later in the evening, Roger and Astrid came over and we tried to alleviate the pain by medicinal intake of Bacardi......but around 3.30 am it still hadn't worked, though it did feel much better!!
29/04/08 Following two days of rain, we are back in sunshine. I went into town in yet another attempt to get repairs done to my depth sounder processor .....a glimmer of hope, I did actually find a shop which I am told repairs Navico equipment.....but there was no-one there! I was also told that the best time to catch the owner, was first thing in the mornings, so I'll have to go back either tomorrow or the next day. Ran into Astrid by the supermarket and we came back together on the 6.30pm dolmus,....an entertaining journey because a rather loud Liverpudlian couple with eight children were also travelling back to their hotel, along with two pushchairs and their shopping! (Remember these buses are only a little larger than a Ford Transit).
30/04/08 Happy Birthday w.w.w. Today is the 15th birthday of the World Wide Web (not to be confused with the internet). British scientist Tim Berners-Lee is individually credited with it's invention.....whatever did we do before we had all this information on tap?
Click Here for previous logs
