Day 4 - Getting onboard, evening sail to Vathy on the island of Meganisi We don't sail until 5 PM, but are requested to gather at noon in case the boats are ready early. The boats are from different charter companies, coordinated by Mila. I originally thought of renting a scooter to explore the island (it's only EU20 for the day) but given the prosecco, late night, jetlag, and relatively early gathering I reconsider. I'm up early at 5 AM so walk around town for a bit after the hotel breakfast.
Gathering place is at the marina office, which offers some shade that combined with the breeze makes sitting around for hours comfortable. There are swallow nests under the roof and it's funny and cool that some have been painted over. I soon learn not to stand under them, fhankfully only my hand is impacted and I wash it at the nearby bathroom.
The goup goes off to buy provisions at the marina supermarket while I watch everyone's luggage, then I go and stock up mostly on wine and a couple of olive and cured meat snacks. By mid afternoon most boats are here but the status of Bellatrix is unknown. Then after many calls by Mila we finally get word that she is at another marina but is on the way and supposed to cross the drawbridge in the channel at 4, arriving at 4:30. Five o'clock comes and we learn that the boat will cross at 5 arriving at 5:30. Check-in and familiarization should be about an hour. It is a two hour sail to the destination and the sun sets at 8:30. This is the other reality of chartering (there will be many more) - not all goes smoothly and much coordination and management is needed. Good lessons, I don't mind. It's not like I have anywhere else to be today :) Finally at 5:20 she is here.
First thing we learn that the steaming light on the mast is hanging by a wire and has to be duct-taped on. Takes some time to find a harness and we hoist the charter company guy up using the spare halyard.
I notice that he is taping all the way around the mast which would block the main sail channel and preclude us from raising the sail. So we have to find a knife and get it up to him so he can cut the tape clear of the channel. But then it is done. The light doesn't work but at least it's in place. We get a somewhat rushed introduction to the systems and features of the boat and pick the cabins. Mine is on starbord bow. One of the water tanks is half empty so we fill it up from the tap on the dock. 220V outlets don't work which means that when the laptop battery is dead there will be no more laptop until I get back to Athens. Perhaps just as well.
Only thing left is to put a 2,500 security deposit on a credit card. Except everyone's cards are declined. The charter guy tries his own card for 10C and it works. Mila sends her card via dinghy, but it is declined also. After an hour of this we learn that the charter company's bank does not accept foreign transactions after 5 PM. And they won't let us leave without a deposit. Mila eventually gets in touch with the boat's owner (the charter company just manages it for him), and convinces him to accept the card number so it can be run on Monday, and let us leave. At this point it's 7:30. All part of the adventure. We head out of the marina and motor to the destination, as there isn't much wind at this point.
The sunset is scenic. On arrival at Vathy we are guided into a narrow slip. Anthony does a great job backing the boat in. We tie the stern lines and are handed 'slime line' to tie the bow. These are lines that are permanently anchored to the bottom and spend most of their life in the water where they collect algae - hence the slime. The lines are pulled up when a boat is docked. It's actually quite convenient and while we were told to expect them everywhere, this is the only place we got to use them.
The sun set shortly after we were done. Vathy is a quaint town. I roam the harbor for a bit before settling in for the first night onboard. It is quite warm but tolerable. Some boats have AC, ours isn't one of them. The biting insects are not many but there are some - by the end of the trip my hands and feet will bear evidence of that. Fortunately I brought cortesone cream, which brings some relief of the itching.
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