BOAT: Bring On Another Thousand ($£€)

Definition of Boat Ownership: akin to standing naked in the rain ripping up $$$ bills. We always knew it, but at the beginning of the season when there is such an intensity of work to be done we have been to the ATM to withdraw €750 (the maximum daily allowance) every day.  Into the wallet it goes and then straight back out again. Just as well the spending rate will drop off once we leave the marina!

We haven’t been idle while we wait for the transfer of our registration papers.  Far, far from it. We have had a whirlwind 10 days in the “Yat Marine Marmaris.”  The facilities are excellent and it’s a great place to get boat work done with a yacht chandlery and technical expertise on hand. It is also a bit cheaper than Netsel, the other main marina which is right in the centre of Marmaris.

We were up on a marina finger opposite a long row of large crewed motor yachts and have had party music, vacuum cleaners, sanders and polishers whirring away until 10pm or even later but this hasn’t stopped us from sleeping soundly.

Rick has been on a massive and very INTENSE learning curve. We employed a guy, a Brit named Brian to do the work on the boat that is beyond our (well, Rick’s!) capabilities.  He has been amazing and has facilitated a pretty speedy exit.  Rick and I have both picked his brains for all manner of information during his time on board. It has helped enormously to have a technician who is a native English speaker as it’s enabled a lot of learning. Peter from Sunbird Yachts, who is our broker, has also gone beyond to help us through the whole process and has been generous with my many questions about where to get this and that.  Halit, his Turkish offsider even took me for a ride on his scooter to the best optometrist in town.  Roger, the previous owner has also been gracious with getting back to us with answers to curly questions about this and that which only he will know the answer to.

Rick has watched many a YouTube DIY video and has tackled some big jobs in the engine room as he familiarises himself with its mysterious workings. He has changed the impeller, serviced the seals/bearing, replaced the accumulator on the water system, cleaned all the water system strainers, cleaned the bilges, repaired boom lights and updated the regulator and pipework on gas system. Then we have coordinated and managed the completion of the boat registration process as well as the serviced the outboard motor for the dinghy, tuned the standing rigging, bought new name stickers, sorted our new transit log that allows us to cruise in Turkey, updated the flares and fire extinguishers and checked all the navigation equipment and instrumentation. Phew! In between that has been sorting, cleaning, getting stuff out and putting it away again after much mess has been made.

Gah! All the aft cabin is in the main cabin as work is done on the steering

Sorting the 4 first aid kits out

I have been provisioning, buying things like baking trays, stick blenders, cushions, velcro, egg cartons etc, etc.  The lists have been long! I have also been sent to the many chandleries to hunt for dinghy pumps, water filters and to the bank for, you guessed it…more €€€€

Please note the number of items ticked off on the lists below!

Fortunately, we have met some excellent people on the Marina so these long days have been punctuated by dinners with new friends and the odd wine and beer (joke…quite a few beers have been drunk) at sunset. Talking with others that have been doing this a while has helped to allay our anxieties and help us plan for the big leap into what it’s all about…cruising!

And then all of the work was done. While we waiting for the carburettor on the outboard to be fixed we asked Sha’in the lovely Turkish  guy who helped us into the marina the day we were launched to take us out for a bit of reverse parking practise. It became apparent almost immediately that Rick really didn’t need this but I certainly did (and still do). Rick is helpfully saying to me – It’s just like reverse parking a car Cath.  Didn’t help.  Not at all. Car was not going where I wanted it to and I was too slow to turn the wheel and too worried our fancy schmantsy folding propeller would stay folded or come unfolded when it shouldn’t and I would end up on the jetty! Clearly there is a LOT of room for improvement there! After this small humiliation we checked the anchor winch and shook out the sails at the same time then Rick (of course) bought her perfectly into our berth.

Must be time to get going then……