Envoy is now at Gouvia Marina, Corfu Island. We leave tomorrow and on Monday do a nonstop cruise of about 165 miles to Bar in the small country of Montenegro, where we meet Kevin and Diane.
From Port Leone we cruised to Kefalonia to show Chris some of the great spots we’ve visited previously including Fiskhardo and Ay Eufimia.
View of Fiskhardo from Envoy at anchor
.JPG)
The “high season” is still a few weeks away, and although everything is now open it is still quiet with few tourists.
We can’t get over how cheap it is to eat out in Greece. A few days ago we paid NZ$77 in total for three of us to enjoy a superb meal of breads and dips with pate and olives, an appetizer of smoked salmon and aubergine, large individual main courses with a side of a fresh and colourful Greek salad, three jugs of wine and complimentary dessert. On top of that we had friendly service, terrific atmosphere and a spectacular harbour view. We have always encountered warm welcomes and friendly service, and the tavernas really make an effort for your custom.
Arriving at Ormos Skhoinos on the island of Ithica we saw a Coastguard boat roaring towards us, and they asked if we’d seen a swimmer in the water – we hadn’t. There was a distraught woman on the beach, and soon several additional vessels arrived to search for her missing partner who’d gone into the water about two hours previously and was nowhere to be seen. Everybody feared the worst, but the story has a happy ending – the swimmer had swum far across to the other side of the bay – nearly two miles away, gone ashore for a rest, and then swum back. We imagine he got a good telling-off from the Police and from his partner.
Envoy anchored in the bay where the swimmer went missing
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This stunning (although pebbly) beach was a half hour walk from our anchorage
A sumptuous selection of cakes at a bakery in Vathi - we couldn't resist
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View of Vathi from Envoy at anchor. The harbour is totally protected but subject to katabatic winds
Ancient Laurie and Chris by statue of ancient fishermen in Vathi
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Laurie, Chris and Di enjoying breakfast ashore at Sivota
Chris and Laurie by still widely-used traditional Greek fishing boat in Sivota
.JPG)
From Ithica we started our cruise north stopping off at Lefkas Marina on the way.
TECHNICAL
We’d only been away four days when our Maxwell electric windlass failed. Fortunately this happened just after we’d lifted the anchor, as it would be difficult to raise our anchor manually. Chris and I tested the electrical circuits to find that power was getting through the relay to the electric motor OK, but the motor was in open circuit – a sure sign of a motor problem. The motor was easy to pull off the gearbox and we opened it up to find a considerable amount of coarse dust and carbon from badly worn brushes inside the casing. Fortunately we carry a spare motor and fitted this, although the new motor’s cable terminals were in a different position, and it took a few hours of extra work to lengthen the previous cables so they fitted. The windlass motor was last serviced for the 2010 season so has had three seasons’ use, but it does get heavy usage as we mostly anchor out, and in future we’ll need to inspect it for preventative maintenance after every two years.
Chris "MacGyver" working on lengthened cables for the replacement windlass motor
Two days later our Naiad hydraulic stabilisers stopped working. We did some tests under the direction of the Greek service agents, and the problem seemed to be that 24 volt power was not coming out of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to drive the main hydraulic servo valve. We had to pass Lefkas marina on our way north so we got Sailand’s electrician to run some tests. Within about three hours he resolved the problem. A coil on the hydraulic servo valve had failed causing a fuse in the ECU to blow. The coil is what gives the servo valve its operating instructions. It was easy enough to replace these, and all is OK once more. This system is 10 years old and having to replace a coil is not unexpected, although you don’t normally replace them for preventative maintenance.
The Naiad stabiliser hydraulic system showing servo valve on the left. The failed coil has the red wire coming out of it
ENVOY’S LOG (to 8 May)
40 days aboard so far this year, 129 miles cruised for 27 engine hours.
From Port Leone we cruised to Kefalonia to show Chris some of the great spots we’ve visited previously including Fiskhardo and Ay Eufimia.
View of Fiskhardo from Envoy at anchor
.JPG)
The “high season” is still a few weeks away, and although everything is now open it is still quiet with few tourists.
We can’t get over how cheap it is to eat out in Greece. A few days ago we paid NZ$77 in total for three of us to enjoy a superb meal of breads and dips with pate and olives, an appetizer of smoked salmon and aubergine, large individual main courses with a side of a fresh and colourful Greek salad, three jugs of wine and complimentary dessert. On top of that we had friendly service, terrific atmosphere and a spectacular harbour view. We have always encountered warm welcomes and friendly service, and the tavernas really make an effort for your custom.
Arriving at Ormos Skhoinos on the island of Ithica we saw a Coastguard boat roaring towards us, and they asked if we’d seen a swimmer in the water – we hadn’t. There was a distraught woman on the beach, and soon several additional vessels arrived to search for her missing partner who’d gone into the water about two hours previously and was nowhere to be seen. Everybody feared the worst, but the story has a happy ending – the swimmer had swum far across to the other side of the bay – nearly two miles away, gone ashore for a rest, and then swum back. We imagine he got a good telling-off from the Police and from his partner.
Envoy anchored in the bay where the swimmer went missing
.JPG)
This stunning (although pebbly) beach was a half hour walk from our anchorage
A sumptuous selection of cakes at a bakery in Vathi - we couldn't resist
.JPG)
View of Vathi from Envoy at anchor. The harbour is totally protected but subject to katabatic winds
Ancient Laurie and Chris by statue of ancient fishermen in Vathi
.JPG)
Laurie, Chris and Di enjoying breakfast ashore at Sivota
Chris and Laurie by still widely-used traditional Greek fishing boat in Sivota
.JPG)
From Ithica we started our cruise north stopping off at Lefkas Marina on the way.
TECHNICAL
We’d only been away four days when our Maxwell electric windlass failed. Fortunately this happened just after we’d lifted the anchor, as it would be difficult to raise our anchor manually. Chris and I tested the electrical circuits to find that power was getting through the relay to the electric motor OK, but the motor was in open circuit – a sure sign of a motor problem. The motor was easy to pull off the gearbox and we opened it up to find a considerable amount of coarse dust and carbon from badly worn brushes inside the casing. Fortunately we carry a spare motor and fitted this, although the new motor’s cable terminals were in a different position, and it took a few hours of extra work to lengthen the previous cables so they fitted. The windlass motor was last serviced for the 2010 season so has had three seasons’ use, but it does get heavy usage as we mostly anchor out, and in future we’ll need to inspect it for preventative maintenance after every two years.
Chris "MacGyver" working on lengthened cables for the replacement windlass motor
Two days later our Naiad hydraulic stabilisers stopped working. We did some tests under the direction of the Greek service agents, and the problem seemed to be that 24 volt power was not coming out of the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to drive the main hydraulic servo valve. We had to pass Lefkas marina on our way north so we got Sailand’s electrician to run some tests. Within about three hours he resolved the problem. A coil on the hydraulic servo valve had failed causing a fuse in the ECU to blow. The coil is what gives the servo valve its operating instructions. It was easy enough to replace these, and all is OK once more. This system is 10 years old and having to replace a coil is not unexpected, although you don’t normally replace them for preventative maintenance.
The Naiad stabiliser hydraulic system showing servo valve on the left. The failed coil has the red wire coming out of it
ENVOY’S LOG (to 8 May)
40 days aboard so far this year, 129 miles cruised for 27 engine hours.
1 comment:
After your post about your failed inflatable PFD's I decided I better check mine as it was as old as yours.
I was Lucky and mine looks fine and held air overnight.
Thanks for reminding me to do that.
Bill Kelleher
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