The Ionian Autumn/Winter 2012 Volume 3. Issue 8 www.theionian.com COMPLIMENTARY/∆ΩΡΕΑΝ Please recycle: give to a friend or neighbour when finished.
The art of preparing for winter Page 8
The day I got the bug Page 11
Surprise in the shower Page 5
Benny the sea dog Page 5
Set-up on Corfu Page 7
Ke e p i n g a f l o a t : Confidence is key age 6 Autumn/Winter 2012Pwww.theionian.com The Ionian 1
2 The Ionian www.theionian.com Autumn/Winter 2012
The Ionian Contact us: Website: Email: Founding Publisher: Publisher: Managing Editor: Advisory Board:
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Changes...
Justin Smith Barbara Molin Barbara Molin Yannis Dimopoulos Ryan Smith Ian Molesworth L. Gillson, I. Peralta Barbara Molin Graphic Arts Barbara Molin Barbara Molin
Seasons come and seasons go and here we are with another summer drawing to a close. This is a time of changes. Many of us are now thinking of packing up and leaving for our other homes, or if we’re staying, looking forward to a more relaxed time, while preparing for colder weather. It’s nearly October, as I write this from Canada where I am spending some family time, but I know that warm and sunny temperatures are still with us and even here the summer weather lingers on. Copy Editors: One change we’ve made this year to our magazine is to call this issue the Autumn/Winter rather Layout: than October to give us some continuity through the off-season. Printing: And so we offer you, on page 8, The art of preparing for winter by Barbara de Machula, in Advertising: which she explains why she loves winters in Greece even with the inevitable stormy weather, Subscriptions: washed out road and leaky roof. If one of your upcoming changes is to buy or sell a boat, Mark Ellyatt and Stephen McIntosh You can download The Ionian free as a share their expertise with some good advice on page 6 in Keeping afloat: confidence is key - buyPDF document from our website: ing and selling a yacht. www.theionian.com. To continue with our theme, Maddie Grigg, in Set up on Corfu, on page 7, shares with us how The Ionian is published monthly her husband’s dream to sail in the Ionian became hers. We look forward to more stories of their approximately on the last day before each new life on Corfu in future issues. month. Publication is for informational And if you have been thinking of taking a new friend back home with you, then you will want to purposes only. Although The Ionian has read on page 5, Benny the sea dog, by Becky Holdstock, who encourages everyone with a dream made every effort to ensure the accuracy of to adopt a Greek stray and describes the simple process. the information contained in this publication, Also on page 5 Graham Agutter tells us about how he solved the mystery of what he found one the publisher cannot be held responsible for day on his boat in Surprise in the shower. any errors or omissions it may contain. The Robin Lamb found a different kind of a surprise on his boat and in his entertaining and instrucopinions expressed by the contributors are not tive story, The day I got the bug on page 11, explains how he dealt with it. necessarily held by the publisher. Finally, our cover photo of Fishermen on the quay in Little Vathy, Meganisi was captured by Published in Canada. Miriam Janssen and it definitely makes us think of winter to come. Our 2013 Calendar Photo Competition is now closed to entries. We will post the winning entries Cover Photo: Fishermen on the quay in Little Vathy, Meganisi by Miriam Janssen. To and full results on our website, www.theionian.com as soon as possible. purchase any of our photographs or to submit Enjoy reading... your own for a cover shot consideration ~~~_/) Barbara Molin please email us at: editor@theionian.com
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needs a good clean at the end of the day. Transporting an animal back into the United Kingdom has in the past been a long and expensive process, with thousands spent on putting your pet into quarantine for six months. The rules have changed, and from January 2012 all that is required, is for your pet to be micro chipped, de-wormed, de-flead and to have a rabies jab along with their regular vaccinations. Your pet can travel a month after the rabies vaccine and must have a vet’s check-up a week before you enter the UK. The cost for Benny was in the region of €114, which included the chip, vaccines and de-worming treatment. We are driving back to the UK in October and have been pleasantly surprised with the amount of dog friendly hotels in Italy, Germany and France. It’s a great relief to know that we don’t have to be camping at that time of year. Fitting him in the car will be another challenge. It’s true to say he’s not quite the “perfect boat sized dog” we thought he would turn out to be, so Becky Holdstock I’m glad we have an estate car and a bigger boat in the UK. We are both experienced dog owners and have owned many rescued dogs in the past. It takes a lot of understanding, training and it is a huge long term commitment, but the rewards are wonderful. If you are looking to adopt a worms . Despite huge ticks all over his head, it dog, we highly recommend talking to Lefkas was love at first sight and the rest you could say Animal Welfare Society for advice, and a never e decided to adopt a Greek stray this is history, but not quite. ending supply of desperate dogs needing a We knew Benny was already part of the year, and Benny must have heard us. We had home. www.lawslefkada.gr. For the most up to family when we found him, but issues needed just arrived back in Greece when this little, date rules on pet travel to the UK, visit: to be addressed. High on the list was to de-flea, http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/ scruffy pup arrived outside our office in Nidri de-tick and de-worm this grubby puppy on Lefkas Island. He was skin and bones and travel/pets/pet-owners/#a. children had been throwing stones at him. Later followed closely by a bath. However, we had a bigger problem: our apartment was not we found out that his tummy was full of suitable for keeping a dog, so we rented a little Greek cottage with a back yard on his behalf. On the day we arrived, he knew he had a “home.” As a couple keen on sailing, Benny was expected to learn to sail as part of his puppy training. Benny now sails with a two or three man/dog crew on a Beneteau First 21.1 from Nidri Harbour, and is currently enjoying exploring the islands of the Southern Ionian. His main job is to provide ballast, but he also enjoys swimming and ensuring the boat
Benny the sea dog W
It has been a long hot
Surprise in the shower
summer and it is to be expected that you get a few mosquitoes especially at the beginning and at the end of the season. However, we were getting inundated on our boat and it didn't seem to matter whether we were anchored off or moored to a quayside. We always seemed to have more than our fair share. Then we discovered why. We are lucky enough to have two heads on our boat, one at the stern in the skipper's cabin and one at the bow. The rear head shower is a wet room, but the bow head shower drains into a shower tray. Sometimes a small amount of water overflows and finds its way down into the bilges. Every 5-6 weeks we take up the floorboards and mop out this water.
Graham Agutter
©Julie Farren
When we came to do this this time, we found much to our horror that there were around 100 mosquito larvae in the water. A mosquito had obviously wiggled its way through the tiny gap in the floorboards to find a nice little pond of fresh water. So beware if you find you are getting more than your fair share of the little blighters; it may be worth checking your bilges. Graham Agutter and Julie Farren live on Three Wishes from May until September each year cruising around the Ionian. Three Wishes is a 39 foot Angus Primrose designed Moody and Graham co-owns the boat with Simon Gough. In the winter they return to the UK and the small village of Tackley in Oxfordshire.
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Ke e p i n g a f l o a t : Confidence is key B u y i n g a n d S e l l i n g a Ya c h t Mark Ellyatt and Stephen McIntosh the fence you are sitting on, you want to know that your purchase or sale is going to be reece is still where it will always be, still handled properly, professionally and securely. Who is looking after your interests and offering everything it always has. It’s a security? beautiful country with so much to explore and offer and doing this by sea on a yacht has been Trust: the dream of millions over the years. Don’t just rely on the web details - it is The sun is shining and yachts are out cruising. relatively easy to create effective websites But let’s not delude ourselves though, the offering both the buyer and seller ‘the world.’ market place is tough – mainly due to many What really counts is experience and track factors that are out of individual control, but record backed up with hard evidence that your they affect every aspect of a sale/purchase. broker/selling agent/individual can actually do However the world keeps turning….. the job they say they can. Have they actually The market place is very much alive and our seen the yacht you are interested in? experience through our on-going active marketing is that potential buyers are constantly Credibility: in touch and actively searching. Yes, things are What reputation follows the person or tougher than 5-10 years ago (true for almost company you are intending to buy or sell any industry) but the market place is hugely through? Find out - it will give you all you different now too – there is much more need to know about whether to proceed or not. information and much more choice. If you are buying or selling, what can you do Commitment: When you want to inspect or expect your to ensure that you are going to get it right and yacht to be shown, who is going to handle this find or sell that yacht? inspection? Is your broker or agent on-site or Research: even in that country and can they be contacted? Investigate properly who you are buying Do you get an instant reply? through (broker, agent, or privately), read/ask for testimonials and recommendations, contact Established Practices: A qualified broker will have an established the yacht portals where they advertise, look system for the whole process of selling, from through Google’s history - do they have a listing details and agreements all the way physical office fully staffed? Contact the through to proper contracts, safe bank accounts, marina where they are based, click through to and PI insurance. He or she will work to a code the Facebook and Twitter links. of practice for everyone’s protection.
G
Confidence:
Right now it is all about confidence, that’s what is being bought and sold in the current market conditions. Irregardless what side of
Professional Service: Membership in professional bodies will give you a guide as to whether a code of practice is followed. Research properly who is representing you and which associations they belong to. Did they have to qualify to gain this status or was it just offered following payment of a subscription fee?
Pricing: Boats that sell are those that are priced correctly, easy to inspect and presented well with all the ownership papers in order. 6 The Ionian www.theionian.com Autumn/Winter 2012
Be realistic - market forces over the past three years have had a huge impact on the value of luxury assets. Prices have fallen - there is an abundance of yachts for sale and it is without question a buyers’ market. However, with currency fluctuations and an attitude of ‘buy now as savings are earning nothing,' reverse market forces have led to plenty of sales being achieved. Many have invested in brokerage yachts rather than ordering new ones. Why spend £300,000 when you can buy a very good yacht for £150,000? The prices of mass produced new boats have also become highly competitive, driving all prices down. Whilst the base price of a new yacht may have gone up, lowered prices for options, extras, berthing agreements, show demos, part exchanges and extensions to warranty agreements, has meant that currently new yachts can almost be had at the price of three years ago. This has obviously also had an impact on second hand prices. Price is KEY to selling. But do you really want to sell? What are the current market prices and values; what are yachts ACTUALLY selling for? Get this right, and the buyers will be interested. Buyers look by price and year - if you've not caught their eye, they will 'click' away to another yacht and won't even know there's a new engine! With nearly 40 years of trading experience, International Yacht Brokerage, Williams & Smithells Ltd., a long established and independent British company, can advise on local regulations, ensure the security of your funds and make buying or selling your yacht overseas a stress free and enjoyable experience. We would be happy to meet and discuss your requirements. Talk to us or visit our offices in person, so that we can fully explain what we offer. With actual offices in Greece and the UK, we have what it takes to look after you. Mark Ellyatt runs the UK office and Stephen McIntosh runs the Lefkas office of Williams & Smithells. Mark is the current Chairman 2012 & 2013 of ABYA (Association of Brokers & Yacht Agents).
borne caravan to putter around the Greek islands. It would be an excellent way of experiencing the Ionian, I reasoned, all practical sense thrown to the wind and a romantic picture forming in my head. I picked up the brochure and took a look. ‘This is a good idea,’ I said to Mr Grigg. ‘A yacht partnership. We go 50-50, we have it for up to ten weeks a year, depending on when we want it, and they can have it the rest of the time for charter. They can insure it, maintain it and at the end of five years it will be ours.’ ‘And look at this one,’ I said, pointing to the layout as we pulled up into the airport car park. ‘It’s got three bedrooms, a toilet and shower, a living area and a nice kitchen.’ ‘You mean three cabins, heads, saloon and a galley,’ my husband said, smiling. ‘Well, whatever, it looks pretty roomy.’ I had overlooked the fact that, although my husband can sail and had a day skipper’s pass, I knew nothing about boats. I just saw it as a means to an end. By the time we got home, the dream was still ‘Hello, Mr Grigg,’ said a rather handsome alive. The husband and I signed up for a young Greek man with a ponytail, as we pulled competent crew course at Weymouth. It up next to a flag bearing the word Odysseus. terrified me, but I did it. After speaking to ‘How are you?’ others in a similar yacht partnership we He shook my husband’s hand and then contacted Dimitris and the deal was done. extended the same courtesy to me. We got our solicitor to check out the contract, ‘My name is Dimitris Georgiadis and it is a went back to Corfu to sign the papers and the pleasure to meet you. I have three boats for you 36ft. Bavaria – Nestor – was ours. Well, half to look at.’ Mr. Grigg turned to me and smiled. I knew a ours. set-up when I saw one. And this landlubber was That was in 2005. Seven years later, we now own the boat and lease it back to the charter not at all interested in boats. company when we’re not using it. It’s been a ‘You wanted this all along,’ I said. ‘Well, dream come true, this sailing lark – it still thanks very much.’ scares me sometimes but I think myself blessed We looked over three ‘Dromars,’ and I was every time we glide down between Kefalonia determined not to like them. Horrible, poky and Ithaca to make for Polis, one of my things on which to stub your toe or bang your favourite spots. forehead. After about twenty minutes, In the intervening years, while still we were headed for the airport. working full time, Maddie Grigg ‘What was all that about?’ I said, gained a first class honours degree putting a brochure Dimitris had with the Open University in given me down in the hire car foot humanities with creative writing well. and followed it up with an MA in ‘Well,’ my husband said. ‘I just classical studies at Exeter thought it might be another University. In September, her option, you know, if we couldn’t husband retired and Maddie gave find a house.’ up her job as a communications The idea appalled me. The thought of all that water beneath me and around manager for a housing association to come to Corfu to write a book. They’re letting their me scared me. Witless. But somewhere along the way between cottage in Dorset and renting a house on the north of the island. In her book, the village will the Ionian and home, some kind of be called Aghios Magikades. magic happened. I started to see the benefits of having our own little sea-
Set-up on Corfu Maddie Grigg
We weren’t looking for a boat. It was a
house I wanted, a house on Corfu for the holidays. We traipsed all around the north of the island, looking at potential properties we could call home. And then we found one. On the edge of a little village called Kavalouri (even the name sounded romantic), a house with a view, three bedrooms and fruit trees in the garden. Three days later, the house was gone. Someone else had snapped it up. We’d taken too long to make up our minds. On our way back to Corfu Town, my husband asked if I minded if he took a detour around the Gouvia Marina. OK, I thought. We had time. He knew exactly where he was going, and who he was about to speak to.
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The art of preparing for winter Barbara de Machula bulldozers and heavy rocks. As we have a crisis, we simply cannot afford a thorough repair (yet). So, we have to rely on our jeeps and Landrover know many people have a different this winter; it’s exciting to drive through the opinion, but personally I love Greek winters. It hole in our 4x4s. is a well kept secret how beautiful it is. On the other hand, we do not have to worry I love the way the landscape changes: the that unexpected guests will arrive; we have to bright green meadows, the lambs being born, the shuttle people from the main road up to our wild flowers, wild asparagus, and horta - the house and fancy cars stand no chance. We are incredible tasty veggie that grows beside the well prepared with wood for the stove; we road. I love the cool air and sometime snow on chopped down two old trees but the branches the mountain tops that colours the sky pink in still need to be cut into little pieces. All will be the evening sun… I love the stunning views of the stormy sea, with the motion of the waves passing by and the view of Lefkada with soft clouds above. And I love the local taverna with cosy lunchtimes that get noisy when the local wine starts to work its magic. The end of summer came with an outburst of storm, rain and thunder, and it was expected! We had four months of steady heat and sunshine, and I must confess that many outdoor activities were waiting for cooler temperatures. Of course, I completely neglected the garden, and we have a jungle in the front now, with the occasional leftover melon and tomato waiting to be picked.
Greece is home. I will miss some friends, but I know that we will have those gorgeous winter evenings with other friends, good food, maybe make some music, nice drinks and tell each other everything that happened during the summer, when most of us were busy working I hope to get a few winter guests in our little guest house; it has a stove and I still picture someone there that writes a book by the wood stove. Maybe even we will do some landscape painting? I hope we all survive the winter with as little crisis as possible. I am sure I will be fine, because my chicken now lays eggs again, and of course we will have plenty of bananas. Banana milkshake anyone? ….
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Some weeks ago we suddenly noticed this gorgeous flower and a big bunch of bananas above it on our banana tree! They still need some time to get ripe, but suddenly we had this strong wind and I hope they will survive the storm… I am ready to be a monkey: banana ice cream, banana bread, Indonesian baked bananas, banana milkshake; any more ideas? With the first heavy rains, we realized that the wooden house we live in is still not water proof… We have to prepare for winter: another layer of varnish, the roof needs some work, the chimney pipe rattles a bit - a few clamps wouldn't hurt. And the poor road… an ongoing worry! The dirt road that gives access to our house got washed away last winter three times! And it seems a costly operation to secure it with
done when it is cooler weather. So, we will have no boredom, the work is waiting for us patiently. With the cool weather we will have no more excuses to eat loads of ice-cream, but instead hot chocolate with a dash of "something" will soften our pain! But, I am way ahead of reality. They say that autumn will still be mild and warm, and there is still some swimming in the warm sea to be done. I found a road going down from our house directly to the sea, and how wonderful it is to lay in her arms and softly float on the waves with the clear blue all around me. Many people go "back home," but for me
Banana milkshake 1 banana 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt 1 teaspoon of honey Shake of ground cinnamon Put all the ingredients into a blender and spin until the banana is mashed up. Enjoy!
Barbara de Machula is a long time resident of a house near a monastery on a mountain near Palairos. She is a painting teacher. www.paintingholidaygreece.com
Steve and Peter enjoying a winter evening
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FOSTER AND PERMANENT HOMES NEEDED URGENTLY FOR STRAY DOGS, PLEASE CALL LEFKAS ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY (L.A.W.S.) IF YOU CAN HELP: 0030 697 851 0671 10 The Ionian www.theionian.com Autumn/Winter 2012
The day I got the bug Robin Lamb bay and reach around the corner to the filter. I have to lean well into the bay to remove the filter and I find it necessary to use one hand to brace myself. The other hand is busy unscrewing the bolts to release the filter. I put a bag around the filter to contain fuel and filter. At some point it usually becomes ©David Luetchford www.5starmarine.co.uk necessary to grab the bag to prevent the whole shebang from spilling on the floor. As I do not have three hands, this is where I fall forward into the am not a great mechanic but, determined engine bay and head-butt some sharp protuberance of my unyielding diesel engine. to keep costs to a minimum, I equipped myself So the whole pantomime is accompanied by with a manual when I bought Sundowner. I profanities and there is a reasonable chance of should have known the book was misleading blood and fuel being spilt. On this occasion when it fell open at a page showing someone Helen detected a higher than usual profanity draining diesel from the filter housing neatly count and enquired what was troubling me. into a can in a spotless engine bay. No spilt oil “Well look at this.” I said holding out a filter or diesel. Clean hands too. No oil smears or element thick with treacly slime. skinned knuckles and half torn off fingernails. “Oh my God, don’t hold it out like that. Unbelievable. You’re dripping the horrid stuff on the floor.” On Sundowner the filter in question is located “Oh don’t worry about that, I’ll clean it up so that you have to kneel on the floor of the later,” I said swishing an old tee shirt vaguely starboard cabin with your head in the engine around the floor. “It’s this gunk around the
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filter. Do you know what it is?” “Yes, it’s nasty, oily stuff. Put it in a black bag and bin it why don’t you?” “No, I’m going to take it to show Kelvin.” “Well, he’ll be pleased won’t he? I expect he gets to look at dirty oily bits of engine most days. He’s going to think it’s his birthday when you turn up with that.” Kelvin confirmed later that what I had was the dreaded diesel bug. The diesel bug is an organism (or to be exact, a whole raft of different organisms) that can happily live, breed, bring up children, party, defecate, and die in your diesel tank. And what they leave around, clogs the system up. The advice I got was varied. On one hand I was told, “Change the filters and put in a killer dose of anti bug stuff - job done”. At the other extreme the advice was, “Dump the diesel, remove the tank, then clean and purge tank and system.” That meant throwing away a tankful of fuel. We settled for a treatment that cycled the diesel in the tank through special external filters to clean up the diesel. So we kept the fuel, but I was unsure whether this would leave the tank contaminated. However two years on, the problem has not recurred.
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