A quick summary of the week
 
Our arrival in Preveza was somewhat entertaining the wind had got up and there were some big seas at the entrance to the Preveza channel. We contemplated going in with the main still up, but as we were approaching the channel buoys at a rate of knots and Sea dog senior was having difficulty seeing the markers. We decided it might be wise to take the main down outside of the channel, Miles clipped on as Sea dog decided to do a 180 degree turn to bring us into wind (without warning, although we soon realised), of course we hadn’t slowed down for this. There followed an exchange of words !! We went into moor up and this is where I learnt an important lesson and looked a bit of an idiot (not hard) at the same time. I threw a line to a Frenchman (didn’t know he was French at the time). Now usually the person on the quay throws it back (after tying it round a bollard or ring). Not this one, he put it through a ring on the quay, tied a bowline in it and that was it. I was waiting for him to throw me the line back and he didn’t. Now I know your probably already ahead of the game and are shouting, ‘Just pull the line in dummy’. Well I must have been having a senior moment, because I stood there asking him to throw it back and he just smiled and said ‘Zees is the proper way, vy don’t you pull ze line in?’ The lights went on and we moored up!! Whilst in Preveza Miles and Sea dog decided to try and fix our speedo which had stopped working. I was all for this until I realised it meant pulling up a paddle wheel that then left a hole in the boat, you have to put a cap over the hole to stop the water coming in and Stella going down! I tried to leave the boat whilst this delicate operation was going on, but was refused shore leave. It is quite a disconcerting feeling to see a fountain of water come up into the salon of your boat. But you’ll be glad to hear Stella is still afloat and the speedo after a bit of cleaning and fine tuning is now working. After 2 days in Preveza we set off to take on the Levkas Canal! Love & stuff Captain Miles, 180 Sea dog & Karen XX
Thursday, 7 September 2006