Author: Gisela Wuerfel

Here in Kalamata, the sailing season has not yet started. Many boats are standing on land - as is Aglaya. We couldn't even get out into the water yet, because we are parked between between other boats. Fortunately, our stern is pointing towards the harbour. So at least we have a nice view and can watch the sun go down, if it shows itself. We shouldn't leave our "parking space" right away. Two layers of antifouling are still missing on the underwater hull. And apart from that, there is still a lot of maintenance, renovation and care work to be done on land. Our crane appointment is on 28 March.

10 March 2022: We are on the way to our boat. Flight to Athens and then by bus to Kalamata. Greece! We think of sun and warmth. But the weatherfrogs have already clearly prepared us for the fact that it is currently colder in Greece than at home in Germany. They were right: Athens welcomes us with driving snow at two degrees plus. Well, Kalamata is quite a bit further south. Let's have a look. We take the bus across the whole Peloponnese and what do we see: snow-covered mountains. Why didn't we take our touring skis with us? Instead, our luggage contains cleaning and care products for the boat, a grinding and polishing machine … nothing for winter sports. We are planning for the long term and the goal is to start a beautiful sailing season with a well-maintained and cared-for boat.

But also in Kalamata: six degrees during the day and sometimes just below zero at night. That is not cosy and certainly not the true Greek feeling! We are counting on spring to come and then with power.

"Sometimes things turn out differently…" is the title we gave to our time aboard Aglaya last year. Now we have summarized our experiences in pictures and videos in three short films. Have a look? Click here for the films.

We wish all our friends on land and on sea a Merry Christmas and a happy year 2022!

A short review of our past year and a hopeful outlook for the new you can find here.

In the meantime, we are back home in Heidelberg for almost three weeks - well docked and quickly overcoming the cold shock. Aglaya stands well covered on land in Kalamata. We quickly got out our winter clothes and are now moving ashore. The view of our living room window keeps the longing for sailing alive (although this is a completely different boat, the model of the approx. 25m long Tuiga, built in 1909, still sailing in the Mediterranean and still winning regattas). For the first Advent we hung a star over her bow today.

We wish you all a wonderful Advent season - on board or ashore, wherever you are.

After four visits (= 4 days with 3 persons incl. Saturday and Sunday) it worked: The much too small travelift lifted us onto the land. Now Aglaya stands high and dry - a berth above the marina of Kalamata. No more swaying. But that's the problem: a totally stupid feeling, because the equilibrium organ and the body feeling compensate for the small boat movements when you move on board or when there is wave. And now nothing. But the feeling of swaying remains. Even more when you look at the boats swaying in the water........

A few days working on the boat for preparing it for winter, and an order for service, and in the winter months the hull is thoroughly overhauled and new antifouling will be applied. 

Still some cleaning and maintenance work, then in March oil change will be made and coolant exchanged - then the season 2022 can start. 

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But now first 3 hours by bus through the wild Peloponnese peninsula and across the (still closed) channel of Corinth to Athens. There a night in the hotel, of course, with a long tour to the spectacular Acropolis and into the chaotic winding old town Plaka - then on the 8th of November the plane goes to the cold Germany - home to friends, choir, band......that we are looking forward to.  

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In the evening in Finikunda we went after the smell of diesel, which was still slightly noticeable since refueling in Pylos. The shock: there was some diesel on the tank, but in the bilge under the engine there was really very much. As it turned out later, it was water, but we didn't know that yet. Therefore, we changed our plans: With water in the boat and diesel across the Aegean? In heavy winds? No, we shouldn‘t do that. The next marina (with the possibility of a winter berth on land) from Finikunda is Kalamata, at the north end of a bay in the Messinian Gulf, last year we lay there for a week.
After 6 hours, again without wind, again with engine, we moored in Kalamata. The water was pumped out - 120 liters! Checking in the marina office if there is a winter shore mooring and what it costs, checking how it looks with crane for a two-master with 16 tons - that turned out to be a medium disaster.
In order for the boat to fit into the travelift (which is outdated and too small), both forestays (which brace the mast forward and give it stability) had to be removed, which took several days with hard attempts, because the stages had not been moved in years. The adjusters - bronze on stainless steel - were simply tight. With three men using heavy tools and a lot of force, including heating, they finally were loose on the third day. Now nothing stands in the way of Aglya's shore leave. Only we have to wait one day passing with bad weather, because there is too much swell in the harbor. In the meantime we are very practiced in waiting.

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