Kos - Not quite as planned!

We were assured by another catamaran owner that we would have no chance getting into either Kos harbour or the Kos marina, that we’d have to anchor outside and dingy around. 

As we arrived, there were a number of boats at anchor outside but we sauntered into the amazing circular old harbour in the heart of Kos just to take a look…..

‘The book’ says yachts can go stern to on the wall to the right as you enter the harbour if there is room. Well, there was heaps of room so without delay we dropped anchor and Med moored on the wall. Not quite believing our luck and being a little gun shy these days, we inquired of our new neighbours as to whether we’d be kicked out for any reason? “No, you can stay here for free as long as you want”

We got set took the bikes off and surveyed our new home….. But wait! Over there on the other side, are those power boxes and doesn’t there appear to be heaps of vacant space? 

More enquiring of our neighbours…. “yeah, you can park there but you have to pay.” Well, being the power and water sluts that we are, "c'mon everybody, we’re moving," up came the anchor and across we went.

Picked a nice spot on the wall but as we were about to reverse, out came Mr Wavy Arms…. “You can’t park here, it is reserved, but you can park over there….” Great, we repositioned and parked right at a power and water post, plugged in and we’d just have to go get the bikes later…..

A long walk around the circular harbour, the bikes were duly collected and at around 5:00pm a nice uniformed chap arrived and asked how long we wanted to stay… “Three days, maybe four”…. “THREE DAYS! There is a ferry arriving in 10 minutes and you have to be gone, you can park right across there for free!"

A glance back across the harbour revealed that two more yachts had parked where we had been but there was still room so off we went before anybody else arrived. Anchored reversed and felt a little silly about being right back where we started….. we’ll have to collect the bikes later.

Completely set and very comfortable and a nice uniformed lady arrived to inform us that we were parked in the space reserved for a tripper boat and that we’d have to move along one place….

“OK, we have so far moved three times and on two occasions, someone in a uniform similar to yours has told us to move and where to move to. This was where we were directed and why can’t the tripper boat just park next to us instead of us having to up anchor and move 10 feet?” “This is their spot, look see, here is there sandwich board.” “OK, wouldn't it be easier if we just moved the sandwich board?”….

And along came the company representative who had clearly not had much PR training and she went off like a parrot…. “You park here because you don’t want to pay your taxes!!”.... Huh? Na, we didn't get that one either......

Things escalated…. but we are now seasoned at this and simply but quietly refused to move. The tripper boat circled the harbour…. Parrot from PR   “you are keeping all those people on that boat waiting, don’t you care about that?”… “Yeah, we give a rats….” And it circled….

Nothing for it but to pour and nice cold Vodka and Tonic and watch it all unfold from the helm. The uniformed lady had given up and left, but Parrot from PR would not quit…. The tripper boat finally gave up, quite easily parked alongside and then it all got super comical!

The captain of the tripper boat had obviously informed his 100 or more passengers that the reason for this long delay was us! So now, not only did we have the parrot, we had the entire passenger list abuse us from the the tripper boat as they filed off. From “we’re going to sink your boat” to death stares from minors as their parents made arses of themselves. All we could do was laugh at the whole pantomime….

We went out on the town and gave it a good shake. Greg and I riding one and pulling one got the bikes home at around 2:00am along very crowded pavements. Made it with no mysterious bruises or scrapes but only remembering when we spotted the bikes in the morning.

The next morning I radioed the other side and asked if there was space. To our great surprise, there was and we could come over right away. Imagine that, a reserved space with power and water…. for little old us! 

We’d have to collect the bikes later….

We weighed anchor for the third time in this harbour but half way out to the anchor, the anchor chain snagged on something very solid and ceeeRUNCH!, the boat came to a sickening halt with the bow dipping right down as the chain ripped the front section of the anchor guide right off! The damage was not obvious from above but it was the sound of it that nagged, we got the anchor up and were duly directed into our reserved spot. Once set I decided to take another look at any damage to the bowsprit.

 

I had to get right out over the front to see it, but what I saw was not good at all….. The 8 or so bolts holding the front of the anchor guide up onto the spar had ripped right out, bending a large piece of stainless steel in the process which was now hanging by the bolts at the back.

This was going to be expensive, it was going to take a long time and the boat was going to have to come out of the water……

I spoke to the guy taking care of the wharf and he made a call, “There will be someone at your boat in 10 minutes.” And in 10 minutes there was…. He took a good look and "it was going to be expensive, it was going to take a long time and the boat was going to have to come out of the water…… This is not a part that you find in any chandlery, it will have to be ordered, let me make some calls”

We could sense the Fraser’s sailing holiday with the Wilkinson’s was not going to involve a lot of sailing….

“I've just called the workshop and you will not believe this…. We have a charter yacht, a Lagoon 440 like yours which had the same problem. We have temporarily fixed it for the charter season but we ordered the part and it is sitting in our workshop!”

And clockwork prevailed. We sailed over to the Marina the next morning, the 100 tonne hoist at the ready, we were up and out and on the way to an hotel within minutes. The haul out included a power wash of the hulls and I had told the guys who were to repair the anchor guide that I’d also like them to repair the keel damage and to replace the auto pilot relay switches while they were at it, and I’d like a new layer of anti-fowling seeing we had the boat or of the water.

This was Thursday morning and we would be back in the water and off to Turkey on Saturday morning with all the issues we had with the boat fixed, insurance claim in!

Although we were looking forward to a mini break from the boat, the hotel was just not us. Huge, packed and with buffet meals to feed over 1000 guests in two hours per meal time. It had a nice beach and swimming pools but catered mainly to Russian tourists who, let’s face it, are culturally a little different.

The Starboard Keel damage

Repaired Keel

I spent most of the time at the boat watching the most professional workmanship you could wish for. A very thorough job was made of both the anchor guide and the hull, the anchor guide now being 20% or more stronger than before. The part itself cost 2400 Euro but they discounted this because they’d be left with my bent piece, they could use that and save themselves a bomb. The relay switch repair was free and the whole thing cost 3900odd Euro not including the haul out and bum clean.

So impressed were we that we inquired about and will in all likelihood be wintering the boat in KOS.

A very nice surprise is Kos. Designated cycle tracks everywhere, waterside tavernas, piazzas, cobbled streets and minarets all expanding out around the circular old harbour.

To be enjoyed when we return, as you can imagine, events here somewhat over shadowed our stay.