Thursday, 1 August 2013, Pafkakia Boatyard, Gulf of Volos And Yes that is a Sledge
Too hot, too hot. We give in. We lingered in sweet little Nea Klima too long. Thence to Skiathos (from which there is a good selection of flights) to see if we could put the boat anywhere. We were warned not to go, it was touristy, it was nothing special, etc. We were warned right. A holiday to Skiathos town would be a holiday to hell. There were nightclubs blasting away literally until dawn (6am) booming out over the water, combining with the sounds of planes as they flew in directly overhead. Add to that overpink, loud tourists, tacky shops and overpriced tavernas serving indifferent food and you get the picture. I am sure there must be nice bits up in the hinterland but we were on a mission and seemed to have missed those.

Mission not accomplished, nowhere safe to leave a boat - the quay and one pontoon is sewn up by the charter companies and day-tripper boats. So back up into the Gulf of Volos, where we know of at least one, if not two boatyards that could haul us out.

We decide on Pafkakia, a family run boatyard, and talk to Gregory, its young owner - very nice chap. Everything is no problem, whenever you like, only need a day's notice. It is very very basic. There is electricity and a hose but no facilities of any real kind (a shower (high tap), an outdoor sink (low tap) and 2 hole-in-the-ground loos!) Haven't seen one of those since medieval France. Thank heavens we are not staying. And would not want to overwinter a boat here, but one month with us not on site is OK.

The haul out was one of the scariest I have yet endured - and we have now experienced a few varieties. Portugal we got hauled out efficiently on a platform and tractor, in Cagliari we were hoisted out with crane, dangling and waving about in the breeze above a concrete quay by an old gentleman who like his wine. Big, beautiful proper hoist last winter in Preveza. And here?

A sledge. With wavy runners. Hauled by an agricultural tractor. Sledge was driven into the water. We had a stiff cross wind. Unnerving to be driving the boat seemingly up onto a beach, aiming between the 2 runners of the sledge, with the depth alarm sounding non-stop until we come to a dead halt. It felt as if we ran aground, but the depth gauge still showed 2.1m (we draw 1.9m) and Gregory asked us to keep the power on as we drove up and onto the sledge. Then we trundled precariously out of the water. And did not topple off....

Doing a few maintenance jobs and clearing food bits. It is too hot to do much else. We are doing the opposite trip to Sophie. We are catching the early ferry from here to Skiathos and fly from there on a plane that lands here in Volos en route to Gatwick. Why not fly from Volos I hear you ask? Good question, we asked the same of Monarch Airlines. There are no seats from Volos. There are two seats from Skiathos. We do not want Skiathos, we want Volos. Let those two seats be from here. Cannot do, mucks up the system.

Gentle English summer, here we come. Back in September, until then γεια σας.