We’ve been in Greece for over a week but I haven’t had time to think about blogging. We had looked at Olive last August but didn’t really remember much about her.  Now that we’ve seen her again, we’re delighted with her.  Nisos,  the charter company we bought her from, has done everything to her that they had done for their charter boats so she is immaculate. Even had a new dustpan and brush!

Unfortunately we are still waiting for her to come out of the Greek Registry so can’t take her any where yet. This has already taken six weeks and could possibly go on for several more.   Apparently there are two ladies in an office in Piraeus that do them all and they are snowed under.  We took several weeks back in Australia preparing all the forms for Australian Registry (and paying $1500 for the privilege).  One form had to be sent by courier from Canberra to Greece but  was rejected for not having the correct words on it and had to be re-signed in a Greek Notary Public office in Swiss Cottage while we were in London! No getting away from bureaucracy.

A piece of good news is that we have sold Banjo, our Dufour 32 that we bought last year. It is a lovely little boat but too small when family and friends visit. We had had an offer back in January which we accepted and on that basis made an offer on Olive.  That sale fell over, however, when the prospective buyer sent a letter stating that he ‘required the boat to be anti-fouled, rigged, engines serviced and back in the water ready to go” when he arrived in May.  I think it was the word ‘require’ that made Andy apoplectic!  So we ended up with two boats and I haven’t been able to get really excited about our new one until now.  Last week, an English Aussie looked at her (I always think of Banjo as a teenage male actually but that’s just me)   and, not only wanted to buy her but wanted to pay us in Australian dollars.  So no expensive currency exchange rates for either of us.  He has plans to take her back to the UK via the French canals and we wish him many years of happy times on her.

As usual with boats, even though Olive is very up together, there are always jobs to do. Andy has fitted a new chart plotter and our friend Jay has got us a very flash wi-fi booster that will enable us to pinch internet from cafes and restaurants several miles away which also had to be wired in.  That, and the usual blocked toilet tank, the cruiser’s traditional past-time, has kept us busy.

Then perhaps I can start writing about sailing in Greece!