Off in the morning
Something I have learned as part of this process is patience. Not something I have been endowed with historically but a necessity in commissioning a boat in Croatia. I suppose I am also not used to not being in charge of events.
So the guys doing the various things to the boat, fitting the sprayhood, joining anchor chain together, fitting the anchor etc do these things really well, and I would struggle q bit with some of with these tasks. But it is done to their agenda and pace. They do it under our observation and scrutiny, but that has no influence on the rate of progress. Nor when lunch occurs, nor when it is too hot too work and a siesta under a nearby boat is required.
It is a different perspective on the concept of work from that with which I am familiar. However there is undoubtedly quality as part of the product, and for that we are grateful.
Margaret engaged one of the marina dudes in conversation and found that he is a graduate, his partner a junior doctor but they are struggling for employment and enough resource to make a life. His view is that all is not well in Croatia and the veneer of sophistication is thin.
A young Croatian lady brought in her boat, a Salona 45, beside us last night with a hoard of young German tourists on board. The berthing was performed with consumate skill by her despite the raucous and somewhat inebriated crew. I noticed that she also had a Rocna anchor, the first (apart from ours) I have seen here. After delivering her Cargo she returned tot he boat. We struck up a conversation about the anchor and she confirmed my expectations about its performance. She is obviously a dedicated sailor and has taken out loans to finance local skippered chartering as a career. Good luck to her.
Today I became very worried about her boat as there was a large amount of water being pumped out from a through hull fitting. I could only imagine the worst: that there was a serious water ingress into the boat and that an automatic bilge pump was manfully trying to maintain the boat afloat. I could not think of any benign cause for this. The pumping had been ongoing for well over half an hour and although there was no sign of the boat settling lower in the water I was sure that when the batteries ran out she was sure to sink at her moorings. In panic at the catstrophe this would be to the young owner I rushed round to the Marina office to inform the Kapitan. Of course he had gone home for the day at 2pm. I hurried back to the boat (about 1 mile) with thoughts of finding tools to break in to save the flooding boat. To my astonishment Margaret informed me that the water pumping had stopped a few moments before I arrived.
The owner returned a few hours later and upon enquiry told me it was the air conditioning outflow! Duuh! Just as well it had stopped before I broke in with hammers and chisels. Still working out the lessons here.
I have not yet mentioned the Croation national sporting obsession with bowls. It is not lawn bowls as we know (Tatty Marshall style) but more akin to an outdoor amalgamation of pub bowls and Petanque. There are three rinks within a mile of the Marina with large rowdy crowds attending on a regular basis. It is an entirely male activity, both playing and watching but it undoubtedly has both excitement and a certain charm.
We did the final totting up with Toni which though not a small sum, after watching the work in progress, I recognise the value and care that has been taken in the work, and don't resent the cost. During Toni's final visit he exhorted us to contact him if we are in any difficulty and he will try to help through his network of contacts and associates throughout the islands. We can't ask for better than that.
The weather has been hot and stable with little wind, other than local winds, however there is some rain and possibly higher winds in the forecast over the next few days. Despite that we are off in the morning. I now understand why it is that sailors of previous eras appear to have taken apparently irrational decisions in setting sail into adverse circumstances. The frustration of being harbour bound can become unbearable.
Colin
So the guys doing the various things to the boat, fitting the sprayhood, joining anchor chain together, fitting the anchor etc do these things really well, and I would struggle q bit with some of with these tasks. But it is done to their agenda and pace. They do it under our observation and scrutiny, but that has no influence on the rate of progress. Nor when lunch occurs, nor when it is too hot too work and a siesta under a nearby boat is required.
It is a different perspective on the concept of work from that with which I am familiar. However there is undoubtedly quality as part of the product, and for that we are grateful.
Margaret engaged one of the marina dudes in conversation and found that he is a graduate, his partner a junior doctor but they are struggling for employment and enough resource to make a life. His view is that all is not well in Croatia and the veneer of sophistication is thin. 
A young Croatian lady brought in her boat, a Salona 45, beside us last night with a hoard of young German tourists on board. The berthing was performed with consumate skill by her despite the raucous and somewhat inebriated crew. I noticed that she also had a Rocna anchor, the first (apart from ours) I have seen here. After delivering her Cargo she returned tot he boat. We struck up a conversation about the anchor and she confirmed my expectations about its performance. She is obviously a dedicated sailor and has taken out loans to finance local skippered chartering as a career. Good luck to her.Today I became very worried about her boat as there was a large amount of water being pumped out from a through hull fitting. I could only imagine the worst: that there was a serious water ingress into the boat and that an automatic bilge pump was manfully trying to maintain the boat afloat. I could not think of any benign cause for this. The pumping had been ongoing for well over half an hour and although there was no sign of the boat settling lower in the water I was sure that when the batteries ran out she was sure to sink at her moorings. In panic at the catstrophe this would be to the young owner I rushed round to the Marina office to inform the Kapitan. Of course he had gone home for the day at 2pm. I hurried back to the boat (about 1 mile) with thoughts of finding tools to break in to save the flooding boat. To my astonishment Margaret informed me that the water pumping had stopped a few moments before I arrived.
The owner returned a few hours later and upon enquiry told me it was the air conditioning outflow! Duuh! Just as well it had stopped before I broke in with hammers and chisels. Still working out the lessons here.
I have not yet mentioned the Croation national sporting obsession with bowls. It is not lawn bowls as we know (Tatty Marshall style) but more akin to an outdoor amalgamation of pub bowls and Petanque. There are three rinks within a mile of the Marina with large rowdy crowds attending on a regular basis. It is an entirely male activity, both playing and watching but it undoubtedly has both excitement and a certain charm.
We did the final totting up with Toni which though not a small sum, after watching the work in progress, I recognise the value and care that has been taken in the work, and don't resent the cost. During Toni's final visit he exhorted us to contact him if we are in any difficulty and he will try to help through his network of contacts and associates throughout the islands. We can't ask for better than that.
The weather has been hot and stable with little wind, other than local winds, however there is some rain and possibly higher winds in the forecast over the next few days. Despite that we are off in the morning. I now understand why it is that sailors of previous eras appear to have taken apparently irrational decisions in setting sail into adverse circumstances. The frustration of being harbour bound can become unbearable.
Colin
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