024: Fit Out in Tunisian Boat Yard - Sailing From Monastir to Hammamet

The. Bond that we share is, as deep as. No matter how. Things. May come to, be you. And, me. Family. Sinkhole. I'll stay, by your side. Ah. The. Apartment. Yeah it's cheaper you, know it's nothing special, let's say I'll. Just say the electorate is the main problem really because. I. Was getting electric, shocks and asked for kings so I kind of after a few days of doing this it's not good cuz you. Know something, that be it might be here I might just die one. Dolphin there they've got the energy saver bulb which is dude took, me to wait five days but their name Dennis Wi-Fi so. We could get on and do our video, editing, and. Also. Lots of YouTube videos which help the children with their teaching, well the toilets here I've. Kind of Arabic style so there's always a hose next. To the toilet and. Yeah. You wouldn't kind of slash, trying to use it and then witty decide to use it one day and it didn't go down well and I don't really want to describe the. Aftermath, but my, the banner to using Mitnick and toilets and, we've got to use toilet paper it's, nice to be looking at the boats we whistles in the hotel and that was kind of fun that's cool. It's. Always nice seeing the marina and even boats and our friends have turned out as well with from. Halter with their four girls, and, so. It has its parade climb the last few days and, I think the best thing the kids are excited about is of there's a laser zone. Here, in the marina which is really cheap with Richard is here so, they went twice yesterday. Today. So, I'm just hoping that's not the only thing they would remember about to me Geo it's the laces own, the. Last time our, son had been able to have any violin, tuition was in Greece with Eileen she was a lovely lady she, came once a week and he, really, really enjoyed the lessons with her when. We got to Tunisia we tried to find someone. And we. Were helped by a lovely, man called Ahmed and, he helped. Us find a violin school and also a teacher and he even cycled. Us all the way there and back again. We're. Really grateful to have met Ahmed, he's a lovely person and yeah. We steal Brenna's now. The. Money situation in Tunisia is quite difficult our bank wouldn't transfer, I wouldn't do a bank transfer the. Work overall was was around about 17 thousand dinner and.

We. Were restricted. To. 200, dinars, per transaction, per card we, couldn't pay by, visa either so. The only other way was to draw out the cash from the cash point physically. And then give it to the yard. Manager the. Problem with that is you're, restricted, to about, 90. Euros per transaction, per card, every. Morning I would have to go to the bank, with four cards and draw out the maximum amount then. One of the cards was swallowed so we were that was reduced and, we were a bit worried that we weren't gonna be able to pull, out the right amount given, the timeframe that we had it. Was a bit worrying cycling. Around the streets with wads of cash like that sticking up your back pocket. And. This, two schools of thought really when buying, a boat once you've got past the old cattle, kept around mana hall debate and all that sort of thing is do, you buy a boat under market value and, use. The rest of your budget to do it up and learn about the systems as you go along or do you buy a boat at the going rate from. A good owner knowing, that all the systems have been maintained, and upgraded. We. Opted, for the the former we bought a boat under market value and. Held back a fairly. Substantial budget, to, do it up now. That's great you do do, the boat up you do learn about the systems but you have no control of when these systems, break down it. Could be at sea it could be coming in to anchor it could be coming in to a marina you have no, control of it whatsoever. So. There is a bit of a risk factor when, it comes to opt, in for that option. Obviously. A surveyor, doesn't pick up on everything in just one or even two days and things, start to go wrong once you start using the ball properly part, of the reason we went to Tunisia was we could blitz the boat and just solve, all those problems that, we knew that the boat had. The initiative is probably. One. Of the cheapest. Difinitely cheapest place in the Mediterranean, to get work like this done to. To a good quality also, working. In a country rather. Than just visit it as a tourist you, get to see a part of. Lifestyle. And the culture that you would never normally get to see. The. Fishing port it's full of fishing boats and it's it's. A working poor it's. A dirty grimy, place it's polluted, Health. And Safety is. Not the priority really there. Was a pack, of dogs who live in the marina and I was attacked once and bitten it's the type of place you kind of want to take your family to really you do kind of see things that kind of a bit of an eye-opener when you working in a place like that it isn't up to European standard and on. One occasion I did actually see one of the boards fall out of the cradle which.

Was A bit disconcerting a few days before you about to put your board back in the straps of the crane were were. Very very. Grimy, and dirty, and. Even, though we did have plastic put on the hole as we it was put back in as, you'll see in later blogs, it. Wasn't enough to protect the gelcoat completely. So. We're finally, measuring. Out the anchor so, we never know how much anger we put down really 5 meter length so we know how much we're putting out I think, he's worried about getting spray in. This yard. So. Woody's baby tinker this when he works and I'm, I'm. A bit more snap - and I kind of just. Stick the links in amazingly. Anyway. The job get done. So, when it was stripped back to the gelcoat there was some hairline. Fractures, not. Serious ones so we've, epoxy those bits and. Various. Other bits so. I'm gonna let those drives send them off and then it should be time for the burial. So. It was a bit of an awkward repair, this because, it's underneath his. Genoa track, and. Then. Even though we got most of the screws out there were, three. Which was seized in, the. Reason for that because there's a metal plate that runs under there which. Is rusted and expanded. In, fact all of the, fiberglass. Is unique as you can see but. Because you can't get the track off. We're. Having to kind of do a. Under. The track repair. Tricky, ground. Out as much as possible which. Wasn't easy with obviously, the trapped in place, and. Now just. Let me dry and let's. Try and get a joke match. So. It's taken me over an hour to get this track, further off and. The reason for that I saw, crystals have managed to work themselves. In. Between. Two. Bits and, completely. Cemented. It together and, even now even, though the screws out I still can't get that apart basically. I had to use a bow multi-tool to kind of cut the screws out and. Then just hammer. It off. So. Basically just more brute force. So. Now it's off I just need to put the new one on. There's. More penetration, in those screws up there and it. Means that the screw, is now not gripping, onto this so. Therefore the screws loose so water is getting in because we had some drips over winter so. We're. Going to take the whole panel off and. Repair. The other side of this wood so. That the screws grip in and, then. Put it all back again nose is silicon double. Bottom. Okay. So I'm, sanding, all, the words on. The, companionway. Hatch. Because. It's got really old and grimy, and all the varnishes come off so first I need to sand it down then, I'm gonna varnish, and I'm we've, got this fantastic small. Sander. It's perfect, for me to hold, perfect. Size and it kind of gets into more of the nooks and crannies. Some. Rivets, aluminium. Rivets which fit perfectly, now a new cheese which we've got from amel to. Put in, the. West. We. Knew we had to get our main sail down and there's. Very little, time when the wind is in the right direction and, there's. Not much wind so the window, of opportunity was, this morning early so this morning on Sunday we got up and had breakfast at 7:00 we, were down here by, about 8:00 do, you worked out how to get the mainsail down a little. Bit complicated but, we worked it out. That's. Why you asked me to do it double, sheep and maybe. That's. A sheet Bend. Rolling. Hitch she. Bends is, the problem you get when you've got two skippers on board yeah when. One's forgotten have see sheet bends and one supposed to be a next. Bit I've. Done it. What. About we do the rolling hitch, on there. Is. Actually trapped behind the line we. Can't get it out okay so we, may have to put it around a different winch. All. Of that it's just done because. Actually we've, realized. That those this little bit in here that you can tie bowing on and, bring, it down to the winch. And. Then now we can pull the pin and, take that off the loop undo. That and it's flat, now now. We're going to Mouse a long line on here the wind is note director stuff yes. Do in the right direction of argot you go get the stuff to sew it on. We're. Sewing. Together a mousing, line. The. Winds picking up a bit yes. These. Have the main the other side on. It. Six. Lines here and, it's got a bowline. Brilliant. Cut it down and the wind is picking up right. It's, pretty nervous isn't, so. This is being whipped on at, the end so we just need to cut those with you nines in between tire as funny as the animals really because I'm, normally on a barre you just drop the halyards and that's it sails down but, it's always something. Intricate. And a little, bit complicated. You. Can understand the logic of it but it's just. Deconstructing. It innit yeah. We. Do that. I. Want. To show you I just hold it there honey. Why it was laid out we could inspect it a little bit better we realized there was a big rip, down, the leech.

Of The sail and also down the foot of the sail so I don't know whether they're going to be able to repair, it or whether we might need to get a new sail who knows and we, folded. It up tied, it up and it's now on the deck of our boats waiting. For, our. Man to. Get. A quote on it or send it off to the sail repairs. One. Thing we didn't realize until we got there was elfstrom, sales have. Their main factory in, the north of Tunisia and so we thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to get measured up and get a quote for a full set. Of sails, the. Elfstrom, rep, Heidi. Came down and measured. Up but, unfortunately, it takes a few months to get the sales made up and fitted and, we just didn't, have the time our insurance, kind, of ran out and we had to get out of there so, maybe, we'll go back and get, a new set of sales in. The near future but in the meantime we just patched up the ones we had and. So. We're going to do next is, service. The law friends, of tigress windlass. We. Had a lot of guests arriving. Over the summer period, and. We needed to extend, the beds they, were kind of really relaxed about me using their workshop so you can get out of the Sun I had, to give my workshop so, it was kind of funny. One year later being, back in the workshop making. Furniture like I used to do back going for my company's back in color. Some. Of the remote, working that I do involves. Designing furniture, still but, still it was good to get. My hands back on the tools and to be doing something practical. The, thing about extending, the pilot birth was we, then blocked the corridor from the aft cabin into, the the main saloon area so, the other thing we did was have a stainless, steel ladder, fabricated. And attached. To the aft cabin hat so we could actually get, in and out of the hatch without crawling, underneath the Pala birth. Thank. You, so. I'm asking, if. It's possible to, make curtains. We. Just been quoted, 600, pounds. To get the whole boat the. Upholster need will remain difficult, to, get a price like that anywhere else really all, the interior stuff which just will brighten the whole thing up and just, to get what you're replacing your sponge that's brokered yeah it's good price. So. The work that my, stand-in in left us to repair, the the, road blockers at the bowels of the boat as finally, being completed, in Tunisia could, a massive hole in the bottom of the boat with me sat in it what. Could possibly go wrong, the. Floors and the bow lockers was. Completely. Rotten all. The plywood had delaminated. Just. The thickness of the village cream, and. I, made some blanks I. Think. There's 12 milk why that. Kind of stayed in place until we got to Tunisia and the. Guys have taken. The cutouts that I did, coated, them in fiberglass top and bottom to stop. Any moisture, getting. Into the plywood like he did in the original version and. They've. Fiberglassed. It in. Reinstated. The whole thing. So. Now they're gonna paint it and bilge paint and be good as new hopefully. Please. Do that actually pleased with the job it's. A bit worried enough turned up today and there's nobody around and it's about 10, o'clock I. Was down earlier at about 7 o'clock, for. Working days is supposed to prepping the water and we're. Still waiting for the hole. To dry out moisture. Levels are still a bit high in that still, a bit puzzled body they're working I was really I mean, things are progressing, but. Not. As fast as I would like once. F the project, manager isn't here today. But, he does that he kind of disappears and then turns up and things kind of get done and the. Other thing we decided to do while the boat was out the water is get there through hole fittings replaced. Although, one, of them was was fine so we've, left that we've placed one of them because it was shows slight, signs of corrosion it.

Seemed A good opportunity to do that but. It's good the value for money here is fantastic the. Workmanship. Seems to be as good as anywhere else in Europe I mean I've no. Reason to criticize it at all really, the. Place is a bit slower but. In this heat I. Don't, think I could work any faster to be honest. We can hit that deadline of, back. In the water next Wednesday. So, a lot of things should come together today we should get the solar, art in place you. Gel shield is going on the hall so, that would be five layers of that the. Last of the cushion should be turning up, and. The polishing side. So. Should be a busy day. It's. Not good my English, it's. Good bday we start with a jet got no. Jericho jet seed this. I. Suppose. In Europe we kind of used to a more egalitarian, approach, to work you know where the, boss is a benevolent, sort of guiding influence in. Tunisia it's still quite traditionally, you get your boss, looking. Over his shoulder at everything you do and given you a, right ticking off if, you get things wrong and so one set for the project manager he would pull. Up his chair sit down and just, watch these guys and, make sure that they were done to his exacting, standards which, I kind of felt sorry for the guys because they don't get paid that much to be honest so, it's. At five, coats of gel, shield on now. In. Two coats of. Sealant. On the on. The metal keel as well and should, be ready for their primer and then the ante fell off. So. It's lunchtime so I got. To try the, dockyard. Food meat. Where the other boys eat. Lemonade. And. Look we're sure it is with some like. A spicy, Cornish pasty. Onions. And egg. Bit. Of chili in it. Yeah. Well cooks on in the background as well. The. Bow. Thruster, serviced, the second time in a year it was serviced back in September, and then it was it. Was loads of salt water inside tipped, it over we had the mayonnaise. Effect. So. The. More surface kindly. Serviced. It again, understand. We've had some more, parts fabricated. Hopefully. Last, a year. So. The boat. Was put. In the water yesterday and, we had the final, stages. Of the solar arch finished off. Then. There, was some dispute, about the balance to pay. Spreadsheets. It's kind of scraps of paper drawings, and. For. The language barrier in the way. We, paid slightly more than we expected towards. The end but we still got. Some really good work done and still far far cheaper than anywhere else that we would have gotten you know for snakes. You. Know take. The chin and. My. Cadaver experience, I suppose. You. Came up with his family to the boat and, I'll final night and we, had a good chat and he, told us about his dreams of emigrate. To Canada, with. His wife, and his young six month year old boy yeah. Really nice nice, family it's very tough for. Poor. Families without connections, in Tunisia. The. Wages are very low this, is quite harsh yeah, it's been a it's. Been a hell. Of a learning experience I think for the kids, for us. It's. Good, to come to an Islamic country Tunisia, is one of the more progressive liberal. Islamic. Countries, head. Jobs seem. To be optional most, the women you know there's the, ultra-conservatives. And this. Long. Hair in jeans and. You. Know they wouldn't look about facing any Western country really, there's. Some really nice genuine people, here but. Last time I was here actually I was pickpocketed, so I need to be careful this time. Yeah, so it's a believe, now so it's back to vote get some last-minute provisioning, and if we go. Okay. So we've just done left. Port de peche with, the boat and, we're, heading back to marina, to. Get ready for. Our trip up north Tunisia. We've, got no sails on because we've taken, them all off to be measured and do need new sails. Three with. Makes me feel like we're on some B's else, how. Else is very it's all different code yeah. I mean daddy, gonna put all the sales by homes but they say I was in our sailing boats. French. Friend yeah. We. Not that family we never been that way so. This is saying goodbye to, monastery. In. Tunisia, Africa. So. We've left monastere. And we've headed up north along.

The Coast and now, we're in the Gulf of X so. We've anchored, in the Gulf of hammamet for two nights, near. The old Medina. Went. To a cafe, fantastic. Cafe, which we've been to about eight years ago. Oh. Is. That nice Mary. So. It's really nice to go back there so. Now we're going to the. Marina in Jasmine, to. Get some fuel we're trying to keep carrying on up the coast because, we need to get to some of dinner next so. We're kind of waiting for a weather window. It's. Coming in to refuel, at Jasmine. Marina. In hammamet get. Ready with a stern line as well please. Hi. Quite. Close that boats engine. No. Here. We try to stock up in home at thinking that the supermarkets, would be really well provisioned because the massive tourist industry, there but, um the. Shop we found was a little bit sparse but they did have a good staff alcohol, getting. Ready. Prohibition. We. Just propped up at the, most. Expensive marina in Tunisia, it's, only 13. Euros. Or pounds and I which is kind of steel coupe for the most expensive but that was include electricity, fuel or Wi-Fi but, anyway we are not saying it because, we just came to refuel and it kind of works out that tomorrow is the day to go north, then. Wait and then the, 11th, is the day to cross because, 1112, it's all from the south and the way. Even. If you just come to a few thought you have to go check. In and out and, they keep checking on us it's great I should be like the Coast Guard here they've come three times to see if we're okay on anchor they, kind of play their paperwork but they wouldn't call them in and turn off when you turn up they give you lots to fill in there's like seven, guys in there with machine guns we've, nothing to do. I. Feel so safe here I feel like we go into any difficulty, but. The code, we can just call the Coast Guard and they'll be right there assisting. In you know they're probably even going get our shopping for us, I'm. Tried that with. The. Pirate boats always out and taking, trips out the, kids really love those boats and they love the crew because the crew would climb up the masts and, you, know on all the spreaders, and then, the kids decided they were gonna try some of these tricks as well. We're. Now leaving the Gulf of Hanuman's, to. Probably last stop. Something Coast yeah you need to know these week. No knots. My. Mother's going down, I'm. Trying to probably shut with words cuz it looks there's. No shine for anymore. In Syria I'm trying to make that, design it's boiling. All right Yemen's got more than it he has the most expensive wine maker, 200.

We. Have arrived, in probably. The last stop, before we leave Tunisia this, is Columbia, Columbia. And. I'm it's pretty much a fishing, port with. The Navy, base as well over there. It's. Not obvious, where you're gonna more up when you arrive because it's. So busy, we've. Told to kind of come alongside these boats and, another boat left so we were kind of hanging on a bit but um another. One coming alongside or something. This is where we're gonna be. They're. Going to fishing later out will they catch of the day. Everybody's, coming out. In, amongst the, fishing. Community, here so, it stinks, of fish and I vote we wake up six, fish or go to sleep. We've. Been cooped, up in, that very, fishy fishing, harbour waiting, for the right wing to go across. To, Sardinia, but. It's our. Eldest, in the middle walls birthday, today yes they share the same birthday so, three years apart so it's a real special day, normally. Have a big party at home but, today. We're in search of somewhere, and beautiful, and we've, walked a bit about half an hour and, we found this lovely. Beach and, right on the end top, tip of Tunisia it's really, colourful it's, a Tunisian, hot spot really I think so, now we're going to go and find. A restaurant. To eat in and we know there's one called a monaco-based, Iran. So this must be in Monaco Bay and. There's. Another one as well so we're gonna check out here and there, seems right. Mine. And Gary's birthday. Holy. Book all the way round is a bit hot and I'm, a little bit tired now away. The. Other tweezing guy and got over the fence and to ziens helped us find. Over there it's so much easier you broke it in, where. We live, this is our house yeah boat is here. Lose. Em off we gotta see. So. Because of the winds we had a few extra days which, men you know we could do a bit of more cleaning squeeze, in a bit of clean this time we did the carpets, and. And. Then the customs, came the, customs was a little bit more complicated than, we thought, they they seem to have lost a part of the paperwork so, you know I thought they could be trouble but it turned, out alright. It's. Relieving, and. We're. Going to Sardinia. Although. We've got too much pizza here so. Maybe. There'll be something else maybe the ice cream. We're. Gonna do the longer route from till. EBA which where we are now. So. It will take us about 36, hours maybe less if it's good wind we've. Been waiting, for. Four days, for this weather, to, turn but, that's what sailings all about I can't just go when you can see what. You can but. Your fight against the elements so it's about kind, of, harnessing. The winning so sorry choosing the right wind and going, with it this. Is our passage, hairstyle which is plaque to hair as much as possible. So, that we don't have to deal with it when we get to the other side for now that we brush for days, passages. Are the best, thing for losing.

Weight Because you don't eat anything. My. Stomach sort of shrink somehow. I. Wish. I knew. Way. We. Travel, Oh No. Family. Singapore. Thank. You to all our patrons, and, the people that watch, our videos and share them now, even if you've subscribed you, might not receive notification. Of when our video comes out so please do press that notification bell, and you, will know when our video comes out straight away because, just subscribing doesn't tell you that thank you. I'll. Stay, by your side. You always, be.

2018-10-09 23:12

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