On April 6th we landed in Greece to move aboard our floating home. Just four days later, the unfinished dinghy Robin built back in the Lake District finally caught up with us - delivered by land, sea, and sheer determination!

The greatest challenge was getting the boat from Patras on the far West mainland of Greece to the small island of Leros in the Dodecanese. The solution came in true Greek style from our local car hire friend. Having shared the problem of getting a sizable crate, weighing over 100kg to the island, he proudly announced a few days later "Your boat is on the island!" We knew better than to ask how, but there were three conditions before it could be delivered to the boat yard: first, a bottle of wine for his trouble, second a €10 tip for the driver who would bring the dinghy to us and third to let him keep the large wooden crate. That was all!  We just love the Greeks for their warmth, ingenuity and unfailing generosity.

The dinghy still needs several coats of epoxy, followed by priming and painting. Each layer needs sanding and time to dry - eight coats in all, so it’s not a quick job. 

With just three weeks to go now, we’re knee-deep in boat projects - finishing the dinghy and chipping away at the growing to-do list aboard Pérdika: generator and watermaker servicing, upgrading our comms and navigation gear, safety gear checks, reorganizing storage, polishing the hull, and stocking up on spares and provisions just to name a few. Time’s ticking on now and launch day’s nearly here.