The Voyages of Perdika Sailing sustainably about the world

Dinghy Diaries IV – Launching Pouláki

Tue, 20 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With launch day for Pérdika rapidly approaching, and very little time left, I was reminded of the quote on the wall at Fyne Boat Kits in Kendal where all this began “Don’t let excellence get in the way of good." So, a few shortcuts later, which no one will notice and if they do, I can counter challenge them with another remark I learnt at Fyne “So, how many boats have you built?”

Pérdika finally splashed into the water on 5th May with Pouláki proudly sitting on her bow. The first hoist to get her up there was a nervous moment. Would the lifting eyes hold? Was my epoxy work strong enough? Would she balance in the lifting harness okay? Fortunately it all went very well. Pouláki was finished with a promise to do a few more improvements later, much later, as we needed to get our lives back and concentrate on the main voyage.

So we sailed down to Lakki harbour, spent a week ignoring her - almost (we still had to epoxy and varnish the rudder, mast, boom and thwarts). Finally at the end of the week, on 12th May with the help of our Aussi friend Bob, we gently lowered Pouláki into the water.

This day had to be the day, there simply wasn’t any time left if we were to sail Pouláki for the first time in Lakki before leaving. A promise of a PFL afterwards was encouraging even though the weather, with strong gusts, wasn’t ideal for the first sail. “She floats” was my first thought, followed by “where’s that water coming from?” One of the screw holes to hold the nesting halves together didn’t have a screw. Rapidly jumping into her, putting the screw in sorted all that. Rachael leaped on board and we set off, closely shadowed by Bob in his rib, as rescue boat and chief photographer.

From the moment we set off Pouláki felt right. She sat in the water with perfect poise, she wasn’t tippy like I thought she’d be, and she responded proudly as the sail filled. She is a proper sailing dinghy, as had been promised by her designers and she soon skipped across the bay. She tacks well, heads up well and feels like there’s plenty of power. It’s an immensely satisfying feeling to build your own boat and despite the weeks and weeks of work, it was all worth it to feel the boat respond so well. We are going to have lots of fun and plenty of adventures with this little boat.

Dinghy Diaries III - Completing Pouláki

Sun, 18 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

On completing Pouláki I mentioned to Kurt, my boat building teacher, that I hadn’t realised how much sanding was required. “Aye” he quipped, “If you don’t like sanding, don’t build a boat." I wish he’d said that at the beginning!

When Pouláki safely arrived in Greece, I honestly thought she was nearly finished. The hulls were made, everything had had two coats of epoxy. Not much more to do, I thought. Probably get it all done in a week, 10 days at most, then I can get on with the main jobs on Pérdika. How wrong I was, the month we’d set aside to get Pérdika ready for her global trip was completely eaten up by finishing Pouláki. It became an obsession. She’s called Pouláki partly because it’s the diminutive form of Pérdika. Pérdika means Partridge or a Greek game bird and Pouláki means “little bird”. But she’s also called Pouláki because coincidentally Lakki is our base in Greece, it feels like our second home and I just had to launch Pouláki in Lakki and sail her on her maiden voyage, across Lakki bay come what may!

So what took so long? Well to make the boat look good and more importantly survive the salt water and very high UV environment she will be subjected to, the hull required two coats of epoxy, two coats of primer, five coats of top coat paint and eight coats of varnish on the bare wood parts. Each coat requires 24 hours to cure, then sanding and wiping down with acetone to be ready for the next coat. Jeez, that was a labour of love. I’m not keen on painting and dislike it marginally more than sanding, so I sanded and Rachael painted. Sounds easy but each coat of paint or varnish seems to produce its own set of drips which never quite appear until they set hard, then they need careful sanding to remove just the drip and not the layer below. It didn’t help that we were doing all this work outside in a dusty boatyard beside the shower block. That meant a stream of passers by full of encouraging and appreciative remarks, but each demanding a long chat.

We have Wheels!

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

You will often hear us say ‘everything’s a compromise on a boat’ and it’s true. Our electric scooters just arrived and given that space is premium aboard, they will be much simpler to store than our preferred option of folding bikes.

These Segway e-scooters are compact, practical and a lot of fun! They will be our land transport, allowing us to explore further inland and making it easier to provision the boat when shops are further afield. With a 35-mile range and a top speed of 15mph, they offer just enough freedom without the bulk. They’re surprisingly well equipped with front disc breaks, rear electric brakes, front and rear LED lights, indicators, tubeless pneumatic tyres, front suspension and traction control. Not bad eh for kiddie transport!

Dinghy Diaries II: We’ve all Arrived in Greece

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Dinghy Diaries I: Robin builds a boat!

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

For most sailors, the tender is more than just a dinghy—it’s the family car, our link to shore.

On March 8th, Robin set off for the Lake District to attend a two-week boatbuilding course, eager to craft our 11ft nesting Spindrift dinghy. Watching him leave was like seeing an overexcited puppy—glowing with excitement at the thought of a workshop packed with tools, new skills to master, and the satisfaction of building a boat with his own hands.

Most cruising sailors rely on inflatable RIBs for their tenders, but we wanted something different—something we could sail and row. It would give us more freedom, keep us fit, and make exploring new anchorages even more fun.

Robin’s Diary
A Tale of Persistence and Passion
We had chosen a Spindrift 11ft wooden sailing dinghy primarily because we wanted a lightweight sailing boat that could double as a tender. Our old rubber inflatable tender was on its last legs, and the 15hp motor was increasingly unreliable.

As dinghy sailors, we often found it frustrating to arrive in a stunning bay only to launch a heavy rubber tender that needed inflating. We’d wrestle with fitting the outboard, ensuring we had enough fuel, and then motor to shore. We often wondered—why couldn’t we simply sail in? That question led us to extensive research in search of the perfect sailing dinghy.

The dinghy had to meet specific criteria: it needed to be lightweight (around 55kg) and compact (no more than 11ft) to fit on our davits. It had to carry two people comfortably and occasionally fit four. Moreover, it had to sail well, row efficiently, and be capable of taking a small, lightweight electric motor. Our search led us to the Spindrift 11, a robust and well-proven sailing tender. The fact that it could also “nest”—meaning one half fits inside the other to save deck space—was the deal-clincher. There was just one catch: only the plans were available, so we had to build it ourselves!

Further investigation led us to Fine Boat Kits in the Lake District, UK. Not only could they supply the plans, they would CNC cut all the parts and had a 2-week course to help build it. I retired on the Thursday, and set off for the Lakes on the Saturday ready to embark on this course.

The Build Begins
Week 1 focused on constructing the basic hull shape and the central bulkhead. Week 2 was dedicated to fitting the rear seats, buoyancy tanks, mast foot, and bow tank. Despite the precision-cut parts, the process was meticulous and time-consuming—everything had to be perfectly aligned, epoxy fillets applied, and fiberglass integrated. By Thursday of the second week, I was ready for the most critical step.

One Boat Becomes Two
With the boat fully assembled, its bulwarks sanded and rounded, it was time to cut it in half—a daunting task. A double bulkhead had been built, separated by small squares of cardboard, leaving just enough space to insert a saw and begin cutting. Ideally, the bulkhead sides guide the saw, preventing it from drifting into the bulkhead itself. The cutting starts easily along the boat’s sides but becomes more challenging when moving through the hull. You have to “feel” the process—if the saw stiffens, it’s likely cutting into the bulkhead instead of staying centered in the gap. The most difficult part came when I hit an epoxy blob at the hull bottom and had to cut through the skid. At this point, Kurt and Phil offered reassuring words, and Kurt’s strength was invaluable in freeing the saw blade when it got stuck. Completing a clean cut through both halves was incredibly satisfying.

One Half Nests in the Other
The first test was to check whether the two halves nested properly. To my relief, they fit perfectly.

Preparing for Greece
With the basic construction complete (painting, varnishing, and final touch-ups will wait until we arrive in Greece), I spent the final day building the shipping crate.

Thanks to Fyne Boats
My time at Fynes Boats was nothing short of extraordinary. The workshop and course were exceptional with the entire team striking the perfect balance between expert guidance and allowing us to build our own boat. Their skill, patience and enthusiasm made the experience both rewarding and unforgettable.

A special thank you to Kurt for his patience and expertise, as well as to Phil, Tim, Ian and Mike whose support enriched every step of the process.

And of course, a nod to Tico the dog who kept spirits high and supervised the workshop with unwavering dedication!

DIY Flags, Flags, Flags!

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Who knew flags could be so interesting!

My friend Anna and I -with some last minute help from Cherry - made these 48 courtesy flags representing the national maritime flags of the countries we plan to visit. It was fascinating to learn about the history, culture and heraldry behind them and see the array of colours and designs - our favourites were definitely those of Central America.

It’s maritime etiquette to hoist a courtesy flag when clearing in as a foreign vessel, signalling respect for that country’s laws and sovereignty. As the name suggests, flying these is a courtesy – usually. There are some countries which require it by law such as Greece, however failing to fly one might not result in penalties but could be seen as disrespectful or gain us unnecessary attention.

These flags will be vibrant reminders of our adventures ahead - each one a symbol of the places, people and cultures waiting to be explored.

The Beginnings...

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

On New Year’s Day 2013, we sat down to write a life plan—mapping out our goals and aspirations for the next five, ten, even twenty years. Among them was a fanciful dream to buy a yacht within ten years. Five years later we made it happen, and we couldn't have been happier sailing our 35ft Hanse around the beautiful Greek islands.

It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with life at sea, it had a slower rhythm - one that suited us perfectly. Coastal cruising offered a freedom and serenity that felt worlds apart from the wet, fast-paced dinghy racing we had known in the UK.

Before long, a bold new plan took shape - Retire and sail the world! In 2022, that dream became a reality with the purchase of Pérdika (then Lady Annila) in Portugal - a sturdy 53ft long-distance sailing yacht built for adventure!