We started from Linaria harbour, Skiros, at 07.00. We had a beautiful sunrise, decent wind and ok waves.
Both wind and waves picked up a bit, but nice sailing heading towards Lesvos. After a few hours, even more wind, and bigger waves that came diagonally from the front, it became a bit more scary for me (Monica), but I "worked" through it and thought it went well even if it was a bit tiring. It is particularly tiring that it's heeling so much and at the same time the boat is climbing the waves and plunges into the next "valley"🥺.
We experienced being joined by 4 dolphins who surfed and jumped next to us - magical 😀.
At 2pm (I think) I went below to find some food and saw that there was water on the floor 😮, quite a lot, and it was above the floor on the starboard side since we heeled quite a lot. In a bit of a panic, I shout at Kai Robert that he must come and see.
He finds out that there is even more water than I thought, the cupboards in the head cabin are full of water, but he also figured, a little relieved, that the water penetrates from above, so no seacocks are leaking, phew😏.
He "orders" me to start and scoop. He manages to get through to me, even if my "eyes are wild"" (panicking), I manage to do as he says 😱.
Sterting the bilge pump, equipped with a bucket, liter measure, a cup and I start scooping water - I tolerate being below in big seas better and Kai is better than me at steering/sailing the boat in rough sea, and at the same time he used the manual bilge pump. We changed course/fell off to get the wind aft so we didn't hit the waves as much while we were getting the water out.
First I had to empty around the batteries (panic all the time, but managed to do the job), then open various bulkheads and floorboards - there were many liters of water. I emptied the water into the kitchen sink - I remembered to open the valve (and close again after I had finished).
After a couple of hours of scooping, me down in the boat while Kai pumped manually and steered the boat, eventually there was so "little" water that it was okay to sit in the cockpit and "relax" (scared, tired, wet, slightly sick) - I was both cold and tired 😢.
We again set course for Lesvos and arrived at the south-west tip of the island at 9pm, right after a beautiful sunset 🌅.
After anchoring, we could see that the hatch in the front where the ropes and fenders are stored is open 😮 - and full of water.
After further investigation, Kai can see that there is an open area around some wires that run from the anchor winch into the boat - here the water has flowed in for several hours - this storage room is also emptied of water.
Clothes, mattresses, PC, tablet ... everything is wet in the head cabin 😥.
We eat a bit, drain and dry up more water and lgo to bed in the cockpit at 00.30 - it was a long, long, and a bit too exciting day 😏.
The next day we sail towards Molyvos, north of Lesvos, - we handed in clothes to wash and dry, needed to unscrew several bulkheads, finding more water to be emptied, but in the end we finally got everything washed, dried and sealed where it had to be sealed.
Phew, a bit too exciting an experience.
😏😅🤪
SO the moral is…. remember to check that all hatches, valves and hull seacocks are closed BEFORE a voyage 😏
Monica og Kai Robert
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