TRUCK FIRE, MIS-SELLING and BIRTHDAY – 4, 5 & 6 June,
Days 41, 42 & 43
On a boat of course we need technical things functioning, but
we also need water, sufficient electrical power and good access to internet
once we cast off from land for a few weeks off-grid. It is not our choice to
hop from marina to marina paying exorbitant nightly rates (usually 50% extra
for a catamaran). Apart from our two small water tanks plumbed to galley and heads
(bathroom) sinks we carry a few containers between 10 and 20 litres which we
can take ashore to fill, but 20 litres is really too heavy to handle easily.
Then we recycle 5 and 2 litre drinking water bottles. So when
we depart from the winter base we are loaded down with many containers of
water. Sometimes we find a public tap to replenish part or our reserves.
I wrote about electricity in an early blog post as we have to
balance our two leisure batteries topped up by two small solar panel (hopefully
soon also from the new outboard motor) against our needs of motor starting, running
a 12 volt fridge, navigation lights and instruments and cabin lights.
Internet is simple when staying in one country but it is hard
to find a provider which allows a fair proportion of mobile modem wifi outside
the country of sale. Malta is expensive. We pay 26 euros a month to Vodafone for
22 GB, but only 5 GB of that can be used abroad. We can track the usage in
Malta on an app but not what we use overseas so of course we go over limit and
end up paying a premium. Roaming has gone but wi-fi roaming remains a way for
companies to make extra money.
Being in Italy and planning to spend perhaps three months in
Greece we were advised that Italian mobile provided WIND offers 20 GB to be
used even when roaming in Europe. In the small shop in Marina di Ragusa I asked
for this and was told to take TIM instead offering 30 GB for 11 euros. I stated
clearly our need to use it mostly overseas and up to full 30 GB.
Assured that this is the best option I signed the contract
and then was told, of course you must buy the mobile modem at 79 euros plus sim
card at 36 I think. Ha ! You are misleading me ! I paid and started to use it
only to find by speaking with other boat people that only 4 GB can be used
abroad. I went back to the Vidio Piu shop to confront the woman there, Gaia,
and she just shrugged her shoulders. Let’s cheat the bloody foreigners to make
best commission.
She assured me that no company allows more abroad, not even
WIND, but users of wind tell me differently. So beware the shopkeeper who does
not understand the products and sells you what makes them more money when it is
clearly not what you need.
Tuesday was my birthday and we enjoyed peaches from the
weekly market, topped with Greek style yogurt, honey, grated dark chocolate and
crushed digestive biscuit.
Wednesday was also calm and relaxing as I tried to wire in a
new LED light for the galley. In the evening I found that the other galley
light is no longer working !!!!
After going to the phone shop to complain I came back to find
an email from Giovanni, Ragusa Yamaha dealer saying the truck carrying my new
engine (due to be fitted on Friday) had burned in a fire in Italy along with
motor bikes and jet skis and I must wait another 8 days or cancel the order.
Despite every difficulty in buying a new motor, like my two attempts from UK,
it seems wise to get the right motor for the boat and to repair and sell the
Parsun in Malta later in the year so I advised that we must wait another week
and buy the engine.
Italy does not want to let us go, and wants to take our
money. We have to pay for even more days here in the marina as we watch our
friends posting about beautiful places they are enjoying in Greece.
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