Woke this morning with headaches.  Good intentions went out the window last night.

We’ve both decided we’re overweight with winter fat – so have agreed we’re undergo some healthy living for at least three weeks to appear trim and taunt when we go back for the family wedding end month.

Last Thursday saw us both join the 9 am keep fit regime on the tennis courts.  Phew!  Hard work keeping up with the 15 or so regulars – but we managed.  The ongoing cleaning duties to get Swagman up to scratch has also helps – lots of bending, rubbing etc.

Yesterday added in a 7 mile Sunday mountain walking tour to a place called Arykanda – a long hidden city high in the hills behind Finike. 

Heres a shot of its amphitheatre.

Got up there in a group by chartered mini buses, wandered round studying bones and stones, then worked our way along forested mountain ridges to gratefully climb back on the buses and bump our way home.

Not quite on the snow line – but it was chilly.

Out at 9 am – not back until 5 pm – beaut scenery kept us warm as we walked - and forgetting the pain!  But then really ******ed all the good intentions by sliding up to the bar for a refreshing small beer and yes, promptly stacked back on the lost pounds.

Hence the headaches.  Never mind.  Off we go again.

Anyway today’s promising some action.

First – back to the bloody keep fit scheduled for 9 am.

Then we should, if the wind eases, be able to lift the boat today to blast off the accumulated marina winter crud, have a grounding place (a Dynaplate) bolted through the hull for our new SSB Radio, and hopefully dropped back in.

Equally, the local Raymarine chappie arrives today to actually install the new SSB.  Guess he can do it whilst it is up on the hardstanding area.

Have spent the last week simply looking at the Nav Station area trying to decide exactly where it will fit.  Truth is it is so big it won’t fit anywhere, but I’m sure if I just keep staring at it for a few more hours – a space will magically appear.

We then will install the required two antenna ourselves on the transom – and the should be it.  We’ll see.

The required keel work will not now be done here.  Hanse Yachts have undertaken to sort the issue, but can’t fly someone from Germany with such short notice.  So with their promise the keel wont fall off this summer, we’ll live with out blister until we arrive in Lagos Portugal next September, and have it lifted and sorted there whilst we take time out and return to the UK.

Plus our new rigid floor dinghy should also arrive today.  But that’s a Turkish time promise, so it might be tomorrow, or the day after.

Boats looking good.  Have isolated a small leak around the mast / deck join which was responsible for water ingress during winter months and sorted that.  Also snapped on the old Marigolds to try and fix a forward dunny leak.  Spanners and rubber don’t work for me – yes, the leaks got worse. 

So that’s another job to delegate to the Tech Service guys - I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.

Still chilly when the wind blows – despite bright sunlight.  And once the wind stops as it appears to late arvo most days, it almost gets as warm as we hear it is right now in Southampton!!

Cheers

JOHN