Chapter One: PREPARATIONS
At the end of October 2025 we had left Cordelia on the hard at Leros Marina, and we did not see her again until 3 March 2026. She was scheduled to stay out of the water until the end of the month for some much needed work, and as we didn’t fancy staying onboard during that period we rented an AirBnB in Lakki. It was close to the Sklaventos supermarket, and we passed any other shops and chandleries we required on our way to and from the marina on our 20 minutes’ walk.
We sorted ourselves out with provisions, tools and supplies, but had to order, then wait, for the epoxy primer we needed to treat some patches. The Coppercoat we’d ordered from Germany arrived on 5 March, but before we could start this project there were preparations to be carried out. We started by giving Cordelia a good clean. Ingrid looked after her topside including the hatches and lockers whereas Peter worked on the hull with oxalic acid. He went around about ten times, still there remained spots where it seemed to have had no effect at all. He was more successful when he attended to the propeller and made it all shiny again.
The hull anode bolts also needed replacing, and we’d brought new ones back from England. Peter soon realised he didn’t have the 17mm socket (the only one that was missing from the set, typical!) to do the job, so he walked into town to buy one. However, it was one of the local holidays (Leros joining Greece), and all the shops were closed. Luckily he managed to borrow one, and after lunch we were both busy trying to get the bolts off.
The first one with the earth lead put up some resistance, but eventually succumbed to our joint forces and let go. The second one was full of rust, and no matter how much WD40 Peter applied it would not budge. All that we managed to loosen was the skin on our knuckles. We only freed a little gap, so Peter tried the Dremel, only to quickly resort to the good old saw to chop the stubborn bolt.
With Cordelia’s underside now being (mostly) clear of obstacles and the wind having decreased we could finally begin sanding. We started work at 9.45am, fully kitted up in our overalls, dust covers, safety gloves and glasses, breathing filters and yard shoes (our old trainers). The sanding with the 80 grit paper was hard work, but seemed to get better after lunch. Ingrid also got a wooden block she could sit on to do Cordelia’s bottom rather than bending and contorting her body in order to reach. Peter had tried to use our electric polisher as a sander, but it was too vicious and difficult to control to work properly, so he reverted to hand-sanding. We spent all day sanding and had only done half the job, so at 3.30pm we’d had enough and left the rest for the next day.
On our way from our apartment to the marina we bought a proper sander, and what a difference it made! Not only did it require much less effort, it also saved a lot of time. Peter did a good job preparing the surface, then Ingrid hand-sanded to get rid what was left underneath. Cordelia looked very smooth when we were done, which showed off the dirt on the gelcoat above the waterline even more. Peter tried to clean it with all sorts of chemical cleaners we had on board, but none of them fulfilled what was promised they would do, so in the end he had to leave it.
The next day we started off by removing the Sikaflex around the keel to hull joint, and then wiping the area above the waterline with Agua Fuerte, an acid cleaner. Both results were satisfying, so next Peter hosed down the dust on the hull, and once it had dried Ingrid went round with the Microfibre. Peter then fabricated covers for the through-hulls out of masking tape, and when this was completed we masked off the keel, rudder, waterline and various other bits. We were ready for the big job!
Chapter Two: COPPERCOATING
On the next morning Ingrid wiped Cordelia’s underwater hull with a damp cloth to get rid of the dust, then we kitted up and started our job for the day at 10.15am. The first coat of Coppercoat was clear and without any copper in it. We soon discovered an efficient way of applying it, realising that Ingrid wouldn’t be able to do it alone with the 18cm roller. Peter went round using the big roller and she followed him closely with a small roller, evening out any runs and blemishes. We continued with this method, mixing only half of a packet of Coppercoat each time, as we noticed that a full pack was on the verge of going off before we could use it up.
So round and round we went rolling on the stuff and smoothing it out with the only break being for a gulp of squash and a bite on a banana every so often while mixing up more of the coating. We were on the fifth and last application when it was getting dark, so we finished the last hour under the light of a head-torch and our new hand-held spotlight, including an extra coat along the waterline. Just when we thought our arms would drop off and our necks would be consistently seized in an upright angle we found ourselves having completed the Coppercoat marathon on the main hull area at 7.30pm, a good nine hours after we’d started it. We took off the masking tape and cleared up, by which time another hour had passed, and called it a day. After a good night’s sleep we got ourselves ready to see the result of our labour. Cordelia looked good in her new Coppercoat and was even complemented on it by the travel lift operator.
While Peter then attended to the damage the gelcoat had suffered from a winter hail storm Ingrid went off to the office to arrange for the props to be moved. We were both still feeling the effects of the previous day’s work, but after Peter had completed his job he mixed up the primer and thinner we had collected from the chandlery on the way, and Ingrid painted it onto the relevant spots.
The primer did its job overnight, and Peter could fill the treated areas. We used the time they needed to cure by attending to the anchor chain. Peter looked after the swivel, and Ingrid cleaned out the locker and removed the markers on the chain. Next, Peter tail-ended the chain, i.e. changed it back to front, which meant we had to splice the rode for the bitter end. Neither of us could remember how we’d done it all those years ago, so we checked out some tutorials on YouTube. The result did not look too pretty, but was sure to do what we needed it to do. Next we marked out the distance for the chain markers, only we were too generous, so we ended up doing it again, this time using the tape measure to do it properly. After 1½ hour the job was a good ‘n, and we could return our attention to the fillings.
We sanded over them and the Coppercoat overspills, then applied another coat of primer over the filler. Enough time had passed since we had Coppercoated the hull area, and we could go on to burnishing it. Ingrid’s manual sanding with the 320 grit paper showed hardly any effect other than wearing up the paper, but Peter made good progress with the electric sander. Still, it was hard work (we also both suffered from a cold, obviously Peter’s was worse than Ingrid’s), and we were using up our ten sheets of paper rapidly. As Ingrid had already done herself out of a job she used her paper to cut out twenty more sheets for the sander. From time to time she used the sander in places that were difficult for Peter to reach, but it was mainly him who carried out the work. It took us 5½ hours to complete this travail, and the cold wind that blew the dust and sand around made for an unpleasant experience. Despite the wind we then applied another coat of primer before we finished for the day.
When the props were moved Peter fitted the new anode bolts after having cut them to the right size, sealed them with Sikaflex, and connected them to the new earthing cable. He tightened them the next day, then primed the underside of the keel and polished the gelcoat on Cordelia’s waterline. Ingrid was able to assist with some tasks (holding the torch, fetching cable ties), and provided moral support.
While we waited for the weather to improve Ingrid antifouled the skin fittings, and Peter ordered a new inverter and sail tape from Amazon in Germany. We also got our genoa back from Yannis, the sailmaker, who’d not only replaced the sacrificial UV strip but had also cleaned and tidied up the sail before he delivered it to us at the marina.
More sanding and antifouling was carried out while we kept a good look at the weather forecast. We needed at least two consecutive dry days for the Coppercoat as otherwise the copper would be rinsed off by the rain, meaning the work would have been in vain. In addition the filler needed time to cure, too, and we couldn’t just coat over it. On the other hand, we didn’t want to leave it too late as the work would have to be completed five days before Cordelia could go back into the water.
The 21 March dawned windy and cloudy, but was supposed to stay dry. We looked at the forecast yet again, and with the next week still being ambiguous as to when and how much rain would come, we decided to risk it and finish the Coppercoating now. By 10.00am we were all prepared and ready to roll on the first (clear) coat. 45 minutes later we put on the next layer with copper, then repeated the process until we’d put on six coats on Cordelia’s nose, keel, props, stern tube casing and rudder. It was 3.00pm when we were done, and Cordelia looked good. The next day the Coppercoat was shiny and dry to the touch, and with the sun coming out the curing progressed well. We waited another day before we burnished which took us a couple of hours, but then we’d finally finished! All of Cordelia’s underside was now sporting a lovely copper glow, and she looked very smart.
We applied new Sikaflex between the hull and keel, then Peter treated the anode bolts with Duralac and we reinstalled the hull anode, complete with a backing plate made by Ingrid out of shoe insoles (the Greeks don’t use backing plates, and however hard we looked we couldn’t buy one). It rained during the night, but with the job completed it didn’t bother us anymore.
Chapter Three: MORE JOBS
We did more antifouling under the keel and on the skin fittings, Peter polished the propeller, then we dumped some of the safety gear we’d used to protect ourselves from the copper dust. Next, we filled and painted the washboards, and replaced a plastic ventilation grill that had started to disintegrate. We carried halyards, sheets and lines to and from the apartment where Ingrid washed them in the kitchen sink. Peter sorted through the tins in the “chemical box” and disposed of any rusty and out-of-date ones. He put his tools back to where he’d dug them out from, we cleared up the cabins and around the salon area, and Cordelia slowly but surely became a liveable space once more.
Peter was ready to install the new inverter and soon realised it was bigger than the one it was supposed to replace. Suffice to say it didn’t fit into the dedicate place, and Peter was not at all pleased. He tried to find the fault of the old one, but when he opened it all four fuses were fine. In the end he ordered a straight replacement from Amazon, and kept the larger one as a spare.
On 30 March we prepared Cordelia with lines and fenders and were ready to splash. At 9.45am the trailer came and transported her to the travel lift. When she was in the slings Peter sanded and antifouled the last bits under the keel, and then she was put back into the water.
Peter had primed the engine raw water cooling system, burped the air from the shaft seal, and the motor started on the key. He went below and checked for any water ingress (none – phew!), then reversed Cordelia to the pontoon and moored her stern-to in a gentle westerly wind with some gusts. Ingrid cleaned out the engine compartment, then the bilges and floorboards in the living area. The sand she collected was enough to open a beach resort, but finally the work was done and Cordelia looked all spick and span, at least on the inside. Ingrid made up the bed in our cabin when we moved back aboard on 31 March, and all was very cosy. It was good to be back home!
Chapter Four: GETTING READY
The day after we splashed the weather turned. We awoke to a grey day, then it began to rain on and off. In the night the wind built up and we got around 60kn. Cordelia didn’t like it and heeled, but as this had been forecast (though with less wind) we’d prepared her well. We had a big thunderstorm before we went to bed, and it rained all night. The conditions were unpleasant and neither of us got to sleep easily (Peter even less so). Eventually the wind dropped to around 35kn, and we could sleep (better).
The weather improved slightly during the next day, but was spoilt by yet another thunderstorm in the evening with more rain and wind in the night and for most of the next morning. It eased off enough for us to venture out to the shops and get supplies before we were met with another rainy night with a big deluge in the middle of it! Luckily the sun came out in the morning and we used the improved conditions to treat the teak with cleaner and restorer. It stayed dry during the next day, so Ingrid could put on the first coat of sealer. We also reinstalled the halyards which allowed us to rig the genoa, then the teak got a second coat of sealer.
It wasn’t as windless as the forecast had predicted, but as it blew from the right direction we began preparations on the mainsail. First, though, we had to make a few repairs to it with sail tape, as the top of the sail consisted of more holes than fabric. Things were going well when we hoisted and attached it, so we carried on and re-installed the reefs, too. Lastly, Peter climbed up the mast to fix the lines for the stack pack.
The rain kept off and the sun made an appearance. Peter polished the stainless steel, then we treated the deck with oxalic acid, Ingrid cleaned the fenders and horseshoe lifebuoy which Peter labelled with “CORDELIA”. He also replaced the plunger seals on both Jabsco toilets, we reinstalled the sprayhood and cleaned it with a restorer that didn’t quite do as it said on the tin, and prepared the bimini.
The time had also come to reclaim our suspended Transit Log. We were advised by the marina that we needed an agent, so Peter contacted Dimitris who turned up at the boat a couple of hours later and took photos of all the required documents. He was a nice man and certainly had the experience to deal with the “ladies” at Customs. His brother Nicos saw us after the Greek Easter and brought us the new Transit Log and Crew List. It had no stamps on it, so Peter confirmed with Nicos that we were all checked out with the Port Police, not wanting to repeat the experience of the check-in at Leros from October. He reassured us that all was good and in order. We were also well pleased to find that the user date had been extended to 26 September, and we therefore didn’t mind the extra cost.
The next days were filled with stocking up on victuals, water and fuel, doing laundry, and getting Cordelia shipshape. On the Greek Easter Sunday we decided to take a day off work and headed out for our favourite walk. This followed the road past Merikiá, up the hill to the picnic area, further on to the little chapel where the tarmac ended, and on to the crossroads for the WWII listening station. We had our lunch there, then carried on straight past the little farm. We continued along the dirt track to the plain with fields full of flowers, and Peter collected rosemary while Ingrid walked slowly uphill past yet another chapel.
We turned left at the next junction and encountered numerous people celebrating Easter with outdoor BBQs and loud Greek music. It seemed to us that everything about Greek Easter was noisy, as for the last week they’d lit firecrackers and had thrown them off the back of their scooters, and they even exploded home-made bombs, not just during the day but also in the middle of the night. The road led back into town, and after a leisurely 8.3 miles in 4 hours we were back on Cordelia.
We felt Cordelia was as ready as ever as our marina contract was coming to an end. We kept looking at the weather forecast for favourable conditions which all seemed good for 20 April, so agreed that this would be the day to leave Leros.