Living in the Marina

Traveling Classroom^™

Living aboard Zoe Zoe is very different than being at home. It's sort like camping, but without the dirt and bugs. On a boat everything must have its place and must always be put back after use so that there is room for people and other tasks. As you can see from our packing list, we didn't bring many things with us, but we don't have much storage space on the boat. Everything must stowed away, so it won't slide around when we are sailing.

As on most boats, everything on Zoe Zoe is designed for maximum efficiency in a minimum of space. As we go below deck there is a very small galley on the starboard (right) side of the companionway (the ladder leading from the deck down into the cabin). It has maybe four square feet of counter space, and that includes the little sink and a top-opening refrigerator set into the countertop. We have a three-burner butane stove and oven mounted on gimbals (which keep the stovetop level when the boat is rocking about). All the dishes, pots and pans, forks, etc. are stored in drawers or cupboards that latch, so that nothing can accidentally spill out. Duane and I have already cooked several full dinners in our galley.

On the port (left) side of the companionway is the dining table with bench seats, and the dry goods storage lockers are along the hull above and under the table. Everything is built for functionality and conserving space. If we remove the table and lift the cushions off the bench seats, we find two hatches. One hatch opens to reveal a large Volvo Penta diesel engine, the other holds a series of marine batteries and electrical circuitry. Hatches in the deck and the floor of the cabin provide access to storage holds, water and fuel tanks, bilge pumps, plumbing and other inner workings of the boat. Everything is compact and ideally located for its function. We people are the only things that seem slightly out of place.

Forward of the galley and dining area is the main cabin, with padded couches along either side and a chart table between them. We use the chart table as our computer area. The couches can be folded out to become beds. As you might expect, there are storage cabinets above, around and under these couches.

Our bed is in the forward cabin. It is the largest sleeping area on the boat, but it is still a rather tight fit. Beyond that there is the V-berth in the bow of the boat. It is called that because the bow is in the shape of a V. The bunks are very narrow and uncomfortable, but no one will be sleeping there during this trip. We are using the V-berth for storage. There is also a small bathroom with a tiny shower, but the engine has to be running to produce hot water. We take hot showers and wash clothes in Nikos' sailing club near the sea wall.

The weather has been comfortable, so we spend much of our time outside on the aft deck. A small table can be mounted on the wheel, and we eat there often. It is especially pleasant in the morning, when everything is quiet. After making coffee, we bring the coffee pot, bread rolls and jam onto the deck and watch the fishing boats heading out to sea for their morning work.

Nearly every morning a fisherman shows up on the rocks near the sea wall, less than fifty yards from us. He has a very long fishing pole without a reel, rather like the bamboo poles of olden days. He flicks his line out into the water and waits and waits and waits. He fishes here at different times of the day, and we always wonder what he is trying to catch. He never catches anything while we are watching.

Since our return from Eyina yesterday, we are trying to get work done on the boat, catch up with the journals and make contact with the Internet service provider. There is a public card phone not far from the boat, and Duane makes several trips to call various people in Athens. They aren't in their offices, and no one seems to know when they will return. Duane arranges to go to the offices of Hellas On Line. Tomorrow we will have to catch the electric train to Kifissia.

After lunch on the aft deck we decide to continue our exploration of the area. We walk up the hill, past the Yacht Club of Greece, a small parochial school behind wrought iron gates and a tiny but beautiful neighborhood church. At the top of the hill we decide to hike towards Zéa marina, which is near Pireás. Coming down the other side of the hill we have a wonderful view of the harbor at Zéa. It is a large, round harbor protected from the sea by a long and substantial sea wall. A number of bright yellow hydrofoil ferries are moored along the sea wall. We saw several of these while sailing to Eyina.

As we watch one of the hydrofoils pulls away and begins to move slowly out of the harbor. After it clears the sea wall and gets into open water, the ferry quickly increases speed. Its engines roar and soon the ferry begins to rise out of the water and move even faster. Within a few minutes it is a small yellow speck headed towards the Argo-Saronic islands.

Directly below us, at the bottom of a sixty foot cliff, is a broad sandy beach and what appears to be a public recreation facility. Several empty swimming pools are being repaired and readied for summer. Workers are building new walkways, trimming trees and performing all types of maintenance along the beach. There are very few people using the beach area now, except for several mothers with small children and a group of retired people playing tennis on the courts.

The town of Zéa, which wraps around the harbor, is a combination of very old and newer buildings. It is much more urban than our little village of Mikrolimano. Cars and trucks are speeding up and down the streets, cafes are doing a brisk business and there is a bustle of activity everywhere.

As we walk around the harbor towards town we can see that there is a marina area off the main harbor. It snakes in among tall apartment buildings and the business district, and it is crowded with docks and thousands of boats. These boats range from fishing skiffs to large and luxurious yachts.

Having come from the relative quiet of Mikrolimano, we aren't sure that we want to continue into Zéa today. We turn around and start towards more familiar areas. On the way we decide to do some shopping, since the stores are all uphill from the boat and we are already on top of the hill. We walk to the market and purchase several items. Then we walk around the corner to the bakery for fresh bread. At this time of day there isn't much of a selection. The baker makes bread in the very early hours of the morning and opens his shop doors at around 7:00 a.m. Most of the bread is sold before noon and the bakery closes in the early afternoon. We buy a loaf of bread and some rolls.

Next we walk down the block to the green grocer. Here we select fresh fruits and vegetables. We have decided to cook a pasta meal with vegetarian sauce – plenty of onions, tomatoes, eggplant and fresh herbs. Most of the produce is locally grown, but there are some imported fruits, including apples from Washington State and pineapples from Hawaii. The grocers are pleased that we insist on the local apples. "When in Greece, eat Greek food," Duane tells them.

Loaded down with our purchases, we walk back towards the marina and down the steep, winding road to the waterfront. When we get back to Zoe Zoe we find Nikos working on his own boat. He greets us with a smile and invites us to his home for dinner tomorrow. His sister and her family will join us. We happily accept. It is certain to be an event.