vrijdag, 10 december 1999 14.21

Out of the water

It was exactly four weeks after our arrival in Turkey, that we left Kalamis Marina for the final destination: Tuzla. The stay in Kalamis Marina was an experience, as described before, but it enabled us to make new friends, enjoy some time off and get nervous. We made many visits to Tuzla to discuss the amount of work, the order of things to do, who was gonna do which part and trying to get a budget on paper. We spend many nights drawing the interioir and to fit in three cabins. I finally gave up on the idea, as it simply does not seem to fit. So we have chosen for a two cabin layout, which will give four people a very comfortable bed, enough locker space for all the things we want to take with us and still the possibility for two more people to sleep in the saloon.

For those who were with us this summer: the saloon will be enlarged even further, making this a very generous and spacious living area. The corridor to the front of the boat will remain, with on the right hand a shower/toilet and than the kitchen. On the left hand there will be one cabin with double bed. All the way in the front of the boat, we will make the „mastercabin". In this setup there is enough space for watertanks, dieseltanks, wastewatertanks, waterheater (for the so needed hot shower), fridge, batterybanks, etc, etc. I tried to make three dimensional drawings for the carrpenters, so that they have an idea of what the endresult will have to look like. I am developpoing skills, I did not know I posessed. We have made extensive list of all details. What electrical and electronics to be fitted in? How many lamps, how many plugs for computers(220V), GSM telephones(12V), etc, etc. Where does the deckshower come? Where are all the instruments going to be fitted? How to hide the „new-fashioned‰ electronics, that officialy do not belong on a classic boat? What wood to use for the interior? The smallest detail is worked out.

We are still fighting with the colour on the hull. Traditional white is the obvious choice. But since when have I opted for the obvious before? We are still in doubt to paint her in green/blue-ish. But that decision can wait a few more weeks.

During all those weeks in the marina, we were given a car by Sabri. Actually his wife‚s car. And this enabled us to drive up and down between the appartment, we now had rented, the yard, visits to friends in the evening, etc. Sabri is the owner of an even older boat: Abeking & Rasmussen built in 1924. Still in very good condition. We spend hours discussing little details. One beautifull Sunday we took the whole family out for a sail on Sylphe. Sun shining, nice breeze, Istanbul skyline in the far distance, it was too good to be true. The marina towed us in and out, since we also had the harbourmaster on board, Salim. A day that will stay in my mind for several reasons. So days passed???

And finally the day came to take her to Tuzla, which were going to be the last 15 miles for a long time to come. I was really looking forward to it. 4 newly made turkish friends came along for the trip. We were again towed out of the marina and set sail in a beautifull sunny autumn day?..but no wind. Five grown up man sitting on a boat, wandering if the sail will ever fill up with wind to make us go forward. It was not to be. So after two hours we were still within sight of the marina and decided to return and make a next attempt the following day. My sense of humor had gone completely as we were towed back to our mooring in Kalamis. But hey, there is always a next day. The following morning the high pressure, causing these beautifull sunny autumn days had settled even more comfortably over Istanbul, so ?.no wind. The marina offered to tow us all the way to Tuzla, and I accepted. So the last miles Sylphe was crippled home. Towards her restauration and beauty-facelift. It was as if she was reluctant to go, (but now I am getting too sentimental.) I used the 3 hours of the tow to get all kinds of stuff on deck, which I wanted to take off the boat. There was some stuff that I had not seen again, since we stowed it away in France. The wintercover, the mastcover, several sails, etc. I will have to think, whether I will want to take all this onboard again, next year.

The works on Sylphe will take place in a workshop in Tuzla, although on the waterfront, there is no facilty to take her out of the water there. So, she has to be lifted out on one yard, put on a truck, transported over the road and than put in her final place. Not your average lifting-out-of-a-boat operation. The boat was docked in Tuzla on the shipyard with cranefacilities. Next to two navy boats in the process of being equipped with their electronincs. In two hours we filled the dock with material that had to be taken to the appartment and emptied Sylphe. I am glad we rented a three bedroom appartment as two rooms are filled with Sylphe-stuff already. Sails, lifevests, ropes, outboardengine, etc are filling rooms and completing our furniture (or lack of that). The next day we took off the mainsail, the boom and than finally the mast. A little frightning experience. The bloody bastard, although hollow, is heavier than I thought. And the crane that we hired to lift it, had some difficulties. At one stage I thought the crane was bending through so much, it would break, but it didn‚t. The mast landed safely on the shore. The first time I was able to measure the actual lenght. It is 23.5 metres long in total, quite impressive, if you see it lying on the ground. By now Sylphe was 10 centimeters higher on the water, as all that weight had been taken off. It was time for Sylphe to go on land. My previous experience in Athens, with a crane that broke down, made me nervous for this moment. On top of that, somehow it does not feel natural for Sylphe to be on land. A nerve wrecking day started, that did not finish in the right way. (I just read an article of a new boat being launched and the owner nervously pacing up and down during this process. The boatyard people mentioning that they prefer the owners not to be present during this process. I know how it feels now. But I still want to be present. No mattter how many heartattacks, sweat, cursing, fighting is involved.)

From the shipyard, where she is taken out of the water, to the place where the actual restauration will take place is 1.5 km over land. How to get her on a truck? Prevent her from tipping over during the transport? For this we decided to have a special crate made out of steel. An enormous metal framework with legs going up for her sideways support. She would stay in this crate during the works this winter, as well. So the drawings of the boat had been given to a company to make the custom-crate some weeks ago. When they delivered the crate, it was obvious that this was not what we had meant. And Sylphe would probably never fit in, but no way back anymore. Sylphe was lifted out of the water (this time without sweat) and positioned over the crate, there was no way, that this would fit. The supports where in the wrong places. 12 people shouting, one saying this, the other that, and I could not understand a single word. The fighting continued for another half hour and nobody seemed to listen to me. Sylphe, with her shape and weight, should rest on her keel, and the side supports are only there to prevent her from falling over. But the sidesupports are not intended to take any weight. (You would simply crash the whole hull). So finally the decision was taken to take the crate back to the metalworkshop, change the supports and do it again. This was Friday afternoon late. Thank god, in Turkey they work saturdays and sundays. I spend the weekend in this workshop, overseeing the changes. By Sunday-afternoon the alterations to the crate were finished and the crate brought back to the yard. All this time Sylphe had been hanging in the crane, with two logs of wood under her keel.

On monday morning everyone was back in place and ready to lift her into her crate again. This time she fitted perfectly. She now rested in a custom-made bed. Quite happy, I guess.

Wednesay was D-Day. The Convoy Exceptional to be prepared, crate+sylphe on a truck, 1.5 km over road, to be lifted off the truck and than pushed/lifted into her final destination. With my previous experiences something I was definately not looking forward too, but no choice anymore. At 8 in the morning a monstrous crane and flatbed-truck arrived. By ten o‚clock she was on the truck, amazingly. The crate was lifted without major problems on the truck. It had cracked in three different places, so this would have to be repaired before we took her off the truck again. But now, first, we had a nice convoy over the road. Six cars accompaning the truck. Taking up the whole width of the road and thus blocking all traffic for some time. We drove with an average of 5 km per hour. Some electricity cables over the road, almost caused problems, but we passed with a 10 cm space left in between. It was a spectaculair sight. Upon arrival in front of the workshop, the welders went back to work, fixing and reinforcing the crate, before lift-off. 2 hours later we lifted her off the truck and manouvered Sylphe in front of the entry of the workshop. What everybody had neglected ˆ a small threshold-doorstep of 15 cm highˆ became now he biggest obstacle. We had to find a way of smoothly lifting her over this one, without all the weight being on one point. This went not right. Sylphe rocked and rolled in her crate as we tried to move her along. It was not long before things went wrong. One of the major supports broke, Sylphe tumbled down some 15 cm with her bow, thus crushing the hull on the port-bow section. Damage 1. Again the welders and the carpenters started making temporary supports. By this time I had lost my nerve. I went home.

Three hours later, upon return, they were ready to try it again. The idea was to get strong metal rollers under the crate and simply roll her into the workshop. However, crate and Sylphe way some 30 tons. So what seemed an easy operation took till late in the evening. More trucks and lifts being used. Enormous steel cables, electric winches that gave up, more people and more opinions, etc, etc. All that time, I sat on a high spot in the workshop, overseeing all activity. I smoked ?..and smoked more cigarettes.

The mast was still lying on the other shipyard. So that was also lifted on the big truck, once Sylphe was off, and they brought that one as well, breaking one spreader in the process. Damage 2. All this time we were blocking most of the road-entry to the workshops further down the road. Big crane, small crane, flatbed truck, etc, etc. We became the popular new guys on the block. By 9 in the evening Sylphe‚s bowsprit finally passed the main door and was inside. The last operation was to lift the mast and fit it next to Sylphe. Yet another crane needed to manouver the mast in the small space next to Sylphe, but that one now also rests in peace on wooden supports.

All in all, it was a long day. Nerve-rattling. A nightmare experience, which will have to be repeated in 5 months time. But than without damage or a single scratch. Sylphe is high and dry. In one day she became the tourist attraction of Tuzla and most of the other workshop people came to have a look. As a sailboat in Tuzla is something new here. For now, the real work can start.

On Monday we start stripping Sylphe, taking electronics off, watersystems, engine, interior and all paint (inside and outside). The supercarpenter (Bulent) will come again and inspect the wood. Than it will become obvious how much will have to be replaced. An initial inspection made him happy, as he found solid teak in the main keel construction. A glorious discovery. And setting some hope in my mind.

In the mean time, we are ordering engine, electronics and electric parts, deciding on lamps, colours, cherry or teak for the interior, winches, etc, etc. A large part of these supplies will have to come from Europe with delivery times and VAT hassle to deal with. It will keep me busy.

Marit has headed back to Europe. Interview in Brussels for a job with ECHO again. Bangladesh region. At least it will be warmer than here in Turkey.The next time she will see Sylphe, it will be a different boat. Probably unrecognizable. The e-mail and the digital photocamera wil enable her to stay in touch with the progress of the works here in Tuzla. See attached photo of Sylphe in her crate, as an example

Keep you posted

Love roland

PS In the dutch sailing magazine „Zeilen" (dec issue) there is double-page colour photo of Dolphins taken of the bow of Sylphe. Compliments to Jeanine and this prize-winning photo.