The glamour of it all

For the last couple of weeks we’ve been in hanging out with the stylish and sophisticated crowd on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.  I write this while anchored off the south of Capri, the place to be seen since Augustus starting hanging out here 2000 years ago (yes we’re doing ancient Roman history for school!); we’re in the company of more than 30 superyachts (at least 1 member of our crew is fascinated and has counted them all), and for several of our near neighbours their preferred method of getting on and off the boat is by helicopter rather than dinghy.

Helicopters, waterslides, RIBs - daily life on the Amalfi coast

But despite being in close proximity to this lifestyle our life is a world apart.  Firstly, we’re in south Capri because it’s one of the few places on the coast one can anchor for free rather than paying an extortionate amount to go into a marina. Secondly, (and much to Scarlett’s disappointment) we don’t have RIBs, jet skis, water slides, helicopters, massive outdoor cinemas or even underwater neon lights.  But most of all, the work required to keep our home, Pacific Pearl, happy and functioning takes no notice of surroundings.

No bad smells are going to get in the way of a game of Connect 4

Today is a great case in point.  Leaving a rolly anchorage just east of Amalfi this morning we couldn’t help but notice a distinctly wiffy smell in the air - after much sniffing of various cabins, crew members and different parts of the boat we discovered our holding tank, which holds all the poo, was not only full, but blocked.  This is the sort of issue that fills every sailor with dread - there’s no handy plumber nearby to come and sort out the issue for you - it’s tools, buckets and a brave and determined deposition that gets you through it.  After much debate, prodding, grimacing and discussion of dire next steps we finally released the blockage with a last ditch “increase the pressure until it blows out” approach. Phew!  (And yes we were well offshore away from land when we did this!)

Our day of plumbing wasn’t over though.  Now anchored in Capri and fishing around in the fridge for a well-earned lunchtime beer I hear both the water pump and the bilge pump both on (the first pumps fresh water to our taps, the second pumps any water that accumulates inside the bottom of the boat - which hopefully never happens).  Cue more searching for leaks - this time involving taking up floorboards, emptying lockers, and different kind of mild panic. Finally we found the issue - a loose hose deep inside a locker at the back of the boat.  The fix then involved emptying out the complete contents of the locker, Genevieve squeezing into it (I’m too big) and then working out how to fix and strengthen the connection, all the while sweating in the midday sun.  And all around us the glamorous of Capri buzzed by sunbathing, snorkelling and posing.

We’ve more jobs to do and the list grows daily.  In the 6 weeks I’ve been on board there’s been only 1-2 days when I’ve not at some stage delved into my toolbox. I’ve heard people liken cruising to maintenance in glamorous places and as expected we're finding there is truth in that.  But both Genevieve and I are enjoying getting stuck into maintenance and getting our hands dirty.  Just not that dirty.   And as we sit this evening reflecting on a couple of jobs well done, I bet there's no-one in the vicinity enjoying their aperitivi as much as we are.

Marina Piccola, Capri