S2.1 - Getting Ready for Season 2…Prepping for Splash and Sea Trials
Over-Prepared or Just Right?
March 5: With eight bags packed and ready to go, we were more than prepared for our next adventure. Our friends teased us for being "overly organized," but hey, better safe than sorry, right? A huge thanks to Lance and Natasha for the airport drop-off—always nice to have an escort! At the airport, we became “those people” with an army of bags, but fortunately, the check-in staff worked their magic, and we were off with minimal hassle.
March 5th - Phoenix Sky Harbor - Terminal 3. Here we go again!
Despite a couple of flight delays in Salt Lake City and Paris, we had an uneventful journey and finally touched down in Athens, Greece.
A Familiar Stranger: Stepping Back on Lucky Enough
Back at the marina, stepping onto Lucky Enough felt surreal.
Back at Lavrion Marina
It was a bit like returning to our Scottsdale condo last fall—familiar but not quite home. That feeling quickly faded as we began unpacking the belongings we’d so carefully stowed away four months prior, and adding the very important items we brought back with us in those orange bags!
The BEST Beef Jerky!
Ryan had already been back to the boat in December to oversee maintenance and upgrades, which had transformed Lucky Enough into an even more dialed-in sailing vessel for Season 2.
We stayed at a fantastic Airbnb in Lavrio, near the marina, which we highly recommend. It was modern, clean, and spacious—a perfect temporary base for our preparations. If you need details, just ask!
The Sticky Note Master Plan
For the next week, it was all hands on deck (literally). We clocked long hours prepping for splash day, and yes, the sticky notes came out again! Here's just a taste of what we had to tackle:
Unpack and organize clothes
Prep kitchen essentials
Screw, nut, and bolt kits: check!
Fly drones (because why not?)
Tighten TV mounts and fix the bilge pump filter
Test the passerelle
Organize the forepeak and first aid kits
Adjust trash can space (trust me, it matters)
And so much more...
Torsten flew in from Germany on the 11th. Once again, his years of experience, assistance, good humor and hard work proved to be truly invaluable. Since this was our first splash after a haul-out with major maintenance, we will be forever grateful to him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to come help us out.
As you can see, we added even more sticky notes to the list—just in time for our sea trials.
Can you guess which sticky note our German friend added?! LOL
Fun Fact: Did you know it’s illegal to drive in flip-flops in Greece? Yup, learned that one the fun way!
Splash Day Drama: March 12
Splash day arrived, and we were thrilled to move back onto the boat. We were so excited that we accidentally locked ourselves out of our Airbnb! Luckily, the owners were quick to rescue us, and we still managed to start the day early.
Waiting for Travel Lift to hoist us back into the water.
Watching Lucky Enough being hoisted by the travel lift was quite the sight—our 23,910 kg home (fully fueled, minus food, wine and sails) was lifted as if it were light as a feather.
With fingers crossed that the new bow thruster and lights wouldn’t leak, we were gently set back in the water. Thankfully, all was well, and we motored back to our slip.
Ryan was eager to test the new bow thruster, but of course, it stopped working just as we needed it most. Oh, the joys of boating! On top of that, the generator only worked on manual start, so mechanics, plumbers, and electricians were called in for more fixes. Communicating in Greek with the local contractors added an extra layer of complexity—Google Translate wasn’t much help!
Oh, and guess who drew first blood on deck? That would be me. A skinned foot courtesy of our stern line. Ouch!
First Blood on Deck of Season 2!
Ryan and Torsten's initial thoughts as we are finally floating and secured to the dock. PS: I accidentally pressed the stop record button when I turned the video to me. LOL Yup.. I'm a rookie!
First Sail of the Season: March 18
After a solid night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, it was finally time for the first sail of the season. But, of course, not without fixing the water maker's low-pressure pump first. There’s always something!
With everything on the pre-launch checklist double-checked (all hatches and portholes closed, TV locked in, fenders in position, etc…), we called Olympic Marina for assistance and were off.
Once out of the marina, we raised the main sail and Genoa, cut the engines, and enjoyed a smooth sail at 6.2 knots with 10.6 knots of wind. Ryan had to head below deck to fix the depth finder and speed sensor, but other than that, it was smooth sailing (pun intended).
We anchored briefly at the Island of Kea, soaking up the sun and admiring the Ancient Theater of Carthaea. We spent just enough time there to remind ourselves how much we longed to be back on the sea before heading back to the marina to attend to a few more issues on board.
Ancient Theater of Carthage on Island of Kea, Greece
Wrapping Up for Now
Despite a few hiccups—broken bow thruster, skinned foot, and under water lights drama—it felt amazing to be floating again. We are specifically thrilled that we can now run our A/C on batteries. Special thanks to the electrical wizard, Miguel with AMZ for all of his hard work.
This season, we’re proudly flying the Canadian flag! It’s a new look for Lucky Enough, and we couldn’t be more excited to show off our true north pride as we sail the seas.
Stay tuned for more updates from Lucky Enough.