| Nobody likes to run into problems whilst
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| | yacht is not functioning and nobody has
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| on holiday, but the very nature of a
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| | turned up. Now is the time to start
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| yacht charter holiday does demand that
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| | believing in "God's Will". At around 11
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| you have to cope with the sea - which is
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| | o'clock a smiling Vangelis arrives with
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| always unpredictable (hence "sea" being
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| | your pump - fully functional. He sets to
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| of the feminine gender) - and a vessel,
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| | work probably realising that the look in
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| which consists of thousands of parts and
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| | your eye is not indicative of your good
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| bits of equipment, (electrics,
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| | temper and feelings towards him. Thus,
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| electronics, mechanical items, sails,
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| | after an unusually reasonable period of
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| etc) all of which should work together,
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| | time, with the saloon cushions sporting
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| and in unison. You can ignore all the
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| | another layer of grease and oil, with
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| promises that nothing will go wrong - it
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| | engine testing and cleaning carried out,
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| might just do that.
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| | your boat is READY. However, it is now 5
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| Add to that the fact that you have chosen
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| | p.m and too late to set sail for your
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| an idyllic setting for your holiday -
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| | next port of call, so your departure has
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| "away from it all" - for example the
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| | to be put off until tomorrow morning.
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| Ionian Islands in Greece (the Caribbean,
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| | The morning of Day 6 dawns - and you are
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| Turkey, or any other exotic location
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| | ready to sail, BUT a minor detail now
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| would be similar), where you can not
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| | crosses your mind - the only destination
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| expect the natives to be as trained and
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| | open to you is back to your original
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| proficient as those in the Hamble. A
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| | departure Port or Marina as you only had
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| recent TV commercial for a Jamaican rum
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| | a week's holiday, your flight home
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| shows the very situation.
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| | departs tomorrow morning early, and you
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| Let us look at an example - how you
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| | need to be back in that port that evening
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| should react - how you should carry out
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| | !!
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| the necessary damage limitation steps -
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| | What an we learn from this story? However
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| and tips as to how you can smooth out the
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| | reputable the yacht owner/agency, however
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| resulting aggravation.
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| | new the yacht and its equipment, however
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| Let's say you have chartered a yacht in
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| | well maintained, however careful you may
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| the Ionian Sea, in Greece, for a week.
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| | be - this sort of thing can happen to
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| Everything starts off well - until the
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| | anyone, anywhere. Just change the names
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| morning of Day 3, when you are in Ithaca
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| | and places and a similar problem can
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| and THE ENGINE WILL NOT START. After a
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| | arise. Don't forget also that you can be
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| few vain attempts at sourcing the cause
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| | gale-bound in harbour for days on end.
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| of the malfunction you call the contact
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| | Can you protect yourself against such a
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| number given to you for such
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| | happening, and what should you do when it
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| eventualities, and a polite individual
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| | arises?
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| listens to your problem and says; "Don't
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| | The answer to the first question is NO,
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| worry, Mr Jones, somebody will come very
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| | and the suggested reaction to the second
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| soon and look at your engine". What they
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| | is: - relax (difficult though this may at
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| will, or should, do is to contact their
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| | first seem); be patient; try to
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| man on the spot. Soon Vangelis arrives,
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| | understand the elements of human nature
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| spends a couple of hours with his head
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| | which will be displayed by all around you
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| buried in the engine compartment, covers
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| | - your crew and the "outsiders".
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| all your saloon cushions with oil and
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| | You could react like the skipper in our
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| grease, and emerges triumphantly holding
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| | story and make endless irate phone calls
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| the fuel pump which he says is the cause
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| | to everyone you can think of or, as we
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| of the problem. He states that he will
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| | suggest, you can accept the facts as they
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| take the pump back to his workshop and
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| | are - the problem has arisen.
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| repair it.
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| | 1. Try and make the best of a bad job.
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| "How long this repair will take,
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| | Explore the locale where you are
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| Vangelis?" You ask.
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| | "marooned". Make short trips by
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| "Hmm, about a couple of hours" is his
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| | water-taxi, taxi, hire-car, on foot or by
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| reply.
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| | local ferries and keep your crew amused
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| Away he goes, with your pump, and as it
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| | and remaining in holiday mood, i.e.
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| is already noon on Day 3 of your holiday,
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| | shopping, sightseeing, swimming, enjoying
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| you decide to go and have lunch and then
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| | special lunches and dinners, etc.
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| wait for the return of Vangelis. But,
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| | 2. Remember, you will certainly be
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| there is no sign of Vangelis, or your
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| | compensated by your charter agent/owner
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| pump, and much later, as the sun is going
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| | for the lost sailing days, provided you
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| down Vangelis's assistant arrives with
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| | take a few simple steps to ensure that
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| the wonderful news that your pump can not
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| | your claim will be met.
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| be repaired on Ithaca and that it has to
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| | 3. Contact your charter company
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| go, by ferry, to Patras, where there is a
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| | immediately, PREFERABLY IN WRITING, if it
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| pump specialist, and that it will be
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| | is at all possible, e.g. by fax or
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| returned the next day on the ferry.
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| | e-mail, and inform them of what has
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| Whilst this part of the saga is unfolding
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| | happened and that you will contact them
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| your blood pressure has gone sky-high.
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| | again. Give them a telephone or fax
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| You have also made three more phone calls
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| | number where you can be contacted.
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| to the local contact and two back to the
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| | 4. NEVER LEAVE THE VESSEL UNATTENDED OR
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| UK to your yacht charter agency, with
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| | OUT OF SIGHT - Vangelis would love you to
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| whom you booked the charter in the first
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| | give him an excuse or "cover story" for
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| place.
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| | not having come back to the boat when
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| WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW was that Vangelis
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| | promised.
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| failed to tell you that - since it was
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| | 5. Be understanding of Vangelis's
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| noon, he would first have to go for his
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| | problems - he will do his best if you are
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| lunch, then his siesta, then his cup of
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| | polite and patient. Tip his assistant -
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| coffee THEN he would have a look at the
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| | that will work wonders.
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| pump. For him, this is normal behaviour
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| | 6. When all is well again and the boat is
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| as working in siesta time is "out of the
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| | repaired - contact your agent again, by
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| question" in a place like Ithaca. After
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| | fax or e-mail preferably, tell him that
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| all, you asked him how long it would take
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| | all is well and tell him that a FORMAL
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| to repair the pump - NOT when he would
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| | CLAIM for compensation for loss of
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| come back. He didn't lie - it took him
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| | holiday will be forthcoming.
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| the forecast two hours to find out that
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| | 7. When you finally return home make the
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| he couldn't fix your pump.
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| | formal claim, in writing, detailing the
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| So, here you are, on the morning of Day4
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| | minutes details of the saga as it
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| of your holiday, with a vessel broken
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| | unfolded - what happened, the actions you
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| down, waiting for Vangelis to arrive.
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| | took, the reactions of the local agent
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| Imagine the state of your blood pressure
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| | and his employed contacts.
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| when noon arrives and no sign of
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| | Make sure you have all the paperwork
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| Vangelis. It is not until late that
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| | involved, especially the contract
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| afternoon that a smiling local arrives
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| | documents- do not leave them on the boat!
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| and invites you to come and join the
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| | A sensible thing to have done would have
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| local Saint's Day celebrations. To work
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| | been to look back in the Ship's Log Book
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| during siesta time is against local
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| | (if there is any), to see if previous
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| customs BUT to work on the local Saint's
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| | charterers had run into similar problems.
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| Day is a crime against humanity. Not only
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| | If an accident was part of the cause of
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| does Vangelis not work on a Saint's Day
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| | the problem make sure that other people
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| but he does not think it appropriate to
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| | who may have been involved are brought
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| inform "infidels" of the simple facts of
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| | into the act, and statements are taken
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| life. For him it is a day to celebrate
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| | for witnesses.
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| and anyone who doesn't realise that
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| | We can not really advise you as to
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| should be dead.
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| | whether, or not, you will accept any
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| You have, by now, made another ten phone
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| | offered compensation - whether it be cash
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| calls to your yacht charter agent and to
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| | or substitute holidays - THAT CHOICE IS
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| the local contact, as has the charter
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| | YOURS. Only you know how you and your
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| agency BUT Vangelis doesn't answer the
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| | crew felt about the happenings, whether
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| phone on a Saint's Day. The only thing
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| | you made the best of a bad job at the
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| you can do is to grin and bear it and
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| | time, whether everyone did their best to
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| join in the festivities. Taking more
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| | mitigate your losses and disappointments,
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| blood pressure pills or blowing up the
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| | and whether the offered compensation is
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| village square will not enamour you to
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| | adequate.
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| the locals, or get your boat fixed - it
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| | Whether you accept cash or a replacement
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| won't help you a lot, either.
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| | holiday will probably depend on how much
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| Now it is the morning of Day 5. Still the
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| | holiday time you and your crew have left.
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