Elia Beach 🇬🇷 - Office by the Sea and a Broken Alternator
Sven Walther
A Noise from the Belt
The drive from the beach near Kastro starts with some background noise that we don’t like at all: somewhere around the belt there is a worrying squeal. The diagnosis is quick, and annoying: the tensioner of our second alternator has broken again.
Luckily we had the foresight to pack a spare tensioning rod. So we unload the cabin, tilt it forward and take a look. And then comes the bad news: it’s not just the tensioning rod that’s broken, a piece of the bracket has simply disappeared as well. Hooray!
The second alternator with a broken bracket
That puts the repair on hold until we can order replacement parts from Germany. Our plans for the next leg will probably need a little adjustment. The Mammothon certainly knows how to keep things interesting. As far as I’m concerned, it could do with a little less excitement in the maintenance department.
Cabin tilted, engine exposed
Welcome to the Office
Other overlanders told us about Elia Beach: a huge area right on the beach where camping is more or less tolerated. Sounds good! But before we set off, we first have to convince a snake that the tyre tread of our Mammothon is not a particularly good hiding place when 16 tonnes start moving.
A tyre tread is no hiding place
Then we stand on this incredible site: spread over several kilometres, an estimated hundred motorhomes and campers are parked somewhere between beach and nature. Most have found sensible spots, though a few are standing where they definitely don’t belong.
The Mammothon at Elia Beach
A pitch under pine trees
We stay for the working week first. So: welcome to my office! Between meetings and work we keep going into the sea, and the local food scene gets its share too. But what’s really incredible is the calm. Despite all the vehicles it is wonderfully relaxed here.
Lou in the evening
Riding into the sunset
Knocking-off time
And what infrastructure there is! Water taps, horse rides and even delivery services. Every morning a breakfast van comes by, at lunchtime there are fruit deliveries, and in the afternoon the next trader rolls across the site. You could almost forget that you’re in the middle of nature. Speaking of nature: even a praying mantis finds our office interesting and briefly makes itself comfortable on an arm.
Pizza delivery between the pine trees
A visitor at the office
The cat has the best seat in the restaurant
The Parts Arrive
On the side I take care of our little technical problem. UPS initially quotes seven to nine days for the spare parts. So we already arrange a campsite for the coming week to which we can have the delivery sent.
But then it turns out differently than expected: on Friday the parts are actually already here! So a quick detour to the campsite, collect the spare parts and back to the Mammothon. At dusk we start the installation.
Installation at dusk
The alternator is firmly in place again
And lo and behold: the repair works! Sometimes things do go better than planned on the road. And if you can spend the waiting time on a beach like this, patience comes a lot easier.
Lou is content