Finally got through enough of my job lists to book the ferry back next Wednesday (23rd), sailing from Dunkerque at 0201. After spending three weeks of ten hour days doing all the minor jobs I’m pleased I didn’t buy a boat that was a project!
As the wind was a bit calmer today my neighbours Wilfred, Sabina & Don the minature shnauser on Wisa left on their journey East which means no more invites for dinner or homemade burgers being brought around. I just caught a glimpse of Don running past with his little life jacket on as I was in the shower this morning - which is a good thing as he fell in and had to be rescued yesterday. It’s strange how friendly neighbours on boats are - I still haven’t spoken to some in Nottingham after 7 months. The low wind also meant I was pestered for the first time (this time!) by the big fat mosquitos which Navy service seems to be famous for.
I finished blobing on the last gel coat at 1720 tonight ready for more sanding tomorrow and took my first walk around the boat yard to meet another German guy who came to see me the other day. We’re so lucky that our space at the bottom of the yard was taken and we were put where we are now instead, as it’s just a field next to some gas holders. In this prime spot as I type now - in bed - I can just see past our next door neighbour “La Bette Noir” thirty metres to the water . It’s only the channel that leads out into the med, but it’s nicer to watch the barges & ships going up & down than gas holders and mosquitos. Directly opposite me are five big cats. The owners drive underneath and use them as car ports. I wonder if any of them look back across at my push bike that’s just low enough to park under Janix?
I gave a lift into Port St Louis the other day to a couple of guys who had just delivered a 42ft motor boat from Lefkas - which is where we’re heading. As I was the taxi, they bought the food & drink but I only had the one beer as alcohol and driving on the wrong side don’t mix, even though I‘d been practising earlier in the day driving back from the chandlery with two 6m long stainless tubes on the roof. It was nice just to hear a proper Yorkshire accent for a change, but they also gave me some good advice on the routes to Greece. I got the tour of the boat when we got back. They said it was older and smaller than the stuff they usually deliver, but the master bedroom had an ensuite with bath! I saw it on the back of an English lorry today with the sun roof and radar arch cut off to fit under the bridges back to England.

Todays lesson

What I like about sailing is how you’re always learning. Last night I learned that if you drive to the Capitanerie and talk through your laptop for two hours without the engine running, the car battery will be flat. I also learned that the best place to keep the jump leads isn’t under the spare bunk when it has all the sails, tools, cushions & clothes on top of it and how difficult it is climbing down a ladder in 40kts of wind with a car battery under one arm and how it pays to always take the car keys with you to get into a locked car.

The wind died down to a nice gentle breeze today and I polished another side of the boat in the sun, and finally put the rudder back on.

Finally finished the rudder tonight, although by tomorrow the four coats of copper coat that I’ve just put on might be blasted back to fibreglass again as the winds a constant 40kts, gusting 62kts. It’s causing a sandstorm that’s making it difficult to do anything. Still it’s better than being in the water even though the boat (and the car) is shaking about just as much.
The mods that I made to the fridge seem to have worked as a tin I tried to get from the bottom this morning was stuck down with ice.
I took my first drive to the supermarket this morning to stock up with water, bread & chocolate as the bottled water ran out two days ago and the milkshakes running low. I’m sure the water was ok last year, but maybe it’s one of my three hose pipes that I’ve got connected together that’s causing a really bad taste this time?
The wind is supposed to end at 0300 tomorrow so hopefully back to polishing with a t shirt instead of a fleece & hat.

01.04.08

Decided on Saturday to sort out the small gel coat crack on the seam of the port rudder. It happened when we hit a barge on the canal. It looked easier to remove the whole thing to get at it. As the brackets came off that squeeze the rudder together, the two halves started to open up until there was a big gap. The grinder came out for the afternoon to make it even bigger and check the damage. Luckily as we’ve been out of the water for seven months, the inside was dry, so I brought it in to be warm and packed the hole solid with csm soaked in resin, then sanded it, then did it again to bring the surface flush with the existing, then applied a gel coat. On Monday it sat outside waiting to be sanded again but as it was raining I did inside jobs, fitting the new duct & fan on the fridge, connected the radar cables back together and cutting a gap in the fiddle on the table. The new hatch window that I fitted the other day passed its first driving rain leak test.
This morning was still grim outside so I fitted the Navtex which took until after dinner as it meant also sorting the gps & chart plotter that had never been secured properly since we bought the boat. I put the vhf on to see what was going on and followed two mayday calls with people struggling in the high wind which kept me entertained while I worked. The wind has been constant for the last few weeks, dropping for half an hour now & again and then going back to full force. Although it’s 27’C it’s still hat and fleece weather. It was at 30kts this morning which dried my washing in no time although I had to use all the pegs for about six things and is stronger now. As I type the boats shaking around on its wooden blocks. I went out this afternoon for more sanding and finished with another gel coat.

Back to France

I set off from Nottingham at 2010 on Wednesday and arrived at Dover at 0010. I parked next to the beach and after setting the alarm of 3 times, I got an hour of teeth chattering cold sleep. I drove to the port and waited at the front of the second line of cars for the ferry to finish unloading. Somehow I cut in front of the other line and ended up first on, which wasn’t a problem, but I didn’t really want to be first off as it’s easier following someone for a while when you start on the wrong side of the road.

I stood on deck at 0400 as we cast off and stayed until we passed the harbour wall then went inside to get warm. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a warm ferry so I shouldn’t have been surprised to be cold for the whole trip, even with my hat & fleece on. As we arrived at Dunkerque at 0700 French time, I went back to the car and quickly programmed the route from here to port st Louis into my laptop.

As I expected, I was first off, but the roads were quite good with just loads of roundabouts for the first bit. I drove for about 10 miles before becoming suspicious of the route and also needing the toilet as the one nearest me on the ferry was out of order. Between Nottingham and Dover the computer had told me the wrong direction a couple of times, but as I knew the way, I had just ignored it and pressed “recalculate route” and it found it’s way again. After 10 minutes in a laybye, the route seemed good and I set off again.

Not long after at the first toll road, signs for Reims 300km came up so I turned the laptop off and plugged in the coolbox (the fuse blew with both in) and drove on through the rain. I stopped for petrol and followed the signs for Lyon 600km! With 300 miles on the clock, the sun came out and the sunglasses went on. I thought that was the end of the cold weather. At about 1300ish I started to nod off so I pulled into a laybye and had one of my 6 pre-made sausage sandwiches and a pork pie and went to sleep for an hour. I didn’t know who or where I was for a minute when I woke up as there was thick snow everywhere - so much for the sun.

I was disappointed that I wouldn’t make it to Lyon before the rush hour, but filled up again and carried on. The scenery was better now so it was easier to stay awake as I got nearer to the Rhone valley and every time I crossed a canal , I’d try not to veer all over the road while looking along it to see if I recognised it. A few were familiar, but the only definite one was the marina in Reims that I drove straight past. At Lyon, I ignored the laptop, which had me heading for the centre, but I risked following the Marseille signs, and when I finally managed to get the mouse & the arrow & the re-calculate route button to line up a few miles later (difficult while driving bumper to bumper left handed & on the wrong side of the road), it seemed ok.

It was nice following the river Rhone and seeing some of the places we sailed past, but I was starting to feel really tired again and tried to concentrate on the last few hundred miles as it got dark. I hadn’t done my headlights as I thought I would be stopping at night time, but I seemed to be the one being dazzled by everyone else so I carried on.

Switching onto a new toll road, I missed a turning and ended up paying to get off, then driving around a town and getting back on again. This was the last one and only a short one, as I only got charged 1.5 euros.

The last section near Avignon and Arles wasn’t too good as I thought the computer was sending me around the long way, but I was too tired to stop, so just followed it. I arrived at Port st Louis, and took another 20mins to get to the boat yard as I didn’t have the exact address and couldn’t get my bearings in the dark (and with just 2 hours sleep in 24). Luckily just as I found it, the electric gates were opening as someone was leaving, so I slipped in at 1950 - 908miles - 23hours 40 minutes. The Carina was really nice to drive and was the best £205 I’ve ever invested in a car.

We left the boat totally clean, but with the windows slightly open to keep it smelling fresh. Everything now has a layer of thick black steelworks soot over it. I spent another cold night on the sofa as I was too tired to do the electric, but spent yesterday cleaning all day. The cream carpets are all a shade darker and even the engine is covered. Finally last night I got to sleep in a bed and didn’t get out until 1030 this morning.

Got the boom and mainsail back up today, and the rest of the day trying to work out how to fit the solar panels - but failed - at least I got a bit of a tan - try again tomorrow.

Leaving Do

Cheers lads, for my most extreme leaving do to date - luckily this one will be the last as I lost my shoes last night?

Back home

We came back at the begining of September to Nottingham, rented a house, bought a couple of cars and got jobs. Back to the boat again in April to start the next leg!