Now where were we... ah yes Sete...

We need to go and pick our mast up in Port Napoleon now so get underway bright and early and enjoy our first bumpy trip to La Grande Motte.  It’s slightly un-nerving not having sails to fall back on if the engine has a problem; not sure how motor boaters stay relaxed!

You can see La Grande Motte from a long way off.  A unique place based on the pyramids of South America.  Apparently you either like or hate it… I loved it!  It’s really funky and well thought out.  Walking around it is a breeze, it has everything you need and there are plenty of open spaces.  Mind you it is a good job we enjoyed the place as we get stuck here for a couple of days due to wind that failed to appear and wind that did!  The marina is full (? Plenty of space as far as we could see but none for visitors) so we stayed on the accuiel (reception) pontoon which proved to be pretty nice and surprising well sheltered despite being out in the middle of the marina under the capitanaires office. 

French customs took the time to visit us while we were there (they were one boat over and at a loose end I think…).  All three were very polite, nicely turned out and well accessorised with batons and guns etc.  Bramble was most impressed and spent a lot of time trying to fire the lady’s pistol with her tongue and answering all the questions very loudly and clearly.  Good job the French are dog tolerant but still no one is interested in seeing that expensive dog passport!  They tell us that most of the boats in this area average 6 days a year use.  What a waste of boats… mind you if they all went out a once from this marina and the next one over there would be roughly 5000 boats on the loose!  Where would they all go???

As the wind drops off we head down the coast to Saint Marie del la Mer – supposed landing site of the three Mary’s (the biblical ones in case you were wondering) and now the meeting place of the gypsies sometime in May to honour the servant one of the Mary’s.  There is a very Spanish feel to the town and the bullring on the seafront adds to that overall flavour.  We don’t see many gypsies but I do manage to get accosted by one old dear… all in the name of being a dozy tourist I’ll have you know!  Not sure I would recommend the marina however as it is a bit rundown and in a southerly the waves wash over the quay… we move on as it’s due to blow SE…

The next day starts as a gentle easterly and rapidly becomes very unpleasant as it swings SE.  At one point our boom, which is strapped to the bow, starts to come unlashed and I have to go forward, in waist deep water at times, to secure it… and its cold water… very un-Medlike conditions.  Without the damping effect of sails it is really rolly ride and Bramble opts to spend the trip in the “chill-out” zone of the heads to avoid flying missiles.  Huge rollers run us into Port Napoleon past an unfortunately yacht stranded on the spit and into the relative quiet behind the sandbar.  We are outrun on the final stretch by a small cargo ship that seems to be taking on water.  Not a nice day on the water but at least Port Napoleon Marina is a haven of calm if a little windy.  They say it cuts up rough in this sea area and they are right! 

 

We have the usual jobs list to complete for spring maintenance as well as having the mast put back on and the gearbox fixed so it’s out of the water as soon as possible and may the games begin. 
1st port of call is the Volvo mechanic… a small wily chap, he proves about as difficult to pin down as an irate ferret being chased by a Jack Russell… I have tried this and it’s not easily done… over the course of the week he slowly drives us to distraction until we finally admit defeat and just go with the flow.  I have always been amazed at people that just can’t seem to admit they can’t do something in the time they said they could but I suppose at least his mechanics appear to have done a good job.  At the other end of the scale the Kiwi prop people manage a minor miracle and ship us three new blades overnight as the old ones have suffered excessive wear for some reason… can’t fault the service there.   Then it is just a matter of a few other minor jobs and slapping on some fresh antifouling.  The bottom stayed remarkably clean, a testament to constant movement and a mix of fresh and salt water over the year.  We strike lucky on the last day when a local boat maintenance man spots our two huge yellow fenders and offers to swap them for some new jib sheets… an absolutely fantastic deal.  Finally we a swung back in to the water and mast whipped on in a frenzy of efficiency.  Good to see CC back in working order and now it’s off to the Balearics for the summer!