We took a week to return Rosa from a canal boat to a sailing boat again. Sounds like a lot of time but there is a surprising amount to be done. There are obvious big tasks to be done such as re-masting and putting the sails back on but there are also a host of smaller ones. Food and other storage has to be re-done so that things done fall off or out when we’re sailing. Extra fenders, side blankets etc. have to be cleaned, deflated and stowed or flogged. Navicartes have to be replaced with Pilot books and charts. After 300 hours, the engine needs a good service, and so on, and so on.
We finally set off at from Port Napoleon at 10.00 on Thursday morning. The weather was hot, humid, cloudless and wind-less. We had to thread our way through over 20 huge ships in the Gulf of Fos. Fortunately, they were all at anchor. However this is surprisingly hard to tell in the Med as with no tidal currents, they lie any old way. Our new AIS system was helpful in confirming that the ones we had to go close to were indeed doing zero knots.
As we neared the mouth of the Gulf of Fos to turn East towards Marseille, a bank of fog rolled in and we were out of sight of land. Vis was still about a mile so the few sailing boats about presented no hazards. The AIS soon picked up two invisible ships moving through the murk one of them coming quite close to us. It was very disconcerting to know it was there but to be completely unable to see it! Eventually, it loomed out of the mist safely behind us.
The wind started to pick up slightly so we put the sails up and stopped the engine. It was only then that we heard the foghorns on both ships – just shows the importance of turning off noisemakers and using ears in fog.
The wind soon blew away the mist and we sailed along the coast with Marseille gradually getting clearer ahead. It really is very spectacular – set in high hills with its church on a high peak with a golden statue on top.
Rod Heikell’s pilot did its usual great job of getting us in. We had called ahead to SNM – a yacht club that manages some of the pontoons in the Old Harbour and they had reserved a space. There were excellent facilities – water (rather low pressure) and elec at each berth plus showers, toilets and pump-out at the floating club house. They have WiFi but it is very limited range and we could only pick it up inside the club house. It might have been possible to see it from a close-in berth but we didn’t try.
I dithered about what to do next – to L’s annoyance. First I thought we would spend just the night, then changed my mind to a few days and then changed my mind again to go to Port Miou. We did a bit of shopping mostly Chandleries and a bricolage (hardware store).
We then went round Abbey St. Vincent. Very impressive – huge early gothic but with only a few tiny windows set up high. Without lighting it must have been permanently dark. The church is built upon a much older one which is still underneath it as a crypt. Building started in 390AD and was itself built on an earlier pagan site.
We finally left at 1400. There was 20 – 24 Knots of wind so we put 2 reefs in as we were afraid of much larger gusts. It soon became clear that we had started during a prolonged gust and the base wind was around 15 knots on the nose. We shook the reef out and tacked to the Eastern edge of the bay. By now it was after 16.00 so we reluctantly put the motor on and arrived at 1800. The scenery is really spectacular – huge white limestone cliffs falling straight into the dark blue sea pierced occasionally by deep Calnques. The pilot led us to expect to anchor and take a line ashore at Port Miou but in the event there are now laid mooring buoys and a launch to take your line to the cliff and then collect €19.00. Bit of a bummer really.
Port Miou is a calanque - a deep water-filled ravine in the cliffs. Very spectacular but the water is seriously cold. We took the Dinghy to the end expecting to find a bar or restaurant – but there was absolutely nothing other than hundreds of boats moored each side. A kind French neighbour in a cat was going home and returning next morning and he brought us croissants and fresh bread the next day.
We decided to anchor for the next night – avoiding paying. That’s easier said than done round here where mostly the cliffs fall sheer into 50 Meters of water. The few places that have bays tend to be either completely sewn up with laid moorings owned by men with their hands out or are reseved for swimmers or are so exposed to the wind and sea that they aren’t safe for overnight use. In the end we settled on an area called the Rade de Brusc which is a nice 30Km sail from Port Miou and sheltered from the forecast South to West winds.
The scenery is if anything even more spectacular.
The cliffs are even higher and deep red. Further along, they are lower but deeply pitted and eroded into fantastic shapes.
There are two places where in Rade du Brusc where anchoring is possible – East and West of the port entrance. We tried the Eastern one first as there were only a very few boats there but despite trying four times, we couldn’t get the anchor to set properly. In the end we pushed off to the much more crowded Western areu underneath a small island – and set first time. I guess we found out the reason for the crowdsL
Overnight the wind built up to a good force 6 which made for a slightly disturbed night. It’s amazing how the rocking of the boat lulls you off to sleep – and how the slightest noise has me leaping out of bed thinking the anchor is dragging. L finds it very wearling!
The morning forecast promised force 7 with severe gusts by midday so we up sticks and set off for Toulon. As soon as we rounded the island, we had to push through a strong head wind (6 gusting 7) and heavy seas for a couple of Km. Then we turned the corner and ran before it under Jib alone doing 7Knots over the ground when surfing down waves. Rather fun actually. By the time we reached the entrance to the Rade de Toulon and turned back west again, the force 7 had arrived and I was very fearful about how we were going to moor. We called ahead and they came out in a Rib to guide us in. It’s really surprising how much shelter a forest of masts and a few buildings makes. In the event, it was a doddle to moor.
I had expected to have to stay with the boat while L went back to the UK to help with our new Grandaughter – but to my surprise, they had no problem with me leaving the boat for a month – although we had to pay €734.00 for the privilege. Toulon Vielle Port is a good deal less attractive than I had hoped. It’s surrounded by modern concrete blocks with restuarants on the ground floor – some of which offer Karaoke. There is no possibility of an Internet connection on the boat and the showers and toilets are miles away and not fit for a pig. Pretty naff really for that price! With hindsight, we would have been better staying in Marseille.
So now it’s off to UK and a break from Blogging. All will be resumed when we return on 12 August.
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