Arrondissement d'Istres

Today is our 5th day on the boat and all is proceeding well with only minor hiccups and a few 🤬!
On day one after the boat went into the water, we got the engine going (tempoarily), the dodger and bimini up, the solar panels in and powering up and the living quarters emptied of sails and organized. The engine overheated which required Bob to don his diesel mechanic hat to repair, to no avail.
Day 2: The Volvo mechanic came, blew into the in/outtake tubes, added some grease, et voilà, success! 10 minutes and €€! Bob had done the correct repairs, he just didn't know the tricks of the trade in spite of having a lot of hot air!😁🤪
Bob worked on the mast, putting it together and sorting stays and lines while I was the swabbie, cook and general gofer.
Day 3: More of the same.
Day 4: Mast on! Stays attached and tightened so the mast won't fall over 😬 👍.
Today the boom, and the lines are on but we do not dare to add the sails or we may take flight!
The weather has been sunny with temp. from 5C at night to 22C but the wind!😯🤯💨💨💨 It blows 22-50 kms! Today we've reached +55 kms! I've told Bob we'll be staying at the dock until the wind slows down. Peut-être un mois???! Fortunately there are no waves although we woke up one morning at 0300 hrs. being tossed and turned. We leapt out of bed to rescue parts topside before they rolled into the sea!
The 6km (round trip) by 🚲 to the grocery store is a challenge due to the wind but easy returning as the wind carries us home!
Electricity is at a premium so only items under 500W can be plugged in. I figured out our heater worked after suffering a couple of nights/mornings and a cold 🚽 seat! 🥶 Sadly, the hairblower wattage is too much so I am back to my Medusa-like coiffure and Bob looks like he's been electrocuted!
Bob the Barista has been re-employed under the threat of mutiny or keel-hauling, depending on the hierarchy of the day!
We've met some lovely people, U.K., Swiss, Dutch and French. We enjoyed drinks at the yacht club and were questioned whether we were true sailors after stopping at 1 🍺 (to their 5!)
The boatyard has a huge number (1000) of boats on land here in various states of seaworthiness, including 1 each from Quebec and Halifax! Catamarans seem to be the most common. The town has a harbour full of boats and there is another huge boatyard down the road. The town is typically French: shops close over lunch and on Sundays.
Experiencing today's terrifying wind, I'm beginning to wonder whether canal cruising and stopping at cafes/pubs is the life for me?!Les mer