Photos and update to Marseille

Photo below is just after launching in Gruissan with new bow beam and netting and the passarelle for getting ashore (a ladder with a plank on it and wheels at the dock end).

Gruissan with new bow beam, netting and passarelle

After Gruissan, where we had 3 days at anchor in the outer harbour waiting for the window to improve, we had a fast reach to Sete where we visited a fabulous impressionist exibition at the the Paul Valerie museum.

on visitors pontoon in Sete Marina

Bit of a squeeze getting in and out of the Marina and a lot of wash from fishing boats but a very pleasant town to stop in with fantastically fresh fish available.

From Sete we wanted to go direct to Marseille but the wind was on the nose so we ended up in Sainte Maries, a very pleasant old fishing village in the Camargue.  Very flat wetlands all around which is not our cup of tea so one bike ride was enough and we left as soon as the wind served.  For once we were not the most unusual boat in the harbour as a proa arrived whilst we were there.

Camargue flamingos

After some initial motoring we had a spinnaker reach from Saint Maires in the Camargue to Marsellie which was fabulous.  The weather is still unsettled (that means high liklihood of strong winds) so we are still in Marseille being tourists which we are enjoying a lot.

We are back in the water and have left Gruissan after sitting out strong winds for 3 days at anchor in the lagoon.  We visted Sete which we liked a lot; a fishing port full of canals in which we discovered a fabric shop shop where we got some material for a light weight awning. Currently we are in Saint Maries in the Camargue and contemplating where to go next.

Getting ready to go off again

We aim to be off sailing again as soon as possible after Helen finishes work in July.  We went down to the boat in April to get her ready and to fit proper bow and stern netting to make it easier in the Med for bow and stern too moorings (something that would not have figured much in our original plans).  No definite plans yet on where we will go but the basic options are Greece or Spain via the Balearics (we are told there are plenty of anchorages in the Balearics).

Picture above is of the new netting beam and netting in the bow.  Unfortunately the roller reefing is in a direct line between the existing anchor roller and a putative roller on the netting beam so we are going to make a removable flap in the netting to allow the anchor to be deployed from the existing roller and see how we get on.

Quick update

We are still ashore.  A trip to the boat coincided with gales so no sailing; however, we had a car with us and had a memorable trip into the Pyrenees staying at a lovely village called Cucugnon (if I have spelt it correctly) close to 2 of the old Cathar forts.

To curb our sailing withdrawal symptoms we have now acquired a low maintenance sailing dinghy to use until we get back to sailing Mango.

Going through the tricky bits

No photos of going up a lock or through a really narrow bridge as we were always too busy. Below are photos of going into a downhill lock and the Libron sluice which is a similar width to the lock entrances.

Some pics from recent weeks

Lock on staircase near Bezier filling

Looking toward the Pyrenees after leaving Agde

Getting ready to leave Agde

Our first view of the Mediterranean

Motoring down the Herault passed Agde to get the mast raised

Typical view on the canals

Laid up for the winter, note the anchoring!

Out of the water

In a strong and increasing wind Mango was taken out of the water today.
The wind made it more tricky that it would have been as we had to
extricate ourselves from a tight berth in the process of which the bows
got blown off in the opposite direction to that which we needed to go so
we had to turn her round; but all went well and the yard did a very
professional job of getting us out of the water and on to the hard standing.
This is the 3rd southerly gale we have had since arriving in Gruissan
and like the others it looks as if it will last a couple of days. The
forecast said rain but fortunately it has not materialised as when it
rained a couple of days ago did so torrentially for 2 days. The
southerly gales seem to be related to high pressures in the Med and low
pressures crossing the atlantic rather than, as we are used to in the
UK, a low pressure system crossing us.
As a safeguard against her being moved by the gales Mango is tied down
to a huge concrete block plus some 5 and 10 ltr containers filled with
water. We have scrubbed off the hulls and found where the antifouling
got rubbed off whilst we were going through the canals. Other than the
antifouling the only damage from going through the canals is some
scrapes on the gunnels and bows so we are feeling quite pleased with
ourselves.
The air tempreature is still high so with the wind everything we wash is
drying off really quickly. When ever we feel fed up with the wind we
only have to think what it has often been like in the UK even in the
summer: windy wet and cold.
Our cruising is now on hold until next year.