A boat with no engine and no water. 22 june

22 June 07
So we have been out of harbour for 2 days, day one was a long motor sail of 42.7 nautical miles which we did in about 6 hours, the wind was very light so we had to motor sail some of the way. I put out two fishing lines and all I caught was the other line which then spun themselves into such a knot that I had to cut it away. (Putting the bits in the bin for all you Eco warriors.) I then put out the one good line which jumped out of the water and caught the ensign. We then arrived at the recomended anchorage, which was a small fishing village/ harbour, so small in fact that their wasn't room to swing a sardine, so we popped around the corner to a lovely bay called Verdon which was overlooked by a Red and white light house.
A quick dinghy ride ashore for a swim and a beer,, or oringina for the kids, then a calm night, which was a bit of a supprise as we were the only boat there except for a few pedlos.
Next moring the famous five from the belle set off on a big adventure to walk along the rocks to the light house, luckily there were red and white painted signs on the rocks to show you the way. Imy thought the light house looked just like the one in Demons Rocks of th famous five.
Then we had a rather boistrous sail down to the Iles du Frioul,(about 2 miles South West of Marsellies) which is where the Count of Montecristo is meant to have been kept captive. Any way the wind was about 15-20 knots and was almost dead astern, we managed to keep the boat going at about 8.5 knots the whole way with a few burst of 10. The waves were about 5-7 feet high and the boat managed to surf down a good few, it was very hard not to head up ten degrees and get it going much faster but the Christopher Columbus in me made me stay on course.
Anyway we arrive at this Iles much quicker than expected ( when you out at sea you don't really see how fast you are going but the moment you get close to port or expecially land which has big rocks ready to crush you boat things happen very quickly) and get ready to anchor in this little cove, where it is still blowing 20 plus knots, for some reason we just can't get the hook to bight, may be because we are so high sided, then the starboard gear lever gives out, and we are back down to our usual one engine, except there are rocks all around the kids are fractios and so am I.
Sophie just wants to got home. Then we find that we can"t get the anchor up although we can't get it to bight. Not much sense there??????
So we go round the conrner to the little harbour and the man called a capitanarie or habour master to you and me, comes out to greet us, we try to fit into our berth but with only one engine, and a strong wind can't get there, so we get the pride of place on the big mooring in the center of the habour, normally a spot reserved for super yachts like Lasry Elisons or Roman Ambramovich.
We will sleep well tonight.
So how are the girls getting on during the sailing, well it is early days yet, so far they either fight like cats anbd dogs or play cats and dogs. When the wind gets up luckily the boats doesn't get too rolly but they do get a bit quiet and often go to sleep. But the good news is that no one has chucked up YET!!!!
Finally remind me to tell you about the nudest beach and the people who lived in the flats near out old berth.

24 June.
So we left Port Friol under only one engine, but all is calm, and we can achieve about 5 knots with our one good engine. We head on towards Port Miou, which is a very narrow inlet with cliffs all around. It looks to busy so we keep going for another 3 hrs, and then descide to return to the bay of Cassis, where there is a beach. The moment we drop our anchor the sea breaze kicks in , we of course our now on a lee shore with rocks behind, the anchor drags, but then holds. After a short but cold swim we descide to move on, well that is us except the anchor which is now firmly wedged under a rock, to far for me to dive down to. I wizz arouns the other boats at anchor to see if anybody has diving kit, but no. Afer much effort by Sophie and I we get it up (the anchor)but a lesson is learnt. We go back to Port Miou which now looks quite welcoming and settle in for the night. But not without a few added moments, first we went for a walk, in the hills at the end of the gully, Imy descided to go off piste and got stuck right near the ridge of a very steep hill, it took a human chain of myself and Sophie, with a very long stick for Imy to grab to recover her.
Secondly as we were enjouying our first rum of the trip and gazzing up at the hundred foot high, cliffs that we about 20 feet behind the boat,a sudden cry, followed by a plop and some local kid had jump off the cliff and lived, which was quickerly follwed by 3 of his mates.
26th June
We are now sitting in Toulon, well actually across the bay of Toulon in Port Pin Roland. This is a place where the big boats are done up ready for the summer season. We are a mere pathetic blip on the ocean compared to the boats in here. One of the boats is about 130 feet long and is coloured gold, another is called Wedge One, (Is this Ian Romans secret photo boat???) suffice to say that both go over 40 knots, and drink more fuel per hour than I will beer in my life time. The other thing when I look outside is the wind, you can't see it but you can sure as hell hear and fell it, we are in the grips of a full blown Mistrael, 30 plus knots so Tim Peterseat your heart out.The other reason we are in port is because the transmistion has gone which is a real bummer, so we hav to sit heree for 7 days watch the boat be lifted out and then pay a huge bill for no visable difference, except both engines will work as they should..
1 July
Now no longer sitting in the water but out of the water on a crane, about 15 feet in the air, have spent several days here in the middle of the yard, with much dust and noise all around. The kids take it all in their stride and have been doing school worketc. Sophie and I are loosing it as everything is dirty and very noisy and getting the kids off and on the boat is like climbing everrest. Whats more its hot and we have no running water. So every time you want a pee or the girls want a pee you have to climb down off the boat, or it all dribbles out of the holes in the bottom of the boat. At bit like caravaning or camping I guess but I am not sure I would ever choose to do it for a holiday.
2nd July.
Have been saved buy Uncle in St Tropez, and have gone to stay with him. Also had a quick sneek viewing of Stephen's Villa for those that know him and its very nice. Girls think that bing ON a house with real grass and a swimming pool is great.
Uncle Barny is comming to stay tomorrow with 8 week old baby and 2 yr old, to hope we are back in the water other wise we will have two rather stressy mums, 5 kids under 7 and not a bit of water in sight on a boat 47 feet long. Barney and i will no doubt have to resourt to the Rose for a day or too.
Will attach photos soon.




(Anyway about the nudist beach, well, there we al were (fully clothed, even Tallulah) on the beach when an old chap walks up, he was probably about 65/70, he had nothing on at all except a baseball cap. The girls didn't seem to bat an eyelid, but I didn't understand why if he was on a nudist beach he wore a baseball cap, afterall, if I was him I would be far more worried about other areas of my body getting sun burnt.
Second story is about the people who lived in the flat behind us in port Camarge, most of them were renters, and we could see diectly into their rooms. Well one group of four 2 men and 2 women aways wore black vests and black thongs, even Granny Valerie (my mother) was witness to this, However one day they all came out topless without their black vest to reveal a very sunburnt body with a 4 identical v inprint, I guess you had to be there but Mum and Sophie et their nickers laughing.)

HOW DID I EVER HAVE TIME TO WORK?
Anybody who has spent a bit of time off, will recognize this feeling. I don't work I don't commute, and yet I have never been more busy. Evey day, I have a list of things to do, like today was buy a new plug for the shore cable, but as you wonder through the boat yard to the chandlers you can't help get distracted, I will just watch them put that 150ft yacht in the water, or how come there is a brand new 505 hull in the corner of the yard, and what time is happy hour at the equivilant of the square rigger. Then its back to the boat to do home schooling sort of thing, which takes hours then its lunch whih you prepare youself instead of going to a canteen , then washing up, then a visit to the beach for daily sand castle routine, then kids supper, then kids showers, then our suppur more washing up, check the weather, bed sleep. Some times we even have enough time for sailing.) So I am really confused about where the time has all gone. Before we set off everybody said you need lots of books, well first I am bad at reading but despite no television I still have no time.