Running for home!
Ok, we really are now running for home literally. We left Frioles heading to Carry-Le-Rouet because of this…
2 miles outside of Carry-la-Rouet we contacted them to make sure they had someone available to help us with our mooring only to be told they had no space, despite making a reservation which we confirmed by emails two days earlier. Panicking a little we started to look at other options skeptical that we would find any space this close to the storm but were extremely grateful for the tiny port of Sausset-les_Pins who had space.
An hour later we were moored up safely and awaited the drenching, which definitely came!
Just a small amount of water in our dinghy!
We waited out the rains and for the NW winds to change to SE’s for 2 days and finally set sail for the last time the 11 NM’s. Having dried our main sail out, we sailed with just our genoa, to the lovely place that is Fos, if you remember it from last year, you will know that comment is heavily laced with sarcasm. It was a fabulous last sail in a Force 5, so a good end to the season!
We dropped our pick and then set out getting the genoa down in 15 gusting 20 knots of wind. We wish someone had videoed us, as having dropped it quickly, trying to sit on it and flake it into its bag simultaneously was rather a challenge, one you would have giggled at, all the while kite surfers were sailing around us!
The following morning we headed to Port Saint Louis du Rhone marina and were disappointed to be put against the wall on the far side, far less protected than the pontoons. It was one of most difficult along-side moorings we have had to do all summer, with 20+ knots of winds blowing across our bow and off the quay, David on the helm, needing a lot of revs and speed to make any headway, he did a sterling job, with the help of the marinello on the shore.. not sure I would have had the strength to tie us off! Then, as the day progressed, the winds steadily increased to 40 knots, as did the wind waves in the harbour.
Suffice to say this was not a day to get our main sail down, so we set about doing other jobs, such as having to remove the glue from the velcro that secures the dinghy cover to it which had melted in the heat and run down the tubes. The only way was with lots of WD40 to partially dissolve it, scrape it off with a teaspoon and finish off with acetone… a long and arduous job and oh my poor hands, my gel nails didn’t stand a chance! Still, it now looks like new again!
The evening was fun though, there had been some sort of motorbike show in the port during the day and in the evening there were lots of stalls, people with a great band. So we joined in, having a not to healthy but fab burger and listened to the music, although we didn’t stay too late as the alarm was being set for 6am as at that time, it seemed to be the best opportunity to lower the main sail before the winds kicked up again!
Sunday arrived, and we got up at 6am, with no wind but with 30 minutes of lots of rain, again not a time to drop the main sail as it definitely needs to be dry when stored. We went back to bed for a couple more hours! Laundry was the next job and thankfully by late afternoon, the rain stopped just long enough for the decks to dry and to get the mainsail down and away, phew!
Finally by Monday morning, we were ready to be lifted… albeit in a NW Force 5 🥴. It has been a long time since we have knocking knees from nerves when doing a mooring but below is the space we had to get into, with concrete walls both sides, with a horrible cross wind, so kacking our pants we were. Normally we are firm believers that slow is good and safe, but we had to come in at a rate of knots to avoid losing our bow in the wind, so there really was no margin for error. Thankfully we made it, with a huge sigh of relief!
Why you might ask did we embark on this.. well this is the forecast for the next 5 days, if we didn’t tackle it on Monday we would have had to wait another week..
And then we were out of the water…and on our way to Seaclusion’s winter home
After 2 hards days work, Seaclusion is settled in her winter home, safe and sound, Bugs and Smudge are now in charge of her with instructions not to take her out….and we are on our way home, our Spanish one!
In Summary, we have this year spent 105 days on board, sailed for 1076NM’s with 9 hours of night sailing, and whilst we had some ups and down, we have thoroughly enjoyed the trip.. so until next year we bid you a fond farewell and thank you for following us.
10th September 2024
