jrudge
Well-known member
We did a big trip this summer … so a trip report.
Have not yet figured out posting pics, but will try that next.
So it all started at the end of May. We were heading to the Cote D'Azur. I asked on the forum as the pros / cons of heading direct from Menorca to the Pourquerelles. This is some 210 nm and my prime concern was fuel range. As I proved later in the trip this is possible, but the margin for error is in my view pretty slim. Added to this I had only just fitted fuel flow monitoring, so I did not absolutely know how accurate the range predictions would be. You can extend range by using displacement speed, but this does not really appeal to me – firstly the boat will roll in anything other than a flat sea and second it take a long long time!
So in the end we went via Estartit on the Spanish mainland. This was in my view the right decision, and knowing what I know now the route I would probably choose if doing it again unless I can convince myself to pootle for 4/5 hours to bring the fuel range back into limits.
The trip to Estartit took 6 hr 40 and consumed 2333 lts of diesel 28 kts on the South Coast of Mallorca and then 26 all the way across. The sea was kind to us!
Estartit is ok but not my idea of a prime holiday spot - but as a fuel stop was fine.
The next day the crossing of the Golf De Lion – famous for taking the brunt of the mistral. The wind gods were kind to us and 5hrs 10 at 29 knots saw us in red dot bay. We anchored for the afternoon, but felt like a marina for the night so headed into port.
The Porquerelles are lovely – if a little quiet at that time of year. We did not uplift any fuel but did pay their very reasonable fee of E85 ( ish from memory).
The following morning we headed off to St Tropez for fuel. No reason other than it seemed like a nice place to visit! The harbour itself is pretty small with boats that a often very large. The local boats also seem to overtake and cut you up in the marina ( which did not happen anywhere else!). We eventually found the fuel pontoon ( it was on the right as we entered but I did not see it!) and tied up for fuel.
Here we hit the proverbial jackpot. The put the hose in and started filling, but the pump was faulty and the display blank. They did not seem to notice it was dispensing fuel ( I did!) but were more concerned trying to get it going. This took some minutes whilst I was hapilly getting free diesel. I dont know what I got in the end, maybe 50 lts but given I bought about 2800 lts they still won the game in the end!
Form there we headed up the Cote D'azur, took a peek at Cannes where we had a berth booked the following day and headed into Antibes.
Mooring fee was a surprising E86 ( last day of May – went up to about E100 odd on 1 June – still fair) and was met by a waving JFM who invited my wife and I over for Chicken ceaser salad and a glass of New Zealand Sav Blank.
The following day we headed into Cannes with an anchoring stop between the Island off Cannes.
Arriving in Cannes we are asked to wait outside for about 10 mins whilst they cleared a backlog of boats coming and going then were moored up outside a lovely row of restaurants.
That bought this leg of the trip to an end and we headed back to the UK.
A few weeks later we returned. We were using the boat for hospitality at a trade show in Cannes. Every afternoon ( except one that was windy) we headed out to the Islands at the required 10 knots, anchored and swam with guests for an hour and headed back. It was lovely. One guest got stung by a jelly fish and was not quite so pleased!
Thanks to JFM for lending me life jackets and his unbreakable glass wine glasses ( we managed to break one – sorry John!).
The last day of the event was a longer session on the islands and a guest managed to get booked for speeding in the tender past a large grey boat with a red go faster stripe down the side of it otherwise know as the coastguard. I was asleep and woke up to three ( very charming) policemen on the bathing platform. The paperwork took ages. We rang up to pay the fine but they knew nothing of it so the paperwork seemed to get lost! Maybe it was as the girls on board were posting for pics with the man in uniform!
Back to Cannes and back to the UK. We left a crew member on board and got the boat refuelled by tanker. To cut and irritating storey short a few lts ( estimated by all to be 3 lts) ended up in the marina and I got a E350 clean up fee. They blamed us ( I blamed the tanker driver!) and then started saying things like the boat should not be left without a captain, they would consider action etc. At this point I felt they were simply picking on me so I left and headed to Antibes. Far nicer!
Cannes was cheap – E84 per day even in season – and not a bad place to stop, but the restaurants etc just had the – if not you someone else is waiting attitude which I can probably do without!
Without giving a blow by blow account we spent a few weeks interspersed with trips back to the uk on the Cote D'Azur. We took in
Monaco – nice but a bit odd as for such a small place it did not really seem to have a logical centre. Mooring fee from memory about E120
Villefranch Bay – Lovely and sheltered. Got gesticulated to by a sailing boat when anchoring – I was no where near him... but when I lifted his anchor along with mine he got really excited. I dont know how much chain he had out but it was an awful lot!
There was a sunseeker Manhattan anchored to our side and he had some engine trouble. Everytime it went into gear it stalled. He found this out after lifting his anchor and drifting to said sailing boat. Sailing boat then got really really excited! They resolved it in the end, but not before the owner swam over with his cell phone in the air looking for a charge up!
Beaulie Sur Mer – lovely place. They led us in and the channel got narrower and narrower I though they were winding me up. Anyway tied up safely. Had dinner at a lovely beach club about 10 mins walk away. Liked it so much returned with different friends a few weeks later.
Further West ..
Port Grimaud – Like a fake venice – but charming. We we moored next to the supermarket. As in right right next to it. We gave the lady a credit card and kept doing circles round the place, to the till and back to the boat stocking up with all things liquid.
The next night – Bastile day- we tried to get in to St Tropez. They asked if we knew it was Bastile day … er yes! St Tropez was the only marina in a 2 month + trip we could not get into ( we tried for several other dates as well). So we headed to St Maxim ( looks a bit stark when you head in but there are lots of lovely old streets just behind) and watched the fireworks from the fly bridge.
We thought we would see St Tropez fireworks as well.... but there barge developed a fault and they were cancelled!
Round the corner form St Tropez is Club 55. Met some friends there and I pointed out I would not recognise a celebrity. They agreed as Jerry Hall and Mick Jaggers son were sitting right behind me!
Following this we had the only major incident of the trip. I loaded Me and 4 adults into the Williams 325. It was slightly choppy and there were two quite big ( and to be honest moderately drunk ) adults in the front. As we headed out the bow fell, water came over and completely filled the tender. I was in a tender access lane ( speed limit) but the engine was still running so I turned round, accelerated , bow up, water cascading from front to me and headed for the beach. There was a chap standing looking. I waved him out of the way ( about 4 times ) until he got the message and beached the tender. All ended well. Bungs out, etc but it was quite frightening.
Lesson learned – when things go wrong they go wrong fast, and load the tender with great care. Sober passengers would also assist!
We took in Frejus, St Rapheal and then back to Antibes.
We wanted to head to Corsica but the weather was not playing ball. The mistral was blowing well and Antibes was rather like being in a fan oven. The sea state was 3m waves blowing a 7/8 for 5 days. There were worse places to get stuck!
In Antibes met up with Eme ( lumishore) Jimmy the Builder, J and K, JFM and probably a few more I cant remember. The Transat restaurant made a profit!
Eventually there was a weather window. Sea was a bit choppy but 4 and a bit hours at 24 knots later was arrived in Calvi. I was helming from below and wow was I windy when I want upto the fly bridge. Saw dolphins and what I think was a whale spout in the distance.
When we arrived semi besieged by people who had been stuck there for a week asking what the sea was like ( not that bad actually!).
I like Calvi, and the bay just outside is lovely as well.
Next day headed to Girolata. This is a bay that has been made into a marina with lots and lots of bouys. You moor fore and aft. It was windy when we arrived and the chap showing us to our mooring did not really make what he wanted me to do. Lots of bow and stern thruster to keep steady in the cross wind. Shut down and drifted very very close the the next sail boat. Called the chap back and moved across to another pair of bouys which was much better.
The main feature of Girloata is bulls that live on the beach. Bit odd but it kept the kids entertained!
Next morning was pretty breezy. We found a sheltered bay occupied only by a Club Med hotel. Deserted … until 2pm when they finished lunch and there were boats and boards everywhere. We decided to move and found a small port called Cargese. The guy on the phone thought I said 15m and said it was fine. When 21m turned up he looked a bit worried! We as near as blocked the marina, but everyone seemed happy. I tried to use 2 x 16 amp power sockets combined to get the ac running ( this has worked a few times, but failed most of them) and managed to wipe out half the marina's power supply. I pleaded ignorance but they were having none of it! The sailing boat next door had some kids on, so they came to play which gave us some time off!
Next morning off to Propriano via a nice bay recommended by JFM for the afternoon. Propriano was nice but relatively unforgeable.
Have not yet figured out posting pics, but will try that next.
So it all started at the end of May. We were heading to the Cote D'Azur. I asked on the forum as the pros / cons of heading direct from Menorca to the Pourquerelles. This is some 210 nm and my prime concern was fuel range. As I proved later in the trip this is possible, but the margin for error is in my view pretty slim. Added to this I had only just fitted fuel flow monitoring, so I did not absolutely know how accurate the range predictions would be. You can extend range by using displacement speed, but this does not really appeal to me – firstly the boat will roll in anything other than a flat sea and second it take a long long time!
So in the end we went via Estartit on the Spanish mainland. This was in my view the right decision, and knowing what I know now the route I would probably choose if doing it again unless I can convince myself to pootle for 4/5 hours to bring the fuel range back into limits.
The trip to Estartit took 6 hr 40 and consumed 2333 lts of diesel 28 kts on the South Coast of Mallorca and then 26 all the way across. The sea was kind to us!
Estartit is ok but not my idea of a prime holiday spot - but as a fuel stop was fine.
The next day the crossing of the Golf De Lion – famous for taking the brunt of the mistral. The wind gods were kind to us and 5hrs 10 at 29 knots saw us in red dot bay. We anchored for the afternoon, but felt like a marina for the night so headed into port.
The Porquerelles are lovely – if a little quiet at that time of year. We did not uplift any fuel but did pay their very reasonable fee of E85 ( ish from memory).
The following morning we headed off to St Tropez for fuel. No reason other than it seemed like a nice place to visit! The harbour itself is pretty small with boats that a often very large. The local boats also seem to overtake and cut you up in the marina ( which did not happen anywhere else!). We eventually found the fuel pontoon ( it was on the right as we entered but I did not see it!) and tied up for fuel.
Here we hit the proverbial jackpot. The put the hose in and started filling, but the pump was faulty and the display blank. They did not seem to notice it was dispensing fuel ( I did!) but were more concerned trying to get it going. This took some minutes whilst I was hapilly getting free diesel. I dont know what I got in the end, maybe 50 lts but given I bought about 2800 lts they still won the game in the end!
Form there we headed up the Cote D'azur, took a peek at Cannes where we had a berth booked the following day and headed into Antibes.
Mooring fee was a surprising E86 ( last day of May – went up to about E100 odd on 1 June – still fair) and was met by a waving JFM who invited my wife and I over for Chicken ceaser salad and a glass of New Zealand Sav Blank.
The following day we headed into Cannes with an anchoring stop between the Island off Cannes.
Arriving in Cannes we are asked to wait outside for about 10 mins whilst they cleared a backlog of boats coming and going then were moored up outside a lovely row of restaurants.
That bought this leg of the trip to an end and we headed back to the UK.
A few weeks later we returned. We were using the boat for hospitality at a trade show in Cannes. Every afternoon ( except one that was windy) we headed out to the Islands at the required 10 knots, anchored and swam with guests for an hour and headed back. It was lovely. One guest got stung by a jelly fish and was not quite so pleased!
Thanks to JFM for lending me life jackets and his unbreakable glass wine glasses ( we managed to break one – sorry John!).
The last day of the event was a longer session on the islands and a guest managed to get booked for speeding in the tender past a large grey boat with a red go faster stripe down the side of it otherwise know as the coastguard. I was asleep and woke up to three ( very charming) policemen on the bathing platform. The paperwork took ages. We rang up to pay the fine but they knew nothing of it so the paperwork seemed to get lost! Maybe it was as the girls on board were posting for pics with the man in uniform!
Back to Cannes and back to the UK. We left a crew member on board and got the boat refuelled by tanker. To cut and irritating storey short a few lts ( estimated by all to be 3 lts) ended up in the marina and I got a E350 clean up fee. They blamed us ( I blamed the tanker driver!) and then started saying things like the boat should not be left without a captain, they would consider action etc. At this point I felt they were simply picking on me so I left and headed to Antibes. Far nicer!
Cannes was cheap – E84 per day even in season – and not a bad place to stop, but the restaurants etc just had the – if not you someone else is waiting attitude which I can probably do without!
Without giving a blow by blow account we spent a few weeks interspersed with trips back to the uk on the Cote D'Azur. We took in
Monaco – nice but a bit odd as for such a small place it did not really seem to have a logical centre. Mooring fee from memory about E120
Villefranch Bay – Lovely and sheltered. Got gesticulated to by a sailing boat when anchoring – I was no where near him... but when I lifted his anchor along with mine he got really excited. I dont know how much chain he had out but it was an awful lot!
There was a sunseeker Manhattan anchored to our side and he had some engine trouble. Everytime it went into gear it stalled. He found this out after lifting his anchor and drifting to said sailing boat. Sailing boat then got really really excited! They resolved it in the end, but not before the owner swam over with his cell phone in the air looking for a charge up!
Beaulie Sur Mer – lovely place. They led us in and the channel got narrower and narrower I though they were winding me up. Anyway tied up safely. Had dinner at a lovely beach club about 10 mins walk away. Liked it so much returned with different friends a few weeks later.
Further West ..
Port Grimaud – Like a fake venice – but charming. We we moored next to the supermarket. As in right right next to it. We gave the lady a credit card and kept doing circles round the place, to the till and back to the boat stocking up with all things liquid.
The next night – Bastile day- we tried to get in to St Tropez. They asked if we knew it was Bastile day … er yes! St Tropez was the only marina in a 2 month + trip we could not get into ( we tried for several other dates as well). So we headed to St Maxim ( looks a bit stark when you head in but there are lots of lovely old streets just behind) and watched the fireworks from the fly bridge.
We thought we would see St Tropez fireworks as well.... but there barge developed a fault and they were cancelled!
Round the corner form St Tropez is Club 55. Met some friends there and I pointed out I would not recognise a celebrity. They agreed as Jerry Hall and Mick Jaggers son were sitting right behind me!
Following this we had the only major incident of the trip. I loaded Me and 4 adults into the Williams 325. It was slightly choppy and there were two quite big ( and to be honest moderately drunk ) adults in the front. As we headed out the bow fell, water came over and completely filled the tender. I was in a tender access lane ( speed limit) but the engine was still running so I turned round, accelerated , bow up, water cascading from front to me and headed for the beach. There was a chap standing looking. I waved him out of the way ( about 4 times ) until he got the message and beached the tender. All ended well. Bungs out, etc but it was quite frightening.
Lesson learned – when things go wrong they go wrong fast, and load the tender with great care. Sober passengers would also assist!
We took in Frejus, St Rapheal and then back to Antibes.
We wanted to head to Corsica but the weather was not playing ball. The mistral was blowing well and Antibes was rather like being in a fan oven. The sea state was 3m waves blowing a 7/8 for 5 days. There were worse places to get stuck!
In Antibes met up with Eme ( lumishore) Jimmy the Builder, J and K, JFM and probably a few more I cant remember. The Transat restaurant made a profit!
Eventually there was a weather window. Sea was a bit choppy but 4 and a bit hours at 24 knots later was arrived in Calvi. I was helming from below and wow was I windy when I want upto the fly bridge. Saw dolphins and what I think was a whale spout in the distance.
When we arrived semi besieged by people who had been stuck there for a week asking what the sea was like ( not that bad actually!).
I like Calvi, and the bay just outside is lovely as well.
Next day headed to Girolata. This is a bay that has been made into a marina with lots and lots of bouys. You moor fore and aft. It was windy when we arrived and the chap showing us to our mooring did not really make what he wanted me to do. Lots of bow and stern thruster to keep steady in the cross wind. Shut down and drifted very very close the the next sail boat. Called the chap back and moved across to another pair of bouys which was much better.
The main feature of Girloata is bulls that live on the beach. Bit odd but it kept the kids entertained!
Next morning was pretty breezy. We found a sheltered bay occupied only by a Club Med hotel. Deserted … until 2pm when they finished lunch and there were boats and boards everywhere. We decided to move and found a small port called Cargese. The guy on the phone thought I said 15m and said it was fine. When 21m turned up he looked a bit worried! We as near as blocked the marina, but everyone seemed happy. I tried to use 2 x 16 amp power sockets combined to get the ac running ( this has worked a few times, but failed most of them) and managed to wipe out half the marina's power supply. I pleaded ignorance but they were having none of it! The sailing boat next door had some kids on, so they came to play which gave us some time off!
Next morning off to Propriano via a nice bay recommended by JFM for the afternoon. Propriano was nice but relatively unforgeable.
