A family adventure by boat

Home:::Route:::Latest Log:::Crew:::Boat::::Kid's Page:::Pics:::Downloads
Ship's Log
		28 August- Home It is devastating that our big adventure is over but the children are enjoying rediscovering their toys at home. The big advantage of being home is that we have at last been able to post more photographs. CLICK HERE 23 August- Pauillac, River Garionde Well, we have made it to to a place where we can leave Aliz Motte for the winter. She will be left alone and afloat for 8 months but the excellent Harbour Master and a french family who live aboard in the marina will keep an eye on her. Preparing the boat for the winter takes all of our time and energy. Apparently the town is really nice but we haven't yet had time to enjoy it. Still, I am pretty pleased with the 'Eric Orme patent ball-cock automatic bilge pump switch'! (With my limited French the purchase of a ball-cock from the local hardware store could have gone badly wrong). 20 August- River Gironde The last two days have been extraordinary and difficult with the mix of highs and lows that such times bring. In the Mediterranean we had to be careful but basically life was good and easy. In the Canal du Midi we had the anxiety of limited depths and life was very hard because of the heat and the limited opportunities to buy food. Now we find ourselves in the tidal waters of the tidal waters which leave Aliz Motte straining at her ropes in a current of 5 knots. It does not bring piece of mind to think that a child falling overboard would be 1/4 mile downstream in a little more than 3 minutes. We are now experiencing Atlantic rather than Mediterranean weather systems which makes an enormous difference. We have even complained about the cold on some nights. Of course it is rewarding to have made our way once again into the tidal waters of the Atlantic. This is much further than we expected to make this year.
		13 August- Malause, Canal Lateral a La Garonne We thought that our journey was over when we ran hard aground in the Grand Bassin in Castelnaudary but we got through. We found ourselves ploughing through up to 30cm of sludge over long stretches of the Canal du Midi but we found that if we kept up some momentum we could usually get through. The summit pound came shortly after Castlenaurdy and from there on it has been reasonably okay. We found Tolouse disappointing and drove straight through/ The main problem now is the heat. We are finding life far hotter in the inland waterways than we ever did at sea.. The saloon often reaches temperatures in excess of 45 degrees centigrade and this makes life quite hard at times. The children's bedtimes are now well after 10pm as it is far too hot to contemplate sleeping before then and with the exception of Peta we start the night sleeping on deck only venturing below some time in the early hours. We have moved out of a wine growing region into an area which is more generally agricultural with fields of sunflowers predominating. The Canal Lateral a La Garonne is slightly deeper though it is somewhat silted up and we find it difficult getting close alongside. Still all locks are downhill which makes for much more swift progress towards the Atlantic ocean!
		9 August - Just east of Castlenaudry, Canal du Midi The Canal du Midi turns out to be the most beautiful but most arduous stretch of inland waterways. We are working very hard in the heat to make miles towards Bordeaux. Some vicious locks and student holiday lock keepers make locks quite a challenge. We have no idea where we will be laying up for the winter so the desire to have plenty of time to find somewhere suitable combines with the awareness that drought conditions mean daily less water in the Canal du Midi provide a powerful motivation to push on. Finding provisions have become quite a problem though good cheap wine is easy in this wine making area. The Canal du Midi is very rural and most villages have only a boulangerie. As we start moving at 8am and finish at 7pm we have very little opportunity of explore. It is noticeable that the children now have much more stamina and are coping with the long hot days much better than they would have in the Spring when we travelled south.
		6 August - Argeliers, Canal du Midi How extraordinary this trip is. It is barely more than two weeks since we left the turquoise waters of Corsica and here we are in the muddy brown waters of the Canal du Midi on our way towards Bordeaux and the Atlantic ocean. A distinct Spanish influence became apparent as we worked our way along the Camargue coastline towards Sete. Then, quite suddenly, the Mediterranean was for us over and we were once again working our way across mainland France. In windless conditions we began stripping the sails from the mast as we approached the harbor of Sete. Then we found that we faced a two day delay to drop the mast unless we could be ready within 1 hr. Thus we found ourselves with the mast down, motoring toward Bordeaux by 9am the next morning. It is nice to no longer have to worry about the weather or finding good shelter or good holding but we miss the sea for which Aliz Motte is so perfectly suited. We have found that despite having had no rain since May, the water level in the Canal du Midi is near normal, which is good as Aliz Motte as deep drafted as is reasonable in the Canal and we are touching the bottom most of the time. In th heat we miss the opportunity to swim which was the main means of coolin goff in the Med. Now our major concdern is to find someone in who's care we can leave Aliz Motte until May next year.
		31 July - Ciotat, French Rivera Although we are not due to fly home until 28 August there is a strong feeling aboard that the endgame has begun. We have less than a week left in the Mediterranean before we arrive at Sete where the mast will be taken down and we will re-enter the inland waterways. This is the most unpredictable stage of our trip as the weather in this part of the Med is generally contrary. Also, we really can't know what progress we will be able to make in the Canal du Midi with marginal depths at this time of year. Nor do we know where we will be able to leave Aliz Motte for the winter. Still, unpredictably is part of the adventure. Today we are enjoying a rare treat. A second night in a marina. Having had a rather uncomfortable passage here (we were forced to turn back at Cap Sicie and try again the next day) we don't yet have the appetite for another wet passage into a strong headwind. Tomorrow should be a better bet.
		23 July - Cavalaire-sur-Mer, French Rivera We have had a good trip back to Corsica and up the west coast. It is tempting to revisit some of the places when we enjoyed most on our way south but we resist as they wouldn't be the same. On Monday night we left Corsica for the French coast. We had a good passage though light winds meant motoring from more than half the time. 30 miles from the coast we encountered rather confused seas which made the children quite ill for the rest of the trip and it was good to arrive for a rare night in a marina. Retracing our step we find everywhere much more busy than it was as the French, Italians and Germans descend on the western Med for the holiday period. This means that we have to try and arrive at anchorages or marinas earlier in day or risk being unable to get in.
		12 July - Porto Cervo, Sardinia With heavy hearts, we turned our bows towards the north. Time to start heading back having reached 40° 57'N 9° 36'E.
		9 July - Isla di Porri, Sardinia You know that you know you are onto a good thing when upon arriving in an anchorage two cruising children row over from another boat to introduce themselves. In this case it was Jack and Jessica who are aged 7 and 5 yrs and are a mix of Australian and Swiss. This is a wonderful anchorage with a stunning backdrop of sheer Sardinian rock, gentle sandy beach and the clearest water we have yet come across. With two Australian boats and three English there has been quite a social scene and it has been a great pleasure to get to know some of the long-term cruisers. Of course, the anchorage is popular with Elspeth and Peta because of the presence of other children.
		6 July - Porto Cervo, Sardinia By the end of June we had worked our way to the southern tip of Corsica and rested in a secure, if windy, anchorage inside the Clanque (fjord) that forms the ancient harbour of Bonifacio. It was an amazing feeling to be taking shelter in the natural harbour which, being formed of the local pink granite must be little changed since it featured in Homer's 'Odyssey'. We stayed an extra day in Bonifacio to give Elspeth and Peta the time to play with the English children on two boats that we met there. Both were living and cruising full time on their catamarans. One of the couples had 4 children ranging in age from 2 to 8yrs! These were the first English children we had met in 6 weeks. Elspeth and Peta were much taken with the cavernous accommodation aboard the catamarans. The time came to leave and we crossed the sometimes hazardous Straits of Bonifacio to settle in the Maddalena Islands. The wind blew up that evening and sustained a force 7 for several days. Happily we found good shelter in a bay on the Isla Caprera. The area is a national park and a charge is made for anchoring in the area. Happily the strong wind kept the tax collectors away for several days. Later, in calmer weather, we were stung by the Park Authorities for 18 Euros for a 12 hour permit only to be told the next day by the Coast Guard that Park regulations say we should anchor 200m off the beach (probably to protect the environment). 200m would have put us in the open water outside the bay. Fed up with the contradictory bureaucracy we sailed here to Porto Cervo with force seven winds giving a swift passage reaching 8.5 knots at times. Porto Cervo is a very exclusive bay popular with the mega-rich and we lie at anchor for free surrounded by super-yachts of all kinds. The world championships of the Farr 40's finished here yesterday and we attended the prize-giving in the company of Princess Zara Aga Khan, benefitting of course from the hospitality of the sponsors 'Rolex'. British teams featured quite strongly along with Americans, Australians, French and of course Italians.
		26 June - Ajaccio, Corsica We stayed at anchor for a few days in a bay close to Saint Tropez. Trip boats frequently buzzed by pointing-out the villas of the rich and famous - Elton John, Bridget Bardott, etc to their passengers. We spent a morning in Saint Tropez but didn't see any famous faces. We had a fine and swift crossing to Corsica making a landfall at Calvi in the early hours of Saturday morning. Daylight revealed it to be a most charming town with plenty of life and some very enticing shopping! We have since worked our way down the west coast visiting some lovely anchorages and one very disappointing marina. The weather is hot and stable which means that we can sail (well usually motor in the light winds) for 4 or 5 hours in the morning and anchor for the evening at mid afternoon. We haven't had a drop of rain since our first night in the Med at the end of May.
		15 June - Cavalaire sur Mer We are now back on the the south coast having spent a wonderful 5 days cruising the islands of the Porquerolles, Having not had to pay for a mooring since 4 June we are finding the Rivera prices a bit steep - 23 euros per night - but we know we could be paying much more along this coast and in Corsica. We could have gone for another week or so without water but an awkward weather forecast,the need to stock up with some basic supplies and a desperate need for clean clothes has forced us back to civilisation. We are now watching the weather carefully for the opportunity to make the overnight passage to Corsica.
		9 June - Port Miou near Cassis We spent 6 frustrating days at Port St Louis waiting to get the mast up. When we took the mast down in Calais, I dropped a bottlescrew in the water. I had thought it would be a simple matter to pick up a new part in Port St Louis which is well served by yacht chandleries but not at all. Apparently, although most of the rest of the world use UNF threads for rigging the French use a metric thread (perfectly reasonable). We suffered a good deal from the slow pace of Mediterranean life but eventually got hold of a used part and moved on. Life with the mast up is about 10 times better. We have sailed to ancient fishing harbours, anchored in islands off Marseille and tied up in the french Clanques (fjords) close to Cassis on the French Riviera. As Elspeth keeps exclaiming 'The sea really is blue!' Tomorrow we head for an island of Toulon reputed to have turquoise clear water and clean sandy beaches as far as the eye can see. We are bearing up to the challenge! Note - at last we have pics on the pics page! CLICK HERE
		30 May - Port St louis My brother Rob joined us for the final week of our odyssey across France. We managed to time our arrival at Port St Louis and thus the Mediterranean on my 40th birthday. Quite a memory. As I write we are still on the Rhone waiting to transit our final lock leaving the brown water of the inland waterways behind us for the blue water of the Mediterranean sea.
		26 May - Viviers, River Rhone The Soane turned out to be a beautiful and we enjoyed the freedom of the wide river. At Tournus we met a Dutch family travelling North. They were able to recommend a number of stops that have good facilities for children, i.e. swings and slides so we have lived quite well since meeting them. We stopped briefly at Lyon to pick up my brother Rob who has joined us for the passage to Port St Louis where we join the Mediterranean. Of course the day before we collected him was boiling with non-stop sunshine and the temperature in the cabin reached 33 degrees C. Since he joined us however we have had cold winds, a lot of rain and no sight of the sun. On his first day we encountered standing waves on the Rhone as the river flowing south met a strong wind heading north. We were forced to take shelter in a deserted commercial dock but were able to resume our journey at a slower pace when the wind moderated after a few hours.
		19 May- Chalon-sur-Saone Today has been our last day on the canals. Tomorrow we join the River Soane and in a few days the Rhone on their journey to the coast. We shall miss the small scale of the sleepy canals. From now on there will be a lot more commercial traffic and fewer choices for places to stop. The weather has been very mixed with frequent cloud bursts and rather less sunshine than we had hoped for.
		16 May 2003 - Canal du Centre We arrived today at a boatyard owned by English people. The children were delighted to find that the owners have two children - aged 11 and 7yrs. They waited impatiently for them to return from school and then played until it was time for the children to go home. The family came out less than a year ago but the children already speak French like the natives. These were the first children that Elspeth & Peta had found to play with for 5 weeks! Elspeth often introduces herself to French children (in French) but they tend to reply politely then giggle and run away. The boatyard is at the summit of the Canal du Centre. Every day for a week I have commented about how good the weather is but that the barometer is falling. I had forgotten to take account of the fact that we have now climbed to more that 1000ft above sea level! Tomorrow we start our decent toward the Med. Symbolically, the locks we have just climbed were called Ocean 1,2,3, etc and the next lot are called Mediterranee 1, 2, 3, etc.
		13 May 2003 Canal Lateral de La Loire For the last few days we have been following the route of the Loire River climbing steadily to beginning our assault on the Massif Central. We rest tomorrow but then start on the Canal de Centre 114km and 61 locks! After that its down hill to the Med. Sorry that the log has been off-line for a few days. We use a French simm card in a mobile phone to call a French number for AOL but having worked for the first month we are now having some difficult connecting to the Internet.
		9 May 2003 Canal Lateral de La Loire It has been an eventful day. The first event was the crossing of the Loire valley. This has always been something of a milestone of us as the weather always seems to be better once south of that great river. The experience of the 600m aqueduct across the wide river below fully met our high expectations. Number two event was the the sighting of our first vineyard just south of the river. The third event was not so great. As we came alongside for lunch (the lock close so a stop for lunch is a welcome obligation) we snagged a rope around the propeller. It was in fact the long bow line that had somehow got knocked overboard as we came alongside. The engine stopped with a worryingly sharp thump and we we found ourselves in silence. Lines were already ashore so we easily pulled alongside. The line around the prop was soon sorted as for the second time this trip I strapped on mask and snorkel and plunged into the 'not too cold' canal with bread knife in hand. The real snag was that on testing the engine we found that whilst astern gear worked as normal. For'ad was completely absent. We feared the worst and with full expectation of a week alongside waiting for parts for the gearbox, we wondered across to the tourist information centre (we had the good foresight to ensure that this all occurred just yards from the TIC!), who made the call to a local marine engineer. What a wonderful man, ten years living aboard his sailing boat in the Caribbean had served him well. We were fixed within the hour with time to discuss his plans for his forthcoming circumnavigation. Its amazing who's around in the heart of France nearly 200 miles from the nearest sea.
		3 May 2003 - Champaign sur Seine We are now two days out of Paris and beginning to make some real progress south. We spent today motoring along the River Seine as it travels through the extensive forests of Fontainebleau. We had a mixture of rain and sunshine every day in Paris but today has been glorious. Paris was great but it is good to be back underway.
		28 April 2003 - Paris What a big moment it was as we mixed it up with the best of the Bateaux Mouche, past the Effille Tower and Notre Dame to arrive at our destination at the Port de Plaisance Paris Arsenal just a spit from the Place de Bastille. It took an age to make the last few miles into Paris as the River Seine snakes first west for 15 km then east for 20 and then 25 back again in order to travel just a few miles south into the city. Still, it was worth it! Peta waved at every trip boat and every canoodling couple on the bank as we made our way against the 1.5 knot current that slowed our progress. Elspeth ducked below every now and again to log every landmark in the diary she has been keeping with obsessive determination since we set out. .
		24 April 2003 - Just South of Compeigne The night of the 22nd was a red letter day. Our first showers since Calais! The marina in St Quentin was noisy and over priced but it was great to be off the track of the commercial traffic. Our friends aboard Suki 2 were also in so we shared a few glasses of wine. It is clear that one of the main pleasures of the trip will be the people we meet along the way. We are now on the River Oise which meets up with the Seine in about 90km. Being on a river requires more careful navigation but there is a 1 knot current to help us on our way.
		21 April 2003 - Subterranean It turned out that the canal was only closed for one day so we were off again at 8.30am this morning. A really good day. Slow progress through six locks to start with. It is frustrating having to give-way to the commercial traffic when you have been waiting at a lock for 45 mins but you just have to get used to it. The big adventure of the day was the Grand Souterrain. This is a 6km tunnel through which one is towed in convoy. We don't know how many boats were in our convoy because we never saw the front but we guess it was about 15 commercial barges and the three pleasure boats. As the smallest boat we were at the back. It was a remarkable, magical and strangely soothing experience. Deep underground, completely silent for two hours (all engines were off) but for the the odd drip of water and of course Atomic Kitten drifting up from the girl's CD player below.
		20 April 2003 - Les Rue des Vignes Another change of plan. We found that the Canal du Nord which is the direct route to Paris is closed for maintenance so we have had to divert via the Canal St Quentin. This is a slower gentler route - or it would be but I suspect that it is suffering from heavy traffic due to the closure. Needless to say, this has caused delays which means we are already running behind. We are now laid up for Easter as the canals are all closed for two days. We have found ourselves in a delightful but very rural spot thrown entirely upon our own resources when it comes to entertainment. Both children have suffered from tummy bugs since we left but they are impressively stoic about it. As with any adventure, it is the business of crew moral that presents the greatest challenge.
		17 April 2003 - Douai Its a struggle to find much excitement for small children on a trip like this. For months their expectations of sun and sandy beaches have been raised and now I think they are beginning to wonder what's in it for them. It is not easy to find swimming pools and playgrounds along the waterways of rural France. Another problem is just beginning to identify itself. As I sit in the cockpit writing these words I have just become aware that we are gradually sinking - not just Aliz Motte but the whole canal. It is evening and the the canal is quiet but I would swear that the level of the water has dropped by as much as a foot since we moored up!
		15 April 2003 - somewhere in rural France Well, here we are - living the dream. We had an excellent crossing on a wonderful moonlit but cold night. We can't believe our good fortune with the weather. The mast was lowered without difficulty and now rests neatly between wooden supports at the aft end and the pulpit at the front. Our entree to the canals was not without incident as a miscalculation of bridge height and a misunderstanding of lock keeper sign language led us under a bridge beneath which, even with our new low stature, we would not fit. Happily, we were soon restored though the skippers confidence is somewhat diminished. Still. I guess its all part of the adventure we have set out upon. We are now moored peacefully alongside on the Canal du Calais.
		12 April 2003 - about to leave Change of plan! We go this afternoon as the weather looks better for a night crossing than it does tomorrow! So, breakfast in Calais! Thanks to everybody who has helped out in the last few frantic days.
		9 April 2003 - at home Its somewhat surprising to find that the final week before we leave is completely devoid of excitement or anticipation. Instead, although everything is in well in-hand, we feel an undercurrent of anxiety which rather obscures the dream we have nurtured for more than 4 years. My last day in the office tomorrow and at the time of writing, all looks set fair for an early departure on Sunday morning. Eric
		6 April 2003 - at home Just one week to go and having managed to get Aliz Motte into the Tidemill marina at the weekend we are 90% stowed and ready. Attention is now turning to settling everything at home so that .we can leave with a clear conscience. Sunday afternoon the project took on a greater feeling that it really is happening as friends organised a surprise farewell party for us. Thanks to Heidi, Rachel and Jo for a wonderful time and some intriguing looking packages! Eric
		18 March 2003 - at home Just 4 weeks to go and I have become a slave to the sewing machine. I had no idea how much sewing was involved in this live-aboard sailing lark. Awnings, cushion covers, sail bags, curtains... Aliz Motte goes back in the water on Saturday. It's just three weeks to departure. Time for sea trials and getting house and work into some kind of order. Eric
		1 February 2003 - at home What name should one give to a trip like this? Its not exactly a holiday. Its not long enough to be a career break and yet the word sabbatical doesn't quite fit. Perhaps its enough to say 'a family adventure by boat'. Eric


		14 January 2003 - at home It just doesn't seem possible that we'll be off in only 13 weeks time. For nearly 4 years the trip has been a dream and its a struggle to get real and understand that there is no more time for dreaming. The list of jobs just doesn't get any smaller, make awning, make cushion covers, fit fridge, order new propeller, fit radar, buy charts, set up website . . . the list is endless. Eric