Marseille to Malta

Sadly I’m rushed.... as always!  I’ll try to set the scene and then work from the start to where we are now. 

We’re in a marina, the biggest in the whole of Malta we hear on the passing Harbour tour boat passing our yacht every 2 hours, and it has not toilet, no shower, no internet (hence me in a little cafe near by), no office / manager or any kind of organisation..... It’s perfect! (Except when your heads/toilet block!)

So, we left Marseille and made for La Ciotat for a trial run.  All good. La Ciotat to Corsica next and boy did we get the dream weather for such a journey.  I was super super nervous the bad luck would remain with us and we’d find ourselves in a force 7 or more trying to find acove to anchor in.  Instead we got a beautiful force 4 / 5 all the way allowing us to chop and change between beam and broad reaching our way to the absolutely magnificent shores of Corsica.

Now a few Frenchies, not cause they are biased or anything, have been telling me over the years that Corsica is rather special.... I thought they were just being French but watching the sunrise behind the mountains on my last watch of the day / night I couldn’t help but be seriously impressed!!! The mountains were just fantastic as was the coastline which we at last got to use our kayaks to explore a little of.

Limited by our tight schedule and delayed start, unfortunately we didn’t manage a hike (maybe on the return), but even visiting the little bays / anchorages and villages that we did we had just a lovely refreshing end to the first nerve-racking part of the trip. That was until we tried to round the peninsular that allows us into the straight between Corsica and Sardinia of course. 

It started blowing through the night but there were 6 or more boats about to start their race south on this Sunday morning so we didn’t think to change our minds of trying to get to Sardinia’s north coast in a one-er...... The wind started in force 4 / 5 and in typical Med style I’m told, (and learning rapidly about), she picked up throughout the afternoon.   We tried going further south but with a fully reefed main and head sail and massive waves from the Mistral from days before it was time to about turn and head to Propriano. 

(some things still don't work.... ;0) )

 We had previously raced down-wind south and now we had to head back up wind!  Seriously wet, wild and super nerve-racking (and I suppose exciting) when the bl***y running back stays play their game and we still are getting used to the boat.

Anyhow, made it to the shelter feeling rather relieved to make the marina in one piece.

From little France to Italy! Raise the Flag!

And from one extreme to another – flat calm..... motor time :0( (but SUNNY!).  Italy welcomed us with an interesting anchorage and the taste of the north-eastern islands.  This heavily protected national park we by-passed as we are sure to be back in these parts with more Southampton students onboard to enjoy and share the scenery with. 

 This time though, we got DOLPHINS!!!!

And they stayed with us for a good few hours.  WOW, just amazing!  A great way to start the 30 hour sail to the South of the island.... and what an island.  Even just seeing the skyline, cliffs and valleys of East coast Sardinia is enough to make someone want to return, never mind the people! 

Super friendly and really helpful, (well almost, see below) even if their towns are closed at the most bizarre (yes, I’m a northerner) hours!

We explored, stretched our legs, smelt and tasted to reenergise.... mmmmmm pizza, pasta and of course.... GILLATO! Delightful!

South Sardinia brought us not just the known delights of Italy / Sardinia though, we got our first visitor: Fahd. 

Awesome to welcome aboard a friend even when berthed in a semi-closed (season starts on the 15^th June apparently, and not a day before – and wow, the marinas show it.  Everything is completely dead!) marina.  Taking time away from the boat over the following few days together, we explored the surroundings and was surprised at how strange it felt to be on land.  Swaying here and there – feels very funny!  A hair-raising (and hopefully nothing else) trip to Cagliari gave Fahd his feel for the boat (which was all he wanted ;0) ) which followed with fabulous food, landscapes and delicious wine oooh and the peculiar marina’s party! 

The marina de Sole was magic.  So many people lived their on their boats from all over Europe.  Super kind and helpful, amazing atmosphere and for once our boat seemed to fit into the surroundings rather than stand out a bit living up slightly to her name.  The locals were, as i say above, super kind and helpful especially in our final nights dinner in a wonderful Taverna which served you fish.... and only fish! 

Yum yum.

Other locals gave us their flavour too and reminded me that an Italian temper and driver is NOT one to mess with (especially when experiencing both at the same time.....).  I can tell you that passing the 15km sign to Cagliari for the 5^th time i was really praying it would be the last of the last..... and thankfully it was and we’ve never felt more at home on RC!

We surprised ourselves by taking the looooong crossing to Gozo / Malta in a one go.  Initially the plan had been to go via Sicily or Tunisia and to our great disappointment neither would have been possible give the time limitations (hence our feeling again that we’ve rather over-planned this mission – bring on the relaxing times in Greece chums – can’t WAIT to see you all and greet you onboard!).  So we did the 48hours to Pantelleria..... and then when we were hitting 6.5knots with a fully reefed main only and exploring possible anchorages at the same time, we about-turned and decided, with such a lush wind, why not head for a further 24hours to our destination pre-BIG-crossing, and RELAX!

So we did. 

Gozo beating Malta considerably in beauty we feel, welcomed us with sunshine (we lost it for a few days) and warm people as well as a building sight of a marina but with toilets, customs and a warm shower! 

We slept.

And missed the sunshine!

But..... on the same day (wow – it felt like a long day – we got a scoooooter and explored land – whoop!  Awesome little tour around even if extremely cold.  

Another super chilled day in the Blue Lagoon, initially with what felt like hundreds and hundreds of Brits on holiday but the beauty of a boat is that when they all go home to the main land / their comfy hotels, you get the bay almost to yourselves – Bliss!  And a great time to explore on your kayaks and enjoy a Rose on deck..... oh what a hard day!

And then to Malta Island and to encounter this eccentric marina with all that has been thrown in with it! Most importantly MAEL!!!! Just when I was getting my hands, feet and too much else covered in S**T he stepped aboard...... poor chap!  Thank God he’s an experienced sailor!   

  

 Sorry for SUCH a huge update – we WILL be better when in Greece and promise to add more pics when we’ve more up-load time!

So, ciao from this African / British island (it’s so strange to be in such a British, hot environment with so many twists..... amazing), back to RC cause we gotta fuel up and hit that salty sea again.  Ooooh and she has her name on her now!!! Super cool!

Hope to return to write our report about this next crossing to Crete with Mael, JG and Fi, next week (keep your fingers crossed for us / weather please!)

Over from fifi in Cafe Irreera

How did we get here?

So, although quite a number of people know the story there are a few bewildered people out there wondering how we, JG, Mael and Fifi, got here, to the heat of Malta’s capital, Valletta, and how we still have a blissful (well, almost) two months ahead of us (JG and Fi).

It all started with what we thought was a loooong holiday plan to take a journey south and east to the grandeur of South America..... Minutes before agreeing to the airfare and putting the money on the table, JG approached me with ‘the’ alternative plan and all thanks to his friend Szymon.

Now this guy is someone to learn spontaneity from.  You buy a boat for starters (crazy, after three weeks onboard we now understand fully why it is 85% over-55’s that embark on such a thing)! An old-ish American Sailing Yacht – Erwin 41ft, beamy, (wide) and rather eccentric interior / layout / GA!  Then, with not even a full crew you take on some people’s life-long-dream and you just hop across the Atlantic into the boundaries of this salty sea, the Med.

So this life-style must be contagious, right?  Well, it was for us as not so long after our first visit aboard Ragged Company (RC), we decided to take the plunge and go for a full three months!

Subsequently, Fi quit her job at Oceanco (mega eeeeeek!) and JG took the opportunity to take leave.  Now after months of planning / re-planning (can you imagine, we even thought we’d make Istanbul...... !), buying, sorting, arranging and trying to get friends / family integrated into the planning, we’re here, we’re actually three ½ weeks in to a 3months adventure!

Welcome aboard..... (anyone interested?)

fifi from Cafe Irrera

over 

How it began

Usually you'd joke about these things not really dream of it to be your reality, just as I did until I saw the streak of panic and seriousness on JG's face...... 'Where's the car Fi?'...... 
'Well i don't know, where you left it?' ....... No, not really an appropriate answer considering, so biting my tounge we traipsed up and down our street and the little ones adjacent only to end up in calling the police. Not really what one was expecting 3hours before our scheduled departure time. 

Bad things turn to good things, no? Well, thanks to Dutch efficiency, or not, the little Clio was salvaged from the back-of-beyond of Rotterdam only with a brick in the back seat and glass creating a rather sparkely effect over its whole interior. All salvage thanks goes to,

one of these (oh yes!)

and one of these! (you're the best Ju!!)



Six pm, tired and quite fed-up, we departed Rotterdam and drove with a plastic window, fully loaded car hot tempers, but with a radio (!) all the way to a wonderful little village in Luxembourg.  Our moods were revived despite arriving in the dark, as we navigated the windy roads and found the river.  The floodlit castle and little village of Vianden nestled in the green, tree-lined valley welcomed us and our load delightfully.

Now, pre-Lotus, our good friend above had / has a rather battered old car, with a lot of character of course, but one couldn't help imagining that given a little bump she might not be treated to a complete repair job..... only now I realise why!  We arrived to Marseille, home of Ju and his first car, in our Parisian plated Clio, which one couldn't help feel rather vunerable in driving through all the narrow, hilly streets.  The place is absolutely rammed with cars!  They are everywhere; and parked in every way, shape and form along the streets, in the stripes you usually avoid on a road, in the gaps you find between  main roads, up the sides of buildings and mostly positioned bumper to bumper.... not a good parking city for Fi I tell you.  Thank goodness for the Parisian driving technique after all!

Anyhow, over our ten days there we adjusted.

The first picture of our the first blog (Marseille) is what we also adjusted;

We adjusted her contents, her layout, small parts of her infrastructure and her cleanliness!  Whilst living onboard we tried to cover every nook and cranny that we could, taking the bruises, scratches and blows to head that she retaliated with and stocking up with boat parts, food, saftey equipment, clothes, sexy shoes (but oh-so gripy!)  and alllllll the rest.....

Even following the failure of  reverse gear..... yup, quite an important one, we are now officially ON THE TRIP!!! :0)

This is Fi on Ragged Company,

Over

Marseille

WELCOME to MARSEILLLLLE!