The Sunday Blog

Blue Sky's Voyage
George & Michael
Sun 16 Jul 2006 10:15
Dear Friends
 
Welcome again.
 
We're still moored up in L'Ile Rousse, Corsica awaiting a new starter motor and battery. I had forgotten that Friday was Bastille Day, so it's a long weekend here and not much work (or fitting of starter motors) is being done. But being tied up here is no bad thing as it's a great town and area. On Friday night we had a great "feu d'artifice" display right next to the marina, so much merrymaking on into the night.
 
 
The small harbour here is very friendly - we never bother to lock the boat and we leave our things on the dock quite happily. Marcel, our Corsican neighbour of perhaps late 60s is helpful to everyone including us and strides up the dock with a proprietorial authority. He has sailed around the world twice, taking five years apiece, so I guess he knows quite a bit about sailing. He's sailed round Africa with his dog Choupette (see pic) and they share watches. Yes, I did say watches - when Marcel sleeps, Choupette keeps watch and if she hears another boat she barks to wake him up. You'll see from the photo that it's better if Choupette listens rather than looks!
 
pic - Lukasz and Choupette
 
 
There was a fair amount of entertainment yesterday in the 25 knot afternoon breeze from the NE. Wind from this direction blows pretty much into the harbour so it gets a bit lumpy. We have used our No 2 anchor for the first time - taking it out in the tender and dropping it successfully without falling in after it - so we're tied up pretty well with that, our main anchor and a line on to Marcel's boat as he has ground lines too. Others did not fare so well however - one 43 footer ended up on the beach after the anchor chain parted and was eventually rescued but still seemed to float OK.
 
Several boats tried to get in to the dock without success and we narrowly missed having one of our anchors tripped by these antics. For the landlubbers amongst you - a Mediterranean mooring means that you reverse up to the dock, drop your anchor a couple of boat lengths out, paying out the chain as you reverse and tie the stern up to the dock. Yesterday there was a 25 knot cross wind which made the exercise impossible for anyone not quite expert in the manouever (I wouldn't have tried it!).
 
We've just finished Full English Breakfast prepared by George despite the heat and we're looking forward expectantly to another hectic day.
 
....and for those who have asked for photos of the skipper & 1st mate - here's us checking out the Pirates in Genoa harbour.
 
 
best wishes
 
George and Michael