We are sat in the marina in Marseille, “43.17.64N 05.22.13E” it is 7.30 in the morning and I am in the cockpit in just a pair of swimming shorts... I think I am getting acclimatised to this weather, it will be a real shock when we come home!

Yesterday evening it rained, very, very hard! We were sat in the pub (only place to get wifi...honest!) and suddenly we had quite a violent thunderstorm.  The whole thing probably lasted for an hour.  Still can’t complain that is the first real rain we have had since the first day we arrived in Spain two months ago!

Unfortunately the outboards gearbox was stripped down on the aft deck.  It is very frustrating having bought a brand new engine from a reputable company for the gearbox to go so quickly.  I think it might be under warranty, however....As far as I can tell from the Mercury website there isn’t an approved agent within 100 miles of here i.e. on the South coast of France! The people who are around basically aren’t interested in the job.  So I took it apart with some telephone help from Chris Jenkins on the Isles of Scilly.  There are three cogs that have been damaged, the total cost of new parts, over £300 plus vat...And I have to put it back together.  That worries me quite a bit, how do I align it all such that the gearbox works smoothly and doesn’t strip all the teeth again? And where are the ‘Phews when you need them? I am sure at least Torban and Connor must have done this before! At least when you take things apart you gain a better understanding as to how they work.  Though I am fairly sure I could have happily lived out the rest of my days not knowing how an outboard gearbox works...

Other new stuff that hasn’t worked...the Grey Water lift pump switch failed, we are still awaiting a spare, though that should come out with Trevor in a week or so.  Whale have been very good at getting us a replacement, notwithstanding the fact that the first got lost in the post so didn’t arrive with Barry and Tracy.  At the moment we have a switch wired in that has to be turned on and off manually when you think the tank needs emptying.

On a more positive note, we have a few months of people coming out to see us, and just being around which will be nice, Josh and Becky are due on Tuesday, with a car load of bits and bobs.  I will try and post a plan of who is coming when just in case you are intending to join us too

I will also try and post some more photos on Facebook and also a couple here, that will of course mean another trip to the pub.  It’s an Irish pub so I had a ‘Pint of the Black Stuff’ and drank to McStewart’s memory.

We will be around this area for a week now, hopefully out at anchor but until we can get the outboard fixed we won’t be able to get ashore easily.  Rowing an inflatable is almost impossible....Still we will find a solution and in the meantime we will continue painting...

Have fun and take care

Love Alasdair, Gill, Habitat, Pickles and Star Charger