Date: 01-08-06     Time: 20:30 UTC      Position: 46:30.21N  001:47.47W   Name: Les Sables d'Olonne 

Litt overskyet og mye vind fra feil retning idag, så vi ble her. Siden byen er et senter for båtbygging og reparasjon, var det mange båtbutikker å titte i, og vi fikk handlet utstyr for en god del penger. Utover å betale for en natt til hos capitainerie, drikke kaffe med våre svenske venner Bosse og Agnetha, og jobbe med oppløsning av gjenværende faststoffer i septiktanken, har vi ikke gjort så mye. Det som var litt artig idag var at jeg hadde sjekket mine e-poster, og hadde lest de første fem ordene fra en kar vi traff i Skottland som heter Ian Macclure. Hvem skulle da ringe meg men selveste Ian. Han har bestilt seg en splitter nye 42 fot seilbåt som han skal hente om ti dager fra denne byen! Vi fikk prate litt om hans planer - de skal hente båten og seile den til middelhavet, så det er gode sjanser for at vi treffer dem i Spania eller Portugal. Mens septiktanken godgjorde seg med noen sterke franske kjemikalier, fikk jeg titte litt rundt verftene her - og fant det jeg antar er hans båt. Jeg tok noen bilder og sendte dem til ham. De holdte på med installering av baugpropell samt noen andre jobber.  Rønnaug er opptatt med å teste ut sin nylærte kunnskap med å knyte tjæretau rundt flasker i flotte mønster.  Denne eldgamle maritime tradisjonen er noe særskilt for Sverige og Norge er noe hun lærte av Agnetha. 

 

 

A bit cloudy and strong wind from the wrong direction today, so we decided to stay here for the day. As the town is a centre for boat building and repair, there are lots of chandlers shops, and we have visited several and spent lots of money! Apart from a visit to the Capinainerie to pay for an extra night, visiting our Swedish friends Bosse and Agnethe for coffee and a long chat about the cruising life, we haven't done so much. One important job has been to wash through the septic tank with lots of fresh water, then leave it to soak in some strong looking French chemicals which dissolve scaling, paper and organics. There was a fair bit of gunge still in there after yesterdays emptying, so it was just as well there are no neighbouring boats with people on board - not that you notice anything as the outlet from the sewage plant overshadows any small emissions we may have.

 

As I was checking my E-mails this morning, I had just read the first five words of one from a guy called Ian Macclure who we met on the island of Gigha in Scotland. I had E-mailed him yesterday as we were sailing to ask his progress on buying a new boat. Before I got any further who should ring but Ian. It transpired that his boat is here in Les Sables d'Olonne, and he is coming down in ten days to take delivery. After that he and his wife Val will sail her to the Meditterranean. This means they will only be a few days behind us, so with all luck we will meet up again in Spain or Portugal which will be great fun. While waiting for the chemicals to do their work in the septic tank, I strolled around the boatyards looking for his boat - a Benetteau 423. I found just one - on land but fully rigged. Work was underway putting in a bow thruster, so I took some pictures and sent them to Ian.

 

Rønnaug has been learning how to weave tarred string on bottles - an old seaman's art - from Agnetha. The progress so far is looking good, about half of a jam jar is completed. This is apparantly an old tradition from Norway and Sweden. See the second picture.