Hello shipmates! We're loving Frontignan and it would be easy to believe you're in Spain - except for the lingo! But it isn't all play: we've remasted, cleaned the boat thoroughly from the rigours of the canals plus "Reward" needed some TLC - she's just completed 850 miles on power alone so Skipper has been tending to his beloved engine. Also, two of our three batteries are struggling so we've replaced them - a case of inheriting slightly old, occasionally-used batteries which now struggle to hold a charge as they're being called upon 24/7. All part and parcel of maintaining your home - a moving one at that - so not surprising. Fortunately, Skipper is very practical so can turn his hand to most maintenance and engineering tasks.
Thursday 1 & Friday 2 August - Frontignan
Skipper was on hand to help Alan on "Splodge" as he needed to have the boat 'lifted and held' to inspect his prop. You may recall that he had a problem in the canals with grass around the prop and although that was cleared it still wasn't quite right. Skipper had his engineering and surveying hat on and, fortunately, no real damage was done so that was a relief. We went for a swim in the afternoon - the sea is so warm yet refreshing after a day in the hot sun. We were invited aboard "Splodge" for a movie evening and we watched one of our all-time favourite films: "Scent of a Woman" starring Al Pacino and that infamous Argentine Tango scene.
Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 August - Frontignan
Saturday was remast day. We motored around to the boat lift where we moored and 30 minutes later and the brilliant technicians at Frontignan had lifted the mast into place after which Skipper and Alan set about dismantling the A-frame and securing the spreaders and stays (mast supports).
Needless to say it wasn't without event: all of this was done with a thunder & lightning storm - but far enough away not to postpone the remast. We then had to re-attach the foresail which was straightforward. Our mainsail is contained inside the mast (known as roller-reefed). We motored back the mooring a very happy crew as the lovely "Reward" once again looks like a yacht!
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| "Reward" - resplendent with her mast once more |
Today was a free day for us after a busy weekend and we were invited to go to the nearby beach resort of Palavas with "Splodge" where they were meeting Alan's brother, Paul. It was great to spend the day with friends and away from the boat and associated chores. Skipper was in need of a haircut and First Mate was in need of a dress for her birthday on Friday! As ever, we had a great time on "Splodge" - Alan & Jacqui really are the best host and hostess! We liked this old fishing town and here's a piccie or two:
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| Palavas quayside harbour |
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| Skipper's photo from cable car, Palavas, of First Mate, Alan & Jackie |
First Mate awoke to what sounded like a distant alarm clock so got up to make tea when it became very clear the alarm was coming from our saloon. The red light warning system was going off which meant only one thing: the batteries were flat! We'd had problems through the canals but it seemed the daily running of the engine was sufficient to charge the batteries but on arrival at Frontignan that theory went out the window! Fortunately the engine battery was new this year and isolated from the two domestic batteries so we can run the engine. Luckily there's a good chandlery here - imagine if this had happened in the middle of the canal system... So Skipper purchased two new batteries and set about fitting them. The rest of the day was spent chilling out and, later on, we dinghied ashore with "Splodge" for drinks.
Wednesday 7 August - Frontignan
An audacious day - it was Alan's birthday and he celebrated it with his brother, Paul. They and Skipper dinghied to the open sea and explored the local coastline before returning just before the storm set in and in time for a few beers in the local hostelry!
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| The thee amigos! |
A boat-based day: various small maintenance jobs and we arranged to have the boat pulled out next week to check the undersides for any damage from the canals and to antifoul the undersides in readiness for the sea. We also need to check the anodes to see that they're doing their job (i.e. protecting the propeller). The high winds have been with us for 2-3 days and this evening we experienced our first Mistral wind: average of 19 knots gusting to 30 knots and possibly as much as 50 until midnight. The hatches are batoned down and the lines doubled and sufficient wine consumed to ensure a good night's rest for my birthday tomorrow!
I'll do a separate post for my birthday celebrations so tune in soon for the next enthralling adventure of Skipjack & Anchovy!
Enjoyed all the news and photos on the blog
ReplyDeleteLove mumxx