We left Port St Louis on the 16th September 2005 at 8.00am to cover the 38 nautical miles to La Grand Motte in perfect conditions, by 8.30 we were clear of the Harbour and heading towards Rouston and the Rhone Estuary, I have never seen so many fishing pot markers, it was like going through a mine field, but to be fair they were in the main well marked, it just needed two pairs of eyes on watch. By 11.45am we were heading North Westerly towards Les Baronets and experiencing a Northwesterly wind Force 5, with no escape harbour, the worry was that it might worsen, we had been warned about the Gulf of Lion. By 13.40 we were approaching Peurto Espiguette our first haven but the wind was dropping, by the time we arrived at La Grande Motte at 1410 it was not far from flat calm. Not a bad trip! Our first in the Med.
On arrival at La Grande Motte the Marina staff were very helpful, the bad news was that the Marina was full, the good news we could moor on the arrivals pontoon, well at least we were let off a stern mooring we were still virgins, later that afternoon a Canadian boat arrived having crossed the Atlantic in 15 days and were en route for Italy. Jim and Gary and their wives Carolyn and Vern were great company, we enjoyed a super meal on their 37 foot Yacht and being weather bound in La Grand Motte for 2 days did not matter.
We left La Grande Motte on the 19th September 2005 at 0745 with a forecast NW Force 3 with plenty of safe havens we were more relaxed, by noon we were approaching Cap D’Agde hoping to make Port Leucate. As we rounded the Island that lies just off the Cape, we were faced with force 5 -6 with no safe havens until our destination, we decided to go into Cap d’ Adge. Once again the Marina staff were very helpful and we were allocated an alongside berth, we were still stern mooring virgins. We spent another day holed up by the weather at Cap D’Adge.
0930 on the 21st September saw us once again on our way for Port Leucate forecast NW Force 2 to 3 possibly 4. The trip was uneventful with dull flat scenery we arrived at Port Leucate to face our first Stern on Mooring and for the first time the Marina Staff were exceedingly unhelpful. Notwithstanding this we were reasonably successful with our first stern mooring.
Port Leucate had good facilities but there is little of interest outside the Marina gates, only a Spar Supermarket, a good 1/2 mile walk away. A special thank you to Lawrence Newing as you can see the Gang plank worked perfectly with his stern ladder fitting.
0930 on the 22nd September saw us heading for Puerto de la Selva in Spain in perfect weather conditions still NW but just F 1 to 2, this picture shows us crossing into Spain at 13.04. The Scenery was breath-taking.
On arrival at Puerto de la Selva we refueled at 1.08 euros a litre an improvement on the 1.19 we paid at La Grande Motte, on the trip the best prices had been at Cambrai and Lyon 1.00 litre. Here the Marina staff were very helpful, the stern mooring was much easier with their help.
As we left Peurto De La Selva, we were pleased to have a perfect weather forecast Southerly Force 1 to 2. As we headed for Cabo Creus, our pilot book described it as ” One of the most dangerous points on the whole of the east coast of Spain, because it is the centre of the path of the north westerly Tramantona”. We enjoyed a light southerly wind.
Lace entering the narrow inner passage of Cabo Creus at 10.34am on the 23rd September 2005.
The views were breathtaking and the seas calm, would not fancy this channel in almost any other conditions, its not wide and there are hidden rocks.
Well we’re through its looks even narrower this end, next interesting part will be the Bay of Roses.
As we leave the Northern side of the Bay of Roses its about 9 nautical miles across to the south side and our destination at L’Escala, which we can only see on the radar because of the heat haze and the lack of wind, the Bay of Roses is like a mill pond phew!
Heading towards the Bay of Roses the scenery is breathtaking. We arrived in L’Escala at 1215, having experienced a beautiful coastline we spent 3 great days at the the Marina at L’Escala, another Stern Mooring but now had got used to this method of mooring.
We have now learnt more about Stern Mooring thanks to Val, we discovered that leaving sufficent room at the sterm to allow the dinghy to be lowered without the need to move it but not too wide a gap so the landing Plank will not reach the quay. Leaving our mooring at 0935 from L’Escala was much easier without the need to recover the dinghy. After a storm while we were at L’Escala the sea had once again calmed with now a southerly Force 2 – 3.
We were now headed for Puerto Blanes, having left L’Escala at 09.30am.
We arrived off the Caba de Tossa at around 13.30.
Approaching Lloret del Mar.
We passed the Castle at Lloret del Mar at about 14.00 hours.
We arrived at Barcelona Port Vell on the 28th September and although we had been on the waiting list since our visit there in February there was no room for us, they appeared to have an unusual method of allocating berths!! Which had little to do with how long you had been on the list, we were told we were at the top with no indication as to when a berth would be available. After playing games with us we left for Port Forum Barcelona on the 1st October via a short stay at Port Olympic Barcelona, which was a lot friendlier if not a bit loud.
On the 4th October with Anne and Michael we went down the coast to Sitges where we spent a memorable afternoon and evening.
After an interesting trip up from Sitges, we arrived in rather choppy conditions at Barcelona Port Forum on the 5th October, our winter berth.
Season 2006
We left England on the 3rd April 2006 to return to Barcelona.
We travelled by Speed Ferries arriving in Bologne at 1pm on the 3rd April. We drove by Car via Paris arriving with our French Friends Sedat and Sylvie at 8pm in St Ledger Sur Dheune on the Canal du Centre: During the Evening we enjoyed a very nice meal at Sedat and Sylvies farmhouse home.
The following day we travelled to Genelard retracing the route last year along the Canal de Centre visiting the boatyard of Geoff at Monchanin and meeting Joseph fronm Canada: We also saw Carl and Katys Boat, from Roy Newings boat house marina on the River Stour.
Sylvie drove us to several Wine growers Caves where we enjoyed sampling the local Bourgogne Region wine and buying the odd case. We had a lovely day with temperatures around 18c: We also saw the Bourgogne Stone Henge and was introduced by a local French Couple to how to pick dandelion leaves for salad, we were both surprised how good they tasted, but we were warned not to pick them at the roadside where dogs may have visited.
The evening was spent in a restaurant in St Leger at the side of the Canal de Centre where we were forced to sample more local wine.
The next day we woke to snow falling what a contrast, but we enjoyed our lunch including a salad of our dandelion leaves and Sylvie spent the day preparing both our Lunch and Evening meal.
We were joined in the evening by Roger and Joyel very good friends of Sedat and Sylvie and Sedat produced a bottle of Bushmills Irish Whisky and we had to test more wine!!
Our last evening, Sedat is great fun as you can see and we were introduced to Chateruse a Liquoer made from flowers. Now I know the meaning of flower power!!
We arrived in Roanne on the 8th April and it was good to meet our American friends Jim and Mary who we met in Cepoy last year, we stayed on their 80 foot barge and were introduced to Tom and Trish.
We started the meal with 24 Escargo’s in garlic, they were so tasty, Val is now a connoseiur of Snails!!
Tom’s the small guy in the middle.
We had a great evening in a Resturant in Roanne, Trish was great fun.
What a great meal we cooked the steak on barbecues on the table, the gap in the barbecue on the one by Val is where you put the frying pan of cheese to cook it and pour it over baked potatoes, Jim, Tom and I just could not eat all the food!!
We travelled from Roanne to Barcelona via the 2.5 KM Suspension bridge at Millau, built under supervision of British Engineers
Rosemary and Tony joined us at Barcelona and are pictured here outside the Sacred Church of The Family designed by Gaudi.
What can you say about the Magic Fountains off the Place d’ Espagne at Barcelona just fantastico.
The Magic Fountains in Barcelona.
After a walk up the Rambla we needed some light refreshment.
Valerie found this Cat not far from the Rambla Barcelona.
Tony, that’s a big Tom Cat
The crew at Port Forum Barcelona