Hyeres

Hyeres-Plage

Skylark arrived at Hyeres port from Barcelona at around 2:30 pm on Friday, August 28, the last day of the August holidays in France.  The bay was rocky and winds had built, gusting to 20+ knots and waters were choppy. The entrance to the marina was a narrow channel with boats tied up on both sides, their bow lines making the navigable parts even more narrow.  Some 15 boats were crowding the fuel and reception dock.  It was mayhem and chaos with a lot of yelling.  We managed to thread our way through further into the marina and found space to turn around and exited the harbor into the bay to re-group.  We managed to contact the Amel people by phone and they were able to help us dispense with check-in formalities and directed us to the Amel pontoon.  Vincent Arnaud, who had been assigned by Amel to assist us at Hyeres was at the berth to greet us.  We berthed Skylark next to the Amel demo boat and proceeded to the Capitainerie to complete entry formalities.  Vincent showed us how to haul and tighten the heavy bow mooring line by freeing the secondary anchor windlass from the chain and using it to winch the line. Electric power for this task was most welcome. The Amel people will be coming on Monday to inspect the boat and to fix some minor items.  A rear screen has been ordered for the cockpit as well as pushpit seats which were resisted for a long time for aesthetic reasons.  The crew will be able to have their daily gin and tonics seated on the aft deck.

The port is some 4 miles from the town of Hyeres and the waterfront has the typical restaurants, a supermarket, a few chandlers and a large boat yard.  Ed and I ate a dinner of moules frite of average quality. The waterfront was alive till late as the holiday crowds had their last hurrahs. So far, no wifi connection other than a stray signal now and again.  Will be able to connect at the Amel office during their work hours on weekdays.

Saturday, August 29 – Washed down the salt accumulation from the trip. The marina is almost deserted, an abrupt change from the day before. All manner of boats from the charter companies are lined up in crowded berths.  People around are mostly older.  Dinner at a creperie owned by an older woman who tried to speak some English to us.

Sunday, August 30 – walked to Hyeres and the old town – a long walk.  Had a nice lunch at a small bistro at the old town and returned to the marina.  Took some pictures of the marina and of Skylark at the boatyard across the channel.  Dinner was pasta, with a new bottle of wine.  Turned the DVD on and watched “Babel”, a rather dark movie with convoluted links between Morocco, Tokyo and Mexico.  We are developing new skills to consume time productively while in port.


August 31 – Merdeka Day.  Nothing much new, the PM’s OneMalaysia theme dominates the Malaysian websites on both sides of the political divide.  The discussion on race and religion continues unabated, reflecting a seeming naivete or hard-edged cynicism, depending on where in the political spectrum the debate originates.
The Amel people are at the boat checking on the rudder post seal and other items.  Ed and I went to the Amel office to use their internet work station.  Unfortunately, no wi-fi there but we were able to check email.  Loading the blog is a bit of a problem since photo files and drafts are stored on the notebooks. Will do have to find a café with wi-fi. Photos in the next posting.

Will leave for Hyeres mid-day tomorrow and berth at the Amel pontoon at the marina at Hyeres-Plage on Saturday. The market in Barcelona is a great place not only for fresh produce, cheeses, meat and fish but also to have lunch at the tapas bars inside. We had a really good plate of grilled seafood, ordering made simple by asking for the "mixta". The fresh juice stalls located all over the market serve interesting mixes of fresh fruit juices, some blended with coconut. Will provision boat before leaving tomorrow with veg, fruit and bread from the market. Went for a walk this evening through Barcelona's narrow streets, dotted with restaurants, wine bars, boutques and the occasional Chinese shop selling tourist items made in the motherland. The marina is very quiet at night.  Dinner on board with one of the excellent bottles of wine Colin gave us.  Thanks, Colin, great choice!

Alicante (cont'd)

This post is not in sequence but I thought there were a couple of encounters in Alicante worth recording.

Ed and I spent the afternoon of Aug 22 washing salt of the deck and hatches. Skylark was spotless again. Amazing how much salt gets deposited on deck and on the fittings. In the evening, we went in search of the real Alicante, away from the tourist belt along the waterfront. On a side street, we saw a shop with a Malaysian flag and a sign “Malaysia House” It was one of the typical Chinese run shops selling cheap clothing and household stuff that we seem to come across in nearly every Spanish town we’d been in. Up the hill in the old town, we found much outdoor dining on narrow streets favoured by the locals. Certainly no English was spoken by the diners. Our search for gastromic authenticity was rewarded at a little restaurant on a side street – excellent gazpacho and tapas. On the way back to Skylark, we stopped for ice cream and retired for the night satisfied that we’d sampled some of the real Alicante.
With visitor and crew departures on Aug 22, the boat suddenly felt much larger. As we slept through the night, a 50 foot power boat docked alongside us in the narrow space to starboard. He must have been good, we didn’t hear or feel anything, not even the slightest bump.
Another hot and sunny day today, Sunday. Went is search of the supermarket the marina office had told us about. We found it but it was closed. Stopped for coffee where another customer told us of a mini-market by the train station five minutes away. It turned pout to be a small convenience store, not much good for our purposes. On the way down the hill, Ed was propositioned by two fat hookers (11 am on Sunday morning!). He politely refused their offers and walked quickly away.
Back at the boat, a young woman stopped by and introduced herself as Barbara from the Amel rep’s office in Alicante. She had been advised of the rudder post problem by Amel at La Rochelle. We told her we had solved the problem was since finding a wrench large enough to do the job. She did give us directions to a grocery store that was open on Sundays, a short walk from the marina. Much desired fresh bread, salad greens and frosted cornflakes were found as well as fresh fruit. Returning to the marina, we stopped by the Subway sandwich shop, ordered cokes and sat down to use the free wi-fi courtesy of the chiropractor’s office on the floor above. Email and news with a strong signal at last. A fellow came by to ask about the wi-fi. He was wearing a shirt with the logo of the boat that had docked alongside Skylark briefly in Gibraltar – Traite de Roma. He had just replaced the Belgian skipper and was headed for Barcelona as well. Returned to Skylark, lunched on spinach salad and a fresh baguette. At around 4 pm, we dropped the moorings and left the harbour in a slight swell and light breeze. Ed has quickly mastered being at the bow and stern all at the same time

Barcelona

Skylark is now berthed at the Port Vell marina at Barcelona. We managed to get in significant sailing time after leaving Alicante for the open sea part of the journey. Wind was from the starboard beam and steady at 10 kts giving us boat speeds of between 5 to 7 knots. There were the occasional shifts but the boom preventer did the trick, no more slapping sails. Being short handed, we used a conservative sail plan - genoa, main and mizzen, although tempted to try the gennaker when the wind shifted. The seas were flat to moderate until the approach to Barcelona. Shipping traffic was quite heavy which made for interesting night watches. There seemed to be a continuing exchange of profanities between Indian and Filipino merchant seamen over the calling channel 0f the VHF. It was irritating as the insults continued to be traded all through the night and we wanted to keep Channel 16 open in case there were emergency messages from the authorities.

Arriving at the marina at Barcelona, Ed struck up a conversation with the attendant, a Cuban exile who could recite the entire United States declaration of independence. My American friend was mightily impressed.

After fueling and checking in, we were directed to our berth and tied up stern to. Other than the fact the lazy lines stank of bad marina water, our first experience with just me at the wheel and Ed tending the dock lines with winds at 10 mph went without a hitch. We are again squeezed between two large power boats with very high freeboard, and learning how to position fenders in these situations.

We're off to explore the town and perhaps catch up with Robyn and Colin who drove here via Valencia a couple of days back. More when we come back.

Alicante

August 22 -- We left Fuengirola around 10 am on August 20 sans Francois who'd left for France, and arrived Alicante a little before 9 am, August 22. Wind was on the nose, mostly 3 to 7 knots. We ran on engine all of the first day. Early in the afternoon, Ed, Colin, Richard went for a swim in the warm waters. The winds were no better in the night and the following day. By mid-afternoon, it had picked up to 10 knots. Sails were set, genoa, staysail, main and mizzen and Skylark was off under sail on several long tacks. As evening came, the winds died and we sailed back to the rhumb line and motored on, arriving at Alicante this morning. Colin and Robyn were good enough to spend most of the morning trying to set up the wi-fi signal booster but without success -- the equipment is on its way back to the vendor at Sim Lim Square, Singapore. Robyn and Colin are headed for Barcelona by car this evening to continue their extended vacation. For reasons of his own, Richard left Skylark this morning. Ed and I are looking forward to sailing her to Barcelona tomorrow. The weather forecast is for more of the same, light air and moderate seas. We have a marina berth reservation at Barcelona for two nights which will allow for onshore excursions and rest before pushing on to Hyeres, near Toulon in France. Ed is leaving on September 1 to return to Houston to tend to personal business while I will remain with Skylark at Hyeres. The Amel people at Hyeres will be tending to some minor maintenance and warranty items and installing a rear cockpit screen to protect the helm station from following seas during our trans-oceanic passages.

Pictures to follow in the next blog.

Gibraltar to forgetable Fuengirola

August 18, Gibraltar --

At about 9.30 am, we left Gibraltar for Fuengirola, a substitute for Marbella which was full and couldn't accommodate us. Fuengirola is on the outskirts of Malaga. Colin was messaged, took the train from Malaga airport and met us at the pier. The marina is third worldly, packed with all manner of boats. We had a stern to mooring between 2 motor boats that essentially left only fenders to prevent boats from scrapping on each other. We barely squeezed in and settled the boat in. the wi-fi signal was inadequate, hence no blog post. Francois went to town to arrange his journey back to France to prepare for impending nuptials in Bangkok while Ed stayed back to rest. Robyn, Colin and I went in search of groceries and dinner in town. Both groceries and the meal were mediocre, reflecting the backward nature of the town with its cheesy waterfront tourist attractions. We were glad to leave the next morning (August 20) for Alicante.

more pictures from Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Aug 15/16 all night slog though heavy seas and currents, Skylark is making an unplanned stop at Gibraltar for rest and recuperation. Starting out from Puerto Sherry in the afternoon after taking on diesel, the sailing winds were good. Towards evening, winds whipped up to 25 + knots. Sea conditions with 2 to 3 metre waves required handsteering under staysail, small main and mizzen to avoid taking on the seas abeam. Quite tiring without the autopilot. Francois caught 2 tuna about 2 to 3 kg (we have pictures this time to prove it. We ate tuna sashimi and sushi for dinner in less than ideal conditions. As night fell, the seas turned rough with winds gusting to 40 knots and waves crashing over Skylark constantly. It was tough in the dark not know which direction the waves were coming from. Wave periods were 3 to 5 seconds, causing the boat to pitch and crash with an alarming bang each time. The sounds were amplified because of Skylark's strong monocoque construction (deck and hull are fused not bolted on) which worked like a giant drum. Water came over the cockpit windshield and we were thankful for Skylark's protected cockpit and steering position. Visibility in the pitch darkness was poor but we were able to keep out of the way of heavy commercial vessel traffic by monitoring their AIS positions. The weather was so bad the fishing fleets stayed in port between Cadiz and Tarifa. Reduced sail so as not to hit the Strait in the darkness but even with the smallest of triangles out, the boat still moved at 6 knots or more. As day broke, we had hardly made any way past Tarifa. The pan pan calls from Tarifa and Malaga radios for thje missing seaman continued at regular intervals. With such conditions, the search can't continue for too long. The current in the Strait together with waves, kept the boat moving but barely -- about one knot. A tedious passage for a while. The wind fell off a little and we moved inshore. Much better conditions and speed picked up considerably. Finally the "Rock" came into view in the distance. The approach to Gibraltar is quite magnificent. We pick our way around the big ships in port and made our way to the marina at Marina Bay which is right by the airport runway. The marina staff guided us to our berth where Skylark moored Med style for the first time -- stern to the quay wall and a bow line to a mooring. The passarelle (gangway from boat to shore) was deployed for the first time. It is nice to be in an English speaking environment again. Lots of British boats around us, including some big motor yachts under re-possession by banks. The food at the waterfront restaurants is mediocre at best. There is no wi-fi at the marina, so we will have to find a cafe that has it to post this blog which explains the lateness.

Sunday was spent exploring the town, the cemetery for the dead from Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar. Many fading headstones but fascinating that many of the graves marked British military and administrative personnel who died of a fever rather than the battle. Walked to the cable car station and rode up to the top or the Rock where we were greeted by some fairly aggressive apes. The view was great as the pictures show.

We are pressing on to Marbella on Tuesday and perhaps beyond if conditions are good the forecast is for weather to deteriorate towards the weekend. More when we stop next and have internet access.

Leaving Puerto Sherry (Cadiz)

August 14 – Planning to leave Puerto Sherry today and pressing on towards the Med. Puerto Sherry is in a sad state, promoted for vacation homes and time shares for affluent Europeans and Brits but dotted with incomplete, abandoned projects. There is no township near the marina. Cadiz is a 20 minute bus ride to a ferry of uncertain frequency and which stops operating at 6 pm. We called the Cadiz marina but they were adamant that they could not take boats over 15 metres. The marina at Puerto Sherry has large boats berthed but service is poor and charges are high – wi-fi doesn’t work, the access cards to the gates don’t work, the shore power requires us to re-wire our power line with one of their jumbo connectors for which a 75 Euro deposit has to be paid. Makes for a tedious process just to leave. So we will push on. The question is whether we should go to Marbella or Malaga. The Med pilot suggests the Marbella yacht harbour would be more fun as Malaga is mainly a commercial port. Gibraltar is only about 60 nautical miles away. We are planning to transit the Strait in daylight as the sights may be interesting, especially the Rock. The inshore routes are just as busy as the main shipping channels which have a traffic separation scheme. It will be best to see the see all that traffic in daylight.

We are getting wi-fi from the yacht club hotel but it is an inconvenient walk in the hot sun during the day. More from our next stop where with luck the internet connections will be better. Next blog will be from the Med (finally) where Robyn hopes to be re-united with boy friend Colin, that is, if he can find the Skylark. We hope so since he is bringing some electronic goodies like a wi-fi signal booster and a PC notebook which unlike the MacBook, will be compatible with the SSB radio email interface.

More pictures of Lagos

Lagos, Portugal

skylark on Skylark

Dolphins visit with Skylark

Back in Spain

August 13, 2009. Skylark is back in Spain (south coast) at the Marina Puerto Sherry across the bay from the city of Cadiz. The marina at Cadiz was full when we arrived today. Will try to move over tomorrow morning as Puerto Sherry, while pretty, is a one-horse town with no horse.

The trip from Lagos to Cadiz was filled with wonderful moments including visits by dolphins and our very own skylark who flew through the cockpit and settled on some ropes at the foot of the main mast for the night. Robyn failed to attract it with some bread but the bird was quite comfortable with its new human company. She flew off when morning came -- we hope she realizes she is no longer in Portugal.

We had a great dinner on the overnight sail from Lagos. Francois did a pumpkin soup which was produced after several international phone calls to Magda (in Bangkok) for instructions on how to cook the soup. As they say in the credit card commercial --- fresh ingredients, cooking on a sail boat, cell phone roaming and calls to Thailand from the Portuguese coast, pumpkin soup, priceless....

The evening was interupted several times by pan-pan (emergency) announcements over the VHF radio from Tarifa and Malaga radio to all ships asking for reports on a missing seaman. It didn't sound good for the poor sailor who must have fallen overboard. We found religion after that -- Francois tended to his fishing rod with his harness on and I changed Skylark's courtesy flag from Portuguese to Spanish during the night wearing my inflatable life vest and harness clipped securely to the boat.

It is hot in Puerto Sherry -- we are running Skylark's air-conditioning this afternoon at full blast. Ed and Francois are having their afternoon naps in the cool cabins while Robyn and I are at the marina hotel getting our internet fix. Pictures in the next post are a mix of Lagos, the dolphins, and our little skylark visitor. Pictures of Cadiz when we get there.

Lagos, Portugal

August 11 -- Left Cascais on August 10 around mid-day and arrived at the Marina De Lagos on the south coast of Portugal today. Half of the trip was sailing under glorious conditions in the Atlantic swell. Newbie Robyn enjoyed the breeze and sun for a while till it got cold. Shipping traffic around Lisbon is fairly intense but we had fun identifying the ships' positions, headings, speed and range by their AIS signals. Towards nightfall, the seas began to build with 3 to 4 metre waves but clear skies and cold temperatures. It was uncomfortable moving around as Skylark rolled about in the waves. Lee cloths on berths were a must to prevent hard knocks from being thrown around in bunks. Robyn went green in the gills and retreated to her cabin, declining dinner and trying to sleep. We reckon she must have thought she died and was in hell for most of the night. During our watches, Francois heated his leek and potato soup which accompanied by bread with copious amounts of butter were just what we needed on this cold night. Our initial sail was on a broad reach with steady winds. The full genoa and the mizzen ws all we needed to move at 7.5 to 8 knots. By nightfall, it became shifty and light from the stern and with the significant following seas, it became pointless to sail. The canvas was taken in and we motored at engine at 1500 rpm as we did not want to approach Lagos narrow channel entrance in the dark. The skies were star-filled and we spent some time identifying the constellations like Scorpio, Great Bear and also the Polar Star. The moon provided beautiful ambient light and despite the rolling seas, it was a curiously enjoyable ride (perhaps Robyn might disagree). Francois finally caught a tuna (he says about 3 kg) which was quickly gutted, filleted and stored in the fridge. Because the sea was rough, we did not think to take a picture, so you'll all have to take our word that this is not another fish story. The fish was rendered into sashimi and sushi for today's lunch. The fish and other condiments brought by Robyn from the Hokkaido food fair in KL were delicious, not a morsel was left.

The entrance to the marina is a long, narrow channel. We called at the crowded reception pontoon to check in. Following that, a quick request for the draw bridge to be raised on VHF channel 9, we headed for our berth, which was a little small for Skylark. Her stern sticks out about 10 feet beyond the finger pier.

Lagos is a major tourist destination and its retail establishments reflect that. Lots of souvenir shops and beach stuff. The side streets are fairly repetitive but the old sites like the slave market and the fort made up for it. Tomorrow we head to Cadiz. Pictures to follow in the next post.

August 8, 2009 - still at the Marina de Cascais, near Lisbon. Our wifi is a little unreliable, cycling in and out and interrupting internet access every now and again. Ed and I explored Lisbon for the better part of the day on August 6 and picked Robyn up at the Cais do Sodre for the short train ride back to the marina.

Little problem yesterday. A slow leak around the rudder post developed apparently from an inadequately tightened nut in the rudder shaft packing which was quickly determined by Ed the ship's engineer. Called Amel in France and they sent a technician to fix it, although not without waiting for the better part of the day. We will need to add a big pipe wrench to our inventory of tools, which was all it took to fix the problem in this instance. Francois and Robyn went to town and explored the castle. Richard has left to attend his son's wedding in Ireland but plans to return on August 18. Ed and I will go to Lisbon again to day to continue exploring. It is a city with a fascinating military and maritime history. Some pictures taken at Bayona and at Cascais and Lisbon will be in the next post.

Portugal

Left Bayona early morning, August 4th and arrived at    Marina Cascais near Lisbon a little past mid-day, August 5th.  The trip was marked by light winds from the north and lumpy seas.  Traffic comprised a few merchant ships and a larger number of fishing vessels.  When fishermen are required to carry AIS next year by new EU regulations, sailing at night in these waters will be much more relaxed.  For now, we resort to radar for range and bearing information.  Cloud, rain and fog marked most of the journey but broke this morning, allowing for some nice downwind sailing.  The fishing reel went off as we sailed but the lure was lost either to a large fish or some underwater obstruction.                                                           

We are exploring Cascais this afternoon (very touristy).  Will take the train to Lisbon tomorrow morning.  Pictures and more in tomorrow's post. 

August 3 – Skylark is at Bayona (Baiona) on the Spanish coast near the Portuguese border.  We are berthed at the Monte Real Club de Yates which has big marina facilities bordering the town by the 17^th century Main Gate or Phillip IV Gate.  On approach, it was hard to get a response on the VHF radio in English but we sailed to the docks and were guided to a berth by the club's staff after many hand gestures.  The office is closed till 8 am tomorrow and we will check in then.  The Atlantic coast pilot indicates that Skylark’s crew will have to observe unusual decorum and adhere to the Club’s dress code.  We don’t yet know what this might be but long pants and tucked in shirts seemed OK while passing through the clubhouse.

The town’s main drag is fronted by beach and holiday crowds are evident everywhere.  Bayona is popular with domestic tourists, young and old, who crowd the beach in the same state of undress. Back streets are quaint.  Cafes and stores selling Spanish “resort wear” seem to be the mainstays in town. 

Depending on weather, we will head for Lisbon tomorrow.  The target is Cascais a short train ride from Lisbon. It is 220 miles down the coast from Bayona, or about 35 hours at sea.  A Choi family member, Robyn, will be joining the boat at Cascais.  It will be nice to see someone from home for a change. 

The festival at Portosin tonight involves a sea procession where the throngs accompany Our Lady of Carmen on her return to the sea once a year to bless the waters where the sardines feed.  We've been told that visitors can taste the fish that is so important to the town's economy, free of charge at the Festival of the Exaltation of the Sardine (I did not make that up).  Skylark's crew will be dining onshore tonight at a restaurant named Pescador, with any luck after getting some free sardine appetisers on the way there.