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.