My new boat
The cold mistral has stopped the sky now iron grey.Im sitting on the wooden terrase of the beach cafè its shutters closed for winter the rain ratteling on the roof tiles,my laptop showing 63% the bottle of 1985 Lafite Rothschild just over half full.
I cut another slice of Tome grise and tore off some bread, it goes very well with the wine, i looked back over this past year,that finds me west of the Rhone liveing aboard a French sailboat built in Le Have in 1936 and abandonded in Corsica in 2006 shes 9mx2.80m and draws just 1.28m
To describe her:Shes cavel construction with flush deck forward of the mast, the cockpit is self draining with opening lockers.Below the cabin has standing headroom under the cabin,comfortable sitting under her wide decks.Forward, starboard is a narrow galley, while to port is a berth seperate from the galley.Port lights add light & a hatch over the galley vents the cooking vapors.perhaps people wernt so tall when she was built?
The mast is keel stepped.I had seen her some years ago when she was in Cogolin for sale and had liked her, then the price had been to high.In Corsica i had seen her again chocked up behind a large shed in a bad way.The yard owner had told me i could have her,this year hed told me he would burn her come winter.
This autum Clair had bought me a 40 footer which while sound needed a section of plank changed, frames that could be reached, doubled, and years of weed removeing,after more than two weeks of very hard work at an expensive yard she was ready for launch but nowhere to go.she had come without a place.
A German had been very interested having visited often, helping with the work at times.As she waited to be launched he asked me if i would consider selling her.We launched her putting her on the yards pontoon his offer accepted .I was rich!
But not for long, when all the charges had been met and Claire repaid i hadnt enough ?to buy another folkboat nor a Dufour 27 id seen further along the coast.Then Dave and michel came to tell me they needed the landrover to deliver the first 18.They had sold my home!!
With the extra cash from that i could aford to look at the Dufour which was well fitted out & had a good volvo 10hp i was sure he would accept 3500€ but first i called the yard in Corsica,the boat was still there compleat with sails(ok) mast rigging(galvanised)and an engine she was mine for 1000€ launched.
After a small adventure collecting the trailor from Toulon & delivering the the excellent First 18 which i shall miss,i left for Corsica.
The yard had been hoseing her down, the tank drained & filled the engine run shaft & bearings checked! They wanted to be sure id leave!! I gave the bottem a coat of AF sanded and painted the topsides added a boot top,in her new cloths she looked great!She was launched.I spent the next week as she took up, fitting her out buying and botteling local wine,finding local sausage, fitting a second bilge pump, new battery autohelm, compass i was soon ready to leave.
I set course for Bastia where i spent 2 days discovering that its become a bit expensive there was no free food i had to shop with money!Worse i had to pay the full price for the place!I told them i was 7.48m they came to look and demanded the red book.I left for Elba where i had arranged to collect local products.
She seemed to be sound sailed well & had a comfortable motion the autohelm managed to keep our course.I then sailed along the Italian coast before making a course for Menton the weather was all i could wish for.Id just about closed my eyes when somthing went wrong, i was up at once,a side stay had broken.
I let the main out fast then lashed a line around the wire led it under the toe rail and tentioned the stay again once done i rigged a pair of small blocks one end hooked to the chain plate the other to a rope loop i lashed to the stay, that served. I changed course and headed to a port that will remain nameless
I arrived safely tied up & rowed ashore.The yard refused to take down my mast the other yard said they were full “perhaps in 2 weeks timeâ€Â
- Board index
- All times are UTC+01:00
- Delete cookies