Life On Sail

 Back from Paris, we were joined by friends from Aveyron.  Little back and forth to Porquerolles like we did last time with other friends.  We now start to know the way.  We were also lucky as the Patrol of France was training for an aerial show right while we were troll fishing.  It was a really nice and relaxing week end with lots of food and fishing.  But we didn't catch anything, and even lost some lures again!!

 We were supposed to present the boat in our next YOUTUBE video.  But with all the back and forth to Paris this month of May and friends coming to visit, we haven't found the time to clean up the boat to make a proper video.  Not to mention we also lack of time.  But not to worry, we are replacing this video with another, while waiting for a less busy June to shoot that video.  This video is also perfect as this tells the story on how we renamed our boat according to maritime superstitions.  You will see the trailer here: You will be able to watch the video below, but let me tell you more about it.  Picture a mythical serpent trailing every boat, lurking in its wake. That’s the Macoui, a legendary creature from the maritime folklore of Brittany and southern France. This “guardian” protects the vessel, but renaming a boat without “killing” the old Macoui risks angering Neptune or sparking a clash between the old and new serpents, inviting storms and mis...

We’ve reached our final destination, but not without some challenges. As a reminder, we’re returning to Hyères to repair our standing rigging before heading to Corsica. We also took the opportunity to meet up with friends on the mainland while we’re still close by. After visiting the stunning medieval village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, with its colorful, flower-lined streets perched 154 meters up a hill, we made the 4km trip from the harbor on our e-scooters. Back at the boat, we had lunch and set sail. However, there was no wind at all, forcing us to rely on the engine for two hours. The wind eventually picked up, but only briefly. It was an on-and-off struggle, making for a slow and frustrating journey—covering just 17 nautical miles in nearly five hours at an average speed of 3.1 knots, thanks largely to the engine.     Our troubles didn’t end there. We managed to reach Hyères on time to meet up with Nico’s friends, and we had a great time together.  However, when we retur...

This morning, we bid farewell to Cap Taillat, setting our sights on Bormes-les-Mimosas to seek shelter from forecasted wind gusts that promised a restless night if we stayed put. My heart was set on leaving early—not just to beat the weather but to give us plenty of time to explore the charming port and the medieval village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, with its cobblestone streets and flower-draped houses. The plan was a four-hour sail, but by casting off at dawn, we hoped to make the most of the day. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas: the wind was nowhere to be found. Gliding across the glassy Mediterranean was serene, almost meditative, with the boat cutting gently through the still water. But serene doesn’t always mean speedy, and without a breath of wind, our progress was painfully slow. It was like sailing in slow motion, the coastline creeping by at a snail’s pace. With no wind to propel us, we decided to moor temporarily after a couple of hours, dropping anchor to wait for ...

  Our journey back to Hyères is progressing at a leisurely pace, one nautical mile at a time. Today, we covered 20 nautical miles, battling light winds that made our progress feel like a crawl. What should’ve been a straightforward sail stretched into a nearly seven-hour marathon to reach Cap Taillat.  The Mediterranean was calm—almost too calm—with barely a breeze to fill our sails, leaving us at the mercy of the engine and a lot of patience. I started the day at the helm, full of confidence and ready to steer us toward our destination. Let’s just say it didn’t go as planned. My attempt at helming was, in a word, disastrous—think zigzagging like a novice in a bumper car. After a few cringe-worthy moments and some good-natured ribbing from the crew, I wisely handed over the wheel and stayed clear of it for the remaining five hours of navigation. 😅 Lesson learned: sometimes it’s best to leave the steering to the pros and enjoy the view instead. On a brighter note, the day wasn...

 We have just come back from Paris, after a long week away, and we are already on the road the following day.  Today was one of those days on the water where Murphy’s Law ruled supreme—everything that could go wrong went spectacularly wrong! Our plan was to moor at the glamorous St. Tropez after a short, breezy one-hour sail from our starting point. The sail itself was smooth, with the Mediterranean sparkling under the morning sun, and we were all buzzing with excitement to drop anchor in such an iconic spot. But, as fate would have it, our perfect plan hit a snag. We moored in what we thought was a prime spot, only to discover it was a forbidden area! To make matters worse, we were right in the middle of it, sticking out like a sore thumb. In our defense, we’d followed the lead of another yacht moored nearby, assuming they knew what they were doing. Spoiler alert: they didn’t. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and we were both in hot water—figuratively and, as we’d later find ou...

It was challenging to document our antifouling work on the sailboat when we first purchased it in late February.  We lacked the time during that dry dock renovation, so we dove into the work without filming ourselves much. Plus, we’re not particularly fond of showing our faces on camera. As a result, putting together that video clip was a long process. But we’re happy with how it turned out. The next episode after this antifouling video was meant to showcase our Oceanis 40CC. However, unforeseen issues brought us back to Paris, and with some friends dropping by, our time on the boat was disrupted. This might delay finishing that episode, so we may release a simpler video by the end of May instead. We’ll see how it goes.   In the meantime, you can watch the episode of our first renovation job here on youtube .

 We have to pause our adventure for a week.  We need to go back to Paris. 

It was raining the day before we left, so the mooring at Anse des Canebiers set a somber tone. I don’t like gray, dreary weather, so when we departed, I was already feeling melancholic. To make matters worse, there was no wind at all, so we couldn’t do much but wait patiently. Fortunately, it was a short trip, with only 3.5 nautical miles to cover within an hour. We’re heading to a special place, Port Cogolin, where my parents owned our holiday home from my childhood through my young adult years.  Nico even joined me there for a weekend once. This marina was my dad’s dream, as he always wanted to own a motorboat docked there. He never realized that dream, and it felt surreal entering the same marina from the harbor.  My heart ached when I saw the word "COGOLIN" appearing as we enter the harbor.  We plan to leave the boat there for a week while we’re in Paris. Here is a summary of our navigation:

We left our beautiful, crystal-clear mooring at Cap Taillat to head to another one.  The reason is that we need to return to Paris for personal reasons.  This time, we might need to stay longer than two days. As usual, I’m excited—I miss the city, to be honest.  But too much city life dampens the vibe, so a short visit is perfect for me. It was a fantastic sail, as we hoisted the spinnaker and the mainsail wing-on-wing to catch as much wind as possible.  Nico is having a blast experimenting with all these combinations. The navigation was smooth and enjoyable, with bright sunshine adding to the fun.  

We enjoyed 15 nautical miles and 3 hours of fun, trying out the spinnaker again and experimenting with other sail combinations, like wing-on-wing. Nico securely fixed the solar panel onto the arch this morning before we left Le Lavandou. We arrived at Cap Taillat by late afternoon and relaxed. The journey was faster than expected thanks to the spinnaker, but a knot in the sail prevented us from furling it properly, so we had to sail farther than planned. The mooring was stunning, likely the best so far, though we haven’t explored enough to compare definitively. The hike was very easy, no sweat, but offered breathtaking panoramic views:

We finally left Hyères! We stayed there longer than planned because we had to travel to Paris, and then we waited for our friends to join us. We secured the new solar panel before setting off. Stopping by the DIY store for spare parts gave us time to explore Hyères one last time before our departure.  We had a favorable tailwind during this trip, but the wind was too light to rely on it fully. We hoisted the spinnaker for the first time, as the conditions were ideal, and our speed increased from 3 to 8 knots effortlessly.  The spinnaker hadn’t been used by the previous owner, so it was a bit rusty and dirty from long-term storage. Nico was thrilled. Upon arriving, we strolled around the Lavandou area. I was feeling under the weather with a sore throat, so I went to bed early. A little recap of the stopover.

My friend Laetitia visited with Franck and their kids during the Victory Day holidays. The weather wasn't great on the first day, so we went mooring and fishing near Hyères. In the evening, we went go-karting, which I loved. The racetrack was crowded, and it was Laetitia's first time. The next day, we visited Porquerolles, and the weather cleared up once we arrived. We finally saw why it's considered Europe's best beach. The water was crystal clear, but so many boats were moored in front that it looked like a parking lot. Antoine and Arthur were determined to catch a fish that day. They bought fresh seaworms and trolling lines. But we came back empty-handed.  It was great to have company for a change, instead of just the two of us. However, it was also hectic, with the kids forgetting their eyeglasses at the beach and us having to go back and forth in the dinghy, which barely had any charge left. But it always ended with laughter and brought us closer.   

April 2025 overview April marked our third-highest spending month so far, largely due to ongoing boat renovations. Purchasing equipment for the boat remains our biggest expense, as we continue to make upgrades here and there. Adding to the costs, it was also Easter holiday month, which brought plenty of family fun! Our son and his family joined us, leading to lots of outings and extra spending. In total, we spent €4,863 this month. Looking ahead, we expect equipment costs to gradually decrease over the coming months as the boat gets closer to its final shape.   April 2025 details Equipment purchases still account for a significant portion of our budget, but we’re also spending more time at marinas than originally planned. Honestly, I don’t mind too much—there’s something comforting about the convenience and community of marina life!  April 2025 vs Budget With 67% of our €20,000 budget already spent, we’ve shelled out €10,953 so far, primarily on equipment (€7,325) and repairs....

 Very unusual stopover as we had to head back to Paris for personal reasons.  It was a great but short occasion for us to meet up with family and friends.  We only stayed for 2 full days. 

      This morning, heavy clouds loomed over the stunning Langoustier Bay. After two nights moored in this tranquil spot—our longest mooring yet!—we hit an unexpected snag: one of our batteries was dead, and the remaining three were completely drained. Not exactly ideal when you need electricity to haul up the anchor! Nico spent the morning tinkering with the solar panels and batteries, determined to get us powered up. After some effort, we managed to scrape together just enough juice to lift the anchor and set sail for the next marina in Hyères. Unfortunately, the marina could only offer us a docking spot for two nights. With a quick trip back to Paris on the horizon, we were hoping for a longer stay to sort things out. The journey to Hyères was calm, just the way I like it. We started off battling rain and gusty winds, but halfway through, the wind died down completely. With no breeze to carry us, we fired up the engine to make sure we’d reach the marina before the harb...

  Leaving Toulon As we prepared to depart Toulon harbor, our excitement for the day’s sail was already buzzing. The Mediterranean sparkled under the morning sun, and our boat was ready to glide through the waves. Just as we were about to exit the main channel, a group of military personnel approached us in a small patrol boat, their expressions friendly but firm. They directed us to divert to a smaller, secondary exit from the harbor. The reason? A maritime giant was making its grand return. Incredible Encounter! The Charles de Gaulle, France’s iconic nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was steaming back to Toulon after a five-month deployment in the Pacific. This 42,500-ton behemoth, one of the most powerful warships in the world, was an awe-inspiring sight. As we maneuvered to the smaller exit, we caught glimpses of its massive silhouette on the horizon, its deck bustling with activity. For a brief moment, we shared the waters with this floating fortress—an unforgettable encounter ...