Month: February 2019

Sea Urchin Festival in LGMSea Urchin Festival in LGM



Sea Urchins are protected. Only a controlled quantity is allowed to be harvested.

Today was the day for sea urchins aficionados. I tried them, not today but some years ago, and found them tasty, but the wine served with them more interesting. Here are some pictures for today’s event in La Grande Motte.

 

The End is in sight!The End is in sight!



The End is Near, well this comment was meant with tongue-in-cheek. Obviously, the end is in sight! (As a fun project Google ‘The End is Near’). Every week we make baby steps forward fighting electrical gremlins. Our Nav system went from death defying low voltages of 10V to an average of 13.5V – meaning the autopilot will not disengage willy-nilly anymore.

We got the leaking top windows replaced. Most of the defunct solar panels are replaced. Four of the six top panels are already connected. Two panels couldn’t be connected because fishing the cables through the ceiling meant ripping up the ceiling. Now we wait for upholstery from Nautitech BEFORE we destroy something.

We used our time in port for other boat improvements like extra 400W solar on the davit arms. The empty forepeaks get shelves for storage (not IKEA!) and pipes to hang ropes and some sail bags.

We installed LED light strips in the main salon to have more indirect lighting.

For early March we secured a spot in Cap d’Agde. Just a back-up in case the electrical work drags out. We still need two inverters replaced and some minor electrical work (if such thing as minor ever exists when you use the E word).

We sincerely hope the Klabautermann is on our side now. For those who don’t know the K-man here is his Wiki entry: A Klabautermann is a water kobold that assists sailors and fishermen on the Baltic and North Sea in their duties. It is a merry and diligent creature, with an expert understanding of most watercraft, and an irrepressible musical talent. It is believed to rescue sailors washed overboard.

New top windows – not leaking anymore.

Nav system voltage went from too low to great

Replacement Solar Cells on top, not complete yet. New 400W solar on the davits.

We are getting there!

Still in La Grande Motte (LGM)Still in La Grande Motte (LGM)



Itching to get going, but our repairs, which began last September, are not finished as off yet. Hard to believe. We know. Repairs in France feel more like a Foxtrot:

Foxtrott You think you moved, but when you look back – not really!

One segment of electrical work was done last week and genuine new problems pop up. An Electrician worked on the essential seaworthiness list and several items were ticked off. But, when we used an electrical winch on Saturday, you get it, it failed for electrical reasons. And yes, the electrical winches had never failed us before.

We are not saying it’s not nice here, see the photo at the end, but we rather would be going somewhere.

There is one exception to the Foxtrot rule.  That is a company called Thalassa Nautique whose owner Olivier Glenadet appears on time and works super diligently. More about his work in a separate post later.

We have to leave port on Feb 24 because the Capitanerie needs the space. Let’s hope the critical things are done by then.

Is it nice in La Grande Motte? Yes, if you are here voluntarily.

LGM view dock p