Where's AL?

AL on Nantjizel Beach May 2013

As you may have guessed,  Jenny has taken off for France in her capacity as maintenance crew while Al labours away in Bristol, producing tracks for what we used to call 'the man'.  Just now he's finishing up his Celtic collection and moving on to guitar tracks largely composed in Cornwall, earlier this month - or was it last month - at Sally's house on the Lizard.  Travel is always inspirational for Al and he and his guitar will be joining me, my oily rags and a clean, shiny, re-rigged Snork Maiden sometime in June. I am looking forward to it.  Although Snork Maiden is great company and doesn't talk back, I miss him.

Where's AL?

AL on Nantjizel Beach May 2013

As you may have guessed,  Jenny has taken off for France in her capacity as maintenance crew while Al labours away in Bristol, producing tracks for what we used to call 'the man'.  Just now he's finishing up his Celtic collection and moving on to guitar tracks largely composed in Cornwall, earlier this month - or was it last month - at Sally's house on the Lizard.  Travel is always inspirational for Al and he and his guitar will be joining me, my oily rags and a clean, shiny, re-rigged Snork Maiden sometime in June. I am looking forward to it.  Although Snork Maiden is great company and doesn't talk back, I miss him.

Endless Winter

 

Snork Maiden and her sisters on her pontoon at Marans

Slow start to this year's blog, I'm afraid.  Facebook partly to blame - I feel as though I have already said it all - but I'm aware that it is a different medium.  This b(log) acts as a diary and record of where we go and what we do, although it fell into a black hole of Internet paranoia last year - maybe year before.

It usually takes me a couple of days to acclimatise, to settle into boat life, live in a space of around 4 square metres, speak French and hone my DIY and engineering skills.  This year I am also having to get used to the temperature and the unforgiving NW/West wind.  It's rare to have to turn on the fan heater between April and September - but this year is pretty strange, weather-wise.  For anyone who's interested, Meteo France have a detailed 10-day forecast on the Internet.
Marans Weather

The plan for today, after a second cuppa, is to major on the engine, and give the outside of the boat a first, rough clean up.  Lots of winter debris - dust from the grain silos, dead leaves, green tint to woodwork and lines.  The engine... will she start?  First check will be batteries, once I can find somewhere to put the self-steering gear that is occupying the aft berth.  Oh yes, on MY bed.  The boat becomes like one of those old plastic puzzles where you had to move from one corner to another by sliding tiles one at a time.  In fact the whole business of becoming seaworthy again is a kind of mental and physical Rubic's cube.  Eventually it all falls into place and away you go!

The wide big sky landscape that surrounds us - if you enlarge this pic you can see the line of trees that marks the Marans Canal.

I just want to tell you a bit about the landscape here - the photo gives a clue but can't capture the huge sky, flat land leading to an expanse of shallow bay.  It can be bleak under a grey sky, with an icy wind blowing from the west.  There's a desolate feel to the small coastal villages, shuttered against the weather.  Here and there are fabulous banks of wild flowers and clumps of irises in all shades of mauve-to-purple. The sun is shining today - but it's still fan heater weather.

Nothing stays the same!  Our favourite lunchtime cafe has turned into a betting shop with soft porn beach babes on the TV.  The old boys sit around with glasses of wine while the (new) proprietor operates some sort of instant lottery machine.  Maybe horses come into the picture somewhere.  They still serve lunches and coffee is OK but another bit of 'old' France has slipped away.

Endless Winter

 

Snork Maiden and her sisters on her pontoon at Marans

Slow start to this year's blog, I'm afraid.  Facebook partly to blame - I feel as though I have already said it all - but I'm aware that it is a different medium.  This b(log) acts as a diary and record of where we go and what we do, although it fell into a black hole of Internet paranoia last year - maybe year before.

It usually takes me a couple of days to acclimatise, to settle into boat life, live in a space of around 4 square metres, speak French and hone my DIY and engineering skills.  This year I am also having to get used to the temperature and the unforgiving NW/West wind.  It's rare to have to turn on the fan heater between April and September - but this year is pretty strange, weather-wise.  For anyone who's interested, Meteo France have a detailed 10-day forecast on the Internet.
Marans Weather

The plan for today, after a second cuppa, is to major on the engine, and give the outside of the boat a first, rough clean up.  Lots of winter debris - dust from the grain silos, dead leaves, green tint to woodwork and lines.  The engine... will she start?  First check will be batteries, once I can find somewhere to put the self-steering gear that is occupying the aft berth.  Oh yes, on MY bed.  The boat becomes like one of those old plastic puzzles where you had to move from one corner to another by sliding tiles one at a time.  In fact the whole business of becoming seaworthy again is a kind of mental and physical Rubic's cube.  Eventually it all falls into place and away you go!

The wide big sky landscape that surrounds us - if you enlarge this pic you can see the line of trees that marks the Marans Canal.

I just want to tell you a bit about the landscape here - the photo gives a clue but can't capture the huge sky, flat land leading to an expanse of shallow bay.  It can be bleak under a grey sky, with an icy wind blowing from the west.  There's a desolate feel to the small coastal villages, shuttered against the weather.  Here and there are fabulous banks of wild flowers and clumps of irises in all shades of mauve-to-purple. The sun is shining today - but it's still fan heater weather.

Nothing stays the same!  Our favourite lunchtime cafe has turned into a betting shop with soft porn beach babes on the TV.  The old boys sit around with glasses of wine while the (new) proprietor operates some sort of instant lottery machine.  Maybe horses come into the picture somewhere.  They still serve lunches and coffee is OK but another bit of 'old' France has slipped away.

Sanding and varnishing! It's a bit like living in a garden shed just now - I am using the forepeak as a bed / office / tv room - all in a space of around 2 square metres. Galley is still operational so supper of pasta with carrots and fresh peas. Strawberries picked this morning from fruit farm down the road, with soya dream, yum.
Apologies to all those following on Facebook.  Unfortunately some like FB., some like Google - but not as much as they did,  and some just want to be emailed.  Maybe go back to postcards.  Weather today - Cornish 'mizzle'.

Have to get brave and start with the varnish today - time to put brush to can.  (For anyone interested in the detail,  I an trying a new (to me) Epifanes - a rapid drying clear one-pot varnish, re-coat time 6 hours, no sanding required.  Can finish with 'rubbed effect' Epifanes for a slightly less high gloss finish.

Sanding and varnishing! It's a bit like living in a garden shed just now - I am using the forepeak as a bed / office / tv room - all in a space of around 2 square metres. Galley is still operational so supper of pasta with carrots and fresh peas. Strawberries picked this morning from fruit farm down the road, with soya dream, yum.
Apologies to all those following on Facebook.  Unfortunately some like FB., some like Google - but not as much as they did,  and some just want to be emailed.  Maybe go back to postcards.  Weather today - Cornish 'mizzle'.

Have to get brave and start with the varnish today - time to put brush to can.  (For anyone interested in the detail,  I an trying a new (to me) Epifanes - a rapid drying clear one-pot varnish, re-coat time 6 hours, no sanding required.  Can finish with 'rubbed effect' Epifanes for a slightly less high gloss finish.

Snork Maiden Blog resumes WHAT WE DID LAST SUMMER

Apologies for the long gap - not sure why the blog stopped, but I think it has to do with nervousness that too much information gets out there.  In any case last year wasn’t such a good sailing season for us.  The weather wasn’t great, and other bits of life seemed to get in the way. My friend Marylene came over from Spain ostensibly to go sailing but we only made it as far as Brixham.  After an expensive night in the marina we went over to the humble pontoons just a few metres off the Brixham Yacht Club.  This was a perfect berth - no need for electricity or water and just a short row to the shore.  Inexpensive, with bar, Internet, showers and a friendly welcome at the club.  Dining looked a tad formal so we went into town for fish & chips at a pub/hotel at the opposite side of the harbour.
    The good thing about the Internet is that we can get good 5-day forecasts.  That is also the bad thing, since it tends to keep us in port.
    Marylene was nice enough to look after Snork Maiden for a couple of days while I went to Liverpool to buy a car.  Sally came down for a couple of nights - 3-woman sail across the bay to Torquay - much too short.  Then another expensive marina night - Sally gets to commune with Snork Maiden while Marylene & Jenny go to take photos and drink & peanuts at the posh hotel.  Maybe it wasn’t such a bad season after all.
    In the interests of not being too boring, I have missed out huge swathes of dramatic events in Falmouth Yacht Haven, new self-steering, anchoring off St Anthony’s Head, foggy days in Dartmouth, feeling our way up the Exe and sniffing out our mooring...  Yeah, not really a bad season.  Quite a lot of re-fit work, new instruments, window stripped out and refitted, sea cocks serviced (ask me), most of this down to Bill Churchouse who nipped down in his Westerley 22, Belgean and got the best of the April weather. 
    Al was tight on time but we did the cruise to the Exe and back at either end of the season, with stops at Falmouth, Plymouth (discovered Kingsand & Cawsand), Dartmouth and Fowey (not necessarily in that order).  We spent a few hours with Bill in the Carrick Roads, getting the hang of the new wind vane steering - will have to get friendly with it all over again this year.  (Wind vane steering means the boat will steer herself, once you set the sails and rudder to give a good, stable course.)
    Now preparing for this season.  This is my time to get to know Snork Maiden again...  Right now camping in the aft berth listening to a new opera version of The Importance of Being Ernest.
    NEXT: Photo Essay of Gweek Boatyard.