L'Estaque to Our Destination - Port Saint Louis du Rhône!

23/10/2015

3 days in l'Estaque got us thinking, and although there is so much to see between here and our new mooring in Port Saint Louis du Rhône, we'll have loads of time to visit locally once we're settled, so we're just going to straight line it from here.

We set out at 11.15, after dropping our beep back off at the capitainerie (and recuperating our deposit cheque!), into not-quite-smooth waters and beautifully clear skies. A little chop was accompanied by low swell, but it was right on the nose, and it was warm enough to drive from the fly bridge in our hoodies.

There's the train line we had hoped to take... Next time!

Having checked in with the capitainerie at Port Napoléon we knew to head straight for the visitors pontoon, and report with papers before being assigned 'our' space. Crossing the shipping lane was a bit hairy, and we might have got a wave from this guy, or he might not have even seen us, who knows?! In any case, we're playing with the big boys now - by which I mean, we're getting out of everyone's way!

A sad moment of déjà vu - it's just shy of three years since this was the start of our journey from East to West, but this sail boat remains unmoved, un-rescued, and rather forlorn.

We rounded that spit into the channel giving access to Port Napoléon, which is incredibly narrow considering they'll take boats up to 40m long, where to our stbd there was a snorkler, and to port, just meters out of the channel, a fisherman was barely wet up to his knees!

And at 4pm here we are, given a choice of 3 available spaces, with free wifi (when we're getting good signal - time to invest in some kit there), showers, a restaurant on site, all of our gear already in place, our wheels and piles of post, including food parcels and vitamins (thank you family xxx).

An exciting new chapter - much of which will fall into the Works category ;-)

Marseille to L'Estaque

20/10/2015

Alas, that pesky sailing regatta is still following us, and we can't stay more than a night on the visitors pontoon in Marseille as they need the space, so we're off again. But we will definitely be back, as a mooring in the town centre is a perfect base for a proper visit...

Farewell, Marseille - à bientot!

L'Estaque is not far - although an hours motor, and they were very helpful over the phone, so we trucked out late-ish, at 11.10. Although a northerly wind is blowing and we're in a zone chock-a-block with commercial traffic, we are well protected so the journey was a smooth one.

Having been told we'd be on the visitor's quay, we had checked it's placement in the pilot, and were heading there (with the fly bridge depth sounder in the cupboard) when we spotted mad waving from the quay poiting us to a spot behind us. No problem, A hit reverse and we moored side on to an unmarked pontoon next to the slipway and haul-out cradle, where we were met by a kindly gentleman who was so impressed with the driving skills he insisted we must have a bow thruster. On asking what our draft is, advised that we had been pretty close to running aground - oops!

We thought we'd head out for lunch, but discovered we needed a beeper from the office, which was closed between 12 & 2pm, so it's lucky J had picked up a baguette before our departure from Marseille! 


With a(nother) mistral coming we knew we'd be here for a few days, as long as they had space, so we broke out our Time Out South of France guide - a gift when we first moved here 12 years ago, so perhaps time to get the newer edition - and started planning some alternative transport.


First we set out on foot to the Port de Corbières, a marina at the mouth of the Rove tunnel - the largest canal tunnel in the world housing a shipping canal used from 1927 until part of its roof collapsed in 1963.

It was a goodly stroll of 2.2 km, not through the prettiest countryside, and we couldn't go in the tunnel, so we did an about turn and set back off home.

 

A treat felt well deserved after such physical efforts (the like of which J feels a likely allergy coming on), so we picked up a chocolate chichi frégi to go (recipe here if you fancy blocking your arteries!):

Basically a humungous doghnut, the chocolate is optional (?!) - hand needed in the pic for scale - made to order. Small children in the queue were getting one each, but we shared about a third with a cuppa, and had a late supper with the rest for pudding - yummy!

The next day we had planned to take the train from l'Estaque to Martigues, and waited on the platform with tickets in hand, and dog on lead, accompanied by an SNCF emlpoyee. When the train eventually arrived we hopped on and stayed in the hallway part, to be informed by the conductor that we weren't allowed onboard with the dog unless she was wearing a muzzle. Not having a muzzle we had to get off at the next stop - Niolon - and hope it was a different conductor on the return train on 1h30 time.

Niolon is so pretty, with a tiny port dominated by a dive school and their boats, and stunning views of Marseille:

 

 

A dooer-upper?!

We were on time for the train, but were met by a nice controller who was also insisting that we descend at the next stop, and who stayed with us as the car was full of high school kids who needed protection from the hounds aggressive tongue poking! Photos taken of, and choochie-coos dispensed to the vicious beast, we got off at l'Estaque with the mental note that, unlike on the cote d'azur, around Marseille they do actually want Roxy muzzled. Poor girl!

Cassis to Marseille

19/10/2015

Cassis has a strict evacuation time, so we didn't delay, and were off by 10.30, giving way to a tripper boat whilst still in the confined port area, we pulled out into what looked like water level mist, but no... Smoke on the water!

We're aiming for La Pointe-Rouge, but having tried the phone number in the pilot a couple of times with no luck, J is forced to use the (hated) VHF to raise a response from the port - but still nada?! They could be on lunch break of course. Odd, but we decide to go for it, and pull in at the fuel quay at 12.45, with A tieing up while J hot-foots it to the capitainerie - the fuel guy has been very specific on the short duration of stay he'll allow us for not buying his product.

And short duration works, as they haven't a single space to offer us, and were caught with the nautical equivalent of their pants down - their VHF had been switched off! With a sailing regatta breezing through we were once again stymied in our planning, but they were helpful in suggesting alternatives, and we set off again with numbers to call.

Having been assured of a space in Marseille, the approach is both beautiful and confusing, as the entrance to the port is practically invisible until you get there. 

The modern structures somehow fit with the ancient originals, and we're looking forward to staying - yep, you guessed it, there's a mistral coming through, and by 14.25 we were moored up on the 'quai d'accueil' in the Old Port in Marseille.

Although works are underway to renovate the quay side and nearby road, we seem to be far enough away that the noise doesn't disturb, and even the passing ferries are so respectful of the speed limit that they leave little wake. The same cannot be said for the divers in their RIB, who set us off on a rock n roll ride which seemed endless.

There are a surprising number of English & Irish pubs at the quayside - even compared to Cannes - and we were directed to a park for the hound, where she found not only grass and greenery, but friends and an improvised swimming spot to boot. Finally she's happy!