Greetings...(again/still) from St. Mandrier Sur Mer
I am happy to report that our departure is imminent, and we plan to set sail on Sunday.
SV Maelstrom, and her over-the-moon crew, will be following the coastline from France to Tunisia. I put together a little 12 night journey map (see below) - mostly day sails and overnights at anchorages except for the final leg between Marina Del Sole, Cagliari and our Tunisian destination of Siri Bou Said which will require a 27-hour straight sail. It will be our first overnighter and good practice for the eventual trans-Atlantic crossing. Predict Wind (our sail planning tool) says we have a very clam weather window and we have allowed a few days of slush to dive, snorkel, paddle board and see the sights. So, by the time I write next, I should have lots to share.
For this post, I thought I would answer some of your most popular questions.
1 - Do you know how to sail?
Yes.
2 - How do you get food and water?
SV Maesltrom is pretty decked out. We are equipped with 7 solar panels (thank you Chris at Dedicated Marine), a water maker (which desalinates water from the ocean), a generator, washer/dryer, full size fridge, lots of storage space. We are fully stocked with all the essentials (so much wine). We plan to do a lot of fishing while underway, and we can pick up fresh groceries when we overnight at the anchorages.
3 - Don't you have to return to Canada every 6 months?
No. We are Canadian citizens whether we ever step foot on Canadian soil again. As our continued income (capital gains, CPP, OAS, etc.) will continue to be earned in Canada, we will continue to pay Canadian taxes and will still benefit from Alberta health care. We don't have to come back; we just have to file our income taxes every year.
4 - Are you afraid?
...of sharks? No, they are not allowed on the boat.
...of pirates? No, also not allowed on the boat.
of capsizing? Not afraid, per se, but we have a very healthy amount of respect for the ocean and mother nature. We will be very picky about weather windows - if the weather is bad, we don't go. We are not in any sort of hurry and have no intention of pushing Maelstrom past her limits. We are both very risk adverse and meticulous when it comes to pre-sail checklists. We have Starlink, AIS, radar, and VHF radio to keep on top of wind, waves, current and the location of other boats. We have, and will actually use, life jackets (us and the dogs), we will tether when the sea is spicy (again us, and the dogs), and we have a motorized dinghy, life raft, flares, and a very well-equipped industrial first aid kit. For the most part we will never be more than a few miles from land. Might something go wrong? Yep. Are we prepared and set up to mitigate that risk...as much as we can be.
...of murdering each other? Let's just say if either Ron or I were to suddenly go missing, the authorities should absolutely consider it suspicious.
5 - and the most important, and frequently asked question: Why is Ron wearing clothes????
Many of you are aware that Ron is a bit of a nudist and has been very excited to not have to wear clothes as part of this new life (how did I get to be so lucky?). But since we have been at a marina, jam packed with many boats and people, sadly Ron must wait a bit longer to...hang free. Don't worry, this blog, and all our social presence will forever be PG at worst.
Got other questions? Don't hesitate to ask via our socials.
Lastly, I want to say a few words about France, the people, culture, and unbelievable kindness we have been shown while living at Port Pin Rolland.
France is wonderful.
People think the French are rude - they are not. While it is true that they are transactional, they are not afraid to take up space, and as a country have missed the memo that smoking is bad for you, they are friendly (every person you pass says Bonjour), they go out of their way to do anything they can to help, their work ethic and standards are top notch.
In particular, thank you to Bruno, Etienne, Anthony, Dorian, Yann, Yannick and the rest of the DYC and PPR crew for all your hard work and support. Thank you also to the amazing vets Anna and Anthony for helping us ensure Zooey and Tucker can travel safely with us to all our destinations.
France, vous etes merveilleux. I 100% know that we will be back.
Until the next time, may you have fair winds and following seas.
Charity xo
Current count of donations to Triton = 2: dog lead and clothes pin (same reason as the last post)
Also, debut YouTube video will drop on Saturday...check it out (see website main page for link)
12 night journey starts Sunday
tanned, relaxed, happy
proof that bitey has changed :)
when in France...Ratatouille
take in pizza (my most favourite food)...where they serve you Rose while you wait for your pie
au revoir St. Mandrier Sur Mer...a bientot
