Traditional Marseille fishing boats

There were a lot of these boats, some still actively fishing and other restored as pleasure craft.

While very distinctive double ended like some of the traditional Scottish craft, the hull form also has similar characteristics to our local Itchen Ferry with the wide beam, tight turn of the bilge and flat garboards.

The full length flush decks presumably made things relatively safe if they were caught out in one of the regions viscous squalls.

Many have been converted to pleasure craft, some perhaps less sympathetic than others, but it looks like a great downtown weekend pad.

One of the aforementioned local squalls, fortunately it had blown through by the time we finished lunch.

Club Nautique

The old port in downtown Marseille has been converted into a massive marina, which in turn has been subdivided to accommodate various clubs and societies.

Each club has a main pontoon and several smaller mooring pontoons running off. This one was very practical with a fully equipped open air workshop.

This club which was mostly classic local fishing boats even had their own crane and haul out facilities.

Nice to see practical marina facilities very much in contrast to so many of our local marinas.

Marseilles Classics

There were a few classics down in the vieux port in Marseille, this one reminds me of a Morcambe  Bay Prawner which was based at the Elephant boatyard for many years, but I can't for the life of me remember the name.

Mooring stern to Med fashion means it's easy to get  a close up view of the cockpit, this looks to be built for offshore sailing with a very small foot well and scuppers on the transom, looks a little exposed and for readers of Sailing Anarchy forum the "alarming and dangerous offset companionway".

Sweet lines, lovely counter stern with a clear racing heritage.

Very tempting, Mrs BB had to drag me away from what looks like it might be an Alden yawl.

Probably more practical known as a peche promenade, great dayboat, safe deep cockpit ideal for sailing around to the local rocky coves for a picnic.

Evening Run

It's nice to be away but it's also nice to be back after a long day travelling, a 2 hour flight takes up 9 hours with travel to and from airports, checking in, security, delays.  So I caught the last of the sun for a run down the river.

First up was this 8 meter with James Bond esq graphics hauled out and looking immaculate.

The sun was setting over Bursledon pool and this Hunter Liberty which has appeared while we were away.

Yacht Tender

I've been thinking about yacht tenders recently, not that we need one with a couple of inflatables tucked away in the garage and the 8 foot D4 pram dinghy that I built nearly 20 years ago still in fine shape stored under a cover.

I know you can sail an inflatable but not sure why you would. Years age I bought a Tinker Tramp rig and fitted it to our D4 pram dinghy "Poppy", even sitting on the floor which was the only possible position and resulted in a very wet bum, it was horribly uncomfortable and no fun to sail.

On balance either of the 2.5M meter inflatables work pretty well with our 3.3HP and fold away for storage, if we were going cruising again I think a lightweight, 12 feet hard dinghy that can row, motor or possibly sail is about optimal and depending on deck space a nesting dinghy could be the way to go. Nice example here from Chris Morejohn

Mountains and Boats

Despite the altitude where we were staying, with the sea so close it was inevitable that I'd take the opportunity to peruse some local boats.

Down in the Vieux Port in Marseilles there were more than a few of these traditional fishing craft some still working and some clearly restored and used as pleasure craft.

The harbour authorities have made lots of moorings available for small craft, there were probably 100's of boats between 18 and 25 feet. Nice to see that the area isn't taken over exclusively by super yachts and super paying owners. If there is an observant reader you might notice and recognise the little black hull with the white mast set forward as a Nigel Irens designed Romilly.

This was a really cute adaptation of a traditional local boat.

In the mountains again

I've said before that the best place for sailors away from the sea is in the mountains, even better if those mountains are close to the sea.

This summer finds us in the Massif de la Sainte Baume the low mountains to the east of Marseilles which rise to about 1100 meters and plunge into the Mediterranean between Cassis , Le Ciotat and Toulon, forming the famous Calanques, sort of fjords with sunshine.

The view here, from what I think is called the Barre du Pin de Simon or it might have been Roque Forcade, the navigations apps on our phones had long given up along the D2, a wild and winding road between Gemenos and Plan d'Aupes Sainte Baume.

Above the view from the Grotto of Sainte Baume where the monks established a chapel in a large cave in a vertical cliff face high above the surrounding woods and still hold Mass. According to the religious chronology the site was visited by Mary Magdalen in AD47, today it remains a place of tranquility and spirituality.

School Projects

The school always sets "family project homework" at the end of school year, as if we parents don't have enough to do. This year it was make a model of the Titanic which the children have been studying.

Joseph and I came up with an animated diorama, the waves move back and forth and the iceberg wobbles menacingly towards the Titanic, which then sinks.

All in all I though it was pretty good.

Fowey River Class

Th Fowey River class dinghy is based on a 15 foot knockabout dinghy, plans were published in Yachting World to a design by Reg Freeman and gradually a fleet was established in Fowey during the 1950s.

Interest in the design during the 1990's  led to the building of new boats by local boatbuilders including Marcus Lewis who has launched the newest boats numbers 63 and 64 to the fleet.

Don't know. the history behind the colourful sails but they look so good especially lit by the late afternoon sun during the summer evening races.

Dukes of Hamble

Someone has a sense of humour.

Imagine Uncle Jessie, Beau, Luke and Daisy being chased around the Solent by Boss Hogg.