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Our 2001 summer sailing trip starts today.  Anyone who read our blog last year will know

that our trip was disrupted to accommodate our builders in France.  It is now clear that we have engaged builders

who are following the “Slow Food” school of construction and yet again we have

had to organise our trip around visits to the house; to ensure that no-one has

accidently bricked up the door to Emma’s walk-in wardrobe (“my favourite room

in the house”).

This year the plan is to head down the coast to Barcelona (then

hire a car to go back to the house) then to sail across to Majorca (and fly

back to visit the house) then sail down to Ibiza and finally back to the house

in the second half of July.

We had hoped to leave on 6 July but the strong Tramontane

wind, as well as the time required to stash Emma’s wardrobe, meant that we had

to postpone our departure for several days. 
For some reason Emma has brought 31 pairs of underpants for first week

long segment (although I am told that underpants is not the correct terminology

to be employed when referring to ladies’ smalls).

The lack of wind meant that we are able to successfully

leave our berth without taking out one of two large metal posts that you need

to squeeze through when departing or arriving. 
However, this success was closely followed by our first mishap when we

docked to get fuel only to find that we were on the petrol rather than the diesel

pontoon. When we did eventually make it on to the diesel pontoon the pump was

not working and the French, as usual, were on their two hour lunch break.

Our first stop was Coullioure, 20 miles down the coast just

before the Spanish border.  Although

there was no wind we thought it best to try out the sails.  Emma is happy because, in an attempt to avoid

some of the more fraught moments of last year, I have agreed to take on the

“crew” role of pulling the sails in and out, while Emma can stand at the helm

and do the steering and shouting bit.

We picked up a mooring buoy in what is a beautiful harbour

and spent a lovely evening watching the sun go down and dining on traditional

Catalan fare of pork chops, carrots and mash.