Heading north...

We are in Auxerre and near a crossroads, reviewing options. Will we turn west on the canal Saone to the Marne? Or, maybe we will head north up the Saone to the Moselle, east via Luxemburg then Germany as it's a shorter route than via Paris....stand by...

Underway again

We stopped our waterways journey for a few days in Chalon-sur-Saone.

With the boat safely tied up in a marina we rented a car to explore the region. We saw some beautiful countryside, visited some historic sites and wandered some mediaval villages. We also drove by many, many vineyards! (Helmut - we got to Cluny and really enjoyed it so thanks for the inspiration.)

One of our goals was to drive over to Switzerland to check out marina options for the coming winter. Yes, we had an idea we might winter the boat in Basel so we could get a second season motoring along the waterways. We found a place, but decided this would not be our best choice.

And so we will enjoy the waterways during the balance of July, then get the rig the mast again and head back to sea.

up the Saone from Lyon

After two nights in Lyon we untied and head up the Saone. We have continued to travel with our new boating friends, often rafting or sharing the same "haulte fluvial" (pontoon on the side of the river) and sipping local wines as we swap boating stories.

We love traveling in tandem and will miss our new friends when our paths separate. But for now our pace has been about the same and we have thoroughly enjoyed sharing the journey. Here we are leaving Lyon, Helmut at the helm and Felix seaking shade under an umbrella!

Up the Rhone to Lyon

We are in Lyon now, after 7 days of motoring up river from Port St Louis to Lyon. It has been a wonderful week cruising along, stopping in places we have never heard of as well as some of the special places like Arles, Avignon, Valence and Vienne.

But first, we had to remove the mast so we could get under bridges. We did this in Port St Louis before entering our first lock.

The boat has to be able to clear a bridge with as little headroom as 3.5 metres and our mast laying down on the supports to about 3 metres above water. This allows us to wander in the cockpit without bumping our heads, and come up to docks without hitting smaller boats, or having other boaters hit their heads when they walk down the dock.




This next photo shows us tied to the sea wall in Lyon, the most usual way for us to tie up for the night. Here we are rafted with our new cruising friends because there is safety in numbers....or so we thought. Even though we took turns watching each others' boats our flag was stolen in the middle of the night, on Canada Day!










The mast can be a good place to "ride" the river! This next photo shows cowboy Al, riding the mast! The cowboy hat? Well, he's from Alberta afterall!













And, we would not be canal boats without folding bikes! The next photos shows our new bikes...... They peddle surprisingly well!












So, for our first week up the Rhone, here are a few details.

Our first long day ended in Arles, where we stopped on the Petit Rhone at a small dock almost hidden by the trees. At soon as we had tied up we jumped in for a refreshing swim in the river, and marveled at the reality of swimming off the stern of our sailboat in fresh (not salty) water. Of course the mast is down and Darwin Sound is temporarily a river boat, not a sailing boat!

At Avignon we had a great visit in the Palais des Papes, and some good exploring around inside the fortification walls. There we noticed a German boat we had seen in Port St Louis, and that we seemed to be traveling at about about the same pace.

We met again the in the locks, and tied along side each other for the balance of the week. One night we stopped at a delightful fishing village called Saint Etienne des Sorts, with buildings right on the edge of the river. Another night we tied up at a floating dock installed just for people like us. Although there are not a lot of places to stop, and distances each day are quite long, we had ample time for getting ashore each morning (fresh baguettes and croissants hot out of local bakery ovens) and each evening. Mid day the weather was so hot we were glad for the breeze created by motoring along the river.

Managing the big Rhone locks was a new experience for us, yet all went well. We only had to wait for two locks (about 30 minutes each)and simply arrived and entered all the others. The process involves putting lines over a single bollard and keeping the boat (including the overhanging mast)parallel with the cement walls of the lock . Not a simple chore when all the lines are tied to one single pivot point! However, we got the systems worked out and soon we were able to enter, attach and relax while the lock door promptly closed behind us and the water started quickly to fill the lock from below us.

Ah, Lyon in just 7 days, and all up-stream. Today we enjoyed a day exploring Lyon, the old part of town with narrow streets and hidden passages, then the modern super mall where we bought folding bikes so we can explore further afield than we might on foot. Already we have enjoying a long ride around the city and along the river banks. It's impressive to see the number of people on bikes, and the number of bike paths everywhere. Although this is the second largest city in France (after Paris) we have found it very enjoyable and accessible, friendly, clean and safe.

Next leg: up the Saone!

Waterways of France

We are in Port St Louis-en-Rhone now. The mast is off and we are ready to go through our first lock into the Rhone and up to Arles, Avignon, Lyon......

But first we have to complete preparations by securing the mast on deck because it will be coming along on board with us. We have been gleaning info from other boaters who confirm this is the best way to proceed.

It seems we will be able to proceed up to Paris and exit at Le Havre, then put the mast back on in Honfleur. But there are many other routes we could take, via Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland.....we shall see.

Bonjour la France!

French Riviera & Cote d’Azur, June 12-16

While this leg of the trip was quite short in time, it allowed ample exposure to some very pretty islands, a few good anchorages, and some interesting places. We took Darwin Sound into the crowded marinas of Monaco & Antibes to see the big boats, too crowed and expensive for our tastes. We were happy to find good overnight anchorages off Villefrance, St Tropez and the Hyers Islands. Each day we stopped to explore on shore. Some highlights: the historic quarters of Villefrance & the fortress; Antibes & the Picasso museum; the old port & markets of St Tropez. In just a few days we had made our way from San Remo in Italy to the Hyers Islands.

On June 15th conditions allowed to run under spinnaker - then wing-on-wing - almost all the way into Marseilles, where we enjoyed a warm welcome at the yacht club dans le vieux port. We also had excellent conditions for our final sail across to Port St Louis, where we proceeded to remove sails for a month of cruising the French waterways.

le Cinque Terre & Italian Riviera

The weather improved and we walked the entire coastal trail in one day. It's great exercise walking up and down the many, many stone steps and along the narrow pathways between the vineyards and through the old villages. Imagine carrying baskets of grapes on your back while walking up/down these stone steps!



Here is a map of the area.



It was great to hike the trail after a rainy day because it was cool and all the greens were very green.



Of the five villages we found two with little harbours, but far too small for us to use!



The trail is delightful and with more time one could spend up to a week walking the numerous other trails up/down the hillsides.



If you are looking for some ideas on how to do this: We bought a one-day Cinque Terre card and took the 8:30 am train from La Spezia to Monterossa (30 min train ride), walked back to Riomaggiore (stopped to wander each village) then took the 3:40 train (9 min train ride) back to La Spezia. Along the way we stopped for some bruchettas in Vernazza and a salad lunch in Manarola. We suggest walking the toughest section early, before the day gets too hot. One day was sufficient, but with more days you could walk up other trails to the paths less traveled. Certainly there were a lot of people on the easiest section between Manarola and Riomaggiorre, some wearing quite inappropriate city shoes.

From the yacht club in La Spezia we sailed north along the coast, so got to see the Cique Terre from the sea as well. Portovenere is very attractive. We did a close pass by on the boat without getting ashore.

We motor-sailed along the coast in a very light breeze to the Portofino Peninsula, a beautifully green space mostly protected as a nature reserve. The harbour is very small and filled with boats. We motored in and out, then continued to Santa Margarita Ligure and tied up at the rowing club. Along with Rapallo, this area makes up the exquisite Riviera frequented in the 60s by the rich and famous, and is strictly protected from sprawling development. We enjoyed a walk up and down the narrow streets and stairways, by exquisite villas and high-end shops.

From Portofino/Rapallo we sailed along the coast to Genoa. Although we intended to stop overnight we decided instead to enjoy a lengthy harbour cruise then continue on to Savona. We tied up inside the old port and wandered the town, which is lovely. No tourists here, which appeals to us. Here is the old fort overlooking the town.


Next day we sailed along the coast and stopped at Alassio, a resort town frequented in past years by the likes of Papa Hemmingway. The long sand beach is lined with lounge chairs and backed by an old town of narrow alleys, piazze, high-end shops and hotels.

Final stop in Italy: San Remo, flower capital of Europe!

Along the coast to le Cinque Terre

We are in La Spezia now, just south of the Cinque Terre and very much on the edge of the mainland mountains. What does this mean? RAIN! The hills are misty and the streets are wet. Rain pounded all night, with a Sirocco wind which had the boat straining on our dock lines. We were glad to be secure in the town harbour!

So, there is no sense walking along the scenic Cinque Terra footpaths where the view is of black clouds, and the stone steps are slippery. Instead, we are enjoying a harbour day, or two. La Spezia is actually quite delightful. The town is filled with architecturally designed buildings, many new since WW2, broad tree-lined boulevards,and a large pedestrian area humming with activity. We spent a few hours walking the town and a couple in the impressive naval museum, which is filled with all things nautical (not just naval). Of course, we have also taken this opportunity to scrub the boat from stem to stern, to do all the laundry, and to re-provision.

We sailed here from Livorno, a much more dreary city (to us) even though the arcades along the broad streets are grand, the fortresses are impressive, and the "little Venice" canals are attractive.

The day before that we sailed to Livorno from Elba, a most delightful sail that included several hours of wing-on-wing sailing and a couple hours with the spinnaker flying.

Tuscany, mainland coast

Okay, so a little humour before we get into the less fun details.....These shoes have vibram soles and articulated toes, just the think for clambering around on the foredeck in rough seas....but they cost 105 euros and that's a bit too much just to make people laugh in the morning!



We are now on the mainland coast of Tuscany, anchored at Santo Stefano on the Argenatrio Penninsula. We arrived during a yachting regatta only to find our first marina choice full. We were sent to the next place, and found it full too! We sailed a couple hours around the peninsula and again were told the marina was full! We then tried the town sea wall, NON e possibile! Finally we anchored outside the last marina and tied a stern line to shore.

Next morning we were visited by the coast guard and told we were not to anchor there either! Fortunately we found an open bay not far away, which worked for the next night.

Then the wind came up, followed by driving rain. Have you been in Prince Rupert in a rain storm? That's what it felt like! By early afternoon it was obvious we could not stay in the same place any longer so we motored 2 hours north to Telemone. Again, the harbour was full....same multi-day yacht regatta....but the anchorage was calm and we slept well even though the rain continued to pound the decks all night.

Next morning we enjoyed a walk around Telemone, and a quite afternoon without rain.

The following morning the weather was back to normal and we had a great sail back across to Porto Azurro on Elba. This time we anchored out, then went ashore to walk. Soon our walk became a serious hike to Mont Castello. I will add a couple photos....

For those of you who were with us in Corsica: Anchored next to us was the US boat we met in Cargese, headed this week to Rome then Naples.

Elba & the Tuscan Islands

Able was I ere I saw Elba. At last! We have had these islands on our check list for a long time and were glad to finally arrive. Needless to say, we had most wonderful week exploring here and highly recommend the area.

Capraia: a beautiful island with a fort overlooking the main bay. We tied to a mooring buoy outside the harbour and went ashore to explore the village on the hill, then along the small waterfront row of shops and bars. The week-crowd of Italian sailors created a lively atmosphere which we enjoyed while sipping compari & soda at one of the bars. See previous blog for more text and photos.

Elba: Our sail across from Capraia to Elba was easy. We first stopped in a pleasant bay to the west of the main port, swimming and relaxing which anchored over white sand. Next we went around to anchor off the main town of Portoferraio, which also had a fair number of boats at anchor as well as dozens stern-to the sea wall. The Italians do love boating! Rather than linger in or near the crowded city for overnight we sailed across the bay to a pretty little cove where we could look down to see every link of the anchor chain. And the sunset from there was superb.

Next we sailed west to Marciana Marina (pronounced : mar-CHEE-ann-a, stopping along the way for a few hours of lunching, swimming and relaxing in a beautiful bay. In Marciana we tied stern-to the harbour sea wall for overnight so we could easily get ashore and wander the village. Next morning we set off on foot to the medieval hill village called Marciana, a hot march that took over an hour but was well worth the effort just for the views alone. From near Marciana we took the little two-person stand-up cage lift to the top of Mount Capanne - the highest mountain on the island - and had a picnic while gazing at the views in all directions.

Elba is covered is walking trails. You could easily spend a week on the island, hiking from village to village. Some of us hiked down along the ridge trail while some of us went back down the lift and walked the narrow road across to our meeting place in Poggio, another charming, medieval hill village.

After our hot hike we were anxious to leave the harbour and swim. We anchored in a delightful bay nearby but around 3am a roll came in from somewhere and we simply could not sleep. So, Al and I took up the anchor and motored back into Mariciana harbour for the balance of the night.

Next day we cruised around the western coast of the island, stopped mid-day for some hiking, swimming and lunching on board. We had to clamber through a few barbed-wire fences to reach the trail, which added to the adventure.

That night we anchored off Marina di Campo, a fishing village with high-end shops that service the wealthy Italians who come here to enjoy the beaches. One of the shops had $1000 watches for sale. Well, those were the least expensive....we escaped without buying any. We picked up some bags of fresh mussels for a feast on board, complete with the latest supply of local wines, of course.

The following day we sailed east, stopping in another pretty bay to hike up to another medieval town. Again, the hot march up to the village was well worth the effort. We then sailed around to Porto Azzuro for overnight, a great sail in brisk breezes. We tied up in the port and enjoyed a wonderful restaurant meal for a change, which was a nice break for the galley crew (me).

Giglio Islands: Next morning we sailed (well, motored mostly due to lack of wind) south to Giglio Island. Again, we tied up in the harbour sea wall so we could get ashore for the evening pasegiatta. There was a festival going on and the buzz along the waterfront row of shops was really fun for us.

Unfortunately the wind came up in the night and we spend a few uncomfortable hours rolling. By morning things had calmed down and we headed up to the hilltop fortress. This time we got to hike on an old Roman road through the forest, a highlight in itself. The fortress encloses a vibrant village of narrow alleyways and stone houses with beautiful flower boxes, and the usual lines of laundry that always looks so appealing in Italian villages. We almost got lost in the maze of alleys, at least the group thought like might have lost me when I stopped to chat with a local. By noon we were out - and hungry - so we stopped for pizzas, our best ever! Oh, and we bought some relatively expensive local wines from the colourful merchant across the street. How could we resist? (see photo).

It was time to head for the mainland, where our guests would be departing for home. Reluctantly we took in our shore lines and headed off across to the Argentario Peninsula.

What about Pianosa and Montecriso Islands, you may ask? They are now park of the protected park area and off-limits to all but a few certified guides. We only saw them from a distance.

photos will be added