\nThere were two and a half days left.<\/p>\n
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![\"Leaving](\"https:\/\/leblanc.pl\/china_blue\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/depart_pornic.jpg\")
<\/a>Leaving Pornic<\/p><\/div>\n
We left Pornic<\/em> at 10h00 on Wednesday, after having said goodbye to Rachida<\/em>. We had enough wind to hoist our sails and hoped that the rest of the day would remain the same. There were 42 miles to Saint Gilles Croix de Vie<\/em><\/strong>, and we were moored there 8 hours later. So much for our stopover in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie<\/em>.<\/p>\n The next leg would take us to La Rochelle<\/em>,<\/strong> a big marina where I had already been several times in the past, another 51 miles further south.<\/p>\n It was Thursday morning; I was counting on the prevailing north-westerlies to assure a good downwind passage, but they were not very well established. We alternated sails and motor. The large marina “Les Minimes”<\/em> was busy preparing the annual boat show “Le Grand Pavois<\/em>” . They warned us that they were not opened for visitors, but nevertheless had a few berths available. In fact, we were not the only ones to have to use them!<\/p>\n We headed south for what would be our permanent port of call, the little harbour of Soubise<\/em><\/strong>, a village situated 5 miles up the river Charente<\/em>.<\/p>\n My local sailing friends had largely briefed me about the right time to engage into the river. In order to have enough water depth and the tide current with us, we had to be there 2 hours after low tide. We had 20 miles to run, so left La Rochelle<\/em> at 09h00.<\/p>\n On the river Charente<\/p><\/div>\n The weather was beautiful, with just a puff of wind. Not enough to stop our motor, but enough to justify hoisting the front sail. We motor-sailed up the river, as if on parade. The water was brown but as calm as a lake, and with the engine softly idling, we were doing 7 knots with the current.<\/p>\n Parading up the river!<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Saying we had a warm welcome would not do justice to the joy that burst at the moment we tied up along the floating berth. Then it was a deserved double-rhum at an outside table near the river, followed by a nice meal, appropriate wine,\u00a0 laughing with good people, happiness, and a kind, gentle surprise: Hauling China Blue out of the Charente<\/p><\/div>\n At 16h00, we hauled China Blue out of the river, and settled her on her dry berth. The next day, we came back to clean her up, collect all our stuff, and prepare her for 7 months on the dry.<\/p>\n Our home is almost 5 hours away from the boatyard. And then it was over!<\/p><\/div>\n From Pornic to\u2026 Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, La Rochelle, and Soubise – All together\u00a0! These are the last 3 legs of our voyage. Why put them all together on the same web page? Maybe, because nothing much has happened … Continue reading
\nOf course it didn\u2019t, and after 2 hours, we resigned to motor.<\/p>\n
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\nThe berths there were narrow, perpendicular to pontoons that are quite close to each other, and packed with boats, leaving little space to manoeuvre. Tucking China Blue into her berth gave me a certain source of pride, I was getting to become an expert at steering her in close corners, and even got a compliment from the marina guy who helped us moor (Wow!)<\/em>.
\nComing out the next day was another story, it had to be done backwards and China Blue isn\u2019t good at it. Or I\u2019m not, at least. Wind was not helping either, and a similar situation as the one we had had in Bangor<\/em>, Northern Ireland<\/em>, would have occurred, if we didn\u2019t have the quick helping hand of another sailor who was passing by. Unfortunately this time, we didn\u2019t see him again\u2026<\/p>\n
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\nOnly when nearing the approach channel to La Rochelle<\/em>, did we get a decent wind. We could at last honour our junk sails.
\nWe even sailed an extra couple of miles south, just for the fun\u2026 And to show the harbour of La Rochelle<\/em> that a junk rigged schooner was about to arrive!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThen it was Friday, the 17th<\/sup> of September.
\nThe very last day of a voyage that started on the 31rst<\/sup> of July, 49 days before.<\/h3>\n<\/a>
\nI wanted China Blue to show her colours!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nSpirits were high. I was flying!<\/p>\nThen…<\/h3>\n
\nThough I had planned for a last night on board China Blue, on the dry, my beloved wife had secretly booked for us a nice hotel in the nearby city of Rochefort<\/em>.
\nThat\u2019s my Gina<\/em>!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nWe have decided that I would come back to do some work on her, maintenance, upgrading, modifications\u2026 Time permitting, budget allowing\u2026<\/p>\n<\/a>And then, hopefully, there will be other stories!<\/h3>\n
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The End<\/h2>\n
(???<\/em>)<\/h2>\n