Today is the last day this year on Melody. It feels sad but it has been a great three months trip with approximately 2000 Nm on the log. I have set the alarm at 5:30 and rise up early and start checking off the last tasks on my list. I am done exactly at 8 when we should lift the boat and I feel satisfied but there are always things to be done so I continue working as I wait.
After a while, the guys show up and we go over to the launch area. Here, they do not lift the catamarans – they put them aground, let the tide do its magic and drive away. It is a very strange feeling to actively run aground but they know what they are doing.

Going out of the harbour last time

Getting aground

It soon sits on the bottom and I stay on the boat until it is completely dry. I am in no hurry so I continue fixing with the boat. It seems as they will come with the tractor after lunch so I adopt, go for a lunch of Moules Roquefort and take a nap after the lunch.

Drying out

Fishes have eaten a nice pattern 🙂

Dried out

Taking a nap

Melody will spend the winter with Sail Atlantic Services “SAS” who are the company that do the final preparation of new Lagoons. Feels good to leave her in good hands and after lunch they come with the tractor and drive it off to their yard.

Driving away

🙂

She is now sitting in a fenced areas with new Lagoons to be delivered to clients. I have a final chat with the manager at SAS before he drives me to the train station.

Ready for the winter!

My neighbours

New Lagoons in the water

Taking this bullet to Paris

As I arrive to Paris, it is pretty late. I go to my hotel and get my room which takes a while since their computer system had broke down. Hungry, I go for the a nice creperie. They serve me a very nice galette consisting of spinache, egg, bacon and more. Very tasty and very filling.

A meaty galette

Today is the day before Melody should be taken out of the sea. I start ticking off the tasks and feel satisfied when everything goes according to plan. Apart for a quick bite at one of the restaurants in the marina – I stay on the boat all day.

Preparing the boat for the winter. Not a nice sight.

Getting lunch at the row of restaurants in the marina

Feels good when the evening closing in and I decide to empty the water system next morning so I could have a shower and a cup of coffee. Time to go and visit beautiful Les Sables d’Olonne for the last time this year and I think that I should celebrate this trip with a visit at my favorite place – Fleurs de Thym. I go there early to be able to enjoy some oysters and a nice fish looking out over the harbour. The timetable of the electric ferries “passeurs” are now adjusted to low season so I go back before 10 to avoid the promenade around the harbours.

Celebrating last evening in the nice city of Les Sables d’Olonne

Today I have one to-do item and that is to return the Kymco. That task soon turns out to be two intertwined tasks – fill up the fuel and then return it. I go out on the route where I thought I have seen a gas station but I discover that I am wrong. The meter is only in the red area, has not yet passed the low mark and consumes very little fuel so I feel safe to go and look at the salt fields and visit the beach north of the town. Very nice trip but no fuel so I go back to the boat and fill up from the jerry can to the dinghy.

Plage de Sauveterre

Plage de Sauveterre

The guy at the rental company is a nice guy and he asks me how it had been. He welcomes me back next year and to have a nice stay the last days. As I stroll out of the shop, the water is low and the grand beach is at its best. I sit down on a bench and just enjoy the sea for a while and let the thoughts fly. Moments like this is priceless.

Grand plage at daytime

Back at the boat, I start preparing for the lifting of the boat on Monday. I have prepared a long checklist so it is just to check off the items. No stress needed – I plan to do most things on Sunday but it feels satisfying to move forward. The evening is spend walking around in the town that I now start to know pretty well. I sit down at a restaurant at the beach and enjoy the light out over the sea.

Grand plage in the eveningo

Today, I feel restless and decide to go and have a look at some of the sights. As I come into town, I decide to visit the Shell museum that seems famous. It turns out to be a very interesting display of 25000 shells from around the world collected by a passionate collector. Amazing to see the difference in size, colours and shapes.

Some of the 25000 shells in te museum

And more – especially these huge shells

After the museum, I take a detour to see the Quartier de l’Ile de Penotte and its wall art. Turns out to be a very nice spot hidden away a couple of blocks from the beach promenade. Beautiful paintings combined with seashells. With the bright colours of the houses – it gives a welcoming effect. Nice place to live!

Art in Quartier de l’Ile de Penotte

Quartier de l’Ile de Penotte

Quartier de l’Ile de Penotte

As I come out on “Le Remblai” – the beach promenade – I stumble across a rental company renting bikes and scooters. I decide to take a Kymco 50cc scooter for a day and have a look at the surroundings. First I go southeast along the coast to have a look at the Bourgenay marina. Just as it said in the pilot book – it is a large modern but artificial marina so I skip the planned lunch here.

Leaving Les Sables

The Kymco

Bourgenay marina

The beach of Veillon

Instead, I continue on to Talmont-Saint-Hilaire that is most famous for its castle. Richard I of England (Lionhart) often used this castle as his base and owned the Château de Talmont from 1182 until his death. I walk up to the castle, pick up an audio guide and learn more.

Nice roads

The castle of Talmont

The guards room

View from the tower

Me and the Kymco outside the castle

Leaving Talmont, I decide to go north of Les Sables to see the coastal road towards Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. As I drive this nice road next to the ocean as the sun slowly sets – life really feels good. Being on a bike is always better than sitting caged up in a car even if I would have appreciated some extra horsepowers. A very nice day!

View from the west coast

Waves coming ashore

Along the Corniche

The Cornice Vendeenne

Saint Gilles

Jennifer of Stockholm but nobody at home

I wake up to another bright day. Time to continue the maintenance. I have talked to the Gwen Marine who is the local Volvo Penta dealer to come and do a proper maintenance on the engines. This year, they have been working hard. More than a third of their running hours is logged this summer. Canals, rivers and some weak winds have taken its toll. Normally, we run the engines very seldom. Vincent from Gwen shows up in the morning and he speaks German which simplifies the communication.

Time to give the Engines some attention

Vincent adjusting the valves

We work on separate tasks and the day floats by in nice company. We break for lunch and I have my first taste of the French herring, which was nice.

New Lagoons pass by all the time. Nice view!

French Herring.

After Vincent leaves, it feels a bit lonely and I take a walk to the town and have another nice meal as the sun sets.

Another beautiful sunset in the old port