The Best of Times

Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” Wind in the Willows

Never have 'Ratty's words seemed as true as they did yesterday , when we took our boat out onto the water. Looking back at the boat's log, we see that we have barely used it since a trip we made last December. For one reason or another: inclement weather; high winds; and a trip to the U.K. , the boat has lain idle and unloved, not only gathering cobwebs , but also seaweed on its hull. This should have been cleaned off, and the boat anti-fouled in the spring, and by now it badly needs doing. But yesterday was B.'s birthday, so all necessary duties forgotten, we set off to eat oysters at Bouzigues. The wind was light and the sky blue. I can't tell you what a lovely feeling it was to set off across the water of the étang, with barely another boat in sight, and the wind in my face.

But all did not go exactly to plan, for not long after we had got underway, B. indicated that the propulseur d'étrave( or bow thruster ) which helps to navigate the boat in tight spots, was not functioning properly. This was most probably because of a build up of unwanted shells and seaweed. Nonetheless , we managed to reach Bouzigues, and moor up at the bathing platform,as we were directed to do, as we were not staying the night. B. s ' birthday was celebrated in style with a bottle of the local Picpoul wine. As we ate, we looked out towards the oyster tables, where Bouzigues oysters are produced. On returning to the bathing platform , some young boys were already enjoying themselves doing spectacular jumps and dives from there into the water.

The sea felt warm, and unlike last summer, there was not yet a jelly fish in sight, so we ventured in and had a delightful swim. In the distance I could see Mont St. Clair which rises above Sète on the other side of the water. There were no other boats to be seen, save a small traditional yacht , sailing gently by with its unusual lateen rigging, a mother and her son paddling an inflatable canoe, and the twice daily boat which takes day trippers out to see the oyster beds. Bouzigues feels like a secret enclave, far away from the mad world of Cap d'Agde with its noisy speed boats and jet-skis.

After swimming for a while, B. decided to take advantage of our situation and try to clean some weed off the hull with a scraper. Alas, when he investigated the propulser d'étrave, which lay under the water at the front of the boat, he found that a piece of the blade had broken off.

My brother in law once spoke of the two best moments one has when owning a plane, or a boat: the day that you buy it, and the day that you sell it. Indeed, owning a boat does involve a lot of maintenance and expense. We must face up to this with our broken propulseur! And to make matters worse , a heat wave has descended , so next week, when we take Njiva11 to the boatyard to be lifted out of the water , cleaned , and painted, we shall have to pay them to do it for us instead. But as we motored back to our mooring on that cool and beautiful evening, I reckoned that it was all worth it. I am happy to forgo air travel and expensive world cruises. It is far more rewarding to explore the quiet canals and watery byways of our local area; to experience the joy of fresh sea breezes in my face; and swap stories and friendship with fellow boaters. (More boating stories to come!) For as Ratty said: "there is nothing so much worth doing...as simply messing about in boats."