Sanremo was our last Italian port and Menton-Garavan was our first port in France. Wonderful to see baguettes, croissants and pate again! And lower marina rates.
We travelled this coastline in the fall of 2019. This time we hope to do more anchoring however anchoring now in France is more difficult with the new rules for avoiding the posidonia sea grass. Some anchorage areas are cordoned off with special bouys showing approved anchorage for boats less than 25 meters but you still need to avoid the sea grass. We downloaded the Donia app which proved to be very helpful when choosing where to drop the anchor.
Next stop was a motor to Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat. This was a very upscale marina but without the superyachts. After going into the marina you wished you had polished the boat and put on your very best sailing apparel. The shops along the waterfront did not cater to the common sailor. Still, it was enjoyable. No real town to speak of but lovely countryside. The whole penisula is full of uptown villas with lavish grounds. I’m sure the most common phrase used at cocktail hour in these villas was “I wonder what the poor people are doing today”. The bay in front of the town was filled with large to super yachts. It was the first time since the Amalfi coast that we had seen a large collection of super yachts.
The next day we motored onto Rade di Villefranche – this was on skipper’s bucket list. Just on the other side of the peninsula. We spent 2 nights anchored there. It was a busy anchorage during the day but thined out considerably by dinner time. We were able to take the dinghy into town and dock at the Villefranche old harbour. We picked up dinner at the fishmarket and wandered the narrow streets looking for boulangeries and cold beer. We also managed to get some chores done on the boat – sealing inspection ports, gelcoat, new dinghy lights and adding velcro for our sunshades. One night we started to hear some voices off in the distance. Listened further and then we saw it. It was a movie playing on the castle wall. We found out later that they run outdoor movies during selected summer nights.
A great anchorage! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Worthy of another visit.
We stayed in Cannes for 2 nights at the marina. We were closer to the town than two years ago. Close to some very large sailboats and motor yachts. We wandered the old town and visited the much Covid diminished market. Sea bass and bullots on the BBQ for dinner. Laundry day the next day – love the onboard washing machine especially during Covid. With this heat, every day seemed to be laundry day.
We anchored the next 2 nights. First night at Baie de Briande where we had rain, thunder and lightenting. There was a snack boat wandering through the anchorage but our boat was too small to warrant a stop.
Next night we anchored in 8M clear water at Isles de Porquerolles. A pleasant night with Cicadas chirping. The seas calmed later in the evening for a good sleep.
To be continued ….. travelling to Tulon, Marseille and back to Port Napoleon in Port Saint Louis du Rhone where Chinook has spent the winter.