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Paris

May 18 – Arrival into Paris

One of the highlights of our trip was arriving in Paris mid-afternoon along the Seine River passing by famous sites such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre and under the ornate bridges of Paris . Living the dream as they say. It took us 3.5 days (3 nights) to travel the Seine to Paris.

We reserved a spot at the marina in Paris, Bassin de l’Arsenal, right off the Seine close to the Bastille. As we approached the marina we were greeted with cheers from the right bank of the Seine as our family stood waving their hands and a large Canadian flag. The best day ever!

Once we were settled into the marina (rafted to Gazelle) we opened champagne and toasted the start of the Spence Tour de France. All the planning to reach this day was well worth it.

The kids were all wearing ‘Chinook’ jackets which were a surprise to us. They presented us with our jackets which was very special. They’re great jackets – warm and water resistant and make for an unforgettable family picture.

  • Eiffel Tower
  • Notre Dame Cathedral
  • Charlie, Jamie and Kathie
  • La Seine – outside Arsenal Marina
  • Arsenal Marina Lock
  • Entering Arsenal Marina

Paris Arsenal Marina – May 18 – 23

  • Rafted next to Gazelle
  • View of La Place de la Bastille from Chinook
  • Docked (back and centre) at Arsenal Marina

    What to do in Paris – May 18 – 23

    • Find a playground
    • Eating French pastries on board Chinook
    • Champs-Elysees and Arc de Triomphe
    • Disneyland – Paris
    • Dragon Slide at Le Parc De La Villette
    • Auntie Fun
    • Happy Hour
    • Story Time – Goldbug
    • The Paris Market
    • Notre Dame after the April 2019 fire
    • Le Louvre – Mona Lisa
    • Le Louvre
    • Chinook crew at the Eiffel Tower
    • Table for 10
    • Dinner on Chinook – take out 🙂

    Normandy, France

    April 15 – May 10, 2019

    Cherbourg

    We left Calgary on April 15 and arrived in Cherbourg for the long awaited meeting with our new bateau Chinook.

    Pete and Kevin from Swiftsure were there to help commission the boat and it truly was love at first sight. We had a thorough walk thru of Chinook (from bow to stern, topside to bottom) and quickly became overwhelmed with the learning curve ahead of us. Pete and Kevin stayed for several days getting us comfortable with Chinook.

    We spent several weeks at the Allures docks at Port Chatereyne as Allures technicians fixed issues identified during the commissioning. During that time we were reading manuals, learning and configuring new boat systems. We were becoming accustomed to a new language, new country not to mention fine French cheese, wine and fresh pastries.

    We also spent time preparing Chinook for the French Canals – see more https://sv-chinook.com/2019/04/preparing-for-the-french-canals/

    Sea Trial
    Pete and Kevin
    Post Sea Trial
    Easter dinner on board
    Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
    Fireworks the night before we left
    Best cheese in town
    Chinook in Cherbourg
    Sainte-Mère-Église- Paratrooper caught in the pinnacles of the church

    Normandy Beaches

    We took a side trip to Bayeux to visit the Normandy Beaches (75th Anniversary this year of D Day). The day was cold, wet and windy similar to the weather on June 6, 1944. We spent the morning touring Omaha beach and the US cemetery. The afternoon visiting Juno beach and the Canadian cemetery. A very emotional day.

    Pointe du Hoc
    Cathedral in Bayeaux
    Juno Beach
    American war cemetery – Omaha Beach
    Canadian war cemetery

    Prepping for the French Canals

    Cherbourg – Getting supplies

    Part of our time in Cherbourg, France was spent building fender boards to protect the hull as Chinook traveled through the narrow locks. Main ingrediants – four 14 foot boards, water noodles, CFD fire hose and hockey socks.

    • Fender boards in our rental car
    • Building fender boards in Cherbourg
    • Noodles for Chinook

    Tancarville – Removing the Mast

    Tancarville (just inside the mouth of the Seine River) has a small industrial port equipped with a crane tall enough to remove our 18 meter mast. Jamie and Jessica arrived in time to help and Kevin was instrumental in getting the job done.

    Pierre did an excellent job on the de-mast and our mast/boom was transported to Port Napoleon on the Mediterranean my FastMast.

    • Sails down … boom off … ready to de-mast
    • Taking down the weather vane and windex
    • Down she comes
    • Lowering the mast
    • Wrapping the Mast
    • Using the sail locker for storage
    • Job well done! Thanks Jamie, Jess and Kevin

    Sainte-Mammes – Fender boards installed

    After Paris we would soon meet our first narrow lock. We stopped in St. Mammes for the night and everyone on board helped install our 2 tier ‘Canadian’ fender system. Thanks Carolyn, Krista, Geoff, Angela, Lauren and Scott.

    CFD firehose (stuffed with water noodles) fit between the hull and the top board. Small fenders covered with hockey socks fit between hull and the bottom board.

    Lots of work but well worth it as we ‘sailed’ through our first narrow lock and many more to come.

    • Hockey sock protection
    • CFD Firehose protection
    • Stern Protection
    • The art of stuffing
    • Ready for battle
    • Our first narrow lock

    Making of a Chinook

    In December 2018 we visited France to get our first look at Chinook. We stopped at the Alumarine factory in Nantes to see the hull under construction. She would soon be transported to the main Allures factory in Cherbourg for completion. Chinook is Hull number 14 of the Allures 45.9 series.

    Chinook has a rounded aluminium hull that is welded onto frames and stringers, making a strong monocoque structure.

    Our next stop was Cherbourg. We met with the Allures team and toured the factory seeing other boats in the build process.


    • Alumarine factory in Nantes
    • Chinook at Allures Factory March 2019
    • Launch Day April 9, 2019
    • Splash Down – April 9, 2019