Meeting Etienne Le Caër by chance on a neighbouring berth in Corsica, resulted in his daughter, Geneviève, visiting us in Australia. She sailed with us in Jervis Bay on Balnagowan, our 25ft Adams. Not long after my business interests took me to Kenilworth in the UK, where I exhibited my agricultural equipment at the Royal Show.
With that, came an exciting invitation to sail Briseis, her father's Jeanneau 33 that was berthed at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the Côte d'Azur. I could hardly wait for the exhibition to conclude and hastily rearranged our schedules to fly to Cannes, from where we hired a car to Cap Ferrat.
Etienne was the retired maritime pilot of the Port of Dunkirk and a very affable man, but it takes a special person to place his treasured boat in the hands of another yachtsman. I could hardly believe my good fortune.
Borrowing a boat
While my wife and daughters shopped for supplies, Etienne took me on a familiarisation sail across the bay to nearby Monaco. The coastline was sparkling and I soon felt comfortable at the helm of Briseis. It was on this relaxed passage that he also introduced me to the ultimate yachties' lunch called a 'pan bagnat' a large crusty, wholewheat bun stuffed with a generous serving of salade Niçoise. It is a particular specialty of Nice. We Aussies would have cut the bun in half, but when you have one hand on the tiller or are trying to pull in the mainsheet, a pan bagnat clamped between one's jaws is definitely less vulnerable to spillage. This staple of French nautical cuisine has since become a favourite of mine.
Bu hikaye Practical Boat Owner dergisinin December 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Practical Boat Owner dergisinin December 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
A sailor's guide to UK sharks and fish
Genevieve Leaper looks at some of the shark species around the British and Irish coasts and how to spot these fish from your boat
Multihull anchoring
Brush up on your multihull sailing skills before heading off on a holiday charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to anchoring
A revolution in fabrics
Marine fabrics are using natural fibres, less harmful chemicals and longer-lasting colours. Jake Kavanagh looks at the cut of the cloth
Shoestring voyage of adventure
Richard King and Serafin Colmenares Jr. look back at the remarkable Pacific voyage of Florentino Das in his 24ft home-built boat
A fine day out with a visitor
Six hours afloat and a guided tour to vindicate a fictional sailing heroine's navigational skills
Boats for Baltic cruising
Duncan Kent picks the best sub-40ft sail and power boats for crossing the North Sea and exploring a Baltic summer
Boatyard life
The tide of the year Is rising. Time for work
Weather or not to go sailing
Ignore the apps: it's much safer to swear by the weather wisdom of a local oracle
The angelic East Coast pocket cruiser
It is 100 years since the first Deben Cherub was launched. Julia Jones looks back at the history of this 21ft river racing class
Best anchor types for varied cruising
Rupert Holmes on choosing the best anchor for your boat, your style of cruising, how you’ll use it and your budget