Summer in the Med

Ned Coakley enjoys affogatos, smart marinas and stunning cliff-edge villages on a Mediterranean cruise from France to Italy and back

- Ned Coakley

We’d done a lot of work on the boat over the winter so we were in good shape for a six-week Mediterranean cruise in our Nauticat 33, Anna. The plan was to sail from Gruissan, in the south of France where we’d overwintered, along the French coast, round the Gulf of Genoa to Elba, across to Corsica then back to Gruissan.

Our experience from last year had taught us to set off in May, when the weather was cooler, there were fewer tourists and marina charges would be lower.

The varnish had taken a beating over the winter but having sourced 4lt of Epifanes Extra UV there was ample time to smarten the woodwork before mingling with the superyachts at the posh end of the coast.

Downsizing our house caused a small delay but by May 15 we were off. It was just myself and my wife, Theo, meaning no ‘must-do’ dates or ports in the calendar. The boat was well stocked with diesel, bottled water, a new sunshade arrangement, Italian-made prop antifouling and an electronic gizmo to automatically choose 240V when on shore power. The Brits were ready to take on the Med!

Splash

About six hours out of Gruissan the French Air Force decided to wish us well with a Flypast by the Patrouille de France, how nice of them. Otherwise, the coastline from Gruissan to Marseille is not that interesting so a couple of 12-hour days saw us moored at Frioul island with its overspill marina for crowded Marseille. A shorter leg then took us past the Calanques and onward to the island of Porquerolle… where the drama began.