Preparing to sail on CLARA
After much anticipation, I packed my bags, hugged Nancy goodbye and flew to France. My high school coach Al Rosner and his wife Pam had suggested a couple day visit with them in Boston; a connection at Logan Airport made that practical. The last time that I saw Coach was in 2015 when we towed my rowboat across the country together, from Seattle to New York! I cherish our long lasting friendship with Coach, someone who became the elder brother that I never had.
I landed uneventfully at Paris on the 24th then rented a small car. My destination was Bieuzy by the Blavet River. Halfway down the river to the south was Hennebont near which was the boatyard where Simon Curwen kept CLARA — the Biscay 36 which he skippered to take line honors in the 2022 Golden Globe Race. The river met the Atlantic Ocean at Lorient.
I reached Bieuzy after driving all night. The time zone difference would keep me wide awake. Simon Curwen and Clare Sizeland Curwen had settled there in a farm house by a historic mill last renovated in 1556. They said further research may reveal the original date of construction. Inside the stone structure was the remains of milling stones, gears and beams which would have supported a paddle wheel in the trough of river water running alongside the mill’s wall just outside.
Simon and Clare were kind and generous to host me for a few days. It took me just as long to adjust, it was difficult to get an undivided night of sleep. I often laid awake during wee hours of the morning, feeling exhausted. Regardless we soldiered on with Simon whose time was limited. They had a trip planned and CLARA needed some TLC before her relaunch. She had been on stilts, since the summer of 2023.
We went through the required equipment for the GGR which was stashed in one of their rooms. I picked a few items which could be useful on my planned qualifying voyage. I already had brought my own tracking and satellite communication gear. I also had lugged a duffel full of freeze dried meals there with me, leftovers from my cancelled row across the South China Sea and beyond. What remained critical was to make CLARA seaworthy again. I was going to wait to complete cosmetic details like a fresh coat of paint, removing old sponsor branding or new antifouling.
Simon dedicated five long days to this task. Having knowledge of the boat previously, knowing where all the stray parts were, how she was wired and who to call, Simon became my lifeline in this process.
The throttle mechanism in the cockpit was frozen with marine grease caked with corroded material. Generous mix of releasing oil and WD-40 combined with encouraging hammer taps and prodding screwdrivers, finally brought this ancient bit of equipment back to working order. Simon had to crawl more than once into the confined slot where one’s head barely fit, to detach the throttle cables then to reattach them. The latter took a couple tries to get right but he was happy with the result.
Before pushing her back in the water, we replaced four halyards while the mast was down and installed a new sacrificial zinc. A crane helped step the mast in its place. We installed the sails and soon enough, CLARA began to look like a real sailboat.
Simon suggested that I settle in the marina by La Base des Sous-Marins. This was a historic site where during WW2, the NAZIs built multiple reinforced concrete structures to shelter and service up to 30 U-Boats; one of five such facilities on the Atlantic Coast others being Brest, La Rochelle, St Nazaire and Bordeaux. Their walls are 2.5 meters thick and their roof in places has up to 10 meters of concrete. After the war, just the cost of explosives to demolish these would have been prohibitive, let alone clearing the debris. They now remain as a tourist site also housing rescue vessels and various maritime businesses.
This area is home to la Cité de la Voile, a grand interactive museum about sailing, carrying the name of their legendary skipper Éric Tabarly (1931-1998). The waterfront has been transformed into a sailing mecca where modern day foiling IMOCA vessels like Initiative Cœur have their large hangars.
The manager at the Capitainerie remembered Simon when we visited and offered me slip #11 on the condition that I would leave on July 9th. I had to vacate to make room for a fleet of Class-40 vessels which would be arriving the following day. We agreed…
The day after the mast was stepped, we motored CLARA down the Blavet River and out the channel toward Groix Island. Sailing was swift and predictably fun. I was finally experiencing this steed in her element, trying to get a sense of her potential. This was the first time that I saw the Hydrovane self-steering unit in action other than in online videos. It was a brilliant piece of precision engineering, impressive in its simplicity. It was going to be my partner in driving CLARA during my upcoming qualifying passages then around the world.
When we docked in my assigned slip at the end of the day, the engine smelled hot like burnt oil. When we investigated, we found that raw water was not coming out of the exhaust reliably. During the few days that Simon was to be gone, we thought that I could attempt to take CLARA out alone, but this raw water issue killed that thought.
My smart phone became my friend, placing orders online to be delivered, care of the Capitainerie. I already received replacements for the U/V degraded halyard bags on the mast and miscellaneous items including a remote control for my GoPro camera. An impeller kit including its gasket specific to my engine and a unique sacrificial zinc for the propeller, both from the Netherlands are on their way. The gasket may solve the cooling water issue so I am nervously waiting. If not, I will have to plead with the Capitainerie for a few extra days until proper repair is done, else I will need a tow to another marina nearby. This makes me nervous but there is nothing to do at this point but to wait for parts.
My friend Çağrı Özpideciler who authored our book in Turkish about my circumnavigation journey, will be in Paris. My friend from the Sea Scouts, Stephen Taylor is in Ireland. They are both planning to join me until Lisbon.
I already turned on my tracking page so you can follow our voyage. I have a 240 liter water tank; I also filled three large jerrycans with water. I’ll top up my fuel tank before departure. I ordered charts for the waters that I will sail, downloaded electronic charts on my smartphone for the same. I bought a selection of additional freeze dried meals in sealed pouches which should go a long way.
Ticking the boxes… My anticipation is building for what is to come. Exciting times!