Sailing for Sete

We stayed a couple more days in Marseille and then when the weather calmed down a bit headed for Sete. This stretch of the Mediterranean has some of the strongest winds. The French call it the Mistral. When there is a high in the Alps, the only way to equalize the pressure is through the gorge cut by the Rone River. As a result the winds just howl through this part affecting the wind all the way to Toulon. We waited until the winds were as calm as they get and then headed across the water. Even with our cautious waiting, winds gusted to over 35 knots. We made great time sailing at the fastest speeds yet, t one point reaching 10 knots. That is about thirty percent faster than the engines will take us. By the time we reach Sete, the winds had calmed down to about 10 knots. It was a fun and fast day of sailing.

Sete has a huge harbor that runs deep into the town. Beautiful stone buildings with wroth iron balconies line each side of the waterway. The harbor had clear water that you could see deep down. Swimming amongst the rocks were fish about 12” long. They looked like dinner, but I have no skills in catching such things. Fishing is still a major part of the economy here and all the fishing boats were just coming in when we arrived. Along with the fishing boats following their catch were a sky filled with seagulls looking for their evening meal. It looked like something out of the Hitchcock film “The Birds”. We found a nice berth and the capitanerie office could not have been more welcoming. The lady there told us all the restaurants to check out and what nightlife was going on. We wandered around the city for a while, had dinner and skipped the night on the town.