👉Dragging our anchor but not our heels

Dragging Our Anchor but Not Our Heels

Best laid plans, they say 🤣 And to be fair, everything did seem to be going to plan as we made our way to our very first anchorage with Novera. We’ve anchored plenty of times on flotilla holidays, so we felt confident enough to give it a go on our own. The weather looked favourable, Navily reviews were glowing… what could possibly go wrong?

Well—adventure is never easy, is it?

Anchor set (or so we believed), alarms on, and we settled in feeling rather pleased with ourselves. That lasted all of about ten minutes. We soon realised we were dragging… and with the wind blowing onshore, the risk of being nudged gently—but firmly—onto the beach was very real. No other boats around us, but that didn’t make the prospect of running aground any more appealing.

So up came the anchor, and off we went to try again. And again. And again. Four resets later, darkness falling, and the marina option slipping away, we had a very real “what now?” moment. One more attempt, and thankfully the anchor seemed to bite a little better. Not perfect, but enough to give us hope.

So red cockpit light, extra layers, and two slightly frazzled sailors settling in for a long night of anchor-watching. We finally felt confident enough to sleep at around 3am. Another milestone, another lesson. In hindsight, we should have made the call much earlier—and the weather forecast had shifted too. Perhaps we were a touch ambitious for this time of year.

But we woke up safe, and surprisingly cheerful. We’d handled it together, learned a lot, and earned our breakfast. Next stop: a marina… and, as it turns out, a popular pit stop for cruise ships.

A Few Days in Sète

Sète is a fascinating place—canals, bridges, quirky architecture, and a proud reputation for oysters and mussels. Even the tiniest bars serve impressive little plates of crustaceans. Sadly, after our recent stomach bug, neither Tim nor I could quite bring ourselves to try any. But we did discover that one of our favourite wines, Picpoul, is made very nearby… so naturally we sampled a few bottles. For research purposes, of course.

The weather has been all over the place this week. One day blazing sunshine and no wind, the next day mistral gusts and rain. This morning we stepped outside to find Novera coated in Sahara sand.

We’ve stayed a day longer than planned, but a good weather window is opening and we’re looking forward to making our way toward Cap d’Agde.

Boat Jobs, Boat Mysteries

We’ve put the extra time to good use: freshened up the white deck lines, oiled the teak floor in the saloon, and found a bit of plastic to protect the saloon table while still letting us enjoy the wood instead of hiding it under a cloth. A bit more sorting too—because boats come with stories, and with stuff. So much stuff.

It’s impossible for previous owners to clear everything out; years of tools and odd little gadgets accumulate. As the new owners, the challenge is deciding what’s treasure and what’s… well… not. And half the time we don’t even know what we’re looking at 🤣 But slowly, we’re getting there.

Steps, Sand, and Small Victories

Sète marina is huge. Close to town, yes—but by the time you’ve walked there and back, you’ve clocked up 10,000 steps without even trying. So while we may have dragged our anchor this week, we certainly haven’t dragged our feet!

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