It is 8 am when we arrive on pontoon J of the port of Étel. It is at least -8000 ! On this beautiful February morning of the year of grace 2018, the sky is clear, a light breeze rises, the sun illuminates with its first rays our famous two masts. In short, the weather is ideal for a little mechanics.

After struggling to open our dear boat, the scent of diesel invades our nostrils still saturated with coffee (very strong) that we had to swallow in less than 10 minutes.

We take a look at  the list of jobs posted on the map table. On the program: oil and diesel oil change from the engine, disassembly of the tank, change of filters, replacement of certain hoses, etc.

(Yes, our old Perkins engine is solid, but it likes it when you pamper it)

We attack the oil change, armed with our screwdriver, flashlight and oil pump, we plunge head first and the four irons in the air into the bowels of the beast...

The pile of blue pipes, black drippings and seized bolts put Sarah's nerves to the test. She emerges regularly, her face smeared with black, grumbling against this old engine which resists her.

Alex, who came to reinforce the magnitude of the task, shares his expertise with us. It must be said that the bugger  knows about motors!

When a difficulty appears,  the two companions discuss, scratch their heads, calculate and pool their respective intuitions to try to make this beautiful mechanism purr again.

Around 2 p.m., early afternoon, the old sea dogs from Étel come to lend a hand. Indeed, since the boat arrived in the port, Sarah's grandparents do not skimp on the means. They recruited neighbours, mechanic friends, acquaintances and amateur electricians to upgrade our sailboat.

Everyone has their own opinion, it discusses, it contradicts itself and it confuses us. But do not panic, after 20 minutes of discussion, the solution is unanimous. General relief, the solutions are within reach of a wrench. Neither one nor two, we plunge back into the sludge all over the place.

After many contortions and back blocking for our two young padawan from the oil syringe, we are nearing the end : the oil change is carried out successfully, the new alternator belt is operational and the hoses in place. All that remains is to clean everything up.

A huge thank you to the seasoned locals, who gave us lots of great advice and who had the patience to explain everything to us !

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The 2018 team