Episode 12: Porquerolles

1925: the adventures of the early days

"It's gale-force windy and the sea is rough, but the breeze is manageable. The sailors are eager to get going, even if they're bitten by the brisk air or the sea spray and a little dizzy from the surprise of the pitching. But everything is securely stowed aboard Bonita! The Mediterranean is theirs!

The first night, made up of calm and swell, did not spare them. Half the crew was suffering from seasickness and was tossed about terribly in their bunks or on deck! Suddenly a loud "All hands on deck" rang out, the captain wanted to lower the jib and asked her sister Yvonne to hold the boom in the center. The poor thing was sent flying like a hydroplane! The Mediterranean was definitely not a large, calm lake!

The next morning, Yvonne offers to make tea. Instead of the long-awaited teapot, two desperate arms emerge from the station, brandishing the flaming stove: "I don't want to have anything to do with this instrument anymore! It vomits flames and oil!" And when Bonita arrives in the small port of Porquerolles, the starving crew causes trouble on the island by demanding, at two o'clock sharp, a meal!

As a heavy sea holds them back, the young women then allow themselves a few quiet days on the island. The day before leaving Porquerolles, a dance on the deck of the Carlos, a beautiful brig from Viareggio, is improvised by bringing on board Bonita's gramophone, some friends from Geneva met on the island, an Admiral who reigns over the port and a dozen good bottles..."

Carinne Bertola, according to Marthe Oulié, When I was a sailor, 1930

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2025: Porquerolles, finally

Bye bye La Ciotat!

Driven by a gentle westerly wind on a beautiful sea, finally calm, we take the time to compare the conditions in which we are sailing with those of the girls at the time.

Our first night, particularly energetic, reminded us of their first night a hundred years ago. Yet, how different: whether it was setting sail, communicating with the land, cooking, or navigating. So much has changed.

And luckily, "our" Yvonne didn't turn into an airplane!! She made us a delicious tea without setting the stovetop on fire.

We move forward calmly, passing Cap Sicié towards Porquerolles.

We test the different sails and points of our boat. This peaceful navigation transports us with joy. The pleasure of contemplating the horizon and the approaching islands, at first bluish, then increasingly clear, does us a world of good after the days spent waiting in port!

And here is Porquerolles

But where is the Carlos? We are searching relentlessly for a beautiful brig * with an Italian flag among the catamarans at anchor. The only classic rig that crosses in the distance looks more like a giant Bonita. And, to add insult to injury, it doesn't even deign to stop... what a disappointment!

* A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. It was commonly used in the 18th and 19th centuries for both naval and merchant purposes. Brigs were known for their speed and maneuverability, making them popular for military use, cargo transport, and even piracy.

No matter! The ball will take place , but on board Avel Heol! ...