Finally moving again!

After a 22 month pause that was supposed to have been a 6 month pause, we are finally on the move again.

I am starting this thread in order to occasionally post marinas, locations and curiosities that moved me to take a picture along the way. It is not really my intent to create a travel-log or full-blown picture log.

The first pair of photos below is from the harbor at Saintes Maries de la Mer

Will someone translate the above signs into English for me?

If you look closely the middle paragraph of the top sign is in poor English. It pretty much explains things.

I love that the travel lift is a contraption.

John R M said:

If you look closely the middle paragraph of the top sign is in poor English. It pretty much explains things.

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Ah got it. So unless your boat was in the water prior to the pandemic, there was no escape.

ScottC said:

After a 22 month pause that was supposed to have been a 6 month pause, we are finally on the move again.

I am starting this thread in order to occasionally post marinas, locations and curiosities that moved me to take a picture along the way. It is not really my intent to create a travel-log or full-blown picture log.

The first pair of photos below is from the harbor at Saintes Maries de la Mer

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Wifey B: We're so happy you're actually able to boat a while, instead of just owning a boat. We're beaching nearby in Ibiza.

Watching from afar (Covid lockdown)
Saintes Maries de la Mer- good place to splash, the sea should be quite blessed by now.

sbman said:

I love that the travel lift is a contraption.

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Yes - "Contraption" is why I posted this. Amusing name for the Travelift. But, I have been subsequently wondering what is the generic name -- in English -- for these contraptions? Travelift was/is the name of a company. I have no idea what this device is really called in English. Similar scenario to "Kleenex" = facial tissues; "Xerox" = photocopy; "Jacuzzi" = whirlpool tub, etc.

How about for non-brand-name English, just 'boat lift'..?

Peter B said:

How about for non-brand-name English, just 'boat lift'..?

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'boat lift that can travel'?

sbman said:

I love that the travel lift is a contraption.

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Me too!

OldDan1943 said:

Ah got it. So unless your boat was in the water prior to the pandemic, there was no escape.

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I don't think those signs have anything to do with Covid. They look to me like just your "Caution! Employees only! Because we are using dangerous equipment here" type of sign.

BTW, Scott: Great you are boating again! I look forward to your random dispatches.

ScottC said:

Yes - "Contraption" is why I posted this. Amusing name for the Travelift. But, I have been subsequently wondering what is the generic name -- in English -- for these contraptions? Travelift was/is the name of a company. I have no idea what this device is really called in English. Similar scenario to "Kleenex" = facial tissues; "Xerox" = photocopy; "Jacuzzi" = whirlpool tub, etc.

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I've always heard them generically referred to as a travelift even if they're a different brand.

ScottC said:

But, I have been subsequently wondering what is the generic name -- in English -- for these contraptions? Travelift was/is the name of a company.

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That's a great question. Got me wondering too. I found this history article if anyone is interested:

https://www.allatsea.net/marine-travelift-the-fascinating-story-behind-the-name/

Basically invented by a fellow in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, as winter was coming. Two tracks, some wheels, some ingenuity, et voilà.

I noticed a similar "Kleenex" type thing on the East Coast where the type of trailer that you can back into the water and hydraulically raise pads to capture a boat, then move the boat around the yard (or some of them can go on the highway), are "Brownells."

Marseille - Old port. Pier-side attractions, in addition to a zillion restaurants, include a soap museum and not one, but three soap shops. Sounds mundane - but these soaps are pretty exotic. Marseille is still an important soap manufacturing center.

Frosty said:

That's a great question. Got me wondering too. I found this history article if anyone is interested:

https://www.allatsea.net/marine-travelift-the-fascinating-story-behind-the-name/

Basically invented by a fellow in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, as winter was coming. Two tracks, some wheels, some ingenuity, et voilà.
"

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Good link. That about covers it!

rslifkin said:

I've always heard them generically referred to as a travelift even if they're a different brand.

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As a kid, the first one of these I ever saw was at Shumway Marine in Rochester. And I remember reading the manufacturer's capacity label and noting it was made in Sturgeon Bay (because I had an uncle who lived in Sturgeon Bay).

ScottC said:

As a kid, the first one of these I ever saw was at Shumway Marine in Rochester. And I remember reading the manufacturer's capacity label and noting it was made in Sturgeon Bay (because I had an uncle who lived in Sturgeon Bay).

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When we get back to Shumway in a few days after our current trip I'll bent to remember to look at the data plate on one of the lifts and see if they're still the same ones or at least from the same place.

rslifkin said:

When we get back to Shumway in a few days after our current trip I'll bent to remember to look at the data plate on one of the lifts and see if they're still the same ones or at least from the same place.

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That would have been ummm....1972 or thereabouts. I'm sure these things last a long time, if well maintained...but I'm not sure about that long ;-)

ScottC said:

That would have been ummm....1972 or thereabouts. I'm sure these things last a long time, if well maintained...but I'm not sure about that long ;-)

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I think the lifts at Shumway look a bit newer than that. But the ones next door at Voyager sure don't!

A DIY-build catamaran at Port Camargue. It doesn't look very seaworthy, but it floats and moves. We passed it leaving the harbor on a day trip as we were coming in.

It's a bit surprising, as I think the annual dockage fee at Port Camargue probably comes close to what it cost to build this vessel.

ScottC said:

Marseille - Old port. Pier-side attractions, in addition to a zillion restaurants, include a soap museum and not one, but three soap shops. Sounds mundane - but these soaps are pretty exotic. Marseille is still an important soap manufacturing center.

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Wifey B: Soap is good. Unfortunately, we're limited to fragrance free due to someone's allergies, not to point a finger.

One thing I still find fascinating is how to cities can be relatively close and take on very different characteristics with their history and their current makeup. Sad part of the time we've had here is how much we haven't seen.

And the med conditions right now have been so calm something like 80% of the days with just occasional rougher seas. This morning from Ibiza to Palma was 1' seas. I'm sure you're really enjoying your day trips. Hope you get to the other places you have planned.

BandB said:

Wifey B: We're so happy you're actually able to boat a while, instead of just owning a boat. We're beaching nearby in Ibiza.

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Arriving at the boat, after 22 months, was like opening a time capsule. A bit weird.
Glad you made it to the islands. We spent an enjoyable week, not so far away in Sitges. We wanted to do the islands, but by the time we were in the vicinity, it was early October and the weather and seas were becoming less friendly.

I’ve always considered travel lifts as specialized tired-gantry cranes. Or a gantry lift if you will

The English on that sign is hilarious. Sacre' bleu! Caution with the contraption! Reminds of some of the fish and game statutes here and in a few other states that talk about "varmints."

ScottC, I was wondering if the 6 months that became 22 months was the hull rework you had posted about?
But if it`s Covid related, it`s been said here "The worst part of a 7 day lockdown is the first 2 weeks".
Anyway, nice pictures and stories. We are looking forward to being able to return to Europe, one fine day......the day overseas travel resumes. We`ll likely be able to travel overseas before travel to some parts of Australia due to State border entry bans. One closed border is enforced by the Australian Army!

BruceK said:

ScottC, I was wondering if the 6 months that became 22 months was the hull rework you had posted about?
But if it`s Covid related, it`s been said here "The worst part of a 7 day lockdown is the first 2 weeks".
Anyway, nice pictures and stories. We are looking forward to being able to return to Europe, one fine day......the day overseas travel resumes. We`ll likely be able to travel overseas before travel to some parts of Australia due to State border entry bans. One closed border is enforced by the Australian Army!

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Hi Bruce -
We traveled from Sweden to the Mediterranean in 2019 with our boat. Left the boat for the winter in Gruissan, France (on the Med.) in October 2019. The intent was to come back in April 2020 and cruise another six months down the coast of Italy to leave the boat in Malta for winter 2020. That never happened because of the pandemic. We managed to get fully vaccinated in July 2021 and then traveled to Gruissan to pick up where we left off. 22 months later.

Saint Mandrier sur Mer is a nice port in a small town with a heavy naval presence. Unfortunately, the beautiful panorama is somewhat marred by a pair of apparently mothballed vessels. Perhaps they are awaiting scrapping?? I also saw some discussion that these are being used as breakwaters.

The larger of the two is the FREGATE DUQUESNE

I copied the text about St. Mandrier sur Mer below out of Wikipedia, though the ships it discusses have nothing to do with the ships in my photos.

In World War II, Saint-Mandrier was fortified with two turrets, each mounting a pair of 340mm naval guns taken the French battleship Provence. This fortress controlled the approaches to Toulon, and the range and power of these guns was such that a considerable Allied naval force was required to destroy them. Part of the fleet, and the first to engage the battery, was the Free French battleship Lorraine, sister ship to the Provence and mounting the same type of gun. The Allies termed the battery 'Big Willie', and dedicated a battleship or heavy cruiser to shelling it every day; eventually USS Nevada silenced the guns on 23 August 1944, although the fortress would not be taken until 28th

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer

That naval ship looks like it has a boil ready to pop.

The ship was not designed to have that dome.... I am sure it has an effect on how the ship rides in a storm and reduces the max recoverable roll. What were they thinking?

OldDan1943 said:

That naval ship looks like it has a boil ready to pop.

The ship was not designed to have that dome.... I am sure it has an effect on how the ship rides in a storm and reduces the max recoverable roll. What were they thinking?

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I know next to nothing about naval ships. What might be the real purpose of that dome? To protect radar equipment, perhaps??? Satellite communication??