Frontignan to Bouzigues – 10 km

Our South African neighbours turned out to be less than welcoming – she monosyllabic, he ignoring us completely. But at least they didn’t chase us away.

Or object to me clambering over their decks this morning to fill up with water, and eventually detach the electricity cable.

We had hoped the wind would go down in the night, and it did a bit, but it was back this morning, so we set off bravely, and rather nervously, past Frontignan's warehouses.

Here we are approaching Sète at the end of the canal.

Boating is big business around here, and they know how to store the speedboats.

Finally we reached the end of the canal and headed out gingerly into the lagoon. The wind was from dead ahead, and waves were building. But we took it slowly and not much spray came aboard, even though we rolled and slammed a bit.

The key navigation mark, or waypoint, is this light on a rock. Not one you would want to programme into your GPS and then set the autopilot!

As we approached Bouzigues, there were oyster farms on both sides. The Étang de Thau apparently produces half the oysters consumed in France – which is a lot. Because it is not tidal, unlike Brittany or the Biscay coast, the oysters are grown rather differently, hanging on ropes suspended from wooden frames.

Bouzigues gives its name to oysters from the whole lagoon, though other villages are active producers too. Here we are approaching the harbour, with some concern because of the wind. We were supposed to moor stern to the quay, and a friendly Swiss gentlemen tried to help us do so, but the wind made it quite impossible, and the harbour-master later agreed that we could remain moored alongside.

After lunch we set off for the oyster museum, which was very informative and not very large. Here is a mock-up of the oysters growing on ropes.

And here, from the video, a chap glueing baby oysters onto the ropes where they will grow to full size.

Tomorrow in principle we would like to move along the lagoon to Mèze, to visit the well-known garden and nursery of Olivier Filippi, who specializes in Mediterranean plants. But if the wind continues – and it is forecast to continue for two or three days – we may just stay tucked up here eating more oysters. Life is hard!