S2.15 - Red Rocks, Airshows and Never Enough Croissants
Aug 11–12: Swimming with (Imaginary) Sharks and Sizzling Steaks
We left at 2 a.m. for our 102.3 NM run to Port Fréjus (located between Cannes and St. Tropez), strategically chosen so we’d arrive early enough to dock without playing bumper boats. Fréjus is a magnet for vacationers on the French Riviera, famous for sandy beaches framed by the fiery red cliffs of the coastal mountain range called Massif de l'Esterel.
Sailing along the French Riviera
Halfway there, we paused for our “8,000 ft swim”—or in my case, “8,000 ft cautious dip”. I clung to the swim ladder like it was my long-lost lover, determined not to make myself too appetizing for any curious toothy locals.
Spoiler: no shark came calling, but my imagination swam laps. 🦈
Below are a few photos from Fréjus…
Meet the ultimate hybrid docked near us:
Part Yacht, Part Harley showroom.
While most boaters stash fenders and fishing rods on deck, this guy’s rolling with a full-on motorcycle encased in glass like it’s fine art.
Our reward for the day? Two nights in port and a dinner at Le Boeuf Sur le Quai, where we grilled our own meat on sizzling hot stones.
Nothing says vacation like cooking your own dinner… but with French flair.
Aug 13: Croissants, Catastrophes, and Catamarans in Peril
While Ryan topped up Lucky Enough with fuel, I darted off to a bakery called “Secrets de Famille” for croissants (because…. priorities).
Secrets de Famille (Family Secrets):
La saveur de l’authenticité au quotidien
(The flavor of authenticity in everyday life)
Onward we went, passing St. Tropez—yes, I wore the t-shirt I bought in Scottsdale with Kristy!
… because nothing says chic like Arizona desert fashion on the Riviera.
The coastline flaunted jaw-dropping mega-mansions perched on rocks that looked like they were shoved up from the sea by Poseidon himself.
But then—cue the record scratch—we spotted a poor catamaran beached on the rocks near La Croix-Valmer. A sobering, stomach-dropping sight. If boats had facial expressions, that one definitely looked embarrassed.
Hitting rocks is a common boating hazard, and the coastline near Toulon would naturally present this risk to navigators.
As we neared our anchorage, I spotted chart markings for 14 shipwrecks in the area. Fourteen! This is not the kind of neighborhood that boosts your boat insurance score.
Here is a photo showing the symbol for “Shipwreck” in yellow. I count 14. How about you??
But then—we spotted four helicopters zipping past us in formation, followed by red, white, and blue plumes of smoke behind several jets. We knew exactly what that was… an airshow practice!
We quickly looked it up and suddenly, it made perfect sense to make Plage du Jonquet our preferred anchorage for the night so we could catch tomorrow’s airshow in style!
Plage du Jonquet
SailTies Log of this Leg of our Journey
Aug 14: Anchored with the Patrouille de France
Our “relaxation day” turned into front-row seats for the Patrouille de France Air Show—the French Air & Space Force’s world-class aerobatic team. From the comfort of our deck (massage included), we watched their Franco-German Alpha Jets slice the sky, tricolor smoke streaming behind.
Given our aviation background, the whole thing felt surreal—as if our past and present had joined forces in a perfect, high-G reunion.
Very, very cool.
Aug 15–16: Marseille Madness
Sailing Into
Marseille, France
We nudged Lucky Enough another 33 NM to Marseille and lucked into a spot at Le Vieux Port (CNTL Marina) thanks to a slip owner’s brief absence. The marina itself was… let’s say “functional,” but hey, we can now officially say we’ve been to Marseille.
Two nights gave us time for croissants (again), kebabs, and Cheri’s 50th birthday bash at Smok’Meat Marseille, complete with flaming fire shows as they cooked dinner. Nothing says “Happy 50th” like having your dinner flambéed tableside.
Smok’Meat - Marseille: “L’arte de la Viande Fumée”
Aug 17–21: Ducking into Cap d’Agde (Literally for Duck)
With bad weather in the forecast, we pulled an “early bird gets the dock” move and departed Marseille.
Departing Marseille: 4:51AM
A glimpse of the majestical sunrise soon after
The early departure proved to be a brilliant idea as we scored a great spot in Cap d’Agde. Easy walking distance to restaurants, shops, and beaches—it was like boat parking heaven.
We spent the next few days lounging on the beach, exploring the town, said farewell to Cheri, and capped things off with a spectacular duck dinner at Cote de Boeuf that left us happily waddling back to the marina.
Côte de Boeuf Restaurant - Cap D'Agde, France
With sun-kissed memories and plenty of croissants behind us, we waved goodbye to Cap d’Agde prepared ourselves to point Lucky Enough toward Canet-en-Roussillon first thing tomorrow morning. Ahead lies less lounging and more labor—our big maintenance plans are calling. It’s time to give our faithful girl a well-earned spa treatment as we prep her for the big adventure on the horizon: crossing the Atlantic.