On Friday we received our new mainsail cover from Epure.

This is the old one,

White cloth generally looks good once – when you buy it.

The quality and workmanship at Epure was fantastic. They are a hardworking group of friends that we’ve come to know and call our friends. They also recovered our salon couches in the most amazing terra-cotta colored leather. It feels so soft we hate to stand up.  Sylvie is going to make us some wine bags with the leftovers!

Because we changed the name of the boat from El Pato to El Gato, we had to perform a ritual that has been done for ages. We removed everything that had the old name on it (or changed the P to a G),

and invited our local buddies to come help us.

Eric read the rites,

and everyone did the appropriate yelling and toasting on cue.

He then splashed some very nice Champagne on the bows, mast and bowsprit,  that daughter Chelsea gave us for the occasion back in December.

Sylvie surprised us with monogrammed t shirts and a linen table cloth that can be transformed into a bag for veggies (very French). It was a good send off for sure!

Tomorrow, Monday, around noon we will shove off and sail towards Toulon. There are a few islands off the coast called the Porqueroles (we say pork rolls). 140 NM, an overnighter. We need to bust outta here before the next Tramontane comes. This one is finally calming down but another is expected Tuesday. They say the locals can claim it was the wind that drive them to murder. I can start to see why. There is such a thing as too much. But the hard core kiters and windsurfers are in heaven!