The task was to crew a Hallberg Rassy 42' called Trompeta initially from Malta, to Tunisia, joining the 79 year old captain who was on the last leg of a circumnavigation. The predominantly night passage to Port Hammamet was uneventful and due to light winds, meant motoring most of the way, standing solo 2 hour watches.
After assisting with removing the sails and preparing the boat for winter storage, I returned to the UK.
Several days later, the owner had also returned due to ill health, but now wanted the boat moved immediately to Marseilles, France, and "could I find a crew?"
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Due to insurance restrictions, the boat had to have a Yachtmaster on board, so once that was sorted, I made up a total crew of 4, and Trompeta was sailed up the coasts of Corsica & Sardina to arrive 2 weeks later in Marseilles. Most of the time it was day sailing and while weather conditions were good, the frequent marina berthing in crowded ports probably presented the biggest challenge to the crew. The final 8 hours presented the best winds, and we managed to see 8.1 Knots (SOG) with fully trimmed sails.I logged 180 Nm from Malta to Tunisia, and a further 632 on the passage to Marseilles.
