Adeiu Pacifique!

Adeiu
          Pacifique!
                            Nous Allons
                                         en France!

CC Matisse with Entr’acte bound for LeHavre, France  

Entr’acte is “on her way home” —to Sevilla!

When we departed Sevilla back in 2005 we told everyone that we would return “in about ten years.”  We are now approaching the ten year mark —where has the time gone?

When venturing out across the Pacific it is most important to have an “exit plan.”   We, like many others crossed  the Pacific with  hope that the piracy situation along the Red Sea route would be resolved by the time we were ready to make that passage.  Sadly, as of this writing things have not improved.  The Red Sea is still not a safe route for the return to Europe.  We thought long and hard about returning via the Cape of Good Hope but even along that route there is an element of danger from pirates.  We chose the only real option left to us, place Entr’acte on board a ship and send her “over the pirate hump.”  The question was always where do we ship from and when.

A naive assumtion was  that it would merely be a matter of money but the endeavor proved far more complicated than that!  For four years we queried shipping  companies.  They all have  wonderful slick web sites that advertise “We want your business!  Fill out the form and get a quote.”  We filled out and submitted their forms but never received a response of any kind, from any one.   It was frustrating beyond belief!

We began a semi serious search in Fiji  but no one would give us a price or estimate unless we committed to  a firm date and gave them  a deposit.  How can you make a deposit without knowing the final charge?  It was a heck of a way to do business and try as we did to get  some sort of quote in advance, we came up empty, so we gave up.   We were not ready  for this move yet anyway so it didn’t really matter..

CMA-CGM    Gilbert makes a plan.   
 Richard and Krysta–Thanks for not taking NO for an answer.
Karine Vagner manager  of Nouville Plaisance for being so accommodating.  We are sorry we could not have stayed longer.
Jean Claude and Joelle who looked after Entr’acte all throughout the cyclone season, kept her bilges dry, batteries charged as well as countless other favors.  We would have been lost without you.  Thank you so much for the photos and video.
Matisse will call in Savannah Georgia on 8, April and we will go on board to make the trans-Atlantic passage with her.  Our expected arrival date will be 23. April, LeHavre France.
 Entr’acte is in there somewhere!

Monday morning we went to Nouville Plaisance.  Karine the manager was very friendly but alas, as before, they had no room at all.   “Perhaps there will be a cancellation but don’t hold your breath because it rarely happens.  I am sorry.”   Richard, all smiles,  began to speak.  Karine and Richard began a friendly dialogue in rapid  French and as the conversation continued she  began to place forms in front of us to sign.   A few laughs and more conversation and still more papers and more signatures.  Suddenly, she smiled and said “Voila!” 

“Richard, Voila what?  What just happened?”   

“Edward, Voila means exactly what it means!  Voila!”    

We had a firm contract for storage with prices confirmed. Smiles all around.  We were now family.  

“Richard, what did you say to her?”  He just smiled and we never did get an answer.  As the weeks progressed and we got to know Richard better we discovered that “No” and “not possible” are just not part of his world.  Now, if we can just figure out how he does this with such regularity…….! 

The next step was to meet with Bruno our agent and Evan who was to build our cradle. 

Bruno is another unique person.  We went on board his boat Taka for a drink and met his cousin Natalie who plays the violin.  Not only does she have the most wonderful instruments but she and Bruno are part of the famous musical family Casadesus.   There was a surprise a minute in New Cal.

Designing the cradle   Mountains of paper work  Of course the insurance

Bruno asked “why do you go to Valencia?”   We explained that it was the shortest route, hence the least expensive.  Bruno said  “no,no.no!”  If we would change  the destination to LeHavre it would be more safe because Entr’acte would remain on the same ship throughout the voyage and not have to change ships in Panama but when he  said that it would be less expensive by $3,000.00,  well, that got our attention!  Even better, we could now make the trip that we wanted to make back in 1984—up the Seine to Paris, through  the Canal de Bourgogne and down the Rhone to the Mediterranean.  Well Bruno, what could be better?   “If you send Entr’acte to LeHavre, you can also join the ship in Savannah and ride with her across the Atlanic to LeHavre.” So, the deal is done.  

On March 7, 2013 Entr’acte will depart Noumea, New Caledonia for Savannah Ga. on board the CC Matisse.  She will arrive in Savannah on April 8 where we will join her and depart for LeHavre on April 9 to arrive on April 23, 2013. 

 Ready for shipment

Entr’acte is on her way to being on the right side of the world again, where today is really today and not tomorrow at a different time and we will be right side up once again.

Entr’acte in the Panama Canal

For the past month we have been tracking Entr’acte’s progress back across the pacific on board CMA CGM Maisse.  Thenks to the modern miracle of AIS we were able to plot her approaches to the varios stops along the way.
The route of Matisse began in Noumea, New Caledonia and so far has included the ports of Sydney and Melbourne in Australia, Napier and Tauranga in New Zealand and Punta Manzanillo on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal.

Below is a selection of screen shots taken from the AIS  plotting center as well as those captured when Matisse transited the Panama Canal

All ships approaching Panama Canal      Ais plot Matisse in Miraflores Lock

At 03:00 on April 3, 2013, Entr’acte  made her second passage of the Panama Canal on Board CMA CGM Matisse. There are so many containers that Entr’acte can not be found.  We hope she is in there somewhere!

Miraflores Lock   Gatun Lock   Gatun Lock   Exiting Gatun Lock

Next stop for Matisse and Entr’acte will be on April 8, Savannah GA where we will both go on board Matisse for the final leg of the trans-Atlantic passage to arrive in Le Havre, France on April 23.  Here’s hoping for good weather in the North Atlantic.

Entr’acte’s Pacific voyage is now complete. It has been a terrific ride; Panama, Costa Rica, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and New caledonia but now it is time for something new.  She is now on board CC Matisse bound for LeHavre to begin the next chapter in her world adventures.
Click here for the latest news. To follow Matisse click the spinning globe in the upper right corner of this page.

Entr’acte’s Pacific voyage is now complete. It has been a terrific ride; Panama, Costa Rica, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia but now it is time for something new.  She is now on board CC Matisse bound for LeHavre to begin the next chapter in her world adventures.
Click here for the latest news. To follow Matisse click the spinning globe in the upper right corner of this page.

See you in Europe!

We will keep you posted.

Cheers!