Don't try this at home - broken steering cable

And so, here I was, after dropping my crew at the fuel dock, circling around the harbour in Ajaccio, Corsica, waiting for a spot at the marina. Any spot. It was Sunday morning and the charter boats were supposed to clear out as they do every Sunday. However, the weather report was not good. We were expecting force 7 with 2 meter waves so the charter boats were a bit reluctant to give up their safe positions. Everyone wanted to hide and the anchorage near the two marinas was 30-80 feet deep as well as weedy on the bottom. Without an electric windlass I was definitely at a disadvantage. Marina was my first and basically only choice.

At 10 am I was told to call back at noon. At noon I was told to call again at 1400. While waiting for 1400, I motored to the anchorage but the shallowest spot was a lee shore. Which means, if the anchor dragged on the weedy bottom I'd be on the rocks. The wind was increasing. I motored back to the marina and circled back and forth for another hour. No luck. Four hours of running the engine back and forth and in neutral just to keep my position ahead of any other yacht wanting a slip. Waiting and hoping. Nada. 
I heard the message that le port est complete at 1400 and to try again at 1700. Right.

Back to the weedy anchorage once again now even more crowded than before. Suddenly as I change from forward gear to neutral I hear a snapping sound. The gear handle is loose in my hand. Broken cable in the middle of anchorage. With the last forward motion I steer into a clear spot and assess my situation. Drop anchor here and hope it digs in. If it doesn't, good bye Eidos. Nope, not doing that.

I rush forward and take the main sail cover off (should have done it first thing this morning). I notice that the boat is still moving forward even with no sail up. The cable must have broken off when I was in forward gear. I could go back to the marina and beg to be let in. I now really NEEDED to be in the marina to get the cable replaced. I call both of them and still no go even in my new desperate (to me) situation). I guess people use any excuse to get priority and the staff is well aware of it. They really expect sailors to be self sufficient.

So, finally I give up and steer the boat to an anchorage on the other side of the bay, near the airport which is still on a lee shore and open to the swell but has two redeeming qualities: sandy bottom and relatively shallow. Because it is far from the marina there is only one other yacht there when I arrive. I circle slowly wanting as much shelter from the growing waves as possible and find a spot near the buoys that mark a channel for beach boats. No problem, the wind is blowing about 15 knots and away from the buoys. I shut off the engine, say a prayer and drop the anchor. It seems to dig in with just the weight of the boat and after an hour of watching the trees, I finally relax. A bit rolly but long way to shore and the wind seems to be dying down.

By morning the boat is swinging all over the place but mostly inside the marker buoys. Not good. Finally, I decide to be brave and re-anchor with no wind to help set it. As I pull on the rode it becomes obvious that the anchor has snagged one of the buoy's chain and so, now I have to lift two chains and hope to disentangle them from each other. Lucky for me the wind has died down completely or else I'd be in trouble. An hour later I give my 22 lb. Bruce one final kick and it lets go of the buoy chain. Motor in forward once again and I re-anchor further away. Or rather drop the anchor on the bottom and hope it holds me lying on its side.

By noon, I hear on the VHF radio that there seems to be room at the marina. I call and am told to call again when I'm in the harbour. Well, that would be a lot of anchor lifting just to get "le port est complete," by the time I get there, so I ask for assurance that there is in fact room. "Oui, madame, le port pas complete." I guess that's as good as it gets around here - the port is not complete. I promise to be there in 10 minutes and haul up the anchor once again and then motor as fast as I dare to claim my spot.

Once in the harbour I spot a dock that's as clear as possible of hazards (other boats nearby) and on the down wind side and shut the engine off as I approach it. With the last bit of forward motion Eidos slides in. Whew.