Contrasting hospitality

Andrew Simpson’s musings on nautical hospitality remind me of a couple of incidents whilst making my way down the River Rhone to the Med.

On arrival at Valance marina there was no response to our radio call and no directional signs on entering so we just tied up at a pontoon, which was covered in faeces. I went to the capitanarie and the harbour master said: ‘Where is your boat?’

On pointing it out, he asked ‘Why you go there? There is a notice at the entrance of the harbour.’ I told him I had not seen it.

‘Well you ‘ave to move.’

I said I wanted to move on account of the faeces. ‘Monsieur, what you expect? You are in France. You want electricity?’ I replied in the affirmative. ‘You want 2A or 5A?’ Even 5A is not enough to power a decent kettle. The new pontoon was just as filthy.

In striking contrast, when we arrived at the marina in Avignon, the harbour master had a desk sign saying: ‘The answer is yes, now what is the question?’ He was as good as his word. Absolutely nothing was too much trouble and the facilities were excellent. John Rotter, Warsash, Hampshire