023: Boat Lift Haul Out in Tunisia, Visiting Islamic Schools and Tasting North African Street Food
September 16, 2018 by Mothership Adrift Travel and Sailing | Language: EN Play Time: 00:32:18 | SAILING YOUTUBERS
It was another one of those epic passages with a ripped headsail and near misses with unidentified vessels in the night – a bit disconcerting with reports of refugee boats around the Libyan coast. But it was exciting sailing to a completely new continent even though, once again we limped into port with more broken bits!
Tunisia is a great place to get sailboat work done on a budget and that’s the main reason we were heading to Port de Peche – Monastir. The whole boat needed a good fit out. But dodging (party) pirate boats was the easy part compared to dealing with customs, the port police, the Garde-Nationale and port authorities.. particularly as we spoke no Arabic or French.
Our home got hoisted out of the water – much to the kids amazement – and put in the yard! But that was nothing compared to the look on their faces (and ours) when we checked out the boat yard toilets and showers. To save money, we had planned to stay on the boat during the fit out.. but roughing that much was really not an option. Luckily Woody’s Dad -who joined us in Malta – put us up in a local hotel last minute until we could find ourselves an apartment – life saver! We made good use of the pool but schooling always came first, so we set up classroom amongst the sun lounges and did a crash course in French!
While Granddad watched the kids we returned the yard. No-one was supposed to use the jabsco toilets once the boat was out of the water.. but someone had! The boat stank – so our first job was to pump the toilet through into a bucket to clear the pipes. Yachting is not all about having G and T’s on deck!
Amel Super Maramu purists will be horrified to learn that we also painted the tiles in the galley which got us thinking about the cushions and curtains too. Tunisia offered a great opportunity for a total refurbishment – watch this space!
Tunisia was very different to what we’re used to. There’s are sharp contrasts between areas that are really grand and well-kept and other that seem totally neglected with rubbish/trash everywhere. Our policy of picking up three bits of plastic every time we’re out seemed meaningless faced with such overwhelming plastic pollution.
We spent a day on the beach, swimming, drinking mint tea and making sandcastles. We were particularly fascinated by the women wearing burkinis in the sea. Is Tunisia safe after the 2015 Tunisian terrorist attacks on the beach? Well, there were plenty of security guards around (on the beach and around the hotels) We spent a lot of time in non-tourist areas and felt totally safe, although the kids’ blonde hair drew some attention!
We arrived in Tunisia as Ramadan was coming to an end and the festival of Eid was beginning and this made us curious about Muslim culture and Islam. We wangled an invite to a local school where Tunisian kids learn about the Qur’an. We learned a little about Arabic writing and pronunciation and even had a personal reading of the Surahs. It was a really educational afternoon and the kids even shot a few hoops in the playground afterwards!
Granddad finally flew home and we found a cheap apartment overlooking Monastir Marina – a little further east from Port de Peche. As the days turned to weeks we fell into a traditional routine – Woody went off to the port every day and I was the stay-at-home mum. The children adopted the local stray cats and homeschooling carried on.
The accommodation wasn’t great but it had a great view over the marina. The kitchen had to be re-arranged for cooking because the electric wiring was a bit.. shocking. Apart from the odd pizza we mainly cooked at home trying local Tunisian recipes like harissa, tagine and libanaise, washed down with the local beer – Celtia (Mum and Dad obviously). The electric tripping out became a regular feature of cooking, which all added to the experience!
More about our adventures in Tunisia in the next blog..
ⒸⓄⓃⓃⒺⒸⓉ
▷PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/mothershipadrift
Contributions to the video blog budget greatly appreciated!
▷YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/mothershipadrift
Video blogs from the boat!
▷INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/mothershipadrift
Photos from the boat, the crew, the sea and other sailing families and characters!
▷FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mothershipadrift
Updates, photos videos and news as it happens!
▷AMAZON: https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/mothershipadriftfamilytravelandsailingblogs
Products, spares and items we have on the boat!
▷TWITTER: https://twitter.com/moshipadrift
Chats and comments from the boat
▷WEBSITE: https://www.mothershipadrift.com
Coming Soon!
▷Follow our boat on NOFOREIGNLAND:
https://www.noforeignland.com/boat/5858761751134208
023: Boat Lift Haul Out in Tunisia, Visiting Islamic Schools and Tasting North African Street Food Locations
Mothership Adrift Travel and Sailing
We're a UK family who have saved over many years to live the dream of travelling the world with our kids. We sold our belongings, closed our business and rented our house to buy a 20 year old sailboat . We want to show the kids that there is a bigger world out there and to appreciate the simple things in life, things that you find in the sea, the woods, up mountains, along the beach , the sky and the stars. Our dream of cruising and exploring the world's oceans is matched with a desire to live a more off-grid and sustainable lifestyle. A background as RYA instructors, flotilla skippers and RNLI crew only partly prepared us for the challenges of a live-aboard life! From buying a boat to homeschooling the kids, from cooking on a budget to making money while we travel, from sailboat maintenance to visiting amazing places - join our journey and share in our world adventure, as well as the challenges of family life, through our series of video blogs.
Channel Information:
- Joined: March 29, 2017
- Subscribers: 17,600
- Videos: 300
- Views: 2,937,016
- Latest Video: April 01, 2025
- GB
- Language: EN
Social Media Links:
Note of Recognition for Mothership Adrift Travel and Sailing
At WeBoating.com, we profoundly acknowledge the unwavering dedication that Mothership Adrift Travel and Sailing and other creators invests in crafting each and every video. Their passion for delivering exceptional content shines through every frame, and it's a labor of love that deserves your attention.
We invite you to watch their captivating videos and actively engage with their content, including their social media links above. Liking, commenting, and sharing their work goes a long way in fueling their creative fire.
We're also inviting you to explore any sponsorships and partnerships highlighted in the video description of "023: Boat Lift Haul Out in Tunisia, Visiting Islamic Schools and Tasting North African Street Food", or directly on YouTube. By considering their offerings or purchasing services and items, you not only support Mothership Adrift Travel and Sailing but also the brands and collaborators they're associated with.
If you have any feedback, corrections, or additional information about Mothership Adrift Travel and Sailing or their videos, please use the comment form below to share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the creators we cherish. Your time and support truly matter!
Mothership Adrift Travel and Sailing Lastest Videos
All things Australian and even a Camel Farm? Ep 214
We found the best surf spot and the Opera house in Sydney, we visited an off grid living co op and their alpacas ( not llamas) and Bondi Beach but who would have thought that there was a camel farm near Brisbane ? Find out why , where and how..... Visit :...
Tasmania : Hasting Caves, Maria Island, Cape Raoul and even a Jazz Festival Ep 213
We explore more things in Tasmania, outside of Hobart such as the Hastings Caves, Maria Island and a good 17km trek to Cape Raoul. There is so much to see but Maria Island had to be one of our favourites, the history, wombats, Tasmanian Pademelons, Fossil...
Where are all the Scallop Pies ? Ep 212
We have 10 days in Tasmania and we are going to see as much as we can. We visit the Botanical Gardens, Mawson's Huts Replica Museum, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Mount Field National Park, Salamanca Market, Battery Point Sculpture Trail, MONA: Museum ...
Sailing Life and Boat Life in Brisbane Ep211
We arrive in Brisbane and tie up on a mooring buoy at the Squadron Club where hopefully the kids will go sailing. During the week we go to all the libraries to do schooling at we go exploring at the weekends. We do a couple of house sits and the boys get...
Sailing from Cairns to Brisbane: Hit by a Squall and our new favourite toy ! Ep 210
We found ourselves sailing virtually non stop from Cairns to Brisbane because the wind was right . Once we arrived in Moreton Bay , we got quite busy with our new favourite toy...the Hookah. WE also went sand sledging, snorkelling and BBQ ing ! Go To PATR...