Recommended song for reading :-)
La Grace is an authentic replica of a brig from the second half of the 18th century built mainly by Czech and Slovak citizens in Egypt between 2008 and 2010. Unfortunately due to bad weather circumstances and probably also preceding mistakes she was wrecked on October 26th 2012 near Marbella in Spain. Salvage operations could not have started immediately and thus she was for almost two weeks grounded on the beach. After hard communication with insurance company it was decided that she will be salvaged and repaired, although it would have been much easier and cheaper to build a new one. This lucky decision was made partly due to massive support from Czech citizens who started to donate money in order to help to cover the expenses. The destiny of La Grace was simply to be saved! Subsequently she had been brought to the ship yard in Sotogrande where repairing works started. During almost nine months tens of volunteers mainly from Czech and Slovak Republic were coming over to help to repair La Grace. An incredible amount of work has been done and the same amount of effort and energy of all people involved has been spent! At the end, she was launched on water on August 6th at 13:08. A few days later she was on the way to Gibraltar. Then she turned back and along the Spanish coast she was heading for Elba in Italy, her home waters that she reached on August 24th.
Since from Malaga to Sotogrande it is just about 100 km, I decided to add a helping hand as well for a week or two but finally stayed longer. I was lucky that I could be present at the moment she was launched again. I spent on her board almost one month and I have met some very nice people, some of which I believe became my friends who I meet again soon either on the board of La Grace or as a members of our NoStress crew. I left La Grace in Barcelona and although I could sail with her to Italy, I decided to return to Malaga where Feria had just begun. And Feria, that’s another story for the next post :-). It was a bit emotional decision since La Grace and hew crew have some special way of keeping you on board, especially when you spent part of your soul in her. Once you put your feet on her board, you are trapped. It is definitely a great boat and I can only recommend you to join her crew for some time.
There are many and many things from behind the scene ranging from the initial troubles with insurance agency and the choice of company responsible for all repairs, to the style of communication, quality of the work done and the overall approach of representatives of this company. However, I don’t feel entitled to publish here this information. I may tell you just personally if you decide to join some of our NoStress Yachting trips :-).
