camaret

Camaret

We sailed from Loctudy around the Penmarch peninsula which is a veritable
rock garden for 'miles' out to sea. We had a good sail around it until the
wind died on us.

Having set course for St Evette we decided to go on through the Raz. Our
timing was a little late by some 60 minutes but the winds were light and the
tides small so we joined a small flotilla, all doing the same.

The passage through the Raz was uneventful other than our speed over the
ground increased very dramatically and like a cork from a bottle we shot
through at 9k and went on to Camaret , on old tuna fishing port that is now
devoted to yotties.

So we are now in the inner harbour awaiting the arrival of our next crew
member JohnJohn.

We met up with one crew who had a broken gear box and had been waiting
anxiously for 'weeks' for a replacement to arrive. As I write it is en route
from Paris. They are off to a Celtic reunion in Lorient having travelled
down from Troon.

We also lent pilot books to a young [by our standards] couple on Nutmeg who
had taken a year off work and with their two girls of 2 and 4 were en route
for the Canaries and then the West Indies and then home to Shoreham [where I
did a lot of dinghy sailing] by end of June next year. Unlike another couple
we met in Bilbao they were in a proper yacht [a Nicholson 38] and kitted out
for what ever came upon them.

Following the experience of the couple who had a broken gear box caused by
lack of oil I decided to check the oil in my gear box. It took me some time
to undo the nut that gives access to the dip stick. Eventually I got it off
and as I checked the oil which was fine I noticed bent pipes and the water
pressure that had dropped off its position.

The fixings holding it were in my opinion flimsy and not knowing exactly
what to do I await a French engineer!!

The engineer is very willing but even more busy, so I had a look at the
problem and asked my neighbour for advice. He came over and fixed it and now
it is lashed up and should never break free again. So with some satisfaction
I cancelled the French engineer!

Speaking of sailing people we have met some very remarkable people. Really
oldies who make us look young, Young couples with children some on big boats
but others [French] on little ones with 3 kids and 2 dogs! And then one
'couple' who were living their dream that was closer to a nightmare. He knew
it all and clearly didn't, and their boat was not up to it. We left them
investigating overland transport to S Spain.

After we have met up with JohnJohn we will sail around the N Brittany coast
hopefully to the Channel Islands and then home.

Loctudy

Loctudy

It is colder now. Colder at night and yesterday while at sea in the early
morning I thought about gloves, Tina had a blanket at last night! Anyway we
are at Loctudy now, next door to Le Pont de Abbey and the sun is shining.



We had a long sail up from Port Haliguen, we started at 5am as we knew that
we had some 60 miles to go [10 to 12 hours and could be longer!]; the wind
started off by being favourable but very weak and then backed to head us
again. By 4pm we were in and relieved to be so not that the journey was in
any was arduous.



The next stop is St Evette which is just before the Raz du Seine. This is a
narrow gap in a 20 mile line of rocks through which all the water from the
Channel races through to get to the bay of Biscay; when there it then rushes
back again. The 'gap' which is a misshaped channel less than 2 miles wide
and it is a place 'to get it right' and when you do it is no problem.
[Horror stories from those who did not!!]

Port Haliguen

Port Hooligan to some Brits

While at La Roche Bernard we looked up Therese's house [brother Marks ex
wife] and could not find it. We found the street and the number 16 which was
a shop.
I called in and asked if she lived there. The answer was yes but she is not
here and no idea as to when she will come back. Also her house is behind the
shop via an alley.
I said do tell her that we called.

So duty done we retired to the cafe to battle with the internet,
[successfully for once].

On leaving the cafe who should I meet but Therese who had arrived just a
couple of hours ago, found the capitainarie, the boat and then us.
We ended up having a super meal at Treguier and I must remember to go back
there.

We left at 6am the next day to go to Port H. We motored down the river and
then hovered by the lock gates waiting for them to open. As the opening time
drew neared more and more boats appeared and  as the gates opened we all
edged forward to be the first in the lock!!chaos french style. We all got in
and all was well.

Which ever way we were heading the wind was right on the nose so we motored
on to Port H and found an upwind slot.

We do have a problem in that in order to go into reverse the propellor hub
has to twist and it is not doing so for  resistance by barnacles and
possibly lack of grease. The current aim is to lie up against a wall at
Camaret and sort it out.

La roche de Barnard

La Roche Bernard

We left Redon the morning after delivering Esther and Olly to the airport. We or at least I had woken to the sound of a bow thruster [the noise is very distinctive] and we left soon after I had got the bread and a few provisions.

We needed to go through the swing bridge and really had no idea as to its opening times. Anyway we rang them on the VHF and to our delight he was opening in just 15 minutes. Actually the opening times are shown on a board below the bridge in small writing and obscured by grass and weeds!

 

It was then a gentle meander down river to Foleux, a delightful place with no more facilities other than a bar/café, and still no wifi or internet access.

It is however memorable for me at least because as I was loading one of the bikes on board my glasses fell into the water and were lost. This was however not a disaster for me as I always carry ‘thousands’ on board just in case this happens and for which I have been much criticised. I have always been mindful of the true reason that poor old Scott perished in the Antarctic. He had lost his glasses and gallant Oats then went to look for them but lost his own and then tragedy struck and they all perished. Scott had at the start insisted that no spares be carried to save weight. I have now doubled my stock!

 

We are now in La Roche Bernard and were allotted a space. All no problem except that the electric shore power did not work. I tried every thing to no avail and eventually undid all the connections to try to find the fault but could find none – all it required was for the marina to turn it on!!![there is a first time for everything!]

 

We aim to leave here on Saturday and will make our way back to Brest hopefully to meet up with the next crew member [JJ]. The plan is

Saturday 19^th to Port haluigen

Monday 21^st to Loctudy

Wednesday 23^rd to Audrienne

Friday 25^th to Camaret.

Redon

We spent 2 days in Piriac during which we visited the local market and listened to a

concert in the local church where amongst other things they sang a Negro spiritual “swing low sweet chario” and being French they didn’t sound the t.

 

We were going to go out to the island of Huat [close to Belle Isle] but as the distance for the following day could be quite long and in case the weather deteriorated, and as the French holidays have now started, we went to the Island of Dumet instead and then a very pleasant sail up to the barrage on the Villaine river using the drifter only [a big light foresail]. Thinking that we could just catch the next lock gate we motored the last bit but we had to wait over an hour. Our pilot books do not always have up to date times.

 

The night was spent in La Roche Bernard and we left moderately early for Redon some 25 miles up river. All very attractive, a bit like the Thames only wider for the most part. The weather was baking hot. Again we were surprised by the timing of the opening of a road bridge but 1 hr. later we went through.  We are right in the middle of Redon so easy to explore with the bikes.

 

Redon is a bit run down and not somewhere that one would want to visit unless one had a specific reason. So we are here to get Esther and Olly to Nantes airport and many of the other boats either very tired or are small and have come down through the canals with their mast lying on top of the coach roof rather like a long lance. OK provided you do not spear anything! So off early tomorrow to find a car rental place or if we have no luck it’s the train.

 

Piriac

Piriac

We left Pornichet which while convenient is not one of the most attractive places and set sail for Piriac a very small ex fishing village where entry is over a flap that hold the water in the marina so it is important to arrive when the flap is open.

 

We have two new crew, and one at least not too sure about sailing, we were keen not to over face them on the first day, so it was sea sick pills and auto pilot OFF so Esther and Olly helmed almost all the way and we had an excellent sail up to Piriac and successfully crossed over the flap gate and moored up.

 

Pornichet

We arrived in the isle de Yeu in rising winds and they continued to rise
until they were screaming in the rigging. No boats came in or left and we
were content to stay put as the rain lashed the boat. We did no more
sightseeing other than the local super market and rested up and stayed dry



On the second night the winds had blown through and the following morning we
had a pleasant sail up across the Loire estuary to Pornichet which is beside
La Baule. I actually managed to phone through to secure a berth, which for
me being on the VHF and in French was a bit of an achievement!

Today is a scorcher and we are preparing the boat for 'honoured guests'
Esther and Olly

So tomorrow we hire a car to collect them from Nantes. Unfortunately we have
to hire the car from La Baule.



Another customs check and they asked if we had more than $10,000 in cash. I
said please find it and we will split it in half!

Isle de Yeu

Yesterday we sailed up to the Isle de Yeu, another offshore island that is a
favourite with holiday makers and bicyclists. We left with an ok forecast,
F4 from the W, well it was a bit closer to NW which was where we were going
and also a bit closer to F5 . So we were hard on the wind lee rail under
etc. The swell was 1.5m to 2m and it was a good strong sail.

Now when we got out of the harbour and had cleared and the rocks off the
adjacent headland and could set our course there was another larger boat a
way off and also beating to windward. Now we steadily drew ahead until they
disappeared over the horizon. I was very pleased with Sunbird and my
seamanship to have come in an hour ahead of a larger boat. On arrival in
port we [I] missed the finger pontoon and were swept on to the next boat,
fortunately we both had fenders out and we winched ourselves into place.
Actually the wind was now almost F6 and almost every boat that come in also
made a hash of so I felt abit better! After we had recovered in my case with
a medicinal glass of whisky. The other larger boat referred to earlier came
in. It had a good mast and rigging but was a home made steel box and if it
had beaten us in I think I would have taken up caravanning!

On Thursday Esther and Olly join us and so we need to get to the mainland to
collect them. I say this because it is blowing very hard indeed almost a
gale and the wind is whistling through the rigging and buffeting the boat
and so no one is going out of the port today.

We spent some days in La Rochelle which was very pleasant and a chance to
recover a bit. Actually we spent longer than we wanted because we needed to
get the Chartplotter fixed if we could and failing that get a reliable
standby. The plotter was partially fixed and we waited an extra day for the
standby to arrive.

We met a charming Irish couple who booked us in to look over the French
yacht Tara. It was aluminium built to go through the ice and she went to the
North pole and entered the ice to drift around with the ice packs. They had
thought that it would take 3 years but they came out of the ice in 2 years
in the pacific having entered in the Atlantic. Quite a trip and very
interesting to look over the boat.

So we were quite keen to leave La Rochelle and left at low water almost
springs, [not a good idea as it is very shallow indeed] Anyway we got out,
we disturbed a flat fish or two and a few cockles but we got out.

We spent a couple of days in St Martin De Re. It is a quite delightful
place. A real photographers dream and the island is also very flat for
bicycling which was fun. Tina had her birthday there and we went to a very
good restaurant to celebrate. We were expelled today, not for bad behaviour
but because there was to be a festival and all visitors had to go.

Subject to weather it is the isle de Yeu tomorrow. Forecast id W5 or 6 and
that should be ok.

 

I am in an internet cafe struggling with the internet. Tina says it is to teach me patience but it is not working!!
Sunbird July 5th

Les Sables

We spent some days in La Rochelle which was very pleasant and a chance to
recover a bit. Actually we spent longer than we wanted because we needed to
get the Chartplotter fixed if we could and failing that get a reliable
standby. The plotter was partially fixed and we waited an extra day for the
standby to arrive.

We met a charming Irish couple who booked us in to look over the French
yacht Tara. It was aluminium built to go through the ice and she went to the
North pole and entered the ice to drift around with the ice packs. They had
thought that it would take 3 years but they came out of the ice in 2 years
in the pacific having entered in the Atlantic. Quite a trip and very
interesting to look over the boat.

So we were quite keen to leave La Rochelle and left at low water almost
springs, [not a good idea as it is very shallow indeed] Anyway we got out,
we disturbed a flat fish or two and a few cockles but we got out.

We spent a couple of days in St Martin De Re. It is a quite delightful
place. A real photographers dream and the island is also very flat for
bicycling which was fun. Tina had her birthday there and we went to a very
good restaurant to celebrate. We were expelled today, not for bad behaviour
but because there was to be a festival and all visitors had to go.

Subject to weather it is the isle de Yeu tomorrow. Forecast id W5 or 6 and
that should be ok.

Sunbird July 5th

La Rochelle still.

So we are still in La Rochelle. The weather has been hot hot and I am so
glad that we are not in the med now

We have looked over a big aluminium yacht 'Tara' [from gone with the wind]
that for scientific purposes went into the ice at the North pole Atlantic
side and then was moved by the ice pack around to the other side of the
world Pacific. It took them 2 years in the ice [they had expected 3 years
but the global warming has made it all go faster] Quite something.

At this point I have to admit that modern electronics do make life a lot
easier and when they go down it is Gloom Gloom. Nelson only has a sextant,
compass and hopeless charts. Anyway our chart plotter went on the blink. It
is a wonderful gadget that tells you exactly where you are to about 10
yards!!! Nelson would have loved to have one! I was fortunate enough to
find a man in La Rochelle from Raymarine [ the makers] who came out straight
away. He has cured some of the problems but the set needs to go back to base
and that will happen when we get back.

Tomorrow we go to St Martin de Re. A tiny tidal port that is picture book
material