1. June 9th Southampton to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight (20nm)
We cast off from Ramparts Quay in Southampton, waved off by Terry's sister, Lyn, some lads from the yard and Amanda and Brendan owners of another Rival 34, Alliage. After all the hectic activity of the last couple of weeks, leaving felt like a bit of a relief initially and then we realised, we had actually done it and begun to live our dream.
We motored down Southampton Water, initially and
passed a
Dutch replica square rigger - The Amsterdam. the cruisers on board waved to
us as we slid by, little knowing the adventures that might be in store for
us.
Once around Calshot Spit, the wind filled in and we beat down to Yarmouth keeping on the north side of the Solent to minimise the effect of the tide. As we approached Yarmouth the wind died and the sea eased to give us a perfect first night. Terry cooked a chicken curry which was fabulous.
2. June 10th Yarmouth - River Dart (88 nm)
We slipped our lines from the buoy at Yarmouth at 0420, catching the strong ebb tide down through the Needles Channel, out passed the Needles Lighthouse on the Western edge of the Isle of Wight and into the English Channel. Unusually there was absolutely no wind for any of that day, but it provided perfect motoring conditions - a flat calm sea all the way to Dartmouth. We tied up to a buoy in Dittisham on the River Dart outside the Ferry Boat Inn at about 2145 with folk music from the pub drifting across the water.
June 11th- 21st - In River Dart
Action Stations!!! Full steam ahead...unfortunately not nautically. During the crossing several more things have decided to need immediate attention. pdq we need 1. a sailmaker, 2. a welder (broken hinge) 3.a rigger (emergency replacement stay). 4. marine electrician (circuit breaker tripped, can't work out why), 5. furuno expert to look at radar.
The Genoa foresail has a protective UV strip on it which has begun to wear and tear and needs to be replaced. This is highly annoying as we had the sails 'valeted and serviced' over the winter. During this process, as well as being cleaned the sails are supposed to be inspected in case repairs are needed. Whilst we should have noticed ourselves, the 'professionals' are also supposed to do a job, which they clearly did not. Doyles sails, you are named and shamed.
Thanks to Cliff,
(you are in the picture) all these things come to pass. We get the
sail mended, find an electrician, a riggers, a welder etc etc and get a trip
to Lidl's and Tesco for supplies, get drunk a couple of times...
Leaving
Dartmouth
3. June 21st. Dartmouth - L'AberWrac'h (121 nm)
After getting the last of the duty free 'red' diesel at the fuel barge in Dartmouth, we were waved out of the River Dart at around 10.30 by Cliff from the Castle at the entrance. (Big Thanks again for all you help Cliff). Our journey had begun in earnest. We lay a course for Northern Brittany and away we go. The overnight journey is reasonably uneventful except for being greeted by a. warships on Naval exercises from all over the World and b. a dense fog bank over the French coast. With the assistance of the trusty Radar (now working thx to new connections), we find our way to the harbour entrance and work our way to the buoy moorings in the river.
Just as we get ship shape and have a spot of lunch a shout reaches us from another boat in the moorings - it turns out to be from Ken Harrap, the previous owner of Roam (was then named 'Circe of Coldham'). He has begun his annual vacation with his crew on his new boat, now named 'Sophan' - a Westerly OceanRanger 38. We went over for a chat and a beer, then back to Roam for a kip.
4. June 22nd L'AberWrac'h to Cameret. (39 nm)
Another landmark day for us...through the Chenal du Four to Cameret. The Chenal is one of those 'been there, done that' voyages. You have to get timing and conditions right or you can end up in all sorts of problems through this notorious tidal channel. Fortunately we had done our sums and checked the forecast and we passed through with a number of other yachts. We headed up the Gulet de Brest on a beautiful afternoon lazy sail to Cameret where we anchored in perfect conditions and weather. We went ashore for some supplies and managed our first 'du pain, du vin, du boursin' meal.
5. June 23rd, Cameret to Audierne (29 nm)
Yet another landmark day and another challenge -The Raz du Seine. Now this really can be a hairy place. I have seen a picture of a yacht here on the edge of a huge whirlpool caused by the tide rushing through the narrow channel and over the rocky bottom. When Terry showed me this picture I could not believe he would want us to go to such a place, but once again we got timing and conditions perfect and passed through on a great days sail without a scratch, but lots of frayed nerves (well, you just don't know, do you?!). We anchored at St Evette outside of Audierne in a place that has a very 'Alderney' feel to it - a wide sandy beach and a big breakwater. We went ashore to try and celebrate our passage, but even though it's Friday evening, downtown St Evette had already closed for the night and all we managed was a couple of beers in a bar and omlette on board! It would have been great to stay a bit longer but the sun beckons from the south.
6. June 24th Audierne to Benodet (35 nm)
To get to Benodet, we have to go round another landmark - the Pointe de Penmarche. This is notable as it is the start of the next coastguard area, fortunately no tidal gates to worry about here
the sail down to the Pointe is not easy, only because Mildred is playing up. Mildred is our wind vane self-steering and is a fabulous addition to the crew as she keeps going for hours and hours on end. the trick is you have to have your sail trim just right or she won't play. Our sail trimming obviously needs some attention and I am sure we will get better as we go along. meanwhile, taming Mildred can be frustrating. We round Pte to Penmarche, thinking the wind will increase, but in fact it dies away and we have to motor the last 2.5 hours up to the River Odet, where we anchor off the beach. It's Saturday night and we are owed a celebration, so we go ashore to find 'moules-frites'. Only one of the big harbour restaurants has a space for us. it's nice but not great. On Sunday we go over to Ste Marine on the opposite side of the the river Odet - should have come here first - a much nicer atmosphere to the place.
7. June 26th. Benodet to Concarneau. (12 nm)
We left Benodet on an easy beam reach and I persauded Terry to put the fishing line out as the sea is fairly shallow here and fishing boats (small open boats) are everywhere, so pickings must be easy. Unfortunately, at one point I heard a 'twang' from the line....at first I thought it had caught on a fitting on the boat, then i looked astern and saw one of the numerous fishing buoys in our wake and feared the worst...sure enough, the twang was the sound of the fishing gear being stripped from the line after getting wrapped round the fishing buoy line. As we turned towards Concarneau, the wind went dead ahead and we motored up into the old town. We moored in the town marina (no anchorage here) and went ashore. It was a fantastically hot day 30 deg C plus, especially in the marina. we used the bimini for the first time (felt like sitting in a Bedouin tent), but v. effective. The town was great - it had everything, from an interesting 12th Century rampart - 'La Viellle' with old winding streets and half-timbered buildings, to our first cyber-cafe (win98, no usb, no laptops, no wi-fi....great!). The forecast was good for the next day, so on we went...
8. June 27th. Port Tudy, Isle de Groix (28nm)
In fairness, we had intended to head for Lorient, but Port Tudy ended up looking favourite - it was closer and an easier sail with the wind direction. This ended up as quite a good choice - what a lovely place - a really out of the way, laid back feel to it, but plenty of bars, shops and restaurants to serve the tourists who come in on the 3x a day ferry from Lorient. We had a little bit of a problem with the fore and aft moorings in the harbour due to the cross wind, but managed to get the stern line attached after quite a bit of frantic rowing in the dinghy. Again, the forecast next day was ok (looked better than the following day) so we moved on..
9. June 28th. to Port Sauzon, Belle Isle (21 nm)
We left Port Tudy in fairly good conditions, although the wind did seem to be piping up a bit more than I expected. We headed out to the channel, only to be waved back by a chap fishing in a motor boat - we were heading the wrong side of a North Cardinal Mark. Skipper suitably chastised, we took the opportunity to put in a reef in the mainsail and continued. Once out of the lee of Groix, the sea really kicked in and was a very bouncy ride that had me reaching for the Stugeron that then sent me to sleep. Fortunately Mildred did my watch and we reached the moorings outside Port Sauzon without further incident. That night the wind increased a little and swell entered the moorings which caused us to roll a bit. This can be a little uncomfortable to say the least as well as annoying when you are trying to get some sleep. The forecast for the 29th was a force 6 with a 'mer agitee' which we have learned means 'rough' so we stayed put. A boat called AnnaMay that we had met in Port Tudy made it into the moorings, but said they had a rough ride under storm jib and 3-reefed main. From our vantage point, we could see boats struggling in the conditions out to sea. ugh.
10. June 30th. to L'Herbaudiere, Isle d'Noirmoutier (45 nm)
We slipped lines on the buoy at Port Sauzon and we really weren't sure where we were going. The forecast was for W-NW 5 easing 3-4, so we went for it. It was a very pleasant sail, but for the showers, drizzle and strong gusts under the rain showers. This is supposed to be Brittany where the sun always shines!! Eventually we decide to take advantage of the wind direction and sail south to the Isle d'Noirmoutier rather than east to Le Pornichet. We sailed nearly all the way and it was only the last 5 miles or so that were frustratingly slow. We could not take the reef out for the gusts, yet otherwise the wind was dying away and the sea becoming increasingly lumpy. the entrance to l'Herbaudiere was not an easy one either - a difficult approach over a shallow area with a precise leading line between rocks and sandbanks into the harbour. After an 11 hour trip, we were safely moored in the marina rafted 3 out on the public pontoon. we went ashore for a very nice pizza. Next day was laundry day - both clothes and bodies. unfortunately the weather was not the best for drying but we did 3 washing machine loads in the harbour 'laverie'. l'Herbaudiere is a peculiar place - a big marina that was as quiet as a mouse a large fishing fleet (huge travelift), with a few shops. it reminded me of a wild west town - only missing the tumbleweeds rolling down the main street. then we found out that the start of the Tour de France was happening in the Vendee - not only in the Vendee, but on the Isle d'Noirmoutier. A huge occasion for any Frenchman, so we assumed they had all gone to watch the cyclists - indeed even La Poste office was closed for the day as there was no way they would get a courier past all the TdF traffic!
11. July 3rd. to Port Joinville, Isle de Yeu (22nm)
We left L'Herbaudiere in fabulous sunshine and a gentle breeze. We even got the light wind cruising chute up to help push us along at an easy 3kts. At last a t shirt and shorts sailing day. However the forecast cut us short with predictions of force 5-6 winds overnight and a rough sea. Sure enough, by the time we reached Port Joinville, the wind had piped up and the frontal clouds were building. overnight, the wind whistled through the rigging and the forecast is now prolonging the strong winds into tomorrow. However, Port Joinville looks like a lovely place to be weather bound for a day or two with a really lively port side area and plenty to keep us occupied.
12. July 5th. to Les Sable d'Olonne (36nm)
The forecast was for a SW-W 4-5 with a moderate sea and as we left Joinville we found pleasant conditions with island creating some shelter for the water between it and the mainland. Once clear of the island the swell kicked up over the shallow water and the wind turned even further to the south forcing us to beat into the wind and waves (not to mention the rain). Furthermore, the course we could attain was heading us for the beach about 5 miles short of the headland we needed to round before Les Sables. There was nothing for it but to tack out of the bay and head in the wrong direction for an hour to make the required offing to clear the headland. About 40 minutes later after more uncomfortable beating to windward, the wind veered W enabling us to make the headland comfortably on the original tack! in effect we had just wasted 1hour, but you cannot guarantee the wind. Once clear of Pointe d'Aguillon, we had to find the channel into Les Sables - 2 cardinal markers were out there somewhere. The swell was now pounding into the bay and the wind dead behind us. we were rolling all over the place. If it was uncomfortable earlier, this was torture. The wind and swell increased, the depth was even shallower and we just could not make out the marks in the swell and against the buildings of Les Sables. Eventually coastal ship passed us and we could see where it turned northwards into the approaches. Making landfall is a brilliant part of cruising. the difficulties, especially of somewhere unfamiliar all add to the challenge.
Once we had tacked passed the first cardinal marker our course was more comfortable and we could see where to go. The entrance is between 2 huge breakwaters with the marina at the far end about 1 mile inland past the fishing and commercial shipping docks. Les Sables is famous for the start of the Vendee Globe Challenge that brought Ellen MacArthur to fame in 2000 and there are some very large yachts here. The marina is very pleasant and the town has every amenity. Actually, when we went down to the seafront to have an icecream at the beach ('les sables') we were struck how much like Weymouth it is - a wide sandy beach backed by hotels, gift shops and cafe's with a harbour entrance at one end. The wind and rain did even more to make the comparisons more realistic!
We had our first visitors here at Les Sables. Rob, Jackie
and their young children Tom and Libby drove down from their holiday
location and St Jean de Monts for a visit. Terry knows Rob and Jackie from
sitting next to them at St Mary's stadium where they are (were) all season
ticket holders. We had a very nice afternoon strolling around the town and
sitting on the beach.
13. July 8th. to La Rochelle (36nm)
What a cracking day! We sailed downwind all the way, initially with the light wind cruising chute and then with just the genoa as the wind increased. We sailed from Les Sables into La Rochelle via the Pertius Breton - the stretch of water between the mainland and the Isle de Re, right under the road bridge. The water shallowed alarmingly just before the bridge, but it was coming towards high tide so swell aside, we had plenty of water. The weather is still very mixed - even downwind it was very chilly and we had fleeces on for most of the trip.
We sailed virtually up to the marina before putting the
engine on to motor in. As at Les Sables, you moor up to a waiting pontoon,
check in, pay fees and get allocated a berth. The monsieur in his
little office cabin was not interested in dealing with us - he dismissed me
with a wave of his hand to be dealt with by
'les jeunes' - 2 young lads and a girl (who was very good at handing out
hats!). We arrived along with another english boat - a very nice couple in a
new 40' Dufour. Initially the harbour staff asked us to raft to another boat just up the
pontoon, then they changed their minds an thought that we would get into
another berth as we are quite slim in the beam. this was some way away in
this huge 3200 boat marina and one of the lads would lead us there in the
dory and help us moor up. then the confusion and trouble set in. There
were other boats waiting to check in, so the monsieur decided that we all
had to leave immediately. one of the waiting boats decided to moor up right
at the end of the pontoon, making it difficult for the Dufour to leave in
the strengthening wind that was dead abeam pinning us onto the pontoon.
monsieur removed his lines and told him to go - he had not even got his
engine on! coupled with this, monsieur thought he had the strength of
Hercules to be able to push a 10 tonne boat off a pontoon against a gusty
wind! it can't be done! then he told us to leave - but there was no
sign of the lad so we did not know where to go. a few minutes later the lad
appeared, so off we went into a very tight spot - we all had to breathe in
as we squeezed alongside the other boat.
The facilities and the town here are quite impressive
(monsieur aside). The
marina has a free internet computer in the capitainerie, there are tricycles you can borrow free of charge that have a
large basket on the front for carrying loads - they are just awful to ride,
no gears and very had work! La Rochelle also operates a 'yellow bike' scheme
where you can borrow bikes for 2 hours for free. We cycled into the city -
very impressive towers guard the entrance to the city and its 4 docks.
We now just have to keep our eyes on the weather for a suitable slot to cross Biscay. Currently there is a storm in Finnistere, so we will let that blow out and see what is behind it.
Logbook 5: Portugal - Atlantic
Logbook 2: On Our Way, Devon & France
