Paimpol - Fowey!

The weather forecast for the rest of the week slightly changed the plan.  We had hoped for another night in Paimpol and to go to the Tuesday market, but the strong winds forecast for Wednesday meant that we needed to leave or wait until the weekend.  After a whizz round town for necessary supplies (cowboy hat, saucisson and bottled water!) we set sail at around 4pm french time for a crossing from Paimpol to Fowey, where Dan and Jane are staying for the week. 

The forecast was for a force 3 Southwesterly which would have been great for our North Westerly course.  We initially set off motoring into a light NW wind which stayed with us until we had fully cleared the french coast.  This  gave way to a S/SE wind which was dead behind us - again  not ideal for our direction to Fowey.
So the whole passage was a combination of just about sailing the course and motoring -  it felt like we'd motored more than half the way but when Harry added up the engine hours it was only 8 hours.

I started off quite enjoying helming in the dark keeping an eye out for the lights of the ships but before too long the combination of the motion of the boat and the smell of diesel meant that I was ill on and off for quite a long time (and H was sick too).   Once morning came the weather was lovely and we also found that we could receive  radio 4 which perked me up significantly. It seemed to take an age before we could see the English coast, eventually sighting land when we were about 25 miles off.  By this time the wind enabled us to sail in at a respectable 6 knots.   Fowey is hard to spot from a long way out - but we could pick out Rame Head and Polperro and eventually came into the river.  Dan was there to meet us on the pontoon and couldn't believe we'd been sailing for 26 hours.

We moored the boat up on a pontoon at upriver Mixtow Pill so that it would be sheltered from the forecast incoming gale then, after showers and a very nice meal at Sam's Bistro, we both felt human again quite quickly. 

Ile de Berhat-Paimpol

We had a very calm night in our snug anchorage, although slightly marred by by a regatta party with a strange prog rock/early 70's heavy blues band French style until the early hours. But after a bit of a lie in we went ashore for a look round the island. Much bigger than I expected, but everything packed in almost in miniature, although there were many big houses lots of pretty cottages, with small bits of farm land dotted between them. A very touristy town square but with the usual French necessities (boulangerie!) And plenty of creperies.  The island had a slight feel of the Channel Islands to it, must be a very a place for weathy, bourn out by the shop selling the international version of the FT! Unlike Iles Chausey the island did feel lived on, although probably by many retirees.

After a bit of lunch on the boat, we worked our way out of the rocks and headed across to Paimpol, negotiating more rocks, before locking in to the marina(For future reference, we had min 2.8m depth with at a neap high water of 7.6m in the approach channel)

Paimpol felt much more down to earth after the touristy island, which suited our plan to refresh ourselves and prepare for the longer crossing homeward.

Erquy/Ile Brehat

We had a lovely morning in Iles des Hebihen, perfect sunshine, and perfect beach where we went ashore and sunbathed and swam before it got too busy. Just as hoards of motor boats were arriving we went back to our boat and set sail west for Erquy, a 15 mile trp around Cap Frehel to the west. Still having the north easterly we continued our luck with good sailing winds and made 6kts most of the way to Erquy.
Erquy is basically just a fishing and harbour, and as such has no real facilities for visiting yachts, but it provided a good anchorage with the neep tides and easterly winds. once we found where to land our dighny we were rewarded with excellent seafood especially the scallops, for which it is known.
But the best meal was probably the takeaway paella we bought in the lively market the next morning.

After our shopping trip on Saturday morning, we set off for northern Brittany, specifically Ile Brehat, a 25 mile trip, again the winds were excelent, and we made good time in calm seas, eating the best ham from the market for lunch. Once we arrived in La Chambre on the east side of Brehat we pick up a slightly unsuitable bouy, until we realised we could take advantage of the neep tides and anchor in the most snug of anchorages, comleatly enclosed by rocks. We could never get in here other than at dead neeps, as we only had a few centmeters below the keel at low water, so very lucky with our timings.

St Suliac - Ile des Hebihen

A very calm peaceful night in St Suliac - we took the dinghy across to get supplies in the morning and then had our breakfast croissants on the way to the barrage.  This time we got through!  There were quite a number of boats in the lock with us, the little launches and day boats went through under the road bridge while the yachts sorted themselves out behind.  We were entertained by a gregarious french skipper who said that he had a 'Blithe Spirit'  and proceeded to share his local knowledge.  We told him of our plan to head to Paimpol before heading home and he nodded vigorously saying 'yes, from Paimpol - Guernsey:1 day - England: 1day.'   It felt like ages before the bridge lifted and we were released!

We sailed along past the luxurious beaches of  Dinard (saving those for another trip) and made our passage quite close to the shore, amongst the outlying rocks.  The Ile des Hebihen. in the bay of St Cast was clearly a playground for leisure boats from St Malo and the surrounding area,  we anchored on the west side - it was sheltered from the NE winds and there were several yachts and other boats in there but by the evening there was a westerly swell and only one other yacht left so we decided to go round the corner in the hope of more shelter. A walk on the Island showed us a very crowded anchorage with a perfect beach on the east side, but the forcast was for wind to veer to the east, so we considered ourselves better off where we were. It was initially a bit rocky from the swell and Harry got up in the night to extend the anchor chain, but when we woke (late) in the morning, it was calm - sheltered by the extending reefs at low water.

The River Rance

After St Malo we headed up through the barrage into the River Rance.  It is strange to be inland after so many days on the coast.  The river is wide and peaceful and we were able to sail up slowly.  We spent a night at the marina in Plouer - attracted partly by the assurances in all three of our books (even Reeds) that Mademoiselle Lilian Faustin would ensure we were well looked after (she did) but also because they have a book swap in the office with English books - hooray! We wandered - or rather hiked - up the hill into the town, unfortunately it was half day closing but we managed to find a beer and the Super U to stock up.

Next day was a trip a little further up through another lock to Le Chatelier.  From here we abandoned Blithe Spirit in the marina and continued in the dinghy for three miles up to Dinan.  Dinan is a really pretty ancient walled town and we had a lovely afternoon wandering the streets and walking along the ramparts followed by dinner overlooking the river.

This morning we headed back down through the lock and back to the barrage.  Unfortunately we hadn't reckoned on the inability of the french to queue and we missed two openings of the barrage as they pushed their way past.  So we turned around and picked up a buoy outside St Suliac, another picturesque riverside village with a few simple shops and restaurants.  We cooked our dinner on the boat and then after watching the sun go down we buttoned up against the mosquitoes and went to bed.

The River Rance

After St Malo we headed up through the barrage into the River Rance.  It is strange to be inland after so many days on the coast.  The river is wide and peaceful and we were able to sail up slowly.  We spent a night at the marina in Plouer - attracted partly by the assurances in all three of our books (even Reeds) that Mademoiselle Lilian Faustin would ensure we were well looked after (she did) but also because they have a book swap in the office with English books - hooray! We wandered - or rather hiked - up the hill into the town, unfortunately it was half day closing but we managed to find a beer and the Super U to stock up.

Next day was a trip a little further up through another lock to Le Chatelier.  From here we abandoned Blithe Spirit in the marina and continued in the dinghy for three miles up to Dinan.  Dinan is a really pretty ancient walled town and we had a lovely afternoon wandering the streets and walking along the ramparts followed by dinner overlooking the river.

This morning we headed back down through the lock and back to the barrage.  Unfortunately we hadn't reckoned on the inability of the french to queue and we missed two openings of the barrage as they pushed their way past.  So we turned around and picked up a buoy outside St Suliac, another picturesque riverside village with a few simple shops and restaurants.  We cooked our dinner on the boat and then after watching the sun go down we buttoned up against the mosquitoes and went to bed.

Blithe Spirit, Port Vauban, St Malo

St Malo- Plouer-sur- Rance

We locked into first lock on the evening high water, about 7.50pm to reach the Port Vauban basin marina, which is just outside the ramparts of St Malo. I thought this would get us nicely berthed by 8.15, but the lock was busy , and quiet an experience jostling with all the other yachts squeezing in. We then had to wait while on guy in a dory found berths for all the new customers out of the lock. Those who could hold station at near the front got served first, whether they arrived first or not. Our boat wont stay still in the slightest of breeze so consequently had to keep moveing around, meaning we got served last. We rafted up to a Canadian boat just after 9pm then rushed straight into town for food. Luckily found one of my books recommended bistros down one of the narrow streets very quickly and had a very pleasent meal.
We left on the high water lock in the morning and headed up to the Rance hydro-electric barrage, where we just caught an open lock in time, or else we would have waited an hour, and run short of tide up river. Although it is fairly difficult to work out times and hights of tides as the levels are controled by when the turbines in the barrage are operating, which is not always to a set schedule.
We turned off the engine just above the barrage and sailed gently most of the way to Plouer-Sur-Rance where there is a very pleasent peaceful marina.

Another Picture from Iles Chausey - Blithe Spirit rafted up middle of picture

Chausey - St Malo

Had a good trip south from Chausey to St Malo. The south westerly moved round to the south and allowed us to reach the approaches St Malo with relative ease  rain although to windward. We were hit by a large rain storm as we were approaching the outer marks, and another one now as we sit on a mooring off Dinard awaiting tide for St Malo,s marina. But generally it's warm and sunny and is very relaxing listening to the tennis and all the other medels we are winning in the Olympics. Seems there was no need to worry about loosing 5 live down here!

We have come down here to lock into the River Rance and head inland up to Dinan, for something a bit different. We will do that tomorrow.