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.

Iles Chausey

Stayed here one more night as was so beautiful. Weather not perfect, been a bit cloudy, but still warm and storm clouds and sunshine look amazing over the sea, rocks and Islands.

Iles Chausey

The second night in Granville was a bit  rocky with the swell bashing the boat about even in the marina.  In the morning the weather wasn't great and we were caught in the rain on our way back from the town.  All this did  not bode well for our planned next stop at Iles Chausey, an archipelago of mainly just rocks, with only shelter in settled weather.  We left Granville just as the rain stopped and barely ten minnutes before there wasn't enough water for the sill.  A brisk 7 knot sail took us over in an hour and 1/2, and we picked up a buoy.  The afternoon was lovely and we had a french lunch of good bread, good cheese and good wine whilst sunbathing on the boat.  Later on we explored the rocks, a maze of sandy beaches and weed covered rocks that appear at low water, and then went across to the main island - the sun stayed out until well into the evening so we were glad that we'd left the dinghy high on the beach (there's a range of about 12 m here) so that we could have a drink at the hotel overlooking all the moored boats.  It's beautiful here so we decided to stay another day.

Granville

Gorey - Granville

After a brief morning stop in Gorey to eat a crab sandwich and send our last UK postcards, we set sail.  The initial plan was to head for Iles Chausey but as we couldn't quite get the direction we set a course for Granville - our first stop on the french coast.  At first the sailing was lovely and we made a comfortable 7 knots through calm waters, once the engine was switched off, we continued to listen to the Olympics on Radio 5.  With excellent timing we turned on just in time to hear Bradley Wiggins taking gold.  This led to the bizarre situation of entering french waters whilst Harry raised our french courtesy flag, with the English National anthem from the medal ceremony playing in the background.

We passed Iles Chausey and then the wind began to drop.  With a couple of hours still to go before Granville we decided to try the Spinnaker.   By the time Harry had got it rigged - the rain started.  Il pleut toujours! The visibility closed in and though we were only about 4 miles from the coast we couldn't see anything.  The last bit of the passage was very wet indeed, but the marina at Granville is well sheltered and as we arrived the rain stopped and we got hot showers and a pizza which revived us.

Up early this morning due to a slight confusion over the time zone so have already had a lovely wander around the old town,  a nice coffee in a quiet square and a crepe in the town.  Hoping for some sun to relax in this afternoon.