All posts by Piers du Pré

What a blow last night

12 October 2013 Piers du Pré 2 Comments

Mr and Mrs Pigeon had hunkered down for the night — Mr and Mrs Pigeon had hunkered down
out of the wind for the night
*click to enlarge*

By gum, did it blow last night!

…and fire lit the Heavens

Overnight, rigging screamed, Play d’eau lolloped (a nautical technical term) and the wind stirred surface water to slap the hull.

We recorded a N’ly average of 21kts with a max gust of 26kts, and that was even though we were in the lee of the marina so it must have been far greater on the exposed coast.

Having been rocked and rolled we were up at by 6am and had coffee (tea for Lin) and toast (with fig jam – gorgeous) in time to watch the sun’s rays strike the soft underside of the night’s clouds with the most brilliant red orange fire to light the heavens.

By 9am the sky had mostly cleared revealing a blue sky scattered with blobs of cotton-wool fair weather cumulus clouds, and a wind that had gradually veered and abated to an E’ly F3.

The pigeons were grounded

It was as though the sky was on fire
(The picture is completely untouched)
*click to enlarge*

It had been so gusty over night that even our neighbours, Mr & Mrs Pigeon, who have their berth (nest) on the granite wall in the creeper next to Play d’eau, had hunkered down in the lee of the rocks and foliage.

During the day, the tempestuous seas that had raged outside the marina tempered their behaviour and quietened, and the wind continued to drop.

John and Beryl

Our dear friends, John and Beryl, come to see us on Monday for a week. We can’t wait, but just hope the NE’lys don’t pay the marina a visit with their rock ‘n’ roll during their stay….

Piers and Lin
From the Meteorological Laboratory of
Play d’eau

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

The sun rose to strike the clouds after a night of strong winds
(The picture is completely untouched)
*click to enlarge*

Holidays

Memories on a postcard from Jersey

8 October 2013 Piers du Pré 10 Comments

Wilfred du Pre's original Luce's Eau-de-Cologne premises at 42 King Street — Piers’ grandfather, James Wilfred du Pré
had his original Luce’s premises at
42 King Street, St Helier
*click to enlarge*

Since 1460, the du Pré family has lived in Jersey.

Yet, in 1928, my father, Derek du Pré, having worked at Lloyds Bank Jersey for two years, was posted to their Southampton branch. He was just twenty and didn’t want to leave his beloved Jersey.

Dad loved sailing and adventures, but his parents believed it to be a good promotion. Unhappily he left Jersey and as he was to find out later in life this action was to sever the family’s 500 years of history and connection with this jewel of an island.

Luce’s Eau-de-Cologne

My grandfather, James Wilfrid du Pré, had a scent-making company with his brother Harold. Luce’s was at 42 King Street, St Helier where Harold, a perfumier of outstanding talent, perfected Luce’s Eau de Cologne winning gold medals in Cologne much to the extreme annoyance of his German competitors.

Harold also created Eau-de-Cologne in stick form, calling it Frozen Eau-de-Cologne. Perfect for ladies to keep in their handbags and dab on glowing foreheads in hot weather.

Pipettes and flasks

Luce's eau-de-cologne is now a clothing shop — Luce’s was sold and is currently a clothing shop
*click to enlarge*

As children, my two sisters and I remember the wonderful smells in the shop and the laboratory at the back where perfumiers, huddled over pipettes and flasks, created perfumes for ladies many of which made the journey from the mainland just for their Luce’s perfume.

Sadly, the business began to decline in the 1960s, finally being sold to Elegance which subsequently was also consigned to the great graveyard of failed companies in the sky.

No 42 is now a clothing shop. Its original and intricate shop front replaced with sheets of plate glass.

When I asked its manager if I could tour the building I was told that although the upper floors had never been touched in decades and were a delight to behold, Health and Safety forbade non-employees from the building. You can guess what I thought.

To stand and stare…

Royal Square, St Helier, Jersey
*click to enlarge*

As Lin and I stood and gazed at 42 King Street, once a thriving perfume business spilling exotic smells into King Street and now just a clothing shop, memories flooded back. I said quietly, half to myself, ‘I wonder what happened to the old pump organ on the top floor that grandfather use to play, and I wonder what happened to those prize-winning recipes for Eau-de-Cologne?’

St Helier’s Royal Square

Lin and I walked into St Helier’s Royal Square where I was reminded of Dad’s story of the Victory V embedded in the granite walkway.

Apparently, during the Nazi occupation of Jersey in the second world war, parts of Royal square were being repaired. Never noticed by the occupying forces, even as they trooped over the square, a victory V was laid and remains to this day.

Liberation Square

The Victory V laid into the granite of Royal Square.,. — The Victory V laid into the granite of Royal Square
which the occupying Nazi forces never saw
*click to enlarge*

As we returned to the marina, we walked through Liberation Square and stood looking at the sculpture, commissioned and erected to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jersey’s liberation from Nazi occupation.

Originally designed to show islanders releasing doves of peace, it came under considerable criticism. The outcry was that any doves would have been eaten by starving German soldiers. The sculpture was altered to show islanders raising the British flag as had happened on the day of liberation.

Central Market

I mustn’t forget that we’d been to Central Market in Beresford Street. This is a large indoor market and always ablaze with colour. In the centre is an ornamental fountain which completely froze in the late 1880s. To preserve the goldfish that swim in the fountain, they are removed in winter and kept warm.

Opened in 1882, the high domed victorian Central Market is in full use everyday with 45 stalls of flowers, fruit and vegetables, butchery, bakery and wine.

The sculpture in Liberation Square
*click to enlarge*

You’ll also find Jersey-specific goodies, such as Des Mèrvelles (Jersey Wonders – small rich cakes), De Nièr Beurre (Black Butter, an apple preserve from the cider-making industry), and, of course, rich Jersey milk, butter, and thick double cream which, in Guernsey, is known as skimmed milk.

You may also find a bulb of the exotic Amaryllis Belladonna, originally from South Africa, but brought to Jersey where it’s now grown and known as the ‘Jersey Lily’.

Jersey’s fish market is a few doors down the road in a separate building, and is abundant with fish and shell fish caught locally by Jersey fisherman.

‘Nuff said

I find I could go on and on reminiscing about the old bus turntable, the mailboats and Captain Large, the crane that used to lift our old Wolseley 12hp car (NPL 403) from the mailboat to the shore, the shame that Portelet Bay now an array of stark white blocks of flats across its cliff top, and the spoiling of St Helier’s harbour with multi-coloured apartments.

But enough is enough. Maybe that’s why I’ve come to live in Guernsey, instead.

Piers
from the Saloon of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

The fountain in Jersey's Central Market — The fountain is the centrepiece
*click to enlarge*

The most lovely flowers abound in the market
*click to enlarge*

Vegetables galore spill onto the floor
*click to enlarge*

The fish market is just down the road.
Literally, from the sea to the stall in hours
*click to enlarge*

Holidays

Meeting Woolly Mammoth – again

8 October 2013 Piers du Pré 2 Comments

Graham and Frances beloved Woolly Mammoth
*click to enlarge*

We had three clear days in Jersey during which I can report that we came, we saw, we attempted to conquer, we left.

Mind you, the sun was hot and shone brightly the whole time we were there. How brilliant was that as our summer cruise drew to a close?

Graham, Frances, and us

Having last seen Graham and Frances in May 2013 for Piers’ birthday celebrations, it was just perfect having time with them again, and, of course, their beloved yacht, Woolly Mammoth.

As ever, we talked, laughed, carried out our threat to terrorise the local restaurants, ate good food whilst attempting, unsuccessfully, to drink them dry of good wine.

But hey, what’s retirement for?

The Royal Yacht Hotel's burger — The Royal Yacht Hotel’s ‘super’ homemade burger
*click to enlarge*

The first evening, we were all treated to three of Lin’s signature dishes onboard Play d’eau. Stuffed Coeur de Boeuf tomatoes on croutons, Fettuccini with asparagus and toasted pumpkin seeds drizzled with lemon olive oil, and raspberry sorbet with raspberry coulis.

The next, we ate at Shaun Rankin’s new Ormer restaurant which, as we write, has just been granted its first Michelin star.

The last day saw us at the Royal Yacht Hotel having lunch on the terrace under a red hot sun. We chose lunch rather than dinner since we had an early start the next day to return to Beaucette.

Woolly Mammoth’s vital statistics

Woolly was conceived and designed by Graham, architected by Bill Dixon and built in steel by Slot Yachtbau of Monnickendam, Holland. At 53′ loa and an airdraft of 71′, she’s impressive.

Woolly Mammoth owned by Graham and Frances, moored in St peter port — Woolly Mammoth owned by Graham and Frances
*click to enlarge*

Over-engineered for circumnavigation and ice breaking, she has a 14.5′ beam, 7′ draught and displaces over 30 tons fully laden. The first 14′ is behind a watertight bulkhead and door.

Cutter rigged, the working sail area is a colossal 1,300 sq ft.

With 150 imperial gallons (680 ltrs) of water in 3 tanks and 450 imperial gallons (2,050 ltrs) of diesel in 5 tanks plus a 26 imperial gallon (120 ltrs) day tank, she has an under power cruising range of some 2,500 nms.

We left

Leaving St Helier marina for Beaucette, we knew we’d had a brilliant time.

Yet there was one burning question in our minds. ‘Who said Woolly Mammoths were extinct?’

Piers and Lin
from the Saloon of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

Cooking onboard

Pea Soup

3 October 2013 Piers du Pré 4 Comments

The French just seem to have a way with food, don’t they?

When visiting France, we always look forward to our first can of Petit Pois. Only recently, did we realise the one we really liked had lettuce with it. Lettuce? Well, that sowed the seed for this recipe.

It took a number of trials, but we believe this to be the winning formula – and “it’s yumptious” as my great niece told me.

For the soup – 8 servings

1kg frozen peas – petit pois are best
25gm flat leaf parsley leaves only, no stalks*
30gm lettuce leaves (from green ‘floppy’ lettuce)
40gm Salted butter
1 ltr Vegetable stock
Salt

Wilt the lettuce in the butter and set aside
*click to enlarge*

* Keep the stalks for your next batch of vegetable stock.

For serving

Some finely chopped parsley for the garnish
Bread rolls or Croutons

You will need

Saucepan
Hand-held or small stand-alone liquidiser

Making the Pea soup

Trim the lettuce until you have the correct weight of green leaf.

Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the lettuce and stir gently until it’s wilted. Remove the mix to a dish and set it aside.

The peas, parsley and stock just a-bubbling in the pan — The peas, parsley and stock
all a-bubbling in the pot
*click to enlarge*

Into the same pan (don’t clean it – whatever is left is good flavouring) place the peas and enough stock to cover them. Add the parsley on top.

As it heats to simmer point, stir occasionally, making sure there’s enough stock to keep it all covered. Keep simmering for a few minutes until the peas are just cooked.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the lettuce and remnants of the butter.

After it’s cooled a while, liquidise well – really well.

Adjusting to taste

At this point, you need first to adjust the soup to the right consistency. If you think it’s too thick, add more stock in small quantities. We believe this soup is far better thinner than thicker.

Once the consistency is right, add salt. Keep tasting until this is just right as well. Don’t add pepper. The black specs will spoil the look.

'Le crunch' from croutons are a great addition — ‘Le crunch’ from croutons are a great addition
*click to enlarge*

As with so many of our recipes, this soup is much better after a night in the fridge. The flavours come together and seem to enrich themselves.

A ‘minty’ enhancement

If you want a little something extra, go ‘minty’. Start by adding 25gm of mint leaves before liquidising, with more if you want a hefty minty kick.

Serving the Pea Soup

Reheat the soup but do not let it boil. Stir well and check again if it needs more salt and more stock. If you’ve used all your stock, skimmed milk is OK.

Pour into warm bowls and add a sprinkling of finely chopped curly parsley on top.

For ‘le crunch’ add some croutons but don’t let them become soggy. To make sure this won’t happen, serve them separately.

This really is a ‘yumptious’ soup.

Piers and Lin
from the Galley of
Play d’eau

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

Cooking onboard

Croutons

3 October 2013 Piers du Pré Leave a comment

Cut the bread into 15mm squares and place them in a bowl — Cut the bread into 15mm squares
and place them in a bowl
*click to enlarge*

Although we are fans of Crouton Soldiers, ‘normal’ croutons can be used to great effect to bring ‘le crunch’ to any liquid dish.

For the Croutons

1 slice of bread/person
Light olive oil

You’ll need

Kitchen paper
Teflon non-stick cooking mat
Baking tray

Making the Croutons

Carefully cut the sliced bread into 1.5cm squares. Tip: Leave the bread on a plate overnight to dry out and start to go stale. Makes it easier to work with.

Drizzle some light olive oil on them and mix with your hand — Drizzle some light olive oil on them
and mix with your hand
*click to enlarge*

Put the squares in a bowl and gently sprinkle some light olive oil on them. With your hand, mix it all about without damaging the bread. Add another sprinkling until all of them have absorbed some oil and are lightly basted.

Remove the squares from the bowl and place them on a Teflon non-stick cooking mat on a baking tray and add one last sprinkling of oil. Make sure none of the squares are touching one another.

Place the tray in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees for 10 minutes or so, removing them when they are golden brown. Tip: be careful with the timing – they can quickly over cook.

When they’re done, lift them out and pour them on some kitchen paper to absorb any surplus oil before placing them on a separate dish.

They should be crunchy and gorgeous and not taste of olive oil (that’s why you use a light olive oil).

Use them as soon as poss. They tend to pick up the dampness in the air and go soggy.

Piers and Lin
From the Galley of
Play d’eau

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

Place them on a baking sheet making sure they don't touch — Place them on a baking sheet
making sure they don’t touch
*click to enlarge*

As soon as they're golden brown, remove them and place in a separate dish — When golden brown
remove them from the oven
*click to enlarge*

Living aboard Play d'eau

Have you subscribed?

28 September 2013 Piers du Pré 6 Comments

Herm looking to Jethou and on to Guernsey — Dreaming…
Herm looking at Jethou
with Guernsey in the background
*click to enlarge*

Having started in March, it’s been six months since Lin and I started adding posts to our re-vamped website.

We’ve had great fun taking over 2,000 photographs and writing 94 posts, and from the number of hits each post receives it’s so worthwhile.

The top three posts have been,

Man overboard (411 views)
The boat’s insured but… (378 views)
Treguier Marina (263 views)

So what’s new on the site?

Instead of you having to check to see if we’ve added a post, the site can let you know, automatically.

Just add your email address to ‘Subscribe by email’ (left column between ‘Where’s Play d’eau’ and ‘Categories’) and the site will automatically let you know when a post is added.

Searching and Categories

Apart from the Search facility, have you seen there are different categories (left column) for posts depending on what you’d like to see?

Currently, these are,

Cooking onboard (our proven recipes that can be created onboard)
Cruising (passages we have made)
Living aboard Play d’eau (day to day ‘happenings’ on Play d’eau)
Marina Specifics (significant news about marinas we’ve visited)
Servicing/Technical/Nav (knowledge and tips learned from years of boating)

What next over the winter?

Returning to Beaucette from St Helier — Capt Lin in command
returning *Play d’eau* to Beaucette from St Helier
on the final leg of our 2013 summer cruise
*click to enlarge*

Given our summer cruise is over (we’re living off the memories) the only categories that might not be as prominent as usual, will be Cruising and Marina specifics.

But whilst these two categories slumber for the winter, the others will come to life and receive enhanced coverage.

So feel free to subscribe – and we look forward to your comments in the coming months before we set sail again for …. wherever the seas call us.

Privacy

Finally, we hasten to add that your email addresses are not shared with anyone, ever. Total privacy.

Piers and Lin
from the Saloon of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

Cruising

The highlights of our 2013 summer cruise

26 September 2013 Piers du Pré 2 Comments

Play d'eau about to wake up as dawn breaks — *Play d’eau*
about to wake up as dawn breaks over Paimpol
*click to enlarge*

Wow.

We’ve just completed our longest cruise ever of three months and six days.

Departure from Beaucette was on June 17 in poor weather, but we returned to Beaucette yesterday in bright sunshine and flat seas. A great welcome home.

Was the cruise pre-planned? Not really, it was more a dream. Did it meet our expectations? No, it far exceeded them. Did we do and see everything we wanted? Yes, but even though we spent over three months exploring we know there’s still far more to explore along this beautiful coastline.

So is it the Baltic next year, or a return visit? Hmmm. Good question.

Play d’eau’s statistics for the summer cruise

Here are Play d’eau’s vital statistics for our summer cruise 2013 from Beaucette, Guernsey, to Rochefort in the Charente and back.

Total distance cruised	979.51 nm
Total passages	25
Longest passage	Leg 2 at 105.4 nm
Longest consecutive days spent in a marina	14 days in La Rochelle ‘Les Chalutiers’
Most peaceful marina	La Roche Bernard
Most nerve racking marina	St Denis d’Oléron (multiple rafting without care)
Different marinas visited	22
Port engine hours used	120.08 hrs ***
Starboard engine hours used	120.6 hrs ***
Port generator engine hours used	57.4 hrs
Starboard generator engine hours used	56.5 hrs
Fuel capacity on leaving Beaucette	3880 ltrs *
Fuel consumed	2356 ltrs
Fuel consumption	1.89 nm/gallon **
Cost to refuel	64p/ltr
Average marina fees	£39.90 per night
Least marina fees	Paimpol
Most expensive marina fees	Île d’Yeu (Port Joinville)
Best croissant	Paimpol

* we left Beaucette with full fuel tanks and didn’t have to refuel until we returned.
** includes running the generators plus heating Play d’eau for the first 10 days of the cruise.
*** many times we cruised on just one engine.

Sunrise over the mouth of the river Charante
*click to enlarge*

Passages

Leg 1 – Beaucette to St Peter Port
Leg 2 – St Peter Port to L’Aber Wrac’h
Leg 3 – L’Aber Wrac’h to Camaret
Leg 4 – Camaret to Audierne
Leg 5 – Audierne to Port La Foret
Leg 6 – Port La Foret to Port Haliguen
Leg 7 – Port Haliguen to Vannes
Leg 8 – Vannes to Île d’Yeu
Leg 9 – Île d’Yeu to Les Sables D’Olonne
Leg 10 – Les Sables D’Olonne to La Rochelle
Leg 11 – La Rochelle to Rochefort
Leg 12 – Rochefort to St Denis d’Oléron
Leg 13 – St Denis to St Martin de Ré
Leg 14 – St Martin de Ré to Les Sables d’Olonne
Leg 15 – Les Sables d’Olonne to Pornic

Fruit stalls were everywhere — Farmers’ markets were stacked with fresh foods
*click to enlarge*

Leg 16 – Pornic to La Roche Bernard
Leg 17 – La Roche Bernard to Port Louis
Leg 18 – Port Louis to Sainte Marine
Leg 19 – Sainte Marine to Camaret
Leg 20 – Camaret to L’Aber Wrac’h
Leg 21 – L’Aber Wrac’h to Roscoff
Leg 22 – Roscoff to Tréguier
Leg 23 – Tréguier to Paimpol
Leg 24 – Paimpol to St Helier
Leg 25 – St Helier to Beaucette

The major challenge

Navigating the Charente river from Rochefort (Leg 12) with extreme mud banks either side in the pitch black night. Without the FLIR thermal imaging camera we could not have done this.

The pains

Was the inside light, fresh and soft? — Was the inside of the croissant light, fresh and soft?
*click to enlarge*

In many cases, COLREGs appeared optional.

The two day sand storm in Les Sables D’Olonne caused when loading a coaster at the commercial quay half a mile away. The sand covered everything, both inside and out of Play d’eau. It took days to clean her.

What did we love?

Croissants.

Early morning dawns breaking over calm seas were a wonder to behold.

The evening sunshine – the light and the colours it creates are spectacular.

Navigating the still waters of the Rivre Vilaine at midnight in the dinghy. No cloud, just the stars and moon with their sparkling light in the heavens. No noise, no rush, just gentle, heavenly, ethereal.

Alain, the band's Trumpeter emailed to say the group would like to perform on Play d'eau — Alain, the band’s Trumpeter emailed to say the group would like to perform on *Play d’eau*
*click to enlarge*

The warmth and friendships of the many people we met.

The love and respect the French have for their food, its provenance and freshness. Farmers’ markets are stacked with wonderful produce of myriad colours and aromas. Music to our taste buds.

Jazz on the bandstand.

The least expensive Brittany cider at €1.12 a bottle was the best, and some red wines at less than €1.50 a bottle were excellent ‘quaffing’ wines.

A summary?

Perhaps it’s easier to say we cannot précis the cruise. Perhaps it’s best we say our posts say it all, and just leave it at that.

Until next time, ‘Happy reading, au revoir, et bonne navigation.’

Piers and Lin
From the Memory Banks of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

Cruising

Leg 25 – St Helier to Beaucette – 26 September 2013

26 September 2013 Piers du Pré 5 Comments

It was still dark when we awoke
and we had to wait for the sill to open
*click to enlarge*

We didn’t want to go home.

Having spent three months and six days of cruising to new and exciting places, the explorer bug had set in. Yet, we both knew the time was right to be back home in peaceful Beaucette, Guernsey.

The three days in Jersey were a ball. With our friends Graham and Frances of Woolly Mammoth, we ate on Play d’eau the first evening (Piers head hurt the next morning), we ate at Shaun Rankin’s new Ormer restaurant the next evening (Piers head didn’t hurt the next morning), and we’d had lunch at the Royal Yacht Hotel, in the sun, on our last day.

Learned fact: Life revolves around eating and drinking, interrupted with elements of work.

The weather

There were bursts of bright sun when the cloud allowed it through
*click to enlarge*

A whispering easterly F1/2 was all the wind could muster whilst grey clouds were interspersed with short bursts of bright sunlight. You could smell the dampness in the air which reduced visibility to just over a mile. Yet it was warm enough for shorts and T-shirts.

Pinch points

St Helier marina’s sill time was the limiting factor, but if we left as soon as it opened our time on passage would allow us to motor straight into Beaucette without having to wait at St Peter Port or hang onto one of Beaucette’s visitor’s buoys.

The nav plan

The tide would be against us for the short time from St Helier until nearing Corbière, after which it would help by pushing us along.

The journey

We left St Helier's marina as soon as we could — We left St Helier’s marina as soon as we could
*click to enlarge*

We were awake well before the alarm went off, full of anticipation.

Once out of the harbour, we turned west, passed Noirmont and close to Corbière before turning NNW for Guernsey. With no wind, the sea was glassy flat calm, even in the Little Russel where we took the inner route from St Sampson to Beaucette where the current gave us extra 3kts.

Arriving

Ricky, the marina manager, always likes Play d’eau to give a good blast on her Kahlenbergs when we enter of leave Beaucette. Today was to be no exception. Shortly before entering through the quarry walls, the Kahlenbergs let rip. The echoes seemed to reverberate around the old quarry for ages. Yes!

The tecky details

Back at our berth in Beaucette where even the pigeons were there to welcome us
*click to enlarge*

Departed St helier – 0731
Arrived Beaucette – 1105
Time on passage – 3hr 36min
Total planned distance – 30.2nm
Tide: Half way from springs to neaps
Longest leg 19.3nm from Corbière to east of St Peter Port

Tech issues – nil

Incidents – nil

Navigational info: The Little Russel can be avoided by taking the inside route from St Sampson to Beaucette which avoids the angry and sometimes tumultuous seas the Little Russell can throw up. But, it’s a route not to be attempted without local knowledge.

The end of our summer cruise

Well, we started cruising on 17 June, and finished on 25 September. The longest we’ve ever had together on holiday, let alone on the sea and in our boat.

It’s been brilliant. We’ve learned a great deal about each other, we’ve eaten well, we’ve enjoyed cooking, we’ve met some wonderful people, we’ve so enjoyed exploring and can’t wait until next year.

Now, do we go to the Baltic, or head back down to the west coast of France again to explore the areas we missed this time? Who knows? Maybe we’ll just exit Beaucette and make the decision then. North or south? That’ll be the question.

Piers and Lin
From the Pilot House of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.

Corbiere lighthouse — We passed close to Corbière lighthouse
*click to enlarge*

The sea was glassy calm
*click to enlarge*

Cruising

Leg 24 – Paimpol to St Helier – 21 September 2013

22 September 2013 Piers du Pré 5 Comments

Leaving Paimpol harbour and entering the channel — We left Paimpol’s harbour
and motored east along the narrow channel
*click to enlarge*

With fresh croissants from Le Fournil du Port collected by Lin and safely stowed in the galley (away from Piers), and the water tanks refilled (we don’t like Jersey’s desalinated water), we lit the fires and cast off ending our delightful nine day stay in this glorious Brittany port.

Exiting the lock, we waved goodbye to the lock-keeper, headed out of the harbour and into the long, narrow channel.