Category Archives: Cruising

Cruising posts will detail each passage we make, including the nav planning, weather conditions and anything of influence and interest en route

Cruising

Leg 7 – Port Haliguen to Vannes – 2 July 2013

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Many colourful trawlers fish the Baie de Quiberon with seagulls hitching rides waiting from breakfast
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Our next port of call, the walled town of Vannes, is at the top of the beautiful Golfe du Morbihan. The Breton word Morbihan means Little Sea, an apt description given it covers over 100 square kilometres (approx. 12,000 hectares), with more than 40 islands, the largest of which is the Île aux Moines with its 7km coastline.

The inland sea of the Golfe du Morbihan is separated from the Atlantic by a narrow strait through which 400 million cubic metres of salt water pour at each high tide.

The nav plan

The pinch points start at the narrow strait entrance to the Golfe where tidal flows create currents of over 4kts. These become more pronounced as you pick your way through the islands towards Vannes, in one place exceeding 9kts. Bear in mind Play d’eau cruises at 8kts so we could easily find ourselves going backwards!

The ‘Sandbanks of Poole’ equivalent to the Golfe du Morbihan
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We planned to leave Port Haliguen so we’d arrive at Port Navalo, the entrance to the Golfe, at its high tide to be carried on its peak to Vannes. In practice, it gave us an unexpected additional 2kts all the way.

The Golfe is a favourite yachting area for thousands of boats. Couple this with fast Vedettes ferrying tourists, and it becomes a challenge to play boats against Vedettes against tides against the shallow sea!

Arriving

Access to Vannes is through a swing bridge which only opens at specific times. For us, this meant being at the bridge at 1530.

After three exiting yachts we went through and up a short canal to Vannes to berth.

Tecky details
The Vedettes don’t take prisoners. Travelling fast, they pass close and make large wakes
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1242hrs FST – Departed Port Haliguen
1542hrs FST – Arrived Vannes
Planned distance – 19.3nm
Longest leg – 9.8nm of pilotage in the Golfe
Tech problems – nil

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.

Cruising

Leg 6 – Port La Foret to Port Haliguen – 1 July 2013

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A cold, grey sky greeted us as we emerged from our cabin and raised the blinds in the saloon to view the outside world. Whilst Lin went to fetch fresh croissants (a pink job) I busied myself with engine and nav checks (a blue job).

Lin at the helm, not always doing a pink job
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Leaving Port La Forêt

Casting off at 0830, we motored gently from the sleepy marina along the narrow half mile channel to the open sea where we began dodging the many poorly marked lobster pots that seem to litter the Brittany coast.

Lin brought the La Foret Fouesnant croissants and fresh coffee to the pilot house for breakfast and we were soon set up for the six hour passage to Port Haliguen, a small marina and fishing port on the south east side of Presqu’ile de Quiberon some fifty miles to the south west.

The nav plan

There are no real pinch points along the route today, but there’s one part worth mentioning.

Towards the end of our journey we pass to the south of Presqu’ile de Quiberon where we need to thread our way through the many reefs and islands which extend fourteen miles to the south west.

Threading our way through the reefs, we passed within 50m of this outcrop
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The track we take through this area will depend on the sea state at the time and how comfy we feel about cutting corners and threading our way thought the rocks!

Arriving

Just as we rounded Presqu’ile, the sun came out in her full glory and turned a grey day into a great day.

Given the sea state was completely calm, we chose the shortest of short cuts through the reefs where the tide, at times was running at 4 knots against us.

The Harbour Master was waiting for us in his RIB and led us to our berth. Would you believe, it had one of those pesky water connectors we’d first encountered at Camaret. The receptionist at the Capitainerie couldn’t have been more helpful. In answer to our first question she responded, ‘Oui, of course there’s Wi-Fi and here’s the code.’

This is the adaptor required for the new style water outlets being installed in many French marinas
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In answer to our second question, she replied, ‘The Chandlery is closed and there’s nowhere else to get the adaptor. But wait a moment.’ Picking up her radio she called another of the marina staff and spoke in rapid fire French. All I understood was ‘Play d’eau‘.

As we returned to Play d’eau someone asked, ‘Monsieur Play d’eau?’. ‘Oui’. ‘The Capitainerie asked me to give you this adaptor, with our compliments’.

So now we are the proud owners of the elusive adaptor!

Tecky details

0830hrs FST – Departed Port La Forêt
1453hrs FST – Port Haliguen
Planned distance – 51.1nm
Longest leg – 38.1nm, Pointe de Trévignon to Basse du Chanel SCM
Tech problems – a very slight oil leak from the aft of the stbd motor. Needs investigation
Note: that the previous leg’s nav kit issues were all resolved with a re-boot. The question remains, what happened?

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.

Cruising

Jazz on the Bandstand & ‘au revoir Port La Forêt’

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A hot sun in a clear blue sky with a cool breeze and a sea mist rolling up the estuary, set the scene for the Festival of Jazz at the bandstand on the last day of our extended visit to Port La Forêt.

The six jazz musicians of the Cornouaille Jazz Band on the bandstand at Port La Forêt
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…and they played

With the crowd ready and waiting, the Cornouaille Jazz Band’s six musicians and vocalist assembled their various amplifiers and instruments and put their heart and soul into playing blues, trad, and Chocolat ‘River Rat’ syncopations, using their array of saxophones, trumpet, clarinet, banjo, guitar, bass guitar, drums, and the occasional voice.

After two hours of fun the crowd didn’t want them to stop. ‘Encore, encore!’

We loved it.

So pleased we stayed that extra time at Port La Forêt.

Au revoir Port La Forêt

We’ve had a ball here.

Glorious walks, a beautiful local village, an outrageous Creperie, excellent quaffable cider, fresh croissants and Petit Moulé loaves from a Boulongerie that cares for perfection, swooping terns ducking and diving to snatch unwary fish for supper and to top it all off, Jazz on the Bandstand with the Cornouaille Jazz Band.

Au revoir Port la Forêt. À la prochaine.

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.

The Trumpeter, who played and played and played
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The vocalist sang ‘Let my people go’ (in French, of course)
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The bass guitarist
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Proficient on banjo and guitar (sounded just like Johnny Depp)
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The clarinetist played clarinet and sax
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The clarinettist plays his preferred instrument
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The drummer never had a break
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Always waiting for his big moment to go crazy!
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The bass sax was almost as tall as the player
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The saxophonist with his array of saxaphones
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The bass guitarist with one of the sax players in the background
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The Trumpeter, my point of contact
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Cruising

Port La Forêt – we’re staying a while

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The eccentric Creperie Quartier d’été, with equally eccentric and delicious crepes
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By now you’ve probably gathered we like it at Port La Forêt. So much so, that instead of moving on after two days we’re staying until next Monday or thereabouts.

Why are we staying on?

So many reasons.

The village (or is it a tiny town?) of La Forêt-Fouesnant is a lovely half mile walk away around a lake. Counter-clockwise, you walk by the forest; clockwise, you walk on the small road by lovely houses and the Crêperie Quartier d’été with its wonderfully eccentric owner just waiting to delight you with his crêpes and Fouesnant cidre served Breton style in pottery cups.

Jazz on the band stand

Behind our pontoon and hidden by trees is an old fashioned bandstand. Two days ago, we heard a small jazz band practising. I went to investigate – with my camera. The four musicians played trumpet, bass guitar, banjo and sax and rather than mind me taking pics they asked me to come on stage to take more!

Members of the Cornouaille Jazz Band were practising on the bandstand ready for Sunday’s concert
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If you’ve seen the film Chocolat with Johnny Depp the type of jazz they were playing was very similar to that played by the River Rats – syncopated, catchy, innocent and fun.

I learned they were some of the members of the Cornouaille Jazz Band, practising for Sunday’s 4pm concert and they insisted I returned to take even more photos! I will, but I must learn how to take good pics which have a strong backlight without using flash. Back to the new camera’s manual.

La Forêt-Fouesnant’s Boulangerie

Now here’s a treat. The Boulangerie is also a Patisserie and a Chocolaterie, with chefs that delight in precision cooking. It’s hard not putting on weight just by looking.

La Forêt-Fouesnant’s École des Chefs

Would you believe there’s a Chef School in La Forêt-Fouesnant, specialising in crêpes? We were only just saying how we’d love to learn how to make buck wheat crêpes (galettes de blé noir) the way Monsieur Quartier d’été makes them, so thin and lacy. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll sign up for a course….

So Play d’eau will be staying for the next few days. An added bonus is that the sun is out and forecast to stay out. Good call.

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.

The chocolates made by the Chocolatiere
look so gorgeous
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…and there were more….
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The cakes were glistening so seductively
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…and there were more….
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Cruising

Leg 5 – Audierne to Port La Forêt – 25 June 2013

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The west Brittany coast is strewn with reefs, rocks and lighthouses
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With the sun daring to make one of her rare but welcome appearances during the summer months, Play d’eau and ship’s company waved au revoir to the small, unspoiled town of Audierne.

Audierne may not have the finest of marinas but it’s ‘real’. Wi-Fi may only be available from a bar on the quay front provided you keep drinking Cidre Pression (quel dommage), but when you have fresh croissants and baguettes and fresh local vegetables and fish only 200m away in the small covered market, does it really matter?

The nav plan

The plan was to leave Audierne as the tide fell and enter Port La Forêt as the tide rose again without , timing both so we didn’t fall foul of the sand bars at the entrances to both ports. It worked.

Bringing his catch home, a fisherman proudly displays a fine moustache
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Again, the sea was kind to us, keeping wonderfully flat and calm all the way with a wind never reaching more than a 4 knot NW’ly. Perfection for Play d’eau, not for yachts.

Port La Forêt

The first time we visited Port La Forêt was three years ago. We loved it then and we still love it.

As the piggy in the middle between Benodet and Concarneau, Port La Forêt tends to be bypassed by visitors. Such a shame since it’s a quiet yet vibrant marina with facilities way beyond the norm.

The France-Finistère training centre for the Figaro and 60′ single-hull races is based at Port La Forêt and some of the pontoons are especially wide for these single and multi-hull racing yachts.

Tecky details

A delight to behold
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0933hrs FST – Departed Audierne
1523hrs FST – Port La Forêt
Planned distance – 38.1nm
Longest leg – 13.0nm, Audierne to Men Hir on the Pointe de Penmarc’h peninsula

Tech problems – minor, annoying issues with the nav gear requiring investigation.

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.

Macif, one of the 60′ racing mono-hulls based at Port la Forêt with its huge mast
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Looks like half the boat’s been cut off
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A giant’s cat’s cradle for kids to climb in the play area
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The Saveol 60′ racing mono-hull, one of many based at Port La Forêt
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Cruising

A Maritime history of Audierne, Brittany

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A Caravelle sailing vessel. There were 100 of these 60 tonners at Audierne
(click to enlarge)
We had no idea of the importance of Audierne and the sea – read on…

XVIth and XVIIth centuries

During the late XVIth and early XVIIth centuries, Audierne’s Breton sailors became known for their coastal navigation skills creating a commercial industry of almost a hundred 60 ton ‘Carvelle’ sailing vessels, all based in Audierne.

Merchants from all over Europe would hire these Carvelles, confident the crews with their knowledge of the narrow Breton channels would carry their goods safely.

The fortunes made by Audierne ship owners can be seen in the more opulent houses which remain to this day.

XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries

One of the magnificent houses built by an Audierne ship owner
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Later in the XVIIth century, French monarchy became involved in many wars hindering Audierne’s trade, and by the end of the XVIIIth century competition from the English and Dutch further diminished trade.

XIXth century

A maritime resurgence came in the XIXth century when sardine fishing became the new trade, growing to over 500 vessels supplying 20 canning factories, all based in Audierne.

Today

Today, there are no cargo vessels and no sardines and the number of fishing vessels has reduced considerably.

However, Audierne has diversified into shell fish, both farmed and fished and has a large processing plant standing halfway along the estuary. The output is huge and Audierne is now a major supplier throughout France of lobster, crayfish, scallops, brown and spider crab and langoustine.

Audierne’s shell fish processing plant
(click to enlarge)
Piers
from the Saloon of
Play d’eau
Fleming 55

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

Cruising

Leg 4 – Camaret to Audierne – 20th June 2013

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La Vieille lighthouse 0.2nm NE of La Plate in the Raz de Sein
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Well, the wind screamed through yacht rigging and it poured with rain during the night but by 6am it had exhausted itself and become a reducing F4 with misty drizzle. By the time we cast off at 1113 it was a mere NW’ly 2. Perfect Play d’eau weather.

The nav plan

The ‘pinch point’ of the route was to be abeam La Plate WCM in the Raz de Sein at 1415 when the tide would be slack as it changed from north- to south-going. Given the wind was forecast NW F3, the passage through the Raz should pose no problems.

As soon as we emerged from the protection of the marina the wind began to pick up and for most of the journey to the Raz we had a WNW F5 with a 2m+ Atlantic swell on our beam causing Play d’eau to ‘loolop’ (a special Play d’eau technical term…) creating white caps on the coffee. The stabilisers worked hard.

Interestingly, the two hour journey to La Plate was more tiresome than the transit of the Raz itself. Maybe because the Raz was at slack, maybe it was the westerly wind. But it certainly wasn’t the tyrant it can be.

La Plate West Cardinal Marker in the Raz de Sein
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Passing La Plate at 1412 (three minutes early: note to self – must try harder) we turned east towards Audierne with the wind and swell behind us. A gentle and lovely ride.

Audierne

Our AA guide tells us Audierne used to have a great fishing fleet travelling to Africa to catch tuna. Nowadays its fishermen concentrate on crustacia, lobsters, crab and langoustines.

Arriving

Arriving in Audierne was great fun. The marina is 1nm up the river, reached by a dredged channel which is narrow, and I mean narrow, passing some 25m from the breakwater and 15m from the fishing wharf – narrower than Beaucette Marina’s entrance! Concentrating on the leading lines marked by fore-aft chevrons, it worked perfectly.

Having called the harbour master, he had a hammerhead ready for us. Remembering we were there three years ago almost to the day, he was on the pontoon to welcome us back. A lovely touch.

Round the Finistère corner

The last few days have meant early rises and long hours. Now, well and truly around the Finistère corner, the pressure’s off and we can saunter south to warmer climes as and when we feel like it.

As I write, it’s overcast, raining and chilly. Lin’s just reminded me it’s mid-summer’s day tomorrow, and Christmas is only 6 months and five days away; forever the cheer-leader!

This Gannet was swimming in the middle of the Raz de Sein with no concerns at all
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Tecky details

1113hrs FST – Departed Camaret
1537hrs FST – Audierne
Planned distance – 30.5nm
Longest leg – 11.8nm, Basse de Lis SCM to La Plate WCM
Tech problems – nil

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

Message to Gary – given langoustines are fresh every day, we’re going to make Langoustines bisque!

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

Cruising

Leg 3 – L’Aber Wrac’h to Camaret – 19 June 2013

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The calm before the storm

The sun rises over a calm sea
as Play ‘eau leaves L’aber wrac’h
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Having rigged for ‘silent running’ (it was still night when we left) Play d’eau motored out of L’Aber Wrac’h marina and down the river bound for Camaret at 0430 to catch the best of slack tide whilst transiting the notorious Chenal du Four.

With almost no wind the seas were flat. Oily, glassy flat calm. Perfect for Play d’eau and her crew.

Nearing the Chenal, the seas remained spirit level flat although a N’ly wind had started to appear, sending occasional shivers of ripples across the surface.

Camaret or Audierne?

Arriving off Le Conquet a decision had to be made. Should we continue to Camaret or slow to 3.5kts to reach the even more notorious Raz de Sein at slack tide in five hours time?

By now the wind was a rising N F3 and the forecast was soon for a F4/5. The choice was to take the Raz in the forecast wind or wait for the forecast F3 in the morning. We chose the latter trusting the forecast was right. If it wasn’t, we’d be spending many days in Camaret waiting for the next weather/tide window.

The strange water fitting which is apparently now a standard in many French marinas
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Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink

Arriving in Camaret it was already blowing a strong F4. The marina was crowded with yachts waiting for elusive weather windows but we managed to squeeze into a space on the end of a pontoon giving us a metre between our stern and a yacht and our bow not quite overhanging into the channel.

Having connected shore power I went to hook our hose to the pontoon’s water supply. Looking for the tap all I found was something resembling a compressed air outlet. ‘Is this the water supply?’ I asked a British yacht. ‘Yes. Many French marinas have been upgrading their water outlets, and this fitting is now common.’ Hmmm.

We walked the mile into town to pay our dues to Le Capitainerie and ask where we could buy the fitting for our hose. With a Gallic shrug and a sound like ‘Pfff’, the words ‘Je sais pas’ completed the gesture.

A half mile further on found the Chandlery. More of a nautical gift shop than a ‘swindlery’. The only hose fittings they had were garden fittings. Maybe the Super-U?

Hose fittings or Lunch?

A perfect lunch, Pate de Campagne Echalotte and baguette. The Maille Framboise vinegar is only in the pic to show we found some at the Super-U; it’s not for adding to the pate!
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A half mile further on we found the Super-U. Again, no hose fittings. To compensate, we bought a large slice of Paté Campagne Echalote Fraiche for lunch to go with a Baguette. Perfect.

We also managed to find some Maille Raspberry Vinegar which we prize highly and which has proven impossible to find in Guernsey.

The storm?

By the time we returned to Play d’eau the wind had risen to a N’ly high F5 vindicating our call not to carry onto the Raz de Sein.

Let’s hope the wind has dies down as the forecasters predict, ready for noon departure tomorrow? We’ll see.

Tecky details

0515hrs FST – Departed L’aber wrac’h
0955hrs FST – Arrived Camaret
Planned distance – 36.4nm
Longest leg – 7.4nm
Tech problems – nil

Makes you wonder what stories this old abandoned wooden trawler could tell Play d’eau over a beer
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Piers and Lin

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

PS: Message for Hil – we’ll save some Framboise for you.

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

Cruising

Leg 2 – St Peter Port to L’Aber Wrac’h – 18 June 2013

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Finding our Sea Legs

The orange brush stroke twixt sky and sea as Play d’eau left St Peter Port
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The sea was calm as the sun woke from its night’s dreams to peek over Herm, creating an orange brushstroke between the grey sky and sea, as we motored out of St Peter Port. Such a contrast from the previous evening’s strong E’ly F5 blowing swell and white caps into the harbour the previous evening.

The eleven and a half hour sector from St Martin’s Point to Lizen van Ouest WCM (five miles due north of L’Aber Wrac’h but ten sea miles around the rocky coast) remained surprisingly calm with almost no Atlantic swell and only the occasional V-formation of gannets.

Taken by surprise

In the middle of the vast, peaceful open ocean, our solitary bubble was suddenly pierced. ‘Play d’eau, Play d’eau, Play d’eau, this is Still Calm, Ch16, over.’ I was being hailed by a 60’ East Bay (I think it was) which was closing on us at 21kts en route to Benodet.

Perfect calm en route between St Peter Port and L’Aber Wrac’h
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Its Jersey owner had apparently bought a pair of Kahlenberg horns from Toby and had heard about Play d’eau.

Small world, aye?

The calm seas extended right through to L’Aber Wrac’h where we were able to cut corners close to the rocks and motor gently up river to the marina, finding a perfect spot to park just inside the wavebreak at 7.30pm French Summer Time.

Our first taste of France, 2013

Needing exercise, we jumped ship and walked to the Café du Port and had our first taste of France – a cold Pression. After thirteen hours of sailing (motoring!) it was just gorgeous.

It took great will power not to have another; we had to have supper and plan for our early morning departure for Camaret.

Our first cold pression this year – hard not to order more….
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But whilst sitting at the bar, we found ourselves gently rocking.

We’d found our sea legs!

Tecky details

0519hrs BST – Departed St Peter Port
1812hrs BST – Arrived L’Aber Wrac’h
Planned distance – 105.4nm
Longest single leg – 92.7nm

Tech problems – nil

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

PS – Message for Dave and Gary – Restaurant Le Vioban is exactly where you said it would be. The menu looks luscious, so we’ll eat there on our return trip in a month or three…

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

Sunset at L’Aber Wrac’h
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The wonderful sunset light across
L’Aber Wrac’h’s marina
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Cruising

Goodbye cabin fever – hello Brittany!

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Play d’eau
in St Peter Port, Guernsey at the start of our summer cruise around Brittany
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At last!

After I don’t know how many weeks of staring at weather forecasts, the skies and sea states, we have started our summer cruise – just four days before mid-summer’s day.

Waiting had caused Cabin Fever to set in to the point it had almost become Cabin Rot. Endless delays had been caused by high winds and tracing the last of the gremlins in the new electronics.

But now it’s goodbye Cabin Fever, hello Brittany.

Summer Cruise Leg 1

So today we positioned Play d’eau from Beaucette Marina to St Peter Port to take advantage of catching the tide early tomorrow morning (18 June) for the 12 hour journey to L’Aber Wrac’h on the north west coast of Brittany.

The St Peter Port water taxi
fondly known as the ‘St Peter Port exocet missile’
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The next day (19 June) we plan to take the Chenal du Four and Raz de Sein bound for the pretty, little marina, at Audierne. After that, who knows?

When will we be back?

Our plans are to cruise the west coast of Brittany followed by the north coast as well. How long will we be away? Who knows – maybe we’ll be back in September, maybe October. We’re retired now, so it doesn’t matter.

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.