Leg 1 (2015) – Beaucette to St Peter Port

Date of departure: 3 June 2015.

With shouts of ‘fine weather and calm seas’ from friends Ricky, Dawn, Terry and Margaret, Play d’eau gave a long, echoing blast on her shiny Kahlenbergs signalling her exit from Beaucette with the west coast of France firmly in her sites. We just happened to be travelling with her.

Play d’eau was ready to go. Blue skies and a hot sun encouraged us. Jason had cleaned and polished her and Nick had varnished the ensign and burgee staffs. Her engines purred as she stretched her limbs ready for her two and half month summer cruise ahead.

The plan

Our extended summer cruise is to explore the many beautiful ports lining the west coast of France as we did in 2013 just after we’d retired. Cidre, gallettes, croissants and farmers’ markets add fuel to fire of excitement.

We also wanted some dear friends to join us. John and Beryl for one part of the cruise and David (who we first met 42 years ago) for another.

Finistère Peninsula

To reach our planned cruising grounds we first had to clear the Finistère Peninsula. Two pinch points would be in the way. The Chenal du Four and Raz de Sein. To avoid potentially horrible seas we needed light winds and slack tides.

With the forecast showing only two short windows of opportunity, we decided to head straight for Camaret to clear the Chanel du Four. Due to tide constraints this meant waiting in St Peter Port, departing at 0230hrs the next morning and motoring for some 18 hours.

St Peter Port

30 minutes after leaving Beaucette, we motored into St Peter Port and moored on a waiting pontoon opposite Ocean Pearl, a USA flagged Nordhavn 64. Although only some 9’ longer then Play d’eau, she looked gigantic.

With supper on the table, Ricky appeared in his RIB next to us. Looking first at Ocean Pearl and then at me, he said, ‘Now that’s a real boat, Piers.’ Growl….

Ocean Pearl

And then Ocean Pearl’s owners, Braun and Tina, appeared on their side deck. Tina held some papers in her hand.

‘Play d’eau, I’ve carried a copy of the article in Motor Boat and Yachting in which you wrote about your 2013 cruise along the Brittany coast. That’s where we headed right now.’

What a coincidence – how crazy is that!

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