Yacht Joshua, which circumnavigated the world between 1966 and 1969 click to enlargeWith a following wind, blue skies and an almost too hot sun, we cast off for the short 1½ hour trip to St Denis.
At a gentlemanly time of morning, we nosed our way between the many pontoons of the 5,000 berth Les Minimes marina and entered the fairway to meet the day’s challenge.
Challenges
Wall to wall yachts. They were everywhere. Yet with such a large yachting fraternity should we really be surprised? Maybe not, but today seemed like an overload.
First, we were targeted by the red, steel ketch, Joshua, which circumnavigated the world between 1966 and 1969 with Bernard Moitessier. She looked great, but not when coming straight for us!
Second, fleets of small racers with their multi-coloured sails lit by the sun, looking so deceptively pretty.
And then…
Fleets of small yachts were racing all around us click to enlargeAh yes. And then. Third, and potentially by far the most dangerous, was an 8m yacht, no more than 100m ahead and to starboard of us, which suddenly tacked but thankfully aimed to go behind us.
A few seconds later the skipper changed his mind to cut right in front of us. It was a question of immediate power off, engage reverse and open the throttles in an attempt not to mow him down and add him as decoration to Play d’eau’s anchor.
He passed not more than 10m in front of us. He lifted his hand in thanks. Did he know what he’d just done? Did he realise what we’d had to do?
Maybe the name of his yacht is more than just a name but a description of the skipper. It was ‘Bozo’.
Annoyingly, it happened too quickly to pick up the camera and take photos.
En route
Entering the approach channel to St Denis d’Oléron click to enlargeAn hour or so later, we were entering the channel for St Denis.
Met data
Les Minimes: E3/4, clear skies, hot sun, good visibility
Sea state: Choppy, with wind against tide
St Denis d’Oléron: E4
Nav data
Times are FST.
Date: 10 July 2015
Departed La Rochelle (Les Minimes): 1049
Arrived St Denis: 1223 (2 minutes late – I blame ‘Bozo’)
Moored: 1233
Pinchpoint: Access to St Denis
Longest individual leg: 4.9nmTime en route: 1hr 34min
Planned distance: 11.2nm
Tech issues: Nil, but still monitoring the Sat Compass and stbd engine charging voltage
Piers and Lin
from the Pilot House of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)
The early morning sun chases the cloud away click to enlargeHmmm. The best laid plans….
We’d be unable to anchor out. The wind was forecast to rise significantly in the afternoon and stay strong overnight.
Where to?
The plan was to leave peaceful Rochefort at HW when the lock gate opened and anchor overnight at the southern end of Île d’Aix before making passage the next day to the St Denis marina on the island of d’Oléron.
But with a forecast strong F5 veering from NW to NE, it would be really uncomfy wherever we anchored. Instead, we altered the plan to head back to the marina at Les Minimes, La Rochelle, before making way to St Denis the next morning.
La Charente
Cargo ships use the river and go faster than you click to enlargeAfter a breakfast of fresh LIDL croissants (LIDL came fourth in our 2013 croissant competition), we had a lazy morning, casting off at 1150 as the lock began to open.
Exiting, we were first into the muddy river. With a gentle breeze of 5kts behind us, John navigated the 12.9nm along the delightful La Charente accompanied at one time by a buzzard flying lazy circles looking for his lunch.
Nearing the river’s mouth it was as if a switch was thrown. The wind suddenly jumped from 8kts to 19kts, and I mean jumped. No warning such as a ruffling of the water and no apparent reason such as coming out of the protection of buildings. The wind just jumped.
One for the book of experience.
North to La Rochelle
With the wind agitating the sea into a short, steep, side swiping annoyance, salty spray began to fly for the forty minute sector to La Rochelle.Harvesting oysters from the shell fish farm click to enlargeNorth of Île d’Aix we pass a huge, protected shell fish farm measuring 1.7km by ½km, covered in hundreds if not thousands of markers.
Nearing destination, the racing and leisure yachts seem to appear from nowhere accompanied by a smattering of jet skies, ferries and speedboats, making it a concentration challenge to navigate. Nothing seemed predictable with goings-about, gibings and wanderings, seemingly with no thought for where other boats may be.
But hey-ho, it’s all part of the challenge; all part of the fun! Isn’t it?
Les Minimes
With an excellent berth in Les Minimes (pontoon 7), John and Beryl insisted on bathing Play d’eau to chase away the salt whilst I tended to a potential mechanical problem and Lin planned dinner.
Phew. Life’s so hectic, isn’t it?
Met data
Moored in hot, peaceful Les Minimes click to enlargeRochefort: NE2, clear skies with a few ‘good weather’ cumulus balls of fluff, good visibility
En route: Wind increased NE5. Skies remained clear
Sea state: River smooth, becoming slight to annoying
La Rochelle: A strong ENE5, clear skies
Nav data
Times are FST.
Date: Thursday 9 July 2015
Cast off Rochefort: 1150
Exited the lock: 1158
Arrived Les Minimes: 1510 (2 minutes ahead of plan)
Moored: 1515
Pinchpoint: Lock time leaving Rochefort
Longest individual leg: 12.9nm (pilotage along La Charente)
Time en route: 3hr 12min
Planned distance: 25.4nm
Tech issues:
Sat Compass. No issues this leg.
Voltage drop stbd engine. Alternator wiring and battery connections checked. Beginning to blame the 9 year old bank of 4 x 8D batteries
Piers and Lin
from the Pilot House of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)
John and Beryl have joined us for a fortnight click to enlargeOur dear friends, John and Beryl, have joined us after a nine year absence from cruising.
Flying into La Rochelle two days ago, we’ve already been having a ball; dinner at Safron (first there, last to leave), exploring the ancient town and climbing the recently restored tower that guards the entrance to the vieux port.
Un petit navigational challenge
Our nav plan showed the passage would take 3hrs 10mins. But with the Les Chalutiers lock opening only 2hrs before high water (HW) and the Rochefort lock closing some 30mins after HW, we’d have some 2hrs 30mins in which to execute our 3hrs 10mins nav plan. I say some, since HW at both locations is almost the same.
It didn’t take an Oxford mathematics don to see this was not possible unless we installed warp drive. Note to self: add warp drive to the wish list.
5,000 boat marina
A sea of 5,000 masts at Les Minimes marina, La Rochelle click to enlargeHowever, the solution was simple. The day before, we’d take the Les Chalutiers evening lock and motor all of 0.7nm to the Les Minimes marina which is open 24hrs a day with no lock. High five!
Enlarged over the last two years, Les Minimes is home to 5,000 leisure boats and the largest marina on the Atlantic east coast. When we say, ‘C’est énorme!’ we really are making a severe factual understatement. Gigantic would be a better description.
En route
On Monday, the alarm woke us at 0445 to give us time to prepare for our ETD of 0535. Again we were blessed with clear skies, a light N’ly breeze and warm air. C’est la vie.
We left at 0533. Two minutes early. We couldn’t wait – too excited. Pre-dawn light was just starting to take the edge off the star studded darkness as we crept out of the marina and into the fairway.
Captain John took his rightful place on the helm seat.Sunrise illuminated John as he was in the helm seat click to enlargeThe sun made her rich orange appearance over the landscape forty five minutes later as we were motoring SSE along the Plateau des Duraignes, heading to pass just east of Ile d’Aix, before entering the Embouchure de La Charente.
La Charente
Approaching La Charente, you can’t miss the numerous forts that guard this seaway, including Fort Boyard. It’s no surprise given Rochefort, some 12 miles upriver, was a major naval shipbuilding town between the late 1600s and early 1900s.
The river is so pretty albeit the water is a muddy brown. Flat land either side, fringed by reeds and carrelets, small fishing huts on stilts dangling large square nets waiting to be lowered by rope and pulley into the muddy waters to catch – who knows what?
Rochefort
Having piloted Play d’eau the 12.9nm upriver, we arrived outside Rochefort lock at 0844, one minute early of the time we were given. The nav plan had worked! But actually it hadn’t. The lock hadn’t yet opened.La Charente has many strange looking carrelets on her banks click to enlargeHovering outside in the river, the lock opened at 0853 allowing a stream of boats to leave before we entered at 0910 and were moored by 0915.
Might that extra 25 minutes have allowed us to have made the journey in one hop from Les Chalutiers rather than stopping at Les Minimes?
‘But hey!’ I answer with a Gallic Shrug. ‘This La Belle France. C’est la vie!’
Met data
La Rochelle: N2, clear skies, good visibility
En route: Wind veered and increased to NE3. Skies remained clear
Sea state: Very smooth
Rochefort: Outside the lock, NE3. Inside, NE2 (the trees and buildings offered shelter)
Nav data
Times are FST.
Date: 6 July 2015
Departed La Rochelle (Les Minimes): 0833
Arrived Rochefort: 0844Moored in Rochefort on her own pontoon click to enlarge(1 minute ahead of plan)
Moored: 0915
Pinchpoint: Lock times Rochefort
Longest individual leg: 12.9nm (pilotage along the river La Charente)
Time en route: 3hr 11min plus 31 minutes waiting for the lock and mooring
Planned distance: 25.2nm
Tech issues:
Sat Compass. This has suffered two problems since Les Minimes. ‘Aborting’ & ‘Output Error’. Changed sources to the fluxgate compass and No 2 GPS. Will monitor the Sat Compass over the coming three days whilst we are in Rochefort.
Over the last few legs, there’s been a gradual reduction in the starboard engine instrument readings. Not a problem in itself apart from creating a furrowed brow. The cause appears to be a lowering of DC voltage. Need to eliminate probable causes sooner rather then later
Piers and Lin
from the Pilot House of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)
The patisserie was calorific cruelty click to enlargeThis is just a postcard – not a letter.
Boulangerie
A short and delightful walk away is the boulangerie at La Fôret-Fouesnant. It’s a patisserie and chocolaterie as well, and has the most mouth watering and calorifically impressive displays imaginable.
One fine morning I arrived at 10am and asked for, ‘Trois croissants, s’il vous plaît.’ The young mademoiselle politely told me they were sold out and that in any case (glancing at her watch and giving me a look of disdain that only a French Mademoiselle can give) it wasn’t petit déjeuner any more, but déjeuner. Well, there’s telling you.
Suitably admonished I asked for a baguette and was rewarded with a beautiful smile.
Twixt the Marina and La Fôret-Fouesnant
The 18th century Le Manoir de Mesmeur is now the prestigious Cornouaille Golf Club click to enlargeThe mile and a half walk from the marina to the village is through a cooling wood and along a narrow walkway by the lake, passing on one side the prestigious Cornouaille Golf Club and the eccentric Crêperie Quartier d’été and smart houses on the other. Making this a round trip to acquire one’s breakfast croissants (don’t be late) is a joy.
The lake dries at low tide and re-fills to capacity as the tide comes in.
Fouesnant’s church
The ancient, weathered church stands proud near the water’s edge. Its tall and reasonably ornate spire houses its bells. Sadly, they must be cracked for they no longer ring with vibrancy, but more of a sad and empty ‘dong’.
Archipel des Glénan
Port la Flôret runs a ferry service to and from the Îles de Glénan, an archipelago off the coast. Known as the Breton Tahiti and only accessible in summer, the islands, sand and turquoise seas are spectacular.The Aigrette III would moor next to Play d’eau overnight click to enlargeFerries shuttle passengers back and forth, and one of the vedettes, the Aigrette III, would moor next to us, overnight.
Having waxed lyrical about the archipelago, we have yet to go there!
The Union Flag
Originally the 18th century Le Manoir Mesmeur, The Cornouaille Golf Club displays an array of flags of many nations. For at least the last two years, the Union Flag has been flown upside down.
Flying the flag this way has two meanings. Declaring a state of distress (maybe because the British players are always winning) or as a deliberate insult (maybe because the British players are always winning).
By the way, there’s only one time when the Union Flag can be called the Union Jack. Any idea when?
Piers and Lin
from the Writing Bureau of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(Click on a pic and use left/right arrows to scroll through the album)
Brian George of Golden Arrow’s International Rescue click to enlargeThe slight hydraulic leak from the port stabiliser ram had been sufficient for me to isolate it from use.
The last thing we needed was for the ram’s seal to blow under 1,500psi and spray litres and litres of fluid into the engine room creating a highly flammable if not explosive oil mist.
Thankfully, this didn’t happen. By isolating the port fin, we were safe, although it meant the starboard fin would be left to do all the work on its own.
Golden Arrow & International Rescue
Having spoken with Brian George, Golden Arrow’s TRAC stabiliser commissioning specialist, a master plan was hatched.
Brian, based in Southampton, would take the ferry to Cherbourg and drive to La Rochelle with a van load of tools, spares and oil, to repair Play d’eau on 30 June.
30 June 2015
Squeezed between the port engine, the aft fuel tank and engine room bulkhead click to enlargeAt 8am sharp, Brian arrived and parked his sign written van immediately adjacent to Play d’eau on the Quai d’Honneur. A welcome sight.
Without delay, he disappeared into the engine room, squeezed between the port engine and the bulkhead and began disassembling the top plate and ram.
‘Aha. That’s the problem. The yoke’s misaligned with the ram causing the piston to operate slightly out of true, putting uneven pressure on the seal.’
Repairs
Having realigned the yoke, replaced the ram with new, centred the fin’s electronic sensor, replaced a weeping hose and topped up the oil reservoir, we were ready for a test.
‘Start the engine,’ Brian called. I did. ‘Perfect,’ said Brian. ‘No leaks, accurately aligned, and working a treat.’
With some small adjustments to the system’s operating parameters to bring Play d’eau more accurately level when cruising, the job was complete in seemingly no time at all.
What magnificent service. What a star!
Piers
from the Technical Log of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(Click on a pic and use left/right arrows to scroll through the album)
Dawn breaks over Les Sables d’Olonne click to enlargeIt was Sunday morning. We’d slept well. The endless succession of trawlers that passed by the marina en route to the busy 24hr Maritime Cooperative auction market at the end of the port had taken the weekend off. Well, almost all of them.
In their place, the Saturday night revellers had tried but failed in their attempt to compete, thankfully.
Quai Garnier
During our six days in Quai Garnier we’d cleaned and polished Play d’eau, eaten at our favourite restaurant Le Clipper and attended to many cabin and the engine room housekeeping chores. With John and Beryl coming on 3 July to spend two weeks cruising with us, Play d’eau had to look her very best.
To our delight, boaters we’d met along this coastal region with its beaches of golden sand two years ago seemed to materialise during our stay. So Play d’eau just had to host an early evening party, didn’t she? Lin created some delicious Canapés whilst I created (well, bought) the wines and beers.Paul from Rowena was in Les Sables and filled my dive tank. I knew Paul and Sue from MBM Cruise in Company days click to enlargeRowena, a Grand Banks that used to come with us on Motor Boat Monthly cruises in company was there as well. Paul and Sue
In addition, great evenings were spent on board Harvester (Glyn and Pat) and Stress Breaker (Nick and Rhona), and a breakfast of pain au chocolat and excellent coffee was consumed with gusto on Deo Jubilate with Trevor and Gill.
We had a wonderful time in Quai Garnier, even though the trawlers motored past us 24 hours a day, refuelled and re-iced opposite our pontoon whilst squadrons of seagulls never seemed to cease their incessant war cry….
Plaideau? Play d’eau?
Would you believe the Harbour Master’s assistant is known to her friends as Plaideau? Can you imagine the fun on the radio? ‘Play d’eau, this is Plaideau, over?’
Leaving Sables d’Olonne
Skipper Lin piloted Play d’eau from the fly bridge click to enlargeWith checks complete, we were ready to go but the washing machine delayed out departure. A neighbouring boat had allowed their dog to pee on the pontoon cleats and the last thing we wanted was dog pee ropes. So we singled up ready to go, stood guard, and put the infected ropes in the washing machine – with an overdose of powder and fabric softener.
Hence, we left 14 minutes late, but we had beautifully white, soft ‘dog pee free’ ropes that had a fresh wonderful laundry aroma about them.
En route
Sandy beaches and good fishing are the hallmarks of Sables d’Olonne. So for the first ten miles, we threaded our way through endless lobster pots and small fishing boats whilst dodging trawlers with their long nets on even longer wire cables.
Nearing La Rochelle, we navigated between the mainland and the small Ile de Ré before passing under the 2.9km bridge which spans the island and La Rochelle.As we approached la Rochelle, we saw a sad looking face under a ‘witch’s hat’ click to enlargeTurning into the strait that leads to La Rochelle, the water became quite choppy and Play d’eau seemed to became a moving target for speedboats, water skis and boats rushing to find an anchorage on the already crowded Ile de Ré beaches. That’s apart from the many flotillas of tiny sail boats racing across the fairway.
Arrival
Access to the Les Chalutiers basin is through a single lock gate above which a short bridge carries a road. The gate is opened 2hrs before high water and closes 45 minutes thereafter.
With the gate open, we only had to wait for ten minutes before the siren sounded, the traffic stopped and the bridge lifted.
Having moored up, we found a yacht we’d met in Sables d’Olonne was opposite us, a Guernsey registered yacht was behind us as well as a huge Explorer Yacht, Med Adventure.
To bless Play d’eau, we found our mooring was on the Quai d’Honneur.
Of course!
Met data
Les Sables d’Olonne: Wind calm, clear skies, good visibility
En route: Wind became WNW F3
Sea state: Glassy flat, to smooth, to ruffled at La Rochelle
La Rochelle: NW3, mainly due to local sea breeze. Clear skies, good vis.
Nav data
The heavily fortified entrance to the ancient town of La Rochelle and its port click to enlargeTimes are FST.
Departed Les Sables d’Olonne (Quay Garnier): 0914, 28 June 2015 (14 minutes late waiting for the washing machine to complete its cycle!)
Arrived La Rochelle (Les Chalutiers): 1356 (26 mins late due to late lock gate opening)
Pinchpoint: Lock times at Les Chalutiers
Longest individual leg: 13.7nm
Time en route: 4hr 22min
Planned distance: 34.3nm
Tech issues: None
Piers and Lin
from the Chart Table of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)
Play d’eau sets out for another lovely day of cruising click to enlargeIt was the Festival of Music, ‘a speciality’ we were told. What we didn’t know was that it started late evening and ended early morning.
It’s official
We’re well and truly addicted. Yet another day of flat calm seas, blue skies and calm winds. Even dodging lobster pots is becoming fun – who can see the next one, first?
Pornichet
Two days ago, the question was whether our destination was to be Pornic or Pornichet. Two years ago it was Pornic and it has to be said that although the village was lovely we found the marina oppressive. Having never visited Pornichet before, Pornichet it was.
Approaching along the 2nm channel, Pornichet’s lovely, long and golden beach was to the north of us, equally as long as the channel. But sadly, immediately behind the beach is an equally long line of multi-floored high rise ‘modern’ apartments.Dawn lights up the high rise apartments on Pornichet’s lovely beach click to enlargeWhat a marina! Coping with large boats, pontoons are large and the fingers are super long. Long enough for Play d’eau to have almost no overhang. Never known that before. We moored in ‘Oscar 13’, stern too, amongst other large and larger (but not quite as shiny) boats.
Walking to the Capitainerie, cars were parked everywhere. Range Rover after Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne after Porsche Cayenne, BMWs with no model numbers, their tyres seemingly wider than the cars themselves. Definitely no Sparkys.
Cafés line the long marina front rubbing shoulders with chandlers, marine engineering and bodywork specialists. Pornichet’s more a marina town than a marina.
‘But you have come at the right time,’ we were told. ‘It’s Music Festival week.’ I have to say we found it hard to exhibit as much excitement as the bearer of these tidings.
En route
After two bad nights, we woke early and cast off at 7am. Bad nights? The Music Festival started at 10pm in the marina cafés and ended around 2am. Thud, thud, thud from the over-amplified bass. Oh joy!Looking behind us, we saw a huge moustache heading for us… click to enlargeBut the passage was brilliant. Smooth as ever. So much so that Piers set to with continuing Play d’eau’s polishing regime.
(Message for Jason – since we left, Play d’eau’s had two full snow-foam washes, and we’ve almost finished a total polishing.)
Arrival
‘Quai Garnier. Ici Play d’eau,’ I said in my best French accent on channel 09. ‘Play d’eau, this is Quai Garnier,’ said the Capitaine in perfect English. ‘We have a place for you on pontoon A. I am here with your two friends from Yacht Harvester to greet you.’
It can’t get much better than this, can it?
Met data
Pornichet: NE1/2, clear skies, good visibility
En route: Wind backed to NW3
Sea state: Calm, glassy flat to ruffled
Les Sables d’Olonne: W3/4, mainly due to local sea breeze. Clear skies, good vis.
Nav data
…the boat jumped our wake, and the skipper waved click to enlargeTimes are FST.
Departed Pornichet: 0700, 22 June 2015
Arrived Les Sables d’Olonne (Quay Garnier): 1451 (16 mins ahead of schedule – must plan better!)
Pinchpoints: None
Longest individual leg: 21.7nm
Time en route: 7hr 51min
Planned distance: 61.2nm
Tech issues: None
Piers and Lin
from the Chart Table of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)
As we left port, we fell into another yacht race click to enlargeNow we have to give fair warning. We could easily become addicted to this. We’ve had yet another gorgeous day of cruising on glassy flat seas, calm wind and dark blue skies.
Port Haliguen
I have to say that Port Haliguen is more a convenient stop-off point rather than somewhere exciting to stay and explore. Why? Catering for visitors is not its strength. Yes, the port is well equipped to help with anything your boat might need and the Capitainerie staff is really helpful but there are two major impediments.
First, Port Haliguen is a good 1½ miles from the nearest village. Second, finding a boulangerie for your mandatory breakfast croissants and baguette for lunch, let alone a local supermarket, requires a degree in geography and specialisms in map reading and GPS.
But as a one night stop-off for planning your entry to the Morbihan or for further cruising along the coast, it’s perfect since it has an H24 access.
Destination Pornichet and…?
A lone yacht going nowhere in no wind and beautifully flat seas click to enlargeSo we’d planned for one night only before setting course for a new destination, Pornichet, on the north coast of the mouth of the Loire by St Nazaire.
Thereafter, the (current) plan is to visit Sables d’Olonne and La Rochelle (the locked Les Chalutiers marina – vieux port) where we’ll have our stabilisers fixed and meet John and Beryl who are flying out to spend a fortnight with us as we further explore the coast together.
The WW2 raid on St Nazaire
Lin’s Dad was in the Royal Navy during the last war on the Hunt-class destroyer, HMS Atherstone. Operation Chariot was the raid on St Nazaire with the objective of destroying the gates of the Normandie dock by ramming them with an explosive-packed destroyer, the obsolete HMS Campbeltown, to prevent the dock’s use by the German battleship Tirpitz.
The memory of his account of what happened with HMS Atherstone differs significantly from the history books….
En route
Morning trawling leave a long line of hungry seagulls click to enlargeWith no serenade from Alain as we left port, Piers let rip on the Kahlenbergs only to find a yacht race in full flight in front of us complete with support vessels buzzing about!
Piloting Play d’eau around the back of the fleet before paralleling and overtaking them, we were astonished to see the yachts were making some 5 knots in just a 2 knot wind. Then we realised they had their engines on so were actually motorboats in disguise.
The whole trip was in flat calm water and uneventful. Addictive.
We have a day off tomorrow (Sunday) and plan to move on to Sables d’Olonne on Monday.
Nav data
Times are FST.
Departed Port la Fôret: 0900, 19 June 2015At low tide, a small island appears on the Plateau du Four click to enlargePinchpoints: None
Departed Port Haliguen: 1030
Longest individual leg: 19.9nm
Arrived Pornichet: 1458
Time en route: 4hr 28min
Planned distance: 34.85nm
Tech issues: None
Piers and Lin
from the Chart Table of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
We ate at the wonderfully eccentric Créperie click to enlargeA serenade, flat seas, hot sun, dolphins, the ‘joy’ of falling into the middle of a yacht race in crowded waters, and just a touch of sunburn.
The last supper
To celebrate such a brilliant time in Port la Fôret of jazz, more jazz, meeting friends and being in such a beautiful area, we decided to eat out.
With cidre de maison on the table (2 bottles and pottery mugs) at the eccentric Crêperie Quartier d’été we ordered the day’s special: Crèpe Arlette, a gorgeous concoction with fromage de chèvre, confit de cidre, maison salade, et noise. Supremely delicious.
(Maison Salade – begs the question of when will the rest of the world learn how to serve and dress salad rather than just depositing two bits of tomato, a limp lettuce leaf and a sad slice of cucumber on a plate, undressed, with the temerity to call it a garnish?)
To follow we indulged in Crèpe d’Happy, a crèpe froment with green apple sorbet and manzana (wild apple) liqueur. Although we felt full we just had to have another but this time we chose crèpes froment with just sugar and lemon.
Is your mouth watering yet?
Au revoir Port la Fôret
The seas were glassy flat click to enlargeA fine, clear, calm day greeted us. Over a coffee (tea for Lin) we checked the weather and prepared for a 9am departure. Slipping the lines we gentled our way to a glassy flat sea which at times sparkled in the sun.
Leaving the pierhead we became aware of – music. Looking back, we saw Alain, the jazz band’s trumpeter, serenading us! We waved, he waved (as much as anyone can with a trumpet to their mouth) and when he stopped I replied with my trumpets, the Kahlenbergs.
What a great send off.
En route
We hadn’t been travelling long before Lin shouted, ‘Dolphins!’ Out came the cameras as they played about a hundred metres away from us.
12 miles from Lorient we spotted an AIS target on our track. It was a Yacht race buoy. Soon, we’d counted 56 yachts racing out of Lorient to a distant buoy way out to our starboard.
Looking at Lin, I said, ‘When they reach that buoy they’ll turn and come for the buoy on our track. We’ll be there just when they arrive. Oh, Joy.’
There’s only on thing to do in these circumstances. Close your eyes and go into denial. Well, not quite, but it’s the thought that counts isn’t it? It must have been because rather than turn and head for us they turned the other way and headed away. Denial works – result!
Quiberon Peninsula
Dolphins, so many of them, came out to perform just for us click to enlargeWe either took the long way around the rocky outcrops, or we cut the corner and threaded our way through the shallows between the rocks in the En Toull Bras channel. It was only one hour after low tide and at its shallowest point which was also its narrowest point, we’d only have 1m below our keel.
Play d’eau aced it.
Nav data
Times are FST.
Departed Port la Fôret: 0900, 19 June 2015
Pinchpoints: None
Arrived Port Haliguen: 1535
Time en route: 6hr 35min
Planned distance: 52.9nm
Tech issues: None
Piers and Lin
from the Chart Table of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)
The Cornouaille Jazz Band with Piers click to enlarge‘Would you like the jazz band to play on Play d’eau?’ asked Alain. Without even a micro-second hesitation we replied, excitedly, ‘Brilliant!’
Two years ago
It was two years ago that we’d tried to set this up but it hadn’t been possible. The marina was too full take us for the planned date.
Tonight’s the night
But now it would happen. 5 musicians would take up residence on the aft cockpit.
Jean-Aubert on banjo and guitar
Jean-Francois on tenor saxophone and clarinet
Alain on trumpet
Georges on drums
Michel on bass guitar
and last but not least, Jean-Michel (who sports the most magnificent bushy beard) – the band’s resident vidoegrapher.
The only player who couldn’t make it was Marc who played contrabass, alto and soprano saxophone last Sunday.
We need to prepare
The band warms up on the aft cockpit click to enlargeNotes to self: Check ship’s stores and wine cellar.
Peroni lager and white wine into the fridge. Red wine out of the bilge where it’s kept cool. London Pride (real ale) at the ready. Pastis in store, but out of whiskey. Must buy some.
For refreshments, we agree a version of stuffed eggs and plenty of nibbles. No time for anything else.
A walk to the small Carrefort in La Fôret Fouesnant secures said stores. Now to cooking.
The evening
At 7pm, the band begin arriving. All squeeze onto the aft cockpit. First problem – Play d’eau mains supply is through UK sockets. Not French. Alain runs back to his yacht to secure the extension leads and adaptors.
With everyone plugged in the warm up starts. Banjo and tenor sax tune to an A and the others follow. All set?
And off they go. Play d’eau rocks, not so much to the music but to the wakes other boats make as they pass. I announce sick bags are available.
Complete success
Jean-Aubert, band leader and retired heart surgeon, played guitar and banjo click to enlargeAfter some 10 pieces, it’s time to relax and for the band to sample British real ale, Italian lager, Scotch whiskey, Gordon’s Gin, Waitrose orange squash, and Play d’eau ice from Guernsey water.
Lin brings out the stuffed eggs on melba toast which disappear as fast as she can refill the tray. We’d used 14 eggs….
As the band departs amongst fond farewells and threats of making Piers play clarinet next year, we are left with the most magnificent memories possible.
We wonder if a jazz band has ever played on a Fleming before?
Piers and Lin
from the Green Room of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
(click on the photos below to enlarge, and use the left/right arrows)
