An aerial pic showing the entrance to Lorient is guarded by the Citadel click to enlargeThe forecast knew it, we knew it, and it was – lumpy.
But well worth it to reach Sainte Marine from which we can judge the attack on the Finistère Peninsula. Camaret, L’Aber Wrac’h and Roscoff, here we come.
Time off
We’ve always liked Port Louis. It’s a small, ancient town built to defend the entrance to Lorient’s inland sea. The marina is really well protected and has had a complete make-over during the last few years.
More of this when I publish a separate report on Port Louis marina.
Our neighbour was a lovely 1976 Nicolson 39 ketch, a twin masted, beautifully built yacht, called Galloper. We had a great evening with its owners, Dave and Lorna, before we each went our own way to eat out, only to find we were booked into the same Crèperie!
Au revoir Port Louis
The forecast was a SE4 with a southerly 1½m swell thrown up by a depression swirling around in the Atlantic. Well, the wind would be behind us and the swell shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
With Piers on warps, Lin took Play ‘deau off her berth soon after sunrise. Exiting the narrow entrance Play d’eau came face to face with two commercial ships, one large trawler, a high speed Pilot boat, a yacht and a tug. Pah! Nothing to Skipper Lin.
En route
We had a great evening with Dave and Lorna of yacht Galloper click to enlargeThe forecast was spot on although the swell was more from the SW than the S, and at times was parallel to us, making the stabilisers work overtime although the ride wasn’t the comfiest we’d ever had.
The wind stayed pretty constant, hovering between a SE4 and SE5. The swell was as forecast with the added attraction (is that the right word?) of some wave slop on top.
Coast Guard
‘Play d’eau, Play d’eau, ici Cross Étel, à vous.’
Was that for us or was there another Play d’eau around? I waited, ready to growl if ‘another Play d’eau’ dared respond. None did. ‘Cross Étel,’ I answered trying to sound authoritative. ‘Ici Play d’eau.’
A stream of French followed. The only part I understood was, ‘…à vous.’ ‘Pardon,’ I said, ‘Je suis Anglais. Je ne comprend pas.’ ‘Play d’eau, this is Cross Étel. Mr Duhait wants you to know he will greet you in Sainte Marine this afternoon.’
That’s the second time Alain’s managed to persuade the Coast Guard to call me! How does he do it? Maybe it’s a member of his Jazz Band?
Sainte Marine
Casting off at 0700, we exited the marina and passed the Lorient waterbus as the sun was rising click to enlargeEntering the channel into the River Odet, Sainte Marine is on the east side with Benodet on the west.
The tide was in a full 4kt ebb creating significant standing waves in the narrow ½nm long channel. Dodging between tacking yachts, capsized windsurfers, small capsized catamarans, large catamarans seemingly taking up the rest of the channel, the lifeboat (no-one wearing lifejackets) that squeezed between us and small yacht, not to mention the exposed rocks in the middle of the channel, Play d’eau motored sedately, elegantly and gloriously between them all to be met by the Harbour Master and escorted to her berth.
When next?
When is the question, not where. We will either make for Camaret tomorrow (Thursday) or the next day, depending on how muich the swell dies down and the wind become favourable for the passage through the Ra de Sein.
Watch this space….
Met data
Trawlers take no prisoners – speed and wake come second to selling their catch click to enlargeLorient: SE4, clear, good.
Sea state: 1½m south westerly swell, at times SE5
Sainte Marine: SE4, cloudy, good
Nav data
Times are FST.
Date: 5 August 2015
Departed Lorient: 0700
Arrived Sainte Marine: 1155
Pinchpoint: The tidal flow when entering Sainte Marine
Longest leg: 17nm
Time en route: 4hr 55min
Planned distance: 61.6nm
Tech issues: None.
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 July 2015 blue moon taken at 0530 click to enlargeHaving had a dinner of Lin’s luscious mince (heavy on the onions, mushrooms and thick, shiny gravy) accompanied with sweet corn and peas and followed by cantaloupe melon with a touch of framboise liqueur and lime juice, we fell into bed soon after 8pm.
I was up at 0500.
Northwards Ho!
The forecast had come good. A final weather check showed that if we transited the west side of the Quiberon Peninsula at noon, the wind would be at slack. What could be better, given the westerly swell there can heap over the shallows.
That meant an ETD of 0800.
Goodbye Pornichet
Spot on 0800, with a coffee in my hand to look ultra-cool to onlookers, we slipped warps and motored out of the marina’s S-bend entrance, built to protect westerly swells from entering and disturbing the peace.
Heading west, the brisk easterly 15kt wind was directly behind us. Given we were on a falling tide, the ride was flat and stable. Lovely for a crisp morning departure.
En route
To complement the blue moon, the effect of the sunrise was also spectacular click to enlargeThe passage turned out to be somewhat uneventful. No-one tried to crash into Play d’eau; no-one even threatened us. In fact, it was quite boring with no-one to grumble at about COLREGS to make us feel holier than thou.
As you know, we’d originally planned to anchor off the east coast of the Île d’Houat in of its idyllic sandy bays on our return journey. Sadly, the weather disrupted this idea.
Passing to the west of the island showed us two more glorious and protected bays. Seeing this showed us that whatever the direction the wind was blowing, a night at anchor was possible somewhere around the lovely island.
True to plan, as we approached the Quiberon Peninsula, the tide was slack and the wind had died off. The rest of the journey was on a flat, almost glassy sea with no wind.
Port Louis
Having approached Lorient via the eastern channel, we entered and turned to starboard for Port Louis where we were met by the Harbour Master in his new orange RIB, sporting matching orange framed sunglasses – cool.
We were led to the hammerhead of Pontoon B. Another lovely mooring.
Given the weather forecast and our timing, we’ll probably stay here until Wednesday when we’ll head for Sainte-Marine to explore the River Odet before leaving for Camaret on the 8th August. All to the revised plan.
Met data
Pornichet’s entrance is an S-bend to keep unwanted westerley swells at bay click to enlargePornichet: NW4, clear at 0500, becoming cloudy by 0800, good
Sea state: 1½m steep westerly swell becoming smooth
Lorient: Clear skies, NW1
Nav data
Times are FST.
Date: 1 August 2015
Departed Pornichet: 0800
Arrived Port Louis: 1432
Pinchpoint: Quiberon Peninsula
Longest leg: 21.7nm
Time en route: 7hr 25min
Planned distance: 61.6nm
Tech issues: Having been saying nil, there was nothing new on this sector. But we have a list of seven items that need engineering attention on return to Beaucette.
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)
8am this morning, and endless black clouds and high winds assail us click to enlargeOwn up – who turned our brilliant weather off?
The 6 weeks following our departure from Audierne on 12th June have been utterly glorious. Sun cream by the gallon (well, not quite), calm seas and blue skies, all courtesy of a friendly Azores high pressure system spreading its wings over Play d’eau. It was perfect.
But the moment John and Beryl left nine days ago, we’ve had thunder storms and high winds created by an endless march of depression after depression which have won the battle and sent the high pressure running.
Where now?
Good question. So far we’ve been holed up in Les Sables d’Olonne for six days and the first weather window seems to be next Thursday. If so, we’ll have been in Les Sables for nine days when we only intended one.
Our plan had been to visit Île d’Yeu, Pornic, Roche Bernard in the La Vilaine River, anchor off one of the beautiful, small islands of the Quiberon Peninsula, moving onto Lorient, the Glénans archipelago known as the Breton Tahiti, and finally Port la Fôret before heading for Camaret on the Finistère Peninsula on or around 9th August.
Looking further into the forecasts brings even more depressions. Growl.
Battle plan
Well, two can play at this weather game. So, planning for the worst, rather than seven stops en route to Camaret with time off to play at each, we’ll do it in three. Pornichet, Lorient and Sainte Marine, taking any available weather window.
Meanwhile, if another high pressure graces us with its presence and banishes the depressions, we’ll stay and play. If it doesn’t, at least we know ‘the plan’.
You see, there’s always next year….
Piers and Lin
from the Meteorological Observatory of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
Play d’eau catches the early morning sun at Port Louis click to enlargeThis was a perfect journey. So gentle, so beautiful.
Why Sainte Marine when we had planned for one our favourite marinas, Port La Fôret? Vendée Globe racing yachts had filled the marina leaving no room to spare for Play d’eau, but Sainte Marine opened their arms to us.
The nav plan
Todays’ cruise had no pinch points. The wind would be from the N and NE and we’d be fully protected from it by the land.
The weather
A good forecast became reality. No complaints.
The journey
So we left Port Louis in warm, full sunshine with clear skies above and the N’ly wind behind us. We reversed from our mooring between the pontoon and the trawlers, turned to starboard and headed into the calm water of Lorient harbour.Dawn was still breaking as we reversed between the pontoon and the trawlers click to enlargeThe journey was uneventful apart from one trawler returning to its home port and one small fishing boat. We suspect neither had seen us, being too intent on counting their catches. Being once bitten twice shy, both had five blasts and altered course immediately – Kahlenbergs work really well!
Arriving
Arrival was simplicity itself. A call on Canal Neuf giving a five minute warning and one of the Capitainerie’s dory’s was by our side to show us to our mooring. So helpful.
Looking around, we’d forgotten the area is so pretty and delightful. Sainte Marine is on the west side of the river Odet, Benodet on the east side.
Motor Cruiser Tranquil Light
Would you believe, a boat we’d first met at Sainte Marina three years ago, and which had seen us seen in Port Haliguen was moored in front of us.Martin and Joyce and their Prestige 46 Tranquil Light click to enlargeMartin and Joyce of Tranquil Light, a Jenneau Prestige 46, had been cruising the west coast of France since May and are only now on their way home.
Martin brewed a luscious Cappuccino and Joyce presented some great mini-macaroons. We know who to visit for elevenses, afternoon tea, after dinner, hmmm – anytime….
The tecky details
Departed Port Louis – 0931
Arrived Sainte Marine – 1511
Time on passage – 5hr 40min
Total planned distance – 35.0nm
Longest leg – 17.0nm from Les Trois Pierres to Corn-Vas WCM
Tides: Midway twixt Springs to Neaps
Tech issues – nil
Incidents – nil
Navigational info: The river Odet flows at 4kts at springs which catches so many boaters unaware when mooring.
Piers and Lin
From the Nav Table of Play d’eau
You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form. The trawler that altered course 70 degrees to avoid us. Kahlenbergs work brilliantly click to enlarge
Our ‘inaccessible by land’ river pontoon at La Roche Bernard. The only other habited boat moored alongside us click to enlargeWe’d had a brilliant six days at La Roche Bernard, not the least because we met Chris and Sue of Yacht Aquitaine again, whom we’d first met in Vannes.
The forecast was good but reality was to prove very different for our journey to Lorient.
En route to Arzal lock
0530 and the alarm woke us from a deep sleep. As I struggled to prise my eyes open I was thinking of good reasons not to go, but a strong cup of coffee from Lin soon put paid to the ideas.
Stepping out of the saloon to sniff the weather, total cloud cover drew blinds on any light from the night sky; so different from the previous night when clear sky allowed a huge full moon and countless stars to light the valley as clear as daylight. A NW F2 breeze ruffled wavelets in the river. The air felt damp. Silence was being broken as terns woke and began chirruping the first calls of the morning.Before dawn broke, the FLIR thermal image showed three yachts on mooring buoys and the Roche of La Roche Bernard behind them click to enlargeThe plan was to leave La Roche Bernard at 0700, head downstream to Arzal and take their first lock of the day at 0800.
Our 200m river pontoon was home to only one other inhabited boat which had chosen to be immediately next door to us. Wanting to be quiet we waited until 0640 to crane the dinghy onto the saloon roof. In the remnants of the night’s cloak the crane’s motor screamed as it lifted ‘T/T Play d’eau’ at which point the yacht’s two man crew popped out of the cabin, thanked us for the alarm call and made ready to cast off for the same lock as ourselves.
The nav plan
Today there were no pinch points to worry about and the plan was straight forward. As long as the weather played its part, or more accurately, as long as the forecasters were on our side, there’d be no problems at all.
The weather
The forecasts and synoptic charts showed the wind being N/NW F4 becoming N/NE F4/5 as the fronts passed.
This would be perfect and coincide with our plan to traverse the Teignouse channel through the reef at the base of the Quiberon peninsula, separating the Baie de Quiberon from the Atlantic Ocean.At the Arzal sluice barrier the Cormorants were waiting for breakfast click to enlargeGiven we’d be on a 1kt falling tide (helping us along), the NE’ly meant the wind wouldn’t be against us. If it had been it would have created a classic wind against tide scenario, building waves and swell, made worse as the sea funnelled through the channel over the reef.
The journey
As dawn’s light began to penetrate the clouds, we cast off, bid La Roche Bernard farewell and meandered gently downriver to Arzal’s Lock where we waited only ten minutes before it opened and allowed us to enter.
About an hour after leaving the lock and wending our way to the sea, it seemed the wind was probably a notch stronger than forecast but nothing worth being concerned about in the least.
Three and a half hours later as we neared the Quiberon peninsula, Lin and I had been urging the wind to be as forecast but it stubbornly refused to budge. As if to dig its heels in and show just how belligerent it could be, it backed to W’ly and increased to top end F5 and edged into F6.Waiting for the lock gates to open to let us out to the tidal part of La Vilaine river click to enlargeThis created a 1½ mile stretch of somewhat challengingly large and steep waves over the reef giving Lin and I the dubious pleasure of one moment seeing the sky, the next the ocean floor, then the sky again and the ocean floor again, as Play d’eau rode the bronco for the next fifteen minutes.
Once through the reef and heading NW to Lorient, the sea calmed to a gentle Atlantic swell and we could breathe again.
A blessing
Nearing Lorient and some three miles east of Île de Groix, we espied a flock of cormorants swimming on the water, which, on closer inspection was a small school of dolphins, playing and jumping! How brilliant was that?
Our unpleasant memories of the Teignouse channel roller-coaster just evaporated.
Arriving
Halfway to Lorient, the sea behind us was agitated and the remnants of a front hung over a lone yacht click to enlarge
The entrance to Lorient is a really narrow 135m wide from zero contour to zero contour. Since it was absolute low tide it was even less. Traffic was reasonably dense in both directions with many yachts and small fishing craft. To keep ‘in the flow’ Play d’eau was at idle and 5 knots. Sensibly, sail boats were pulling their sails down before entering the channel and running in under power.
There had to be one…
But there had to one, didn’t there, who insisted on entering the channel under sail alone. Not a problem in itself, but a potential problem. He’d been overtaking other boats and was now some 75m on my port side. All was well until the high walls of the ramparts to our starboard took his wind whereupon he immediately turned straight for me.
Nearing the Lorient entrance we kept to starboard ready to take the next channel to Port Louis I pulled all power off hoping he’d pass in front. Turning to starboard wasn’t an option; I was already as far to starboard as possible ready to turn into the next channel for Port Louis marina. click to enlargeTurning to port would have hit him. Engaging reverse power would have taken far too long to effect Play d’eau’s 35 tonnes of inertia, as would increasing forward power to accelerate. Even with fresh wind in his sails he kept on coming straight for me. Coming into ear shot he shouted ‘Give way! Sail!’.
What could I do? Evaporate? Almost hitting us and just before going about, he shouted, ‘You should plan and anticipate. We have sail.’
I felt like bellowing ‘9b’ (sail doesn’t have right of way in a narrow channel where a craft is restricted in its ability to manoeuvre) but was so stunned at his arrogance, I didn’t. It should have been he who planned and anticipated, not me. Where’s the Gattling gun when you most need it?
However, in complete contrast, a delightful and welcoming girl from the Capitainerie came out in a dory to greet us and shepherd us to our berth. Just as earlier with the dolphins, it’s so good that a blessing can ameliorate a growl-inducing event.
Peace descended, and we forgave the forecasters.Port Louis the next morning. Peace reigned as dawn broke click to enlarge
The tecky details
Departed La Roche Bernard – 0710
Arrived Arzal lock – 0754
Departed Arzal lock – 0824
Arrived Port Louis – 1534
Time on passage – 8hr 24min
Total planned distance – 55.3nm
Longest leg – 17.8nm from Basse des Mats to NE Teignouse SHM
Tides – almost midway from Springs to Neaps
Tech issues – nil
Incidents – ‘There had to be one…’
Piers and Lin
From the Nav Table of Play d’eau
Fleming 55
You can get in touch with us any time by using our Contact Form.
This pigeon rested on Play d’eau for ten hours gathering its strength before flying off click to enlargeHi Everyone.
We are about to head for the Brest peninsula to take advantage of the neap tides. This will involve us travelling from La Roche Bernard via Port Louis (Lorient), Port La Foret, Camaret and L’Aber Wrac’h, in the next few days.
Of course, if the weather and sea state prevent this happening, we’ll have plenty of time to update the site.
Hence, if there are no posts please forgive us. There’re many sea miles to cover with little time off, leaving even less time for the fun of updating the website.
However, as soon as we can, we will resume normal service.
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.
These were the voyages of Piers and Lin du Pré aboard their Fleming 55
