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.
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 click to enlarge
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 click to enlargeThe 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 click to enlargeIn 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.
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 click to enlarge
…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 click to enlarge
The vocalist sang ‘Let my people go’ (in French, of course) click to enlarge
The bass guitarist click to enlarge
Proficient on banjo and guitar (sounded just like Johnny Depp) click to enlarge
The clarinetist played clarinet and sax click to enlarge
The clarinettist plays his preferred instrument click to enlarge
The drummer never had a break click to enlarge
Always waiting for his big moment to go crazy! click to enlarge
The bass sax was almost as tall as the player click to enlarge
The saxophonist with his array of saxaphones click to enlarge
The bass guitarist with one of the sax players in the background click to enlarge
The Trumpeter, my point of contact click to enlarge
The eccentric Creperie Quartier d’été, with equally eccentric and delicious crepes click to enlargeBy 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 (lick to enlarge)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 click to enlarge
…and there were more…. click to enlarge
The cakes were glistening so seductively click to enlarge
The west Brittany coast is strewn with reefs, rocks and lighthouses click to enlargeWith 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 click to enlarge
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 click to enlarge0933hrs 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 click to enlarge
Looks like half the boat’s been cut off click to enlarge
A giant’s cat’s cradle for kids to climb in the play area click to enlarge
The Saveol 60′ racing mono-hull, one of many based at Port La Forêt click to enlarge
These were the voyages of Piers and Lin du Pré aboard their Fleming 55
