Tag Archives: Quai Garnier

Leg 15 (2015) – Les Sables d’Olonne to Pornichet

1 August 2015 Piers du Pré 2 Comments

The day we left, the sunrise was setting the town on fire
*click to enlarge*

The decision was taken to make as much headway north as reasonably possible.

Northwards Ho!

After nine days in Les Sables d’Olonne of wintry cold, windy and rainy days, we had an ETD of 0700. We knew the westerly swell would be a short and steep 1½m for the first two hours but it would gradually diminish as we passed between Île d’Yeu and the mainland, destination Pornichet.

With a gentle NW2, at 0707 we quietly singled the warps, removed shore power, started Play d’eau’s Cummins engines, edged out of the Olona marina and into the fairway with a glorious sunrise and her early morning light warm on our backs.

Olona marina

Given the negative comments we’d heard about the Olona marina, we’d always chosen to stay at Quai Garnier. This time, we visited Olona simply because of our previous experience of excessive and endless noise and copious quantities of dirt at Quai Garnier, earlier this trip.

Contrary to hearsay, we found Olona peaceful and clean. We had an excellent berth (A46) and the Super U was only a five minutes walk away.

It’s sad, since Quai Garnier’s Harbour Master, Wesley, and his assistant, Plaideau, were so helpful. So would we return to Quai Garnier? Yes, but we’d have to say provided noise levels had dropped and the dirt from offloading cargo vessels had significantly decreased.

En Route

The modern, smart Olona Marina Capitainerie
*click to enlarge*

Almost as soon as we exited the pierheads and turned west and north west to round the town of Les Sables, the swell made its presence known. Play d’eau and her crew nodded up and down in a somewhat exuberant manner for the next two hours until we were running up the coast between Île d’Yeu and the mainland.

Knowing this is where we almost hooked a net two years ago, we doubled our watch. True to form, we spotted a net just below the surface with only two white markers some 500m apart.

Play d’eau performed a tight pirouette of which the London Ballet would have been proud, missed the net and plotted her way around it whilst we breathed a sigh of relief.

Grand Rade de La Loire

By the time we came to the Grand Rade there was only the slightest breath of wind and the swell was exhausted. It was calm. For a bit of excitement, our track took us through 14 anchored cargo vessels the largest of which was the SCF Valdai at 237m.

Pornichet

The final approach to Pornichet was through a yacht race which for some reason was being held tight across the marina and its S-bend entrance. Tough, Play d’eau was constrained by draught in the narrow channel and racing offers no additional rights of way.

Without incident, comment or raised voice, we entered the marina and settled into our berth.

Met data

We woke to find this cargo vessel on the other side of the marina. Was it capsized?
*click to enlarge*

Les Sables d’Olonne: NW2, clear, good
Sea state: 1½m steep westerly swell becoming smooth
Pornichet: Clear skies, NW1

Nav data

Times are FST.

Date: 30 July 2015
Departed Les Sables: 0707 (7 minutes late – call of nature)
Arrived Pornichet: 1432
Pinchpoint: None
Longest leg: 21.7nm
Time en route: 7hr 25min
Planned distance: 61.6nm

Tech issues: Nil

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)

Click here for a slideshow, or click on a pic and arrow left/right

Cruising

Leg 15 – Les Sables d’Olonne to Pornic – 15 August 2013

16 August 2013 Piers du Pré 4 Comments

A lovely calm sea for cruising — A lovely calm sea for the cruise to Pornic
*click to enlarge*

Looking forward to another FLIR experience, we cast off from Quai Garnier’s pontoon A ‘exterieur’ and headed into the black an hour and a half before sunrise, destination Pornic in the départment Loire Atlantique, some 60nm to the North.

Even with clear skies there was no moon. Maybe, because today’s a French public holiday, apparently something to do with Napoleon being officially recognised as a ‘good egg’, the moon had taken its own day (or night) as an Astronomic public holiday.

The nav plan

The pinch point was the latest time we could safely enter Pornic given the continuous silting it suffers in its approach channel.

I’d called the Capitainerie and Mademoiselle said she’d reserve a place for us. ‘Have you been here before?’ I was asked. ‘You must stay close to the rouge, the red channel markers, where it’s OK for you.’

We planned the north bound route to go anti-clockwise around the outside of the reefs surrounding Île de Noirmoutier rather than risk cutting through the narrow gap at its southern extremity and the mainland. Numerous published warnings advise not trying and although that to me is like a red rag to a bull, I agreed.

The route kept us some 5nm off the coast but there were large areas where the seabed rose to within the 10m depth contour. That would mean pots, lots of pots, and dozens of fishermen in their Merry Fishers hoping for a fresh catch for lunch and always somehow being directly in our way.

We weren’t to be disappointed.

The weather

With a gentle wind mainly from the E, and flat calm seas, we were completely protected by the land. The skies were clear, no moon (have I mentioned that?), and the visibility was perfect.

Our new Furuno FAR2117 picks up pots so well. The 4 strong returns ahead and port were pots, the three small light yellow returns ahead were gulls, and the long blue trail pointing 030 degrees was a helicopter we tracked doing 69kts
*click to enlarge*

The journey

The moment we passed over the 10m contour, pots were everywhere with clusters of ten being common. However, in the main they were well flagged and visible.

But deceptive. On this, our 15th passage since we left Guernsey, we came across our first net. At first, it looked like two more clusters of pot markers about 300m apart. Aiming to pass between them we saw, too late, a line of small white floats, maybe 10cm diameter and each 30m apart.

‘Net!’ I shouted as I pulled the throttles to idle and the gears to neutral. ‘Watch the floats as we go over them,’ I called to Lin.

We coasted and waited. Would I have to dive to cut ourselves free? Would our rope cutters work? I waited as Lin watched from the side of the Pilot House.

After an age, Lin shouted, ‘Looks like they’re not following us – we’re OK.’ I waited a few more moments just to be sure before engaging the gears and opening the throttles again. We’d had our first ‘net experience’.

Not knowing how nets are cast, I suspect each float has a line which suspends the net a few metres below the surface. We’d passed over the top.

Cruising up the west coast of Île de Noirmoutier it was just about high tide giving us some 4.5m above chart datum, confirmed by comparing the depth sounder against a sounding on the chart and the embedded local tide tables in our Furuno nn3d chartplotter.

‘If you’re OK with cutting the north western corner and passing through the reef, we’ll do it,’ I said the Lin. Looking at the chart, the calm sea and perfect visibility, the only issue would be pots and the fishermen. ‘We can dodge the pots, and for the fishermen we have Kahlenbergs – they don’t – and a black water tank,’ I added.

Sadly, we didn’t have to use the horns, not even once, but cutting the corner saved some 3.5nm and 25 minutes, putting us exactly on the best time to arrive at Pornic.

Dozens of small boats were out fishing off a shoal bank — Dozens of small boats were out fishing over a
shoal bank just N of Île de Noirmoutier
*click to enlarge*

Arriving

Leaving Île de Noirmoutier behind we entered the Baie de Bourgneuf of the Grande Rade de la Loire, and headed ENE straight for Pornic.

Pornic looked lovely. Large, beautiful villas lined the coast. Mature pine trees were everywhere, from which it earned its name of the Jade Coast.

Keeping close to the red port hand channel markers, we entered the marina and saw Mademoiselle in her dory waiting to take us to our berth. Perfect.

We intend to stay here a few days giving us plenty of time to explore.

The tecky details

Departed Les Sables d’Olonne – 0536
Arrived Pornic – 1249
Time on passage – 7hr 13min
Total planned distance – 59.9nm
Tides: Neap
Longest leg – 21.7nm from Basse Vermenou to Pont d’Yeu SCM
Tech issues – nil
Incidents – 1. The net.

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.

Cruising

When do we return to Guernsey?

12 August 2013 Piers du Pré Leave a comment

Calm seas as the sun rose
taken from the saloon on leaving St Martin de Ré
*click to enlarge*

Whilst moored in Port Garnier marina, Les Sables d’Olonne, thinking or our return plans to Guernsey, local trawlers of all sizes pass us by heading for their cooperative some 300m beyond the marina.

Since they bring fresh catch every moment of the day, we really don’t mind the noise or being tossed around by their wakes since the cooperative’s huge Poisonnerie displays the most amazing range of fresh fish and crustacea you can imagine.

None of this “it has to be sent to Grimbsy to be irradiated and tested for foot and mouth (or whatever it is)”. Straight from the sea to Play d’eau’s galley. What could possibly be better?

So what are the plans to return to Guernsey?

So, our plan is to be back in Guernsey by the end of September.

To achieve this, there are two possible neap tide windows in which to navigate the Brest peninsula and its Raz de Sein and Chenal du Four, namely the 31 August and 14 September.

Whichever we take, we’ll spend the remainder of the time exploring Brittany’s north coast before heading for Jersey to meet Graham and Francis of yacht Woolly Mammoth and finally heading home to Beaucette Marina.

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.

Cruising

Leg 14 – St Martin de Ré to Les Sables d’Olonne – 11 August 2013

11 August 2013 Piers du Pré 2 Comments

Ian and Wendy on their Moody 422, bound for the Caribbean — Ian and Wendy on their Moody 422 bound for the Caribbean
*click to enlarge*

A UNESCO World Heritage site, St Martin is Île de Ré’s historic capital and ancient port surrounded by the citadel.

Small, old, full of history, buzzing with life. We cherished our time there.

You have to live the dream

Ian and Wendy’s Moody 422 yacht, Silver Slipper, was moored directly behind us. Having met in March 2012 and married in April 2013, they are gradually making their way to Las Palmas to take the ARC to the Caribbean.

‘We’ll cruise the hundreds of Caribbean islands until we feel it’s time to move on to the Pacific through the Panama Canal.

‘You have to live the dream – you must live the dream,’ emphasised Ian, ‘so we’ve sold everything to make it happen while we can.’

Watch the video of their departure from the UK bound initially for Guernsey, complete with their dog, Bumble.

Play d’eau makes a graceful stage exit

‘Living the dream’ captured as the sun rose behind us
*click to enlarge*

With clear skies, a calm wind and the temperature already in the mid-twenties, it would be another perfect day for Play d’eau.

Ten minutes before our 0800 ETD we still had two 53’ motor boats and three yachts rafted against us. With one foot clearance behind, we were hemmed in by two boats in front, our bows in the gap between them by six feet.

At ETD plus ten they’d all moved and we cast off. We sidled, went forward a few feet and finally swung Play d’eau’s stern out and towards the lock, gracefully reversing out of the marina as though making a stage exit after the final curtain call.