Tag Archives: Rochefort

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Leg 10 (2105) – Rochefort to La Rochelle

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The early morning sun chases the cloud away
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Hmmm. 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
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After 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
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North 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
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Rochefort: 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)

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

Cruising

Leg 9 (2105) – La Rochelle to Rochefort

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John and Beryl have joined us for a fortnight
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Our 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
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However, 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
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The 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
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Hovering 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: 0844

Moored in Rochefort on her own pontoon
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(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)

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

Cruising

Mud, mud, glorious mud

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The beautiful river Charente at Rochefort
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As the song goes, ‘mud mud, glorious mud’!

On our way was to Rochefort we travelled 12 miles up the beautiful river Charente, where the colour of the water became more and more brown-green. By the time we arrived the colour was so dense that nothing could be seen if it was much more than an inch below the surface.

Walking along the river bank at low tide showed just how muddy and silty the banks were, looking as though it was ‘quick mud’ if there is such a thing. Piers found a small pebble and tossed it at the mud. It sank out of sight causing a spurt of brown water to jump into the air.

Would I want to fall into this? A beauty treatment, maybe? No thank you.

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 mud bank by the entry to the lock from the river
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You can see the mud-trail left by this paddling tern
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When the lock gate opens the mud is stirred in the marina
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Just before the lock opens, the mud builds against the gate
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Play d’eau needed a good cruise in clean water after sitting in this for five days
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The banks of the river Charente were covered in reeds. Clumps floated everywhere
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Cruising

What did we do in Rochefort?

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Before and After – Lin did a good job
click, if you really want to, to enlarge
What did we do in Rochefort?

Lin cut my hair!

I needed a haircut. Lin said, rather too eagerly, ‘I’ll do it.’ This would be a first in the 47 years since we started going out together. I said, ‘no.’ She said, ‘think of the savings.’ I said, ‘no.’ She said, ‘I did all our boy’s haircuts until they were 11.’ I said, ‘no’. Lin said, ‘trust me, I know what I’m doing.’ I said, ‘no,’ my voice showing annoyance at her persistence. Lin paused and said, ‘think of the wine you could buy with the savings.’ I said ‘Deal.’

Being old age pensioners, that was an acceptable compromise.

Lin said, ‘and now think how much you could have saved over the years.’ I didn’t respond.

The suspended gonloda of Rochefort’s Transbordeur travelling at 3m above the river’s surface
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Transbordeur

I walked the 6 mile round trip to the Rochefort Transbordeur, a 113 year old beam and suspended gondola arrangement for linking the road across the river Charentes. Amazing and wonderful and still working like a dream, although a bridge has now been constructed next to it for the bulk of the traffic.

Dinner out

Plagiarising a term from ‘Spy Games’, we had ‘dinner out’ at Café Cap Nell opposite the marina the day we arrived in Rochefort. The highlight for Lin was a salmon fillet, perfectly cooked, just off-rare in the middle. Succulent, juicy and non-fibrous. Mmmm.

For me, it was the goat’s cheese first course which had been made into a mousse with mascarpone and served on a thin bed of almost caramelised pears. Heavenly.

Café Cap Nell at Rochefort marina (left of centre)
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Yacht Raksha

We’d met Peter and Stefanie from Yacht Raksha in La Rochelle, so when they pulled in Rochefort we found ourselves having a couple of great evenings with them, eating and drinking too much, again – is there a pattern developing?

Peter and Stefanie are retiring, moving from the UK and looking to buy a house in the Dordogne, or Dordogne-shire, Britville, as it’s apparently becoming known.

Hermione and La Corderie Royale

As well as seeing the Hermione, we toured La Corderie Royale (the Royal Ropery), a long and narrow building created for making 300m ropes of every conceivable type and weave for vessels created at the Rochefort dockyard.

La Corderie Royale
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We borrowed a set of those ‘listen to it in English’ machines and heard the story from its royal concept to its destruction by fire, to its being rebuilt as a museum. Ropework demonstrations completed the tour. Really interesting.

Since it’s built on a marsh, its late 1700s foundations were made of a cris-cross of oaks at a depth of 1.5m. When it was rebuilt as a museum, the foundations were checked and found to be unmoved and perfect.

Splice the eyes

Lin attacked our 100m drum of new 16 strand octoplait, created two new warps, and spliced an eye into each. Not only are they perfect, but they attracted much comment from our neighbours, such as, ‘Can you do mine, next?’

I thought Lin would have jumped at this having been on about savings and old-age pensioners, but alas, she didn’t. Should I have mentioned how much wine we could have bought with the proceeds?

Lin spliced eyes into 16 strand multiplait
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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.

Cruising

L’Hermione – a 26 cannon fast frigate

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L’Hermione in wet dock at Rochefort
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Lin and I visited L’Hermione yesterday, where she’s under construction in the Arsenal at Rochefort. She’s wondrous and beautiful and a magnificent work of art.

At 66m LOA, a beam of 11.24m, draft of 4.94m, and a displacement of 1,082 tonnes with her 26 cannons and ammunition, the three masted L’Hermione is a replica of the eighteenth century jewel of the French navy.

Used to fight the British

Commanded by Comte de La Touche-Tréville, L’Hermione was originally launched in 1779 at Rochefort’s naval dockyard. Here, the Marquis de La Fayette boarded L’Hermione in 1780 bound for the Americas in support of George Washington’s war of Independence against the British, taking the news that France would support Washington with 5,500 men and 5 frigates.

For two years, Lafayette served as a Major General directly under Washington whilst Vice Admiral Touche-Tréville in L’Hermione fought many naval battles against the British.

A 1/8th scale model was created to help understand the final look of L’Hermione
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During her final action against the British, L’Hermione ran aground off Croisic, France, due to ‘a simple navigational error’, where she was wrecked by heavy seas.

Er, Britain, can you help?

Having fought the British a twist of irony was to unfold 200 years later – L’Hermione’s replica needed help in two keys areas.

The original plans for L’Hermione had been lost. Britain was approached where records were found providing a sketch of L’Hermione’s original hull as well as plans for her sister ship. From these the replica has been ‘faithfully’ created.

L’Hermione’s figurehead needed to be proud, strong and worthy of gracing L’Hermione’s prow. Against local competition, a British sculptor, Andrew Peters from Oxford, UK, was chosen and commissioned to create the 3m tall lion.

Andrew Peters carved the 3m tall figurehead
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Interestingly, Lin and I had just had Play d’eau’s name plates re-made by Andrew when he told us of his new commission. Maybe we should have had a figurehead for Play d’eau? If so, of what?

Construction

20 years in construction in one of Rochefort’s wet docks, the cores of 4,000, 150 to 200 year old oak trees have been used in creating the main frame and structure.

Now in her final stages of fit-out, the 2,200 sq metres of sail are almost complete.

2015

L’Hermione’s scheduled for completion in 2015 when she’ll leave Rochefort for her transatlantic journey to the USA, following La Fayette’s original journey.

En route she will visit Las Palmas in the Canary Isles before crossing to Yorktown, New York, Boston and Halifax before returning to Rochefort where no doubt other great adventures await her.

Let’s hope she doesn’t make another ‘little navigational error’.

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.

Detail of the 300kg Mizzen sail
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The sail loft where all L’Hermione’s sails are created
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The size and craftsmanship of the rigging is simply astounding
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Lin
took to the helm rather too naturally
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Andrew Peters is featured on a video of how he carved the figurehead
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Working on view to the public
this is the description of how
Andrew created the figurehead
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Anyone for cat’s cradle? The smell of tarred twine was everywhere
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L’Hermione, a beautiful replica of the 18th century fast frigate
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Now that’s an anchor rope!
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Cruising

Leg 11 – La Rochelle to Rochefort – 31 July 2013

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The fortified and walled city of La Rochelle
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We’ve had a great time in the Bassin des Chalutiers in the Vieux Port of La Rochelle.

One of our sons, his wife and two children came to meet us for a day; we explored the Maritime Museé and the town; we walked; we were hot; we used the air con many times, and we met Pat and Michelle who spend their life racing their Class 40 yacht, Croix du Sud, all over the world – literally (see photo below).

The nav plan

There were two pinch points on this journey.

Rochefort is some 12nm up the River Charente and we’d been advised the lock gate to the marina would only be open between 1300 and 1400. If we missed it, we’d have to wait until the next day to gain access.

The 3500 berth Les Minimes marina at La Rochelle
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Back at the Bassin des Chalutiers, the exit lock gate wouldn’t open until 1130 leaving us with a maximum of two and a half hours for the journey, in turn demanding an average speed of 12 knots. Too fast as far as I’m concerned, and even if we travelled at this speed there’d be no margin to play with.

Instead, we took the 2215 lock gate yesterday evening from the Bassin des Chalutiers and motored all of 1nm to Les Minimes marina. Given Les Minimes has 24hr access we could leave at our leisure for Rochefort, today.

The Journey

Having had strong W’ly winds for the last few days with the occasional rain and thunder shower, today was different. Hot, clear skies, with only a light E’ly wind. Perfect.

Passing Fort Boyard, we entered the Charente river an hour or so before high tide expecting the flood tide to give us an extra knot. Interestingly, the tide was against us yet in the last mile it changed and the river was still on the flood.

Fort Boyard between Ile d’Aix and Ile d’Oléron
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Crazy – or am I missing something? Yes, I checked high tide with the Capitainerie and there was no mistake.

Arriving

The Charente river is lovely although an avocado green of mud in suspension. We followed the many leading marks passing strange fishing huts on stilts with large nets. Anyone know what these are for?

An astonishing piece of engineering is Le Pont Transbordeur, which suspends a cabin just above water height taking people and cars from one side of the river to the other, linking the road.

We were met by the Harbour Master in his dory and shown to a good berth. By gum, the marina’s a sun trap measuring well into the mid-30 degrees C.

There are many of these huts on stilts with huge nets along the river Charente
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Can’t wait to explore the town and tour the Hermione which we saw close to the marina – it’s on tomorrow’s agenda.

The tecky details

Departed Les Minimes, La Rochelle – 0720
Arrived Rochefort – 1322
Planned distance – 25nm
Longest leg – 12.9nm up the River Charente
Tech issues – nil

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.

The 113 year old Le Pont Transbordeur
links the road on either side of the Charante
with a suspended ‘flying cabin’.
You can see the cabin close to the water
at the base of the left leg
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The Transbordeur cabin started its crossing after we’d passed.
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Pat and Michelle on Croix du Sud.
Having raced nearly every yacht race there is (including the Sydney-Hobart ‘many times’)
their next race is the non-stop Le Havre-Brazil.
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