France - August 2001
We left Arklow, Ireland on the morning of August 1st, extremely pleased that our engine problems were solved. After we passed Tuscar Rock, the visibility dropped in the haze and we were able to test out our new radar.
We had hoped to meet up with Mark Broomfield and the crew of Claire Louise II, another boat from Troon Cruising Club, in the Scilly isles, but due to our weeks delay with engine problems, we met up 25 miles north of the Isles of Scilly. See photo of the 'fly pass' below.
The beauty of the Scilly Isles never dissappoint. Porth Cressa was extremely busy, but still plenty of room to anchor and rest up after 34 hour sail. We had planned to leave for France the following evening, but the weather forecast for the English Channel persuaded us to stay another night. We enjoyed a lovely evening with Cathy and John Lewis on Beeswing, also from Troon Cruising Club.
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Camaret
The following day we left for Camaret. It was extremely foggy around Ouessant, and again we were pleased with the performance of our radar. When we arrived, 11.30 am on August 6th , we berthed in Port de Plaisance. We met a number of boats heading for la Coruna that had been storm bound for days. The toilets and showers in the old port are dreadful - Bring your own clothespeg and toilet roll!
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Near the harbour is the Chapel of Notre Dame de Rocamadour and the Fort Vauban. On the way into the town you pass a number of long retired fishing boats left to rot on the shore. The following day, we visited a museum commemorating the Battle of the Atlantic, and megalithic stones dating back to 2,500BC just like Robin.Note the similarity.
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Benodet
We left Camaret on Thursday August 9th and sailed 60 miles to Benodet, via the Raz de Sein. Benodet is a sleepy seaside town with two marinas. We berthed in Anse de Penfoul Marina next to a large 60 foot racing yacht.
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Concarneau
There are many lovely places a short sail from Benodet, but as we were short of time, we sailed to Concarneau to stock up for our next big hop down the coast. We had a great sail, reaching speeds of 6.5 knots in only 9 knots of wind. The marina is next to the old town, which is very busy late into the evening.
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Lorient
From Concarneau, we sailed to Lorient on August 12th. The weather was fabulous, but unfortunately not enough wind to sail. Time for a spot of spring cleaning. We arrived at the Avant Port to discover it was the last night of the interceltic festival. The visitors berths were extremely crowded, so we ended up rafted up three out. We had a meal ashore serenaded by great jazz ( not very celtic).
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Port Haliguen
We sailed the following day to Port Haliguen on the end of the Presqu'il de Quiberon. On the way, we sailed past the beach where we stayed two years ago. We were invited for drinks on the neighbouring boat. Wotan's crew included a large husky called Yuki. We had a great evening with them, our French seemed to improve as the evening wore on and more wine was consumed!
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Pornic
The next day, we sailed to Pornic, 60 miles further down the coast. This area is called la Cote Jade. The sea is an incredible pea soup colour. We arrived as the sun was setting . The following day, we went off to explore. Pornic is a lovely old town, with Blue Beard's Castle looking onto the river. We aslo walked to the Dolmen des Mousseaux, a neolithic burial chamber dating back to 3500 BC.
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Les Sables D'Olonne
On August 16th, we sailed to Les Sables D'Olonne. As we sailed up the long approach channel into Port Olona, I remembered the news coverage of Ellen McArthur's triumphant return. We stocked up with more provisions (cheap wine and great local cheese).
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La Rochelle
The following day, we set off for La Rochelle. There was very little wind, so we resigned ourselves to motor sailing for 7 hours. As the sun got hotter, we tried out our new bimini for the first time. Approaching La Rochelle, we sailed under the bridge connecting Ile de Re to the mainland. We berthed in le Port des Minimes, a huge marina with over 3000 boats. We took the water bus up the river to the Vieux Port and the main town.
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