Monday 5th October – Day 83
Pouliguen – Le Croisic – La Turballe
Beautiful morning light… when asked whether or not I would like a Pain Aux Raisin for breakfast – what do you think the answer was? Well, of course!
Bob went off “hunting and gathering” (his words) to find the local Boulangerie; I just went to have a shower. Just? These showers are the most magnificent showers that I have come across, available to sailors being something far more superior than we even have at home with no less than four different ways in which the water comes out: 1) hand held shower attachment, 2) overhead shower 3) overhead cascading waterfall and lastly 4) horizontal jets hitting you – all settings with great pressure – just fab!
After I recovered, I visited the Capitainerie and booked us in. Five members of staff on today – this is October right? When I came out of the building, all became obvious, several racing boats were being lifted into the water – form an orderly queue down the road please!
Bob and I got back to Boni at the same time for breakfast. The sun was coming up and beginning to warm the air and we ate on deck.
A couple of jobs that needed investigating: why were the reefing lines always getting jammed? Yep – falling foul of the lines holding the lazy jacks in place. We had to literally dig them out and secure the lazy jacks away from the reefs. Also, and this happens every year over the season, a twist appears in the main sheet (that’s the rope that is used to control the main sail) – so that needed un-twiddling and re-tying.
As the tide began to come in, we began to think of departing, but there still wasn’t much depth of water beneath us. We cautiously left (mind you, it was a rising tide) – mostly there was between 1.2 and 1.8m underneath the keel, until we reached the outer buoys – including the red buoy that had been checked yesterday, now back in place.
Up went the sails, the wind was perfect for our passage to investigate Le Croisic (another drying harbour) NE 7 – 15 knots of wind and yet again with a fairly flat sea, we scooted along.
Beautiful coast line:
Approaching Le Croisic:
We arrived at Le Croisic at highwater and nosed our way into the little harbour to see if this would be do-able (depth-wise). Here is Trehic light, that guards the entrance. We only had 2.2m underneath us, this was high water and despite still being neapish, there wouldn’t be enough water under us to stay the night. The alternative was to pick up a buoy on “the pool” moorings, but we didn’t feel much like that today. So we came away, but it’s good to scout out these places.
Passing this very impressive building:
Then passing the fishing part of the port:
And sticking our nose into the little harbour – not much depth at all here!
Up went the sails again, for a delightful 30 minute sail up to La Turballe; Bob left it to last minute for us to bring in the sails (as the sailing was sooo good) and we came into port once again and tied up on H pontoon.
We thought it would be a good move to ring the Capitainerie at Piriac to ask to come in a day early and we asked to speak to Charles, only to be told that he was at La Turballe. Well, that’s lucky, so were we. So on signing into the Capitainerie here we were able to have a chat with him there. He indicated that he thought that we would be able to have a winter berth at Piriac and that we would certainly be able to leave Boni in their marina until then. Oh my! This is the best news as it means that we won’t have to come out in November and move Boni up to Vannes – yessssss!
Meanwhile, a new boat arrived next to us (pontoon side); apart from playing their radio (the news) quite loudly, they also had a little dog which decided it was right to jump onto our boat to inspect us! It soon jumped off again, but it was up and down the pontoon like a rocket – how it didn’t fall into the water, I don’t know. The boat on the other side of us were hoisting a young lady up their mast in a bosun’s chair – no safety line though – just saying.
Lovely sunset – ah….
Tuesday 6th October – Day 84 La Turballe – Piriac-sur-Mer
The day dawned a bit cooler and overcast and suddenly here we are – the last sail of the season. Boni virtually knows the way back on her own to Piriac; we left under motor, but as soon as we were out of the harbour the sails went up and the engine was turned off.
Another beautiful sail, 8 – 10 knots of wind on the beam (NE) – and Boni lifted up her skirts and flew along between 4.5 – 6 knots boat speed. The tide was rising, so Bob decided that we could cut the corner around the Pointe de Castelli.
We passed the dredger that was making its way into La Turballe…
“Is that a canoeist just over there?” he blithely asks….
“Er no Bob, it’s a rock” which is why there is a cardinal buoy just over to Port – we are between the buoy and the rock. However, there is actually plenty of water, so on we go. Once around the point we come closer to wind and harden up on the sails (bringing them in tighter).
Slightly heeled, our speed increased to 6 – 7 knots and we creamed along towards Piriac soon we were near the last Cardinal Buoy. We only had to put in one tack, and suddenly it was time to take the sails in and get into the harbour.
After lunch, we went ashore to see the Capitainerie.
Inside the Capitainerie we meet Thomas, who is on reception duty and we explained to him about us staying for the winter – he immediately knew all about us and Boni (which was encouraging) and we paid for the month’s stay. Thomas told us that we would have to move Boni to position E1 on the pontoons, stern in first (rather than bow as then Boni would be facing the usually prevailing SW winds). This is the nearest berth to the harbour entrance… hmm – quite a vulnerable position, especially in a northerly; but hey – I think we were so grateful for the berth, as this means now that we won’t have to come back out in November to move Boni to Vannes.
We tied up, using double warps on both bow, stern and springs. Even then the pontoon and the granny step seemed quite a way off, as the Northerly wind was blowing Boni off the pontoon. We set to with the packing down jobs including stowing the sails securely, taking the hardware off, taking the dinghy off (to take home) and so on. Luckily the port has trolleys, so we could take the dinghy the whole length of the pontoon in the trolley, rather than carry it.
Our CCSC Pennant is looking rather the worse for wear!
A bit later we went by car to La Turballe, which is about 3 miles, back to the large super market we had visited on our bikes whilst in port there. On the way back to Piriac, we came via the coast road and the Pointe de Castelli.
Here’s that same rock seen from the land, with the cardinal buoy in the distance!
There is a semaphore station here (which you are not allowed to photograph) which acts like a Coast-guard station, looking out to sea (a bit like our National Coast watch Institute, which has taken over the coast guard stations in the UK).
I felt that I’d earnt my G&T tonight! We ate up the remaining sausages and vegetables for our supper.
Wednesday 7th October – Day 86 Piriac-sur-Mer
Packing Down
Today is very windy – Northerly winds running straight into this harbour – F6/7. Getting on and off the boat is hazardous to say the least as there is a very large gap between the boat and the pontoon and I’m thinking that this is not a great berth. After showers ashore and breakfast, the “to do” list was fairly extensive… and we had to work out what to prioritise for today and the rest will be tomorrow.
One of our first jobs was to email the Capitaineries at La Roche Bernard, Vannes and copy in Piriac – stating our new found situation and making things clear. Then it was packing and putting as much as possible into the car and tidying the boat, working out what we still needed and what could be put ashore.
After lunch, Bob received the news that we could move the boat to a much more sheltered berth – E62 – nearer the marina gang plank. With the help of a Swiss guy called Pierre who had an 47’ Ovni, we moved Boni round to this other berth. The neighbouring boat had ridiculously loud slapping halyards, so that was a quick dash onboard their boat to sort that out (cannot bear the slappers). We walked into town (VERY quiet) to go to the shop for a few items to make lunch for tomorrow and Breton biscuits for mum.
Back onboard, Bob and I had to put some anti-freeze into the water system of the engine. Bob is down on his knees trying to undo the drainage plug with an allen key on the bottom of said system. Turn and turn and turn – it turned loads, but would not unscrew. It wasn’t leaking though, which is the main thing. So instead of draining the existing water out, we pumped it out with a small hand-pump – probably a litre (and not all of it by any means) and were able to replace this with the Antigel (antifreeze) purchased earlier. We popped into the Capitainerie to ask if they knew of a marine engineer who might look at the problem while we were away. Thomas suggested someone from Piriac Diffusion Marine (based in Arzal) and he said that the chandlery might also know of someone. He also gave us the name and phone number of another guy. Back at the boat, as a precaution, we taped up the offending plug with self-amalgamating tape – “just in case”. Maybe, we could do this job ourselves if we could get the part and fit it before we start next season.
Some more items came off the deck and were stowed below – Boni is looking decidedly naked!
We went out for supper at the Hotel du Port – good seafood, but the main courses were way too much to eat!
Thursday 8th October – Driving to Caen from Piriac-sur-Mer Day 87
Homeward bound to stay in the Ibis Hotel overnight, ready to catch the ferry back to Portsmouth early on Friday morning (day 88).
Distance travelled: please click on the link below
Days spent in France will total 84 of our allowed 90 (in 180 days) – this is corroborated by the EES (Entry/Exit System)
Hours motoring throughout the whole season: 122.5 (Apparently 150 hours in average – I think that is quite high!)