12th June – Thursday – Benodet to Lorient

Lorient was a 35 mile journey from Benodet approx 7 hours.  We left on the morning river ebb tide and after a swift turning manoeuver were leaving this lovely town vowing to return.

We got a call from Keith and Holly who then came out to their beach to wave us off.  We flew a large pink towel to make sure they knew it was us.

The day started sunny and got hotter.  We registered 78 degrees F in the cabin in the mid afternoon sun.  It is the first day after 6 weeks of mixed weather where we can say this is what we came for.  The beautiful blue skies lifted our spirits and another element to the journey revealed itself.

We will have to get used to hot weather, but I AM NOT MOANING.  I REFUSE TO MOAN about the hot weather.  (May live to regret those words).  In true Brit style I had my big blue and white brolly up as the heat hit mid afternoon, to get some shade.

Mick devised a ‘Bimini’ (sun shade) but we will have to dig it out and definitely did not think we would need it so soon.  I believe it is going to be sunny in the UK this weekend too. Yeah.

Lorient has many marinas and reminds me of Plymouth.  We were going to Port Louis which looks like a walled city, but the marina guide turned us away as they were full and pointed us to Kernevel across the channel.

Kernevel is a large marina with good free facilities, and only 18 euros a night.

We had a short walk and ate out on deck again.

9th June – Monday–Camaret–Raz de Sein–Benodet

The Raz de Sein is a test for any sailor.  We spent our time in Camaret consulting various veterans of this trip and received plenty of good advice, and some horror stories.  The issue is that a large part of the 1,000m deep Atlantic, twice a day wants to get through the 20m deep space between the mainland and the Ile de Sein, a small island approx 3 miles from the mainland.  Due to the Rocks around the island a circumnavigation would mean a large detour.  There is a 15 minute time slot twice every 24 hours and obviously everyone wants to be there in the daylight, so everyone who has been waiting in Camaret charges like a bunch of leemings to the same spot for the same time.

It was like Monday morning on the M6, no it wasn’t, but it was the yachty equivalent.  At least 30 yachts left Camaret over a 1 hour period from approx 10.00am to finely tune their arrivals to the Raz by 14.00.  Our most skilled veteran advised 50 minutes before High Water Brest as the best time to be abeam (at the side of) Le Plat (Stone Pillar Cardinal Buoy – a strategic point in the Raz).

As everyone’s boats are different and go at different speeds and slightly different directions to the wind, we ended up in a line (like ducks) in a very orderly manner through the passage. 

 

The weather forecast was for 3s and 4s with slight showers.  It rained from 11.00am until approx 15.00.  Big splodgey drops, in France rain is called ‘Pleut’ it is said ‘Plur’, repeat this word to understand what the rain sounded like for many hours.  The swell is worth a mention as many sailors comment on its height and rolling waves, they have obviously never sailed in Hartlepool basin.  There was a swell and the waves were 3-5m high, but we only lost sight of half a sailing yacht as opposed to a whole tanker in Hartlepool.

It fined up in the afternoon and we came into Benodet in lovely evening sunshine and finally moored up in the Benodet marina at 20.45pm.  The course into Benodet is well marked and has lighthouse type structures as the leading lines to navigate by.  You enter past the town and it’s many beaches.

I cooked chicken stew to celebrate our 11 hour trip and fell into bed exhausted and relieved.

We had intended to go to St Evette, but we were passing there by mid afternoon and it seemed a shame to cut the journey and take a mooring when we could go to the marina at Benodet.

10th June – Tuesday – Benodet

Big rest day, walk to supermarket ‘Carrefour’ along the river bank.  Quick walk into town later (15 minutes to centre).

Benodet Marina is clean and well run.  The shower tokens are obtained from the office and are free, but the shower timers are brief.  The marina fee was very reasonable.

Benodet is an affluent town, with large houses and hotels.  The centre does not have many shops but a walk along the beachfront will provide clothes shops, cafes, restaurants and ice cream parlours.  There is a ferry to take you to the other bank of the river, which ultimately leads to Quimper.

11th June – Wednesday – Benodet

Julian Dunn’s Big Birthday.  Spent the morning writing an Ode to Julian.  He is the loveliest man and we are sorry not to be there to celebrate with him, but we are sure the rest of the family will do him proud.

Mick went out for bread and then after lunch we went for a walk out of the town on the beachfront, just meandering, taking piccies, having a sit etc, when we had a ‘Sliding Door/Butterfly effect’ moment.  We have a friend/old work colleague called Keith Bottomley who is married to the lovely Holly.  He has always had large Jaguar cars with his initials in the reg.  Well actually, jokingly, his would be initials, should he be knighted.  So they are ‘SKB’ and variations on the theme.  We had just stopped a lady to take our picture (below) and had turned around to go back to town, when we saw a Jag going into a complex, I said ‘Oh Look Sir Keith Bottomley’, Mick said ‘It could be him he was coming to France this month’.  So after a bit of deliberation we quickened our steps and the car stopped just past the main gate.  Mick walks up and Keith says ‘Bonjour’, thinking he was French, then Mick said ‘Don’t give me Bonjour it’s me’.  We were all quite taken aback for a few minutes.  The number of linked decisions which got us to that point on that day were immeasurable, Keith had only stopped the car to buy some bread otherwise we would have lost him.  His holiday should also have been two weeks ago.  We also have to mention this in the blog, he refused a drink as he was not feeling well.  A WORLD FIRST.

We had tea out on deck and stayed out until 10.00pm reading, we have not done that in England for more than 7 years.

7th June–Saturday–Camaret Cont…

Guess who appear to moor their boat here.  The french sailing veterans, whatever we think you have to admire them for still sailing and enjoying life.

We are stalled in Camaret await good weather for the notorious Raz De Sein.

Coastal walk today, the cliff path leads to a huge lighthouse and passed a remote campervan site with a dramatically beautiful view.

It is said by the locals that there is a yacht highway from Brest to Camaret and the Saturday onslaught of boats held testament to this fact.  We had visitors in the form of two french ladies who rafted their boat against ours tonight.  Their husbands do not like sailing so they are happy to help each other enjoy their sport.  We helped them raft and in return they invited us for a drink.  They had grown up families and were keen sailors with many years experience.  They introduced us to ‘Laughing Cow Cheese Cubes’ (a bit smaller than on OXO cube) which come in all sorts of flavours, eaten with small biscuits.  Their boat was called ‘Brizenn’.  We expected another night of footsteps across the boat, but they had brought a car and were driving back to their homes in Morgat to host dinner parties.  Nights like this make me wish we spoke better french.  They also left very quietly the following morning.

Made beef stew tonight in the pressure cooker.  We watched France has got talent, or something very similar, which featured a lady and a dancing chicken just like Pudsey!!

8th June – Sunday

A car boot type market appeared today, which extended the full length of the Promenade.  It’s good to know that the French trade in really ugly old pottery too.  Mick got an end for the hosepipe, big spender.

I have finished 25 x 9 patchwork squares.  Made Risotto with the leftover Stew Gravy, yum.

Bought a 10 Euro subscription to the WiFi provider Netabord.  We are told it will work all the time we are in France.  Wish we had bought it in Aber Wrac’h.

Camaret has been a good stopping point, let down only by the poor marina facilities.  25 Euros per night and you have to pay 2 Euro to have a very short shower in less than pleasing surroundings.

6th June – Friday - D-Day 70th Anniversary

70 years ago today my father James William Proud came to France in a landing craft as part of the D-Day landings.  He was 19 years old and this was his first experience of war.  He had spent the beginning of the war as a member of the Home Guard (a version of private Pyke from Dad’s Army) with his father, my granddad, who had served in the first world war.  They were armed with brush handles and spent many hours on Hambledon hill in Hapton, nr Burnley watching out for the enemy.

His father obviously did not encourage him to join up as he himself had experienced war and was in no hurry for his son to experience it.  But Jim being Jim was desperate to join as did so as soon as he reached 18 years old.  He then spent months in the south of England and at various camps learning to be a soldier, and what no one knew, waiting for D-Day.  He spoke of time learning bridge building with the Royal Engineers and did various courses including first aid. 

The younger photo was taken at a local photographers on his first leave after basic training.  His mum could not believe how he had grown in the 12 weeks he had been away.  The truth was it was the first time in his life he had eaten 3 meals a day, even the canteen staff commented how much bread he was able to shift.  Many Lancashire families were very poor and his family were no exception.

He said the landing craft were very rocky and many of the men were sick, he was actually glad to get off.  He did not go into great detail of what he saw, we can only image the horror.  He landed at Sword beach and from there they progressed quickly to Caen, which was a major bridging point which needed to be captured.  Of the 300 men in his original regiment the South Staffordshires, the 30 remaining were transferred to the Gordon Highlanders, with whom he spent the rest of the war.  He was given a field promotion to Corporal during this time.

However traumatic these times were he did look back on them as some of the best of his life and made a life long friend in Ken O’Brien who he was in touch with all their lives.  He went onto Palestine after the war where he learned to drive a motor bike and then Heavy Goods Vehicles, which gave him his livelihood for most of the rest of his working life.

As many of you know, he was a challenging older person, but Mick always said ‘Who are we to tell him what to do, after what he went through he can please himself’. 

Jim Proud – 1925 to 2010

3rd June –Tuesday–Aber Wrac’h to Camaret

Again a weather window presented itself so off we go.  Started at 10.30 and arrived at Camaret at 16.30.
The highlight of this journey was the passage through the Chenal Du Four which according to the pilot books can be quite a challenge.  Like the French version of Lands End, it being the Western most tip of France.  The sea runs between the mainland and the Isles of Ouessant

The channel is very well marked and although we made several waypoint changes the trip was far less eventful than anticipated.
I steered for most of the day, it started out cloudy and after about an hours rain we had a clear sail to Camaret, passed the lighthouse at Point de St Mathieu, with its ruined Monastery and Radio Station clearly visible from the sea.

Camaret has been a big thing in Mick’s head as a port of call during the planning stages of this trip and a small dream came true as we headed into port.
Camaret is a small fishing town, twinned with St Ives.  It has a sizeable community of Artisans in all kinds of Arts and Crafts, who live in the tiny back streets and alleyways.

Walked to the supermarket and round the splendid harbour-side chandlery.  Looking not buying as quite expensive, but great snoop shopping.
On returning, we heard a commotion and a thud, guess who?  Last of the Summer Wine the Return.  Their family had already arrived, but at this point they all left quickly.  A couple of hours later the elders returned for another attempt.  Mick stood on our boat as they skimmed passed on their first try, one actually shaking his hand on the way past, another clumsy pirouette and two more attempts at the pontoon and they were in.  Quite a meerkat crowd had gathered by this point. 
5th June – Thursday
Washing and Cleaning while Mick collected Diesel in cans.  He uses a trolley to take the empty can to the Supermarket petrol station as it is cheaper than at the Marina.  Unfortunately his trolley took a trip of its own into the water, and we were not able to retrieve it.  The marina is 15m deep at high tide and still 10m at low tide.  Oops.  This is our first big loss, I have watched a few pegs sink and my washing now has many pegs to make sure it does not go the same way.
Watched a very good TV programme of D-Day in colour, did not understand much but the pictures were amazing.  We are trying to watch French news programmes as like Sky in the UK they have a written commentary below.  We find it much easier to read French than understand the spoken word, but like babies we are trying to listen as much as possible and soak up some snippets.  Supermarkets make life easier as the items are identifiable and we understand enough to make out how much to pay at the end.
We asked the man who collects the money at the marina (a bit like a bus conductor) if there was wifi.  He looked as us strangely and then said ‘Ah WeeFee’, its only a vowel but it is amazing how different they can make it sound.

31st May/1st June – Sat/Sun – Falmouth to Aber Wrac’h, France Overnight

We set sail for France at 10.30am on a flat calm sunny day.  This was a little sooner than we had planned, it is 105 miles, so 3 times further than your average Channel crossing.  We were fully expecting to go to the Channel Islands but having been delayed in Howth (Dublin) and Padstow we made the decision to go to France as we had a weather window which would allow for destination changes if required.

The wind got up to approx. 15-20 knots from 17.00 to 23.00 and the boat was much more roly during this time.  The boat rolls due to the tides going across us and so there was a period where the journey was not too comfortable.  I was not sick this time but felt pretty weary for about half of the crossing.  Again we had a hot meal on standby but neither of us managed it.  The sandwiches were consumed mostly on arrival.  Mick slept 22.00 to midnight and I slept 00.30 to 03.00, then Mick slept again 04.00 to 06.00.  There was a new crescent moon, so no added moonlight, but that meant we were able to see thousands of stars in the pitch black night.

Approximately two thirds of the way across we sailed through the shipping channels.

See below a screen snapshot of the Electronic Mapping system, which Mick uses to plot the course, and also shows other ships in the area on the AIS system.  I think most people will be quite surprised at the number of ships to be encountered in the middle of the night.  Each one of the ships is displayed as a triangle and the jagged circle appears, and alarms, if a ship is within a pre-defined distance from our boat.  Hovering the mouse over a ship displays its name, what type of ship it is, Cargo or Passenger, its tonnage and destination.  It is really fascinating.

 

We raised our French courtesy flag just off the coastline and sang a warbling/humming version of L’ Marseilles for added gravitas.

One of the things I am getting to grips with in this longer distance sailing world is the fact that you plan a 21 hour passage with major consideration to the weather and the tides.  The crew however, have to rest as much as they can beforehand and then sleep as and when during the trip.  I mention sleep again, as for this leg it was really important that Mick was on full power on arrival.

Aber Wrac’h is a small fishing town which in the last 20 years has increased the size of the marina and visitors pontoons to accommodate passing sailors.  It puzzles me that so many sailors take this option, as there are literally hundreds of Rocks and Small Islands on the coast line when entering the harbour which is situated about 5km up the river surrounded by more rocks.

It is used because it has all weather access at all states of the tide.  It is though, still quite a challenge.  There are very large lighthouses (always a big clue) on the headland which guide you in, one of which flashes every 5 seconds.  The passage planning books (in this case ‘The Shell Channel Pilot’ by Tom Cunliffe) give clear instructions and pilotage.  The channel is well marked with Large Buoys but several changes of course are required as there are rocks at each side.  Did I mention the Rocks? 

 

Just to add to the anxiety a mist had settled on the mouth of the river.  There was also a large number of small, pedlo/canoe type fishing craft making their way out to sea.  (We found out later this was a Canoe-Fishing Competition – lucky us!!).  It was hard enough being tired and anxious about hitting rocks, then having the added tension of not squashing small craft with our boat.

It may be worth googling Aber Wrac’h on google maps to see the number of rocks and small islands around the entrance.

Arrived in Aber Wrac’h at 08.00, tired but jubilant at having arrived safely en France.

Whilst tired we had a go at putting together suitable French phrases to visit the Harbourmaster and pay for the mooring, as they did not open until 09.00am.  I attempted some courtesy’s but the lady spoke perfect English, so no more attempt was required.  We returned to the boat and slept until the afternoon.  Had a walk around the small village and retired to eat the Lasagne we had brought, watched some French TV and back to sleep.

2nd June – Sunday

Walked to Landeda which is the town most local to Aber Wrac’h.  We think they may have the same Mayor as the other local larger town of Lanellis is not mentioned anywhere on any signposts.  20 minute walk to Landeda to find a few shops, mostly closed as it was Monday.  Then saw a signpost for Lanellis or rather Aldi and Briochmat (? B&Q).  Another 50 minute walk on a busy roadside to get to Lanellis.  The secret town was more open and about 4 times the size of Landeda.

We found a ‘Casino’ supermarche, which on first appearance looked derelict but on entering was comprehensively stocked.  We bought Pork Escalopes for tea and some bread and pate.

We then found a bench in the town square and ate the pate and bread, using fingers for pate spreading, sipping fruit juice and feeling like Kings.  Very happy.

Local, very clean amenities meant clean hands for our journey back, a walk back much improved and hastened by our sense of wellbeing and fill of pate.  On returning we found many more boats had arrived, we were told there was a race to Plymouth the next day.

At approx 18.30 a boat was rafted up against ours.  They were very pleasant elderly French people who were travelling in their boat whilst their younger family members were in another racier boat.  Their arrival was quite eventful with lots of shouting and a quickly diverted crash, avoided by ourselves and their younger family members fending them off as best we all could. Phew.

They turned out to be really nice people and the presumed owner of the boat asked us where we were going, then him and his daughter proceeded to tell us at great length, whilst also insisting we brought our charts to further their explanations, of the best places to visit.

The courtesy when rafting on another boat is for the people on the outside to cross onto your boat in the centre and then walk around the front to avoid any embarrassment that may occur by looking into your cabin.  Three of the four people on board their vessel were not really agile enough for this and processed across our boat cockpit all evening, occasionally looking in and saying hello, along with their families, their food, their drinks and at one point their washing up!!  This lasted until midnight with much lively conversation amongst the family.  The toilet procession began at 6.40am and continued until they left at 10.00am.  It was like a Nautical French version of ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ or ‘Vintage Vin Rouge sur la Mer’.

30th May – Friday – Falmouth Cont… Pre Channel – Final Days in UK

29th May – Thursday

Played tourists for the day.  Had a good walk around Falmouth’s streets and alleyways.  There are lots of little alleys going up and down from the harbour-side to the main street.  Must mention ‘Trago’ the most comprehensive, independent department store we have ever been in.  What didn’t they have.  It is situated almost at the end of the Main Street.  More ‘Pesto’ pasties, salad for tea.

30th May - Friday

We did our last big shop in the UK before leaving for France.  It was a 2 granny trolley plus 2 bag affair.  We have been slowly stocking up on teabags (currently 1,000) for a few weeks, but there is only so much room en le bateau.  We are led to believe that toiletries and pharmacy items are more expensive across the water, so it was really more that kind of thing, and items that we are particularly fond of.  Managed to find Eccles cakes and Egg Custard Tarts.  Then we had to find a place for everything.

Quick walk to McDonalds to spend our last free coffee voucher and snitch a bit of free wifi.

Ye Olde Traditional Sainsbury’s Indian Meal Deal for Two followed by Custards. Yum.