Lezardrieux and the itinerary - provisional

Apologies to those who 'lost' us on the Internet - apparently we were last spotted about 30 km SW of Guernsey on Tuesday (thanks Richard)! We did leave St Peter Port as planned very early that day and made it across to the Brittany coast in good time. Such good time that we were too early for the flooding tide up the river Trieux. We have already found out that one does not mess with the tides in these parts, so we decided to anchor in the outer reaches (in a charmingly named bay called Rade de Pommelin) for lunch and a snooze before moseying on the 5 miles or so inland to the marina at Lezardrieux. And this is where we have been ever since, with the AIS switched off.

It's a picturesque small Breton town, complete with two award-winning patisseries, a wine cave and an unusual-looking church in the yard of which stands a remarkable war memorial to those Frenchmen killed in WWI.

Further up river is the town of Pontrieux, which we have been told is worth visiting. However there is the small matter of a suspension bridge between us and it. Clearance at high water springs is 17 m. Our mast is 19 m above the water. So whilst we could get under if we timed it right, we have decided not to, and instead to progress westwards.

The provisional itinerary going forwards is as follows:
31/5 to 1/6 - Perros-Guirec or Trebeurden
2-3/6 - Roscoff.
3/6 - L'Aber-Wrac'h.
4/6 - Brest.
5/6 - Camaret-sur-mer.
6/6 - Audierne/Loctudy/Benodet.
7/6 - Concarneau.
8-9/6 - Port Louis, near L'Orient.
10-11/6 - Etel.
12-13/6 - Le Palais, Belle Isle.
14-16/6 - Port Haliguen, maybe anchoring on islands of Houat and Hoedic.
17/6 - Le Crouesty.
18-20/6 - Golfe de Morbihan and Auray.
21-22/6 - Vannes
And that's as far as I have got! It goes without saying that all depends on the weather. We are hoping to rendez-vous with my brother and his wife on Belle Isle at the end of June but after that we will be cruising up or down the coast according to the wind direction. There is such a plethora of inviting places to visit that I expect we will be spoiled for choice. But we are aiming to return home towards the end of July and leave these wonderful cruising grounds to the French On Holiday, leaving the boat somewhere yet to be decided. Then return for more sailing in September. So if any followers of this blog are planning to be in our vicinity over the next few weeks, do get in touch to arrange a rendez-vous.

Today we decided to explore the vicinity on foot, following a waymarked 'randonee'. French signage leaves a fair amount to the imagination but we managed to complete the 18km walk north along the river and back through green lanes without losing our way too many times ... though it was a close run thing. However we fortified ourselves with a magnificent sandwich - poulet curry in half a baguette - purchased earlier at one of the aforementioned patisseries. The scenery was delightful, and included views of the river, one of the many lighthouses that we had spotted as we arrived on FF, a view out to the rocky bay and several fields of artichokes which are in the midst of harvest. Also some interesting flora (yet to be identified).

Tomorrow morning we head to Perros-Guirec or Trebeurden, about 25 or 30 miles - weather permitting of course!

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Round the Island - not a race but instead!

Although our intention was to head to Lezardriuex today, we found ourselves thwarted by light winds, spring tides and above all, adverse tidal streams in the Channel Islands. As mentioned in my last post, tidal differences are huge in these parts and we fell foul of them in a big way today. Suffice to say we chose discretion rather than valour and decided to examine the Guernsey coastline in detail instead of sticking to the original plan. We arrived here in St. Peter Port about an hour and a half ago.

It's busy with lots of small craft and fishing boats, not to mention the high speed Condor ferries that ply between here, Jersey, St. Malo, Poole and Weymouth. Lots of things to watch as we enjoy aperitifs on deck. Thankfully the temperature has at last risen slightly. So tomorrow we plan to try again to reach Lezardrieux, this time taking more account of the tidal streams! That means an early start at around 05:00 so we have stayed outside the marina, which has a lock preventing entry and exit except for a couple of hours either side of high water. Well if it means we actually make the intended destination, then who cares? One can sleep anytime!

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Cherbourg to Guernsey

After the gale in Cherbourg on Friday night, we were relieved to get away at high tide on Saturday morning. The wind had moderated somewhat but the sea was still quite 'lively', and our exit from the harbour was not without drama. Within a few minutes of getting out from her berth, Follyfin started to emit smoke from the exhaust. Jib sail quickly hoisted, engine off and with the vessel hove to (nautical jargon for stopped in her tracks), the engineer diagnosed the problem as a weed blockage in the water intake to the engine. So after a few anxious minutes, the blockage was removed and we were on our way west, towards the Cap de la Hague.

From here onwards we are in an area of powerful tidal streams and a huge tidal range (see below). However we timed our passage just right and rode south west through the Alderney Race at great speed towards Guernsey. The currents and turbulence here are generated by the enormous volume of water that pours in from the wider part of the Channel as the sea around the Channel Islands makes its dramatic changes in tidal level. Wind just right, not too strong and mainly from the north meant that wind power alone propelled us nearly all the way. Result! In fact we made such good progress that we had to slow down so as not to arrive too early at Beaucette Marina, located right on the north-east tip of Guernsey. This allowed the skipper to fish - he even had a bite (I saw it) but that one got away.

Arrived at Beaucette with enough water over the sill to let us in with keel raised; a gorgeous sunny evening so drinks on deck. This marina is a flooded quarry, created by dynamiting a cut into the old workings. The entrance is slightly nerve-wracking, being only 8 metres wide at high tide. The tidal range this weekend, at Spring tide, is over 8 metres. The two photos below show this dramatic change.

Timing of arrival and departure is crucial. The green starboard marker seen below, dry on a rock at low tide, is positioned on the extreme right of the entrance channel and stands in the sea as one enters. Frightening!

Today, Sunday with the sun shining but still cool air from the north westerly wind, we walked along the north coast path to L'Ancresse Bay, apparently considered to be the finest beach on the island.

On the way, the skipper's scavenging tendencies came to the fore again. We also explored the two forts on this coast - Fort Doyle and Fort Le Marchant - both created originally in case of invasion by Napoleon in the early 19th century, and later used by the Germans during WWII when they occupied the Channel Islands. Fort Le Marchant had a good view over L'Ancresse Bay through gun implacements. Then back for a late lunch at The Restaurant on the cliff top at Beaucette - first lobster of the cruise. Excellent!

I leave you with a view of how English gardens should look at this time of year. Tomorrow we head back to France, to Lezardrieux on the Trieux River.

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France - finally

There is plenty to see and do in Portsmouth, just a quick ferry ride across the water from Gosport. HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and Henry VIII's Mary Rose are just three of the marine treasures to be seen. The Royal Clarence Marina also has its fair share of sights to see, having been one of only three victualling yards in Britain in its heyday; the yard here fed and watered the 18th and 19th-century Royal Navy's Portsmouth Fleet with food, rum and beer which was brewed on site. The whole site is currently undergoing redevelopment, the old slaughterhouse, ironically, is to become an up-market pub.

But on Monday, we contented ourselves with a walk to The Jolly Roger - a watering hole of great historical interest and significance of course - for lunch with Aunt Mary, who will be 80 in June, and cousin Philip. Plenty of evidence of the Royal Navy was seen on the way:

The Ark Royal aircraft carrier leaving Gosport on its last journey to Turkey to be broken up for scrap - it had been berthed just across the estuary from us.

View across the water from The Jolly Roger

The walk to the Jolly Roger took us across the Millennium Bridge and along the well landscaped shore path. This was just as well because Aunty Mary now requires a wheel chair.

Before heading to France, we entertained Gordon and Caroline, old friends of the Skipper from his youth, on Tuesday. They had driven over from their home in Swindon for lunch aboard the Jolly Follyfin. We also prepared for our trip across the channel, refuelling at the neighbouring Gosport Marina. Yes we did indeed manage to cross the channel on Wednesday, arriving in Cherbourg just before sunset. The wind was variable and quite light for most of the passage so we were forced to motor sail for 10 out of the 14 hours it took to cross, a journey of 81 miles.

A few other people had the same plan. A giant bronze statue of Napoleon greets the weary traveller just across the greensward from the marina. He may have conquered Egypt but not GB!

And now it looks like we'll all be stuck here for a couple of days because of gale force winds ... again. Still there are culinary compensations in France, as well as the local beverages, and we look forward to sampling them whilst we wait. Next stop the Channel Islands, hopefully tomorrow Saturday 25th.

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Circumnavigation completed

Leaving Ramsgate early on Monday 13th, the wind took us down the Kent coast of Foreland, close under the White Cliffs of Dover and into the Tidal Marina in time for breakfast.

The weather forecast was not encouraging so decided to make the most of our enforced stay in Dover by visiting the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club, situated in a splendid Edwardian (?) terrace on the Esplanade, overlooked by Dover Castle above.

The same afternoon we climbed the hill to the castle. Quite a climb but well worth it as it turned out. English Heritage manages the castle and its environs and have made an excellent job of restoration and preservation. One of the most interesting parts of the visit was to the secret wartime tunnels, deep in and under the white cliffs, from which Operation Dynamo - the rescue operation from Dunkirk - was master-minded. A visit to the Castle is highly recommended, even if you have no interest in wartime memorabilia, as The Great Tower will appeal to anyone with a sense of history. In it Henry II's royal palace from 1180 has been recreated in all its glory. Climbing up to the roof also yields some wonderful views, looking east towards Calais (see the ferry in the photo below) and west out over the harbour.

Eventually the gales calmed down and we were able to depart from Dover at 05:30 on Thursday 16th. Now desperate to reach Chichester where we had arranged to have the radio fixed, we decided to sail all the way there without stopping in Eastbourne, which was where our circumnavigation began last year. First we passed Dungeness Point. Then, shortly before passing Beachy Head, west of Eastbourne, our circumnavigation was completed, a year and 15 days later at 15:00 hours on this sixteenth day of May 2013. Satisfaction!

Arriving in Chichester Harbour extremely late, eventually got to bed 22 hours after leaving Dover - another exhausting day but at least the sea was smooth. Only down side was that there was very little wind so we had to motor-sail all the way. However it was all worthwhile since radio engineer collected the radio at 08:00 on Friday and returned it duly fixed at 18:00 the same day. Brilliant! Apparently it was the crystal which had given up the ghost and is straightforward to replace. So Friday evening we welcomed our weekend visitors, Ivor and Marina, relaxed in the knowledge that communications were up and running again. Saturday morning saw us sail out into the Solent, across to Osborne Bay on the Isle of Wight for lunch at anchor, then into Cowes - never seen so many boats! - and up the river Medina to spend the night near the Folly Inn (pure coincidence of names) berthed on one of their mid-river pontoons. Unfortunately many other people had had the same idea.

Not only that, the Folly was closed for refurbishment! So instead the Skipper took the opportunity to climb the mast in order to effect some running repairs. Phew it's a long way up ... and Ivor was in control.

Now we are back on the mainland, berthed in the Royal Clarence Marina in Gosport where tomorrow we have arranged to have a Bimini fitted, anticipating lots of sunshine in Brittany. Hope we are not disappointed ...

Weather forecast for next few days is looking promising for crossing the channel to France. All being well we will leave here on Wednesday, bound for Cherbourg. So my next post should be from France.

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The story so far

This post is being written whilst trapped by weather in Dover.

Day 1

First departed Hull Marina on the evening of Bank Holiday Monday 6 May. Glorious evening, good forecast and all seemed well in the world. Happy to be at sea again. Proceeded down the Humber to Spurn Point where we anchored ready for an early start the following morning.

Day 2

Up at 04:30 to make best of the tide going south, destination Lowestoft. But a routine radio check prior to departure revealed a fault with the VHF radio. Since the chandler in Hull had recently fitted our AIS System, involving the radio, we decided to return the 20 miles up river to see if he could sort it out. So back to the Visitor's berth in the Marina.

Day 3

No joy but narrowed down the fault to the actual radio set rather than the AIS and its 'splitter' so decided to proceed south relying on the hand-held VHF radio. Intend to get manufacturer to sort it out from their HQ in Portsmouth as we will be nearby. Exited Hull marina lock at 18:00 to sail overnight to Lowestoft where we have been before. We remembered seeing the tallest wind turbine on the East coast when we passed here last year. A wonderful sailing wind in just the right direction was with us all the way until a few miles north of our destination the next day.

Day 4

From about 15:00 on Thursday 9 May we struggled against strong current and increasingly strong adverse wind, eventually entering Lowestoft Haven Marina in the Hamilton Dock at about 17:00. That was when our troubles really began - strong force 7 onshore wind even inside the dock required the use of the thruster in order to manoeuvre Follyfin onto a pontoon berth. The thruster had other ideas and packed up after sustained heavy use! It was low tide and we risked running aground and possibly being blown onto the very unfriendly harbour wall. Just as we were contemplating our options - anchoring or going back out to sea, neither very attractive - the friendly voice of the skipper of a wind farm boat - the West Hinder - crackled over the radio and proposed a rescue plan involving his and another wind farm sea cat, both in harbour because it was too rough to be out at sea! They came to the rescue with their extremely powerful engines and amazing manoeuvrability. Much to our relief and after complicated manoeuvrings we were safely berthed. Needless to say, we slept a deep sleep for a long time that night.

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Afloat again - at last!

Some of you may have been following Follyfin and her crew since they began their adventures in 2012, namely the circumnavigation of the UK. Having gained our confidence together, we determined to set our sails for more adventure by crossing the English Channel to France (we cut our teeth on this by sailing to the Channel Islands in September 2011). Our proposed embarkation date of 1 May from the UK was put back by adverse weather. Instead we set sail from Hull on 6 May only to find that the VHF radio was malfunctioning. Luckily we had not gone beyond Spurn Point at the mouth of the Humber. So instead of heading out for a night sail in calm weather to Lowestoft, we retraced our track 20 miles back up the river to Hull hoping to get the radio repaired there. No luck!

Now we are relying on the hand-held VHF radio until we can get the whole set replaced by the manufacturer on the South coast. Set off again evening of 8 May. Had excellent sail south towards Lowestoft. Only the last few miles, when wind freshened and tide turned against us, did we encounter difficulty and slow progress. Eventually moored up inside Lowestoft Yacht Haven 22 hours after setting out - quite a marathon for us. And berthing was quite a drama too - the subject of my next post - so we were relieved to be safely tied up before the worst of the weather came in.

After a day recovering in Lowestoft, we left early aiming to get to Ramsgate on the Kent coast in one hop (having decided to leave London out because of time pressure). We sailed straight across the Thames Estuary, right outside all the wind farms but having to tack all the way because of wind direction. This meant we arrived at Ramsgate at 11 p.m. Saturday evening, absolutely exhausted! Quiet day yesterday, Sunday, then off again early this morning heading round South Foreland close under the White Cliffs of Dover. Although intending to head to Eastbourne today, the weather forecast at 0600 is for gales, so decided to put into Dover rather than brave worsening conditions. We will sit it out today and see what tomorrow brings. Rather nice here actually, sitting here in the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club, right on the front Promenade looking out towards France, only 20 miles away.

Since last year we have had AIS fitted to Follyfin so now anyone can track us on the internet. Go to marinetraffic.com and you can search on our yacht name Follyfin. Of course seeing us depends on us having the AIS system switched on, which it always is when on passage and will be during the day in port as a general rule.