Sweet sorrow

Parting from Follyfin, that is, after almost 10 weeks afloat together.
Last langoustine lunch,

final fishing (and yes he did catch a mackerel but not with that rod),

and helming practice,

swims,

enjoyed in classic cruising style.

So she's high and dry again,

sontime for the Skipper to climb up the mast,

and down again.

Left Arzal at 05:45 this morning and made it exactly on schedule to the ferry port at St. Malo, collecting a certain amount of celebratory liquid en route.

Now relaxing in our cabin on a cross-channel steamer (someone else taking care of the navigation for a change) after a stupendous buffet lunch aboard a Brittany Ferry ... but soft, a knock comes at the cabin door, "would Mr Bennett come to Reception please?" So the Skipper, with First Mate and Competent Crew Número Un hot on his heels, hot-foots it out the door. He is invited onto the bridge! So off we go up, up, up and into the hallowed halls of The Bridge, with all its levers, buttons and screens. Technology Paradise! After a 10-minute briefing we know we are in safe 'hands' aboard this particular ferry at least.

Aiming to be back home 'oop North quite a bit later tonight but in time for the start of the Tour de France! Returning to Follyfin early in September, so no more posts until then. A bientôt!

Little and Large

From Belle Île Follyfin turned north and east. As intended we did have a couple of nights in the Golfe de Morbihan, arriving there on Thursday 26th via Port Haliguen marina where essential re-provisioning and washing was accomplished, plus general boat maintenance tasks (ask the skipper). At anchor in about 10 metres over rock and sand, the opportunity to try out the creel again could not be missed. Indeed an interesting crab plus several small fish were trapped.

These were all returned to the watery deep, unlike the two spider crabs that we had caught the previous night just outside Port Haliguen, which were cooked and eaten. Unfortunately there is no photographic evidence (first mate too intent on devouring this very tasty fruit du mer!) but even the skipper, who 'dressed' the crabs agreed that all the effort was well worthwhile.

Leaving this peaceful anchorage on Saturday 28th morning, we turned south and east towards La Turballe where we found a kite festival in full swing. This lifted our spirits considerably after a very wet passage with virtually no wind forcing us to motor nearly all the way. The first really bad weather of this whole trip, so cannot complain - but we were very wet on arrival!

Our stay in La Turballe was originally intended to be for only one night, but high winds on Sunday caused us to change our minds as manoeuvring this large yacht in a very confined space in force 6 wind with many other expensive boats around would have been quite, no, very stressful. Instead we slipped our mooring at 05:45 this morning when there was no wind to speak of at all ... much easier! The dawn sky was stunning but red. Those shepherds really did know what they were talking about as the subsequent heavy rain showers proved.

We didn't mind though because we arrived about an hour later, as planned, just before high water in the historic salt port of Le Croisic. Established as such before the Middle Ages, the salt was used for curing fish and a large sardine fishing fleet was based here. Then in the 19th century it became one of the first swimming resorts. Not many yachts the size of Follyfin can get in to the pretty little harbour because it dries at low tide ... but because of our lifting keel we can.

Quite apart from wanting to visit this place anyway, it is very convenient for crew changes as the railway station is only 300 metres from the harbour. Not only is there a direct line from Nantes, only just over an hour away, but the TGV from Paris comes in here too. And our next crew arrived here this very evening by plane (Gatwick to Nantes) and train: daughter Laurel and her fiancé William. Of course we had to celebrate with a Crepe caramel au beurre salé.

So we have company for our last few days aboard Follyfin before returning to UK by car and ferry on Friday. During this time we hope there will be some serious bonding - skipper and future son-in-law wasted no time in getting down to this.

We also hope to fit in some swimming and fishing although the weather forecast looks a bit dodgy. No matter, in good company one is rarely at a loss especially when there are so many opportunities to sample local delicacies and wine (of course!)

A : See Details(Google Map)

Beautiful Island

'Belle Île' is a name well chosen. This island has everything, from rocky coastline to sandy beaches,

clear waters for perfect anchorages (Follyfin seen nearest and centre), and wonderful walks on a coast path studded with clumps of 'wild' hydrangeas ...

it's easy to see why Sarah Bernhardt chose to build her reclusive home here close to the northernmost point of the island.

Follyfin went like the clappers for our 50-mile passage here from Île d'Yeu, overnight last Tuesday 17th June. It went well, in fact so well that we arrived too early to enter our chosen rocky anchorage (Port Kérel on the south coast of the island) and so had to 'heave to', i.e. stop, for an hour about a mile off the coast to wait for dawn! But it was worth it, with the lifting keel allowing us to tuck close in at the head of the inlet very near the beach. At low tide I could stand in the water beside the boat! Seeing several locals plant their fishing pots near the rocks around this small bay, we decided to do the same, collecting it again just before dawn the following day.

No lobsters this time but a few other interesting species, including a small monkfish (we think), a baby crayfish and a couple of tiddlers (not shown):

These all went back into the watery deep but not the 10 large prawns which were cooked and eaten a few hours later. We hope to catch a few more next time...

On Friday we headed round to the north coast of the island and into the main port, Le Palais, which we visited last September. We had volunteered Follyfin to be the host boat for the Cruising Association Midsummer Rally. Le Palais inner harbour was extremely crowded and noisy - until the early hours on both Friday and Saturday nights. Follyfin can be seen, just, in the centre of the picture below as the inside boat of four rafted out from her. She is just in front of that dark red-fronted building that turned out to be a night club-cum-bar, completely dead by day but very much alive between the hours of 22:00 and 05:00! France winning their match on Friday evening made matters even worse ... we have vowed never to visit this harbour on a weekend again!

Notwithstanding the unlooked for night-time 'entertainment', the Belle Île meet was a success, helped by the balmy calm summer weather. Saturday evening supper was served on Follyfin moored under the floodlit citadel (Vauban again ...). Le Palais laid on an SAR display with helicopter and fire appliances in full attendance in the afternoon and music and dancing on the quayside into the early hours - they must have known the CA was visiting! Nothing to do with France having a nationwide music festival on midsummer's night of course.

On Saturday we had explored more of this lovely island by bus and on foot, visiting the other smaller port Sauzon at the north of the island. This looked much more to our liking so it was to there we hastened on Sunday as soon as we could escape through the lock at Le Palais. Sauzon is a delightful small drying harbour with a much quieter more tranquil atmosphere than Le Palais.

with a lovely little church boasting some of the most splendid, striking, modern (1950s) stained glass windows we have seen, not to mention the perfect model square-rigger suspended over the altar.

Follyfin was sailed in at high water to a point right up the harbour creek so that she was left high and dry as the tide went down.

Sad to leave the beautiful island yesterday but a return visit to the Quiberon Bay is a must before returning home in a couple of weeks. Now turning back towards the north and east, hoping to catch a couple of days in the Morbihan again.

A : See Details(Google Map)

And langoustines!

The aftermath ...

'Caught' yesterday morning from fishing boat moored on quay at Port Joinville, Île d'Yeu. At 12€ for a kilo for 'vivant' langoustines, 'twas a tasty catch indeed!

Rested and undeterred, we sail on tonight, a 50-mile night passage to Belle Île. With a north-easterly force 4/5 forecast, it should be a very pleasant trip.

A : See Details(Google Map)

Lobsters!

The entrance to St. Denis on the Île d'Oleron could be tricky if you didn't time it right ...

Arriving there the day before my birthday, we were fortunate to find plenty of space after a busy weekend in the marina. We also spotted Wizard of Paget, a rather special racing boat (a one-off German Frers, built 50 years ago to race in the Americas Cup and renovated by its current owners 12 years ago) belonging to friends from the Cruising Association. My special birthday meal consisted of fresh lobster bought in the local market,

and cooked by the skipper, accompanied by some excellent sparkling Saumur, followed by drinks aboard Wizard. The day for me was total relaxation, doing nothing except reading (A Tale of Two Cities - appropriate for our recent visit to Rochefort), sitting in the sun and generally watching the world go by ... bliss!

The Île d'Oleron, being quite a bit larger than the other islands we have visited on this trip, required bikes for exploration. Duly hired, we set off on a rather overcast afternoon but soon realised that the saddles on hire bikes are not built for comfort. Managed to make it as far as the impressive lighthouse, the Phare de Chassiron, positioned at the northernmost tip of the island, to eat the baguette sandwich, see lots of salt pans which supply the main island industry and to visit the other possible port of call for Follyfin, Le Douhet, before returning somewhat saddle-sore. At least we established that Le Douhet is not for us: far too small and too tricky an entrance!

Staying in port a day longer than intended, to wait for a storm to pass, undaunted we set off north early on 5 June towards the Île de Ré, intending to go in to Ars. However with the wind on the nose the passage took too long for us to make it over the bar at Ars so we dropped anchor, intending to go in the following morning on the rising tide. However this plan was thwarted by the French mobile company, SFR, from whom I purchase my 3G mobile connection for the trusty iPad. After multiple attempts at recharging online and several frustrating phone calls mainly to robots that kept telling me to "tapez un si vous ..., ou tapez deux si vous ..., ou tapez trois si vous ..." and me trying all the different combinations because the bit after "tapez" was spoken so quickly I couldn't understand what was said, I eventually found out that the SFR website does not accept any bank card unless it is French. Grrrrrr! To cut a long story short, instead of going into Ars we headed back to La Rochelle where the nearest SFR shop was located. Only consolation was another port entry through the twin towers and an overnight stay in the Vieux Port.

So Saturday 7 June we had a very pleasant sail back up to Ars on the north-east coast of Île de Ré and timed it perfectly so we could enter the inner basin, Bassin de la Prée, just about at high water. This was important since there is a drying sill over which there would only be a maximum of 1.8 m of water at high tide. Even with our lifting keel, one does not want to cut it too fine. The port of Ars was alive with holiday-makers and bicycles. Our berth was one of very few available for visitors. You can see Follyfin in the centre, just to the right of the big white house with the red roof.

Ars (yes, pronounced exactly as spelled) is a lovely, relaxed, slow place. The church is very old, founded in the 11th century, and has a very distinctive tower. The carvings over its impressive doorway are unfortunately being eroded away

The town is quaint with curious old buildings dotted about the place. The ice cream is seriously good too.

At this point, dear reader, you may be wondering why this post is entitled "lobsters" in the plural. The reason is simple: we have caught our first one, yesterday, and that is not all ... this morning we had another! Follyfin has moved north again, from Île de Ré to Île d'Yeu. After quite a marathon sail against the wind on Monday 9th June, and having a forecast for settled weather, we decided to anchor overnight on the south coast of the island. The bay is between the headland with the large concrete cross and the one with the ruined castle (see previous blog post). It has a few holiday shacks and small fishing boats moored. It also has some very menacing rocks, Les Ours, which dry.

Follyfin is positioned just inland from these rocks which have proved to be fertile lobster territory. Dropping the creel near to the rocks on the first night, bated with some fish heads saved from previous meals, imagine our delight when hauling it up yesterday morning to find a lobster inside! Not quite as large as my birthday lobster, but as you can see, he was big enough for the pot and made a delicious hors d'oeuvre for last night's dinner.

What is more, we have caught another one this morning! So, this place, named the Anse du Vieux Chateau, will forever be connected with lobsters in our minds. Of course we have been here before, on the land on our previous circumambulation of this island but little did we think we would catch our first lobsters here. A beautiful spot for more reasons than one ...

A : See Details(Google Map)