Off to sea again

Amazing how quickly half a year goes by! Tomorrow we're off again, back to Arzal in Brittany to complete fitting Follyfin out for the new season's sailing. She is due to be launched on Saturday 2 May and there are still several tasks to complete. Skipper will be concentrating on re-packing the stern gland (don't ask), without which we wont have a functional engine, whilst Mate will be treating the under-surface of the hull with special anti-fouling paint. Not a pleasant job - it smells as it sounds: foul!

The more eagle-eyed of you readers will have noticed the change in title of this blog. This is because we are venturing much further afield in 2015. First back to the UK for some work to be done on the rigging in preparation for - hopefully - an Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean in January 2016. So this summer we will be tackling the Bay of Biscay, crossing it from Falmouth to A Coruna in northern Spain. We will be joined by three more crew members for that passage. Assuming we still want to continue after that experience (yes I am joking), we will then continue cruising down the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal, aiming to arrive in the Canary Islands, via Madeira, by end of September.

Just in case we need it we have had the life raft serviced. This is what it looks like once inflated and before the crew climbs aboard:

 and this is how it will look once we're safely inside!

More anon on the extra equipment and safety measures that have been added.

How long is a piece of string?

Too long is my answer. When the skipper asked me to 'sort out' and rewind a hank of special cord he had purchased at a knock-down price at the London Boat Show earlier this year, I replied "Yes of course, no problem". But that was before I saw the extent of the task.

Actually Skipper, there is a big problem. Especially as I immediately found TWO ends and both started pulling from the middle! What's more, the original bag contains two more tangled hanks!

Afraid these may all have to be brought home to be sorted out in front of the fire on a cold winter's night ...

This afternoon Follyfin was lifted out of the water - 'tirer de l'eau' and then 'mise á terre' in French - so now we are back on terra firma, although still getting the sensation of moving as if afloat. We now have 2 days in which to complete the winterising process, much of which has already been accomplished whilst afloat in the river and riding out the strong winds and rain of recent days. The fore cabin bears witness to our winterising so far ...

First job now we are on the ground is to pressure wash the under-surface of the hull - the bit that has been in the water until now - and the Skipper is doing this as I type this post.

And as you can see below, he's rather enjoying himself ... Intent on removing all the salt and fresh water weedy bits that like to cling to the hulls of all boats, not just ours.

If, dear reader, you are like me and have not come across pressure washers before, it is that yellow thing in the photo. It requires electricity and water in close proximity - a dangerous combination some might think, but it does seem to work. And I should mention here that this one was kindly donated to us by our good neighbour and friend Dave, who has upgraded to a more sophisticated model to use on cars rather than boats. Thanks Dave!

Now hoping for a fine day tomorrow to do some more, yes you've guessed it, WINTERISING!

Last of the Summer Fine

Arrived at Foleux on the Vilaine river this afternoon. For those of you who have been on board Follyfin whilst cruising this beautiful river, this little place is 4 miles up-river from LRB (more formally known as La Roche Bernard, named after the Viking Lord Bern-Hart who founded the town around 1000 AD, and sporting a massive rock with a cannon on top on the edge of the town). After a long period of very settled weather at the centre of a high pressure system, the weather has now changed as a warm front closely followed by a cold front passed over us today, accompanied by strong wind and heavy rain. But as I write this in the evening, the air has cleared and all is calm on the river again.

Next to us there is a sleek-looking yacht flying the Japanese ensign. As a Japanese registered sailing vessel, it is probably unique on this stretch of coastline! The middle-aged couple on board has taken 6 years to get here, leaving their yacht every 6 months on the way to fly home to Japan. They have crossed oceans and are fully equipped for long periods off-shore, so we are taking notes for anticipated future voyages of Follyfin.

My last post was written from Port Tudy on the Île de Groix, a small island only 4 miles long by 1.5 miles wide, about the same size as Alderney in the Channel Islands which we visited in 2011 on our maiden 'cruise' in Follyfin. We took a walk on a sunny afternoon, taking in a visit to Les Grands Sablons - a long sandy convex beach, almost totally deserted except for a few fishermen.

This place was so perfect and tranquil, and the weather so settled, that the next night we decided to anchor close off the beach, where we were rewarded with a wonderful sunset.

By Wednesday our thoughts were turning to home. So with very light winds forecast the next day, we turned back south east and were able to fly our Gennaker once again, probably for the last time this season. Over a distance of about 20 miles we achieved an average speed of just under 5 knots with this sail alone in a south-westerly wind force 2-3, the wind just abaft the beam (I love that phrase!) and the sail still well filled. It has been a learning curve with this sail, which is likely to continue.

Yesterday, Friday, we made an early start in order to catch the 2 o'clock opening of the barrage lock into the Vilaine. This time we were rewarded with a wonderful sunrise.

Once inside the river and safely moored onto a wide pontoon, it was all hands on deck to remove the sails ready for winter whilst they were still dry. We knew rain was on the way and so it has proved to be. Are we smug? Yes indeed! The next few days will be taken up with gradually removing all the rigging and bits and bobs on deck, servicing the engine, generally cleaning and attending to all those little jobs that have been put on hold whilst enjoying sailing. But there will also be a little time to enjoy the Vilaine river hereabouts; after all we still have an engine! Follyfin will be lifted out of the water on Thursday 9 October after which we really will be heading for home after the weekend, car piled up to the nines. Hey ho, the ceaseless round continues.

Adventures of a Cabin Boy

Cousin Jim, self-styled cabin boy, joined the crew of Follyfin in Vannes. He is a seasoned sailor so we wanted him to see her put through her paces. And anyway he was here for the sailing and not for the beer, wine, or fresh croissants, baguettes and somewhat delicious French food. Or maybe he would like a bit of both?

Regrettably we couldn't organise a gale for him but the 6 days sailing did afford everything from downwind sailing with the now not-so-new, colourful Gennaker sail on the first day to Île Houat on the southern rim of Quiberon bay, through a lively fine reach 50 miles SE to Port Joinville on Île d'Yeu during which the wind gusted to 26.2 kn (force 6), to flat calm motor-sailing all the way on the final day from Sauzon on Belle Île north to La Trinité.

We enjoyed local produce and sunset whilst anchored off Houat,

and we caught an eel (sadly inedible without smoking or jellying facilities on board) in the creel whilst anchored off the south coast of Belle Île, as well as two very large mackerel on the final day whilst motoring through the rocky Teignouse passage back into Quiberon bay.

There was also time to enjoy the high life at a quintessentially French restaurant (The 09) on Île d'Yeu where they served both crab and lobster in wonderful arrangements ... Cabin Boy did very well choosing that one! We also ate out in Sauzon - grilled sardines, the speciality of the area - before heading back on the final day. You can see Follyfin moored fore and aft in the middle and on the right of the picture below.

All too soon it was time to bid farewell to our cabin boy, but not before a celebration on board on another perfect evening in La Trinité. All in all, it has been a most enjoyable and action-packed week.

Yesterday we departed from La Trinité and are now berthed in Port Tudy on the Île de Groix, just 5 miles south of L'Orient, a large city on the mainland. Time to do the chores!

Time Out

Apologies to those of you who have been hanging on my every word ;-) We have had visiting crew aboard Follyfin since my last post, so there has been no time for blogging in between sleeping, sailing, fishing, eating, drinking etc. etc. You get the picture?

We have had superb sunny and warm weather since arriving back at Follyfin. With Wendy and Kevin we enjoyed a leisurely trip down the Vilaine river from Redon, then out to sea and across to Hoedic island, visiting Rieux and La Roche Bernard en route. Unfortunately one member of the crew suffered from mal de mer en route to Hoedic, not helped on arrival by a slight centre-temps with a couple of fishermen with whom we 'discussed' (in best pidgin French) who had priority on a particular pontoon berth. All adverse events were dissolved by a brisk walk to the west end of the island the following morning.

All too soon it was time to say farewell to our now competent crew - it was their second cruise with us - as we waved them off on the bus to Vannes, from where they could catch a train back to Redon and retrieve their car.

In the next post the adventures of Mr James Dash, aka Cabin Boy, aboard Follyfin will be revealed ...

Wedding wind-down

Following a hectic week of clearing up after The Wedding of our daughter in Yorkshire, Skipper and Mate are now back aboard Follyfin at Arzal, Brittany, her current home.
Brittany very warm and sunny on arrival Monday morning but relaxation had to wait awhile as the Engineer had to make a small repair under the keel before Follyfin was lifted back into the water ... with only 24 hours in which to do it. The repair involved squeezing into and working in a very small space under the floorboards, disconnecting lots of wires, unscrewing several giant and reluctant bolts, cleaning up the rust from the area, applying anti-rust paint and then doing all that in reverse.
Quite a marathon especially since both of us have been hit by an unnamed bug (virus?) causing flu-like symptoms - possibly caught off our 7-month old grandson Noah who came down with something similar during the wedding weekend. Not that we are blaming him of course! We persevered and managed to prepare Follyfin for launch just in time. And now it is time to recover as we lie at anchor a few miles up river in peace and tranquility, just RELAXING!

NOTE: Sorry Folks, no pretty pics in this post yet ... since I last posted 'they' have done something to the app that I use and at the moment I can't figure out how to get round it. Hope to add pics later once problem is resolved. FB.

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!