Sunday 20 June 2010
Saturday 19 June 2010
South Brittany
We've made it at last ! South Brittany. Nice lighthouse on the Raz de Seine.
We arrived at Loctudy yesterday evening. Had to wait outside the harbour for 2 hours because I thought it wasnt deep enough (tides and stuff). It was hot on deck so we dropped the anchor and I had a brief snooze.
Have developed a new and cunning plan for getting into marinas.
1. Drop Angela on a pontoon and motor away again.
2. Angela recruits a team of burly sailors to catch our boat
3. We motor in to our berth
4. Aforesaid sailors try to stop us from hitting anything.
Unforunately, Angela is setting off for home today as she has to be back on Sunday.
This will leave just Jean and me ... unless any of you avid blog followers would like to join us?
Confusion in Camaret
Arrived Camaret Thursday afternoon.
Sunny and warm at last.
Had a good sail down the Chanel de Fours (see picture) then across the Rade de Brest (NE F5 …lovely).
Spent an enjoyable hour helping single-handed English sailors bring in their huge boats. No damage done.
Now the problem.
We’ve been to Carentan, we’ve been past Carentec and not far from Carteret and I think we’re in Camaret but it might be Cabaret or possibly Camenbert.
Surely the French can make this a little easier for us.
Perhaps a port beginning with “B” or “P”. Please not Crawley next.
Jean and Angela have gone shopping; leaving me to “play with my ropes” … Oh, if only they understood the loneliness of command.
I think I’ll have a small beer.
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Monday 14 June 2010
L'Aber Wrac'h
Picked up Angela in Morlaix on Sunday.
Anchored outside that night. A bit wobbly.
Up at 7 today (well, Jean was up at 6.30 to make the tea)
Arrived L'Aberwatsit at 1400 F5-6 all the way. Some big waves, but Angela managed to stop me getting wet. Safely tied up now in the marina. Boat looks like a laundry.
All well
Anchored outside that night. A bit wobbly.
Up at 7 today (well, Jean was up at 6.30 to make the tea)
Arrived L'Aberwatsit at 1400 F5-6 all the way. Some big waves, but Angela managed to stop me getting wet. Safely tied up now in the marina. Boat looks like a laundry.
All well
Thursday 10 June 2010
Treburden
Thursday.
Raining, windy and foggy in Treburden Marina.
Drinking tea and eating Pain au Chocolat on the boat.
Cosy and warm.
Raining, windy and foggy in Treburden Marina.
Drinking tea and eating Pain au Chocolat on the boat.
Cosy and warm.
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Lezardrieux
Here we are 7 miles up a French river in a lovely little town surrounded by aged yotties from Lymington.
We had an easy trip from Guernsey. We were moored near a boat called “Déjà vu”. I have this odd feeling that I’ve seen her before.
Next stop Treburden, hopefully tomorrow. Gales forecast for Thursday, so we’ll stop there for a couple of days.
The baguettes are good. France is lovely; so is Jean.
We had an easy trip from Guernsey. We were moored near a boat called “Déjà vu”. I have this odd feeling that I’ve seen her before.
Next stop Treburden, hopefully tomorrow. Gales forecast for Thursday, so we’ll stop there for a couple of days.
The baguettes are good. France is lovely; so is Jean.
Sunday 6 June 2010
Guernsey
After "racing" across the Channel, we sailed to Carentan.
Carentan is a lovely little town 5 miles up a canal about 4 hours sail from Cherboug.
Next to St Vaast. Bike ride. Good food. Met up with David and Susan. Said "Goodbye" to our friends from CCRC .. what a wonderful week!
Then back to Cherboug. Lovely weather. Anchored in the harbour.
Up at 5 a.m (why so early? must be the tide). Warm and sunny by 7 but no wind. Motored to Guernsey. St Peter Port. Nice food.
We are having a day off here.
Next on perhaps via Lesardrieux and Trebourden to Morlaix where Angela will meet us on Sunday 13th for a week hopefully heading with her round the corner and South.
Carentan is a lovely little town 5 miles up a canal about 4 hours sail from Cherboug.
Next to St Vaast. Bike ride. Good food. Met up with David and Susan. Said "Goodbye" to our friends from CCRC .. what a wonderful week!
Then back to Cherboug. Lovely weather. Anchored in the harbour.
Up at 5 a.m (why so early? must be the tide). Warm and sunny by 7 but no wind. Motored to Guernsey. St Peter Port. Nice food.
We are having a day off here.
Next on perhaps via Lesardrieux and Trebourden to Morlaix where Angela will meet us on Sunday 13th for a week hopefully heading with her round the corner and South.
Albatross crosses Channel
Race Report
CCRC Passage Race Friday 27th July Chichester (England) to Cherbourg (France)
NB notes in (brackets) are for the benefit of our American Cousins.
Being complete novices at this sort of thing we weren’t s sure what to do when we got up at 3 a.m. Have an early breakfast or a late supper? We opted for neither. In an attempt to maximise our sleep we had anchored overnight at East Head (England) after leaving our mooring on Itchenor Reach on Thursday Evening.
Anchoring (dropping the hook) involved:
1. Running aground (I don’t know the correct US Naval term for this, but they must have one),
2. Refloating,
3. Dropping the hook.
We slept briefly.
Pre-dawn beckoned (it was still night), we motored out to the starting line, this was between Yacht "Gunshot" and a local mark.
Gunshot was late for her own start on account of a generalised electronic equipment failure. Fortunately, she found her way to the start line using extreme seamanship and general resourcefulness (wisdom) .. she followed all the other boats who were out there waiting for her..
Following some generally technical but otherwise unremarkable VHF traffic (does anyone else remember watching “Whirlybirds”), the hooter was hooted and off we all went.
The main things about this race were Breakfast, Lunch, Tea and Snacks. In our case mainly tea and Eccles cakes (editorial comment, no American equivalent).
As a new member of The Club (Chichester (England) Cruiser Racing Club) it is normal, I understand, at this stage to mention the progress, exploits and achievements of other club boats. As however, they quickly disappeared ahead over the horizon (and I therefore had no idea what they were up to), I’ve decided not to bother (sorry Commodore) ... but read on, if you must.
It was lovely sunny day with a 12 knot SW breeze. Albatross floated along pleasantly. For readers wondering why Albatross currently stands utterly last in the CCRC 2010 league (Super Bowl), there are two possibilities.
First, Mass. We carry 400 litres of water, 2 bicycles, enough chain to hold the Ark Royal in an F10, a library, an (empty) wine cellar and nearly 10% of my wife’s shoe collection.
Second, Incompetence.
Gunshot, Arcadia, Sikoflex, Intrepid, L’Aquarelle, Allegra, BT, Pheon, Saphire, Egret, Red Apple, Geofon (Commodore said to drop in a few boat names) all seemed to be luckier with the tide, wind, tactics and general overall mass and as a result of this luck arrived in Cherbourg (France) in good time. Meanwhile, Albatross’ race team (Jean and me) on our tenth “Trans-Manche” almost made it for the first time without using the engine. Sadly we were thwarted (blocked by a wooden seat?) by a sudden, uncharted and unpredictable tidal anomaly 300 metres before the finishing buoy.
Thus, we retired and finished last which resulted in the achievement of my ultimate, cunning and secret plan. … which was to arrive at a pontoon lined with the smiling faces of CCRC members who, ably instructed by Keith, managed to prevent any serious damage from resulting from our arrival (we didn’t hit anything).
CCRC Passage Race Friday 27th July Chichester (England) to Cherbourg (France)
NB notes in (brackets) are for the benefit of our American Cousins.
Being complete novices at this sort of thing we weren’t s sure what to do when we got up at 3 a.m. Have an early breakfast or a late supper? We opted for neither. In an attempt to maximise our sleep we had anchored overnight at East Head (England) after leaving our mooring on Itchenor Reach on Thursday Evening.
Anchoring (dropping the hook) involved:
1. Running aground (I don’t know the correct US Naval term for this, but they must have one),
2. Refloating,
3. Dropping the hook.
We slept briefly.
Pre-dawn beckoned (it was still night), we motored out to the starting line, this was between Yacht "Gunshot" and a local mark.
Gunshot was late for her own start on account of a generalised electronic equipment failure. Fortunately, she found her way to the start line using extreme seamanship and general resourcefulness (wisdom) .. she followed all the other boats who were out there waiting for her..
Following some generally technical but otherwise unremarkable VHF traffic (does anyone else remember watching “Whirlybirds”), the hooter was hooted and off we all went.
The main things about this race were Breakfast, Lunch, Tea and Snacks. In our case mainly tea and Eccles cakes (editorial comment, no American equivalent).
As a new member of The Club (Chichester (England) Cruiser Racing Club) it is normal, I understand, at this stage to mention the progress, exploits and achievements of other club boats. As however, they quickly disappeared ahead over the horizon (and I therefore had no idea what they were up to), I’ve decided not to bother (sorry Commodore) ... but read on, if you must.
It was lovely sunny day with a 12 knot SW breeze. Albatross floated along pleasantly. For readers wondering why Albatross currently stands utterly last in the CCRC 2010 league (Super Bowl), there are two possibilities.
First, Mass. We carry 400 litres of water, 2 bicycles, enough chain to hold the Ark Royal in an F10, a library, an (empty) wine cellar and nearly 10% of my wife’s shoe collection.
Second, Incompetence.
Gunshot, Arcadia, Sikoflex, Intrepid, L’Aquarelle, Allegra, BT, Pheon, Saphire, Egret, Red Apple, Geofon (Commodore said to drop in a few boat names) all seemed to be luckier with the tide, wind, tactics and general overall mass and as a result of this luck arrived in Cherbourg (France) in good time. Meanwhile, Albatross’ race team (Jean and me) on our tenth “Trans-Manche” almost made it for the first time without using the engine. Sadly we were thwarted (blocked by a wooden seat?) by a sudden, uncharted and unpredictable tidal anomaly 300 metres before the finishing buoy.
Thus, we retired and finished last which resulted in the achievement of my ultimate, cunning and secret plan. … which was to arrive at a pontoon lined with the smiling faces of CCRC members who, ably instructed by Keith, managed to prevent any serious damage from resulting from our arrival (we didn’t hit anything).
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