Jenny Ts Summer cruise
Published 14:59 on 25 Aug 2023
Planned Salcombe departure Saturday 15 July…
Actual departure Monday 17 July.
Post Brexit procedures strictly adhered to, with a pleasure craft report (www.spcr.homeoffice.gov.uk) submitted in advance of departure, and a Navigation de plaisance hors espace Schengen emailed to contact@port-trebeurden.com for them to send onward to the Brigade des douanes de Saint-Brieuc to report our intended arrival. This would enable us to avoid entering Schengen via an official Port of Entry, such as Cherbourg, St Malo, Roscoff or Brest. The only catch being we would have to depart Schengen by one or another of the French marinas under this Saint-Brieuc French customs regime (St Cast, St Quay, Lezardrieux, Treguier, and Trebeurden).
Thus committed we departed, along with our son and his partner at 0500, heading out two days later than planned because of unseasonable week-end weather. We were to see more of this Met Office terminology…
The delay gave our son the chance to reinforce our mackerel catching kit at Ashbys.
As it turned out, although the wind had got the message that summer was back, the sea hadnt quite yet, and we met the bumpiest early morning passage we can recall since a trip decades ago. We have photographic evidence of that occasion, showing our nice clean antifouling right back to our keel root. No-one about this time, and our antifouling might have been a bit grubby anyway. We were soon very glad of our strengthened crew. Not everyone was seasick, although no-one felt entirely right, and most of us took part in the rest of the passage to some degree.
There was some grand sailing on a broad reach, mostly unappreciated except for the diversion it gave, the seas became less confused and flatter, the wind continued to reduce, and we eventually passed between the Plateau des Triagoz (with its distinctive triangular beacon) and the Sept Iles in the late afternoon, arriving at Trebeurden as light fell but in good time to pass over its sill.
No-one suggested any fishing.
Having lost already a couple of days off our schedule, the remainder of the first week was a little rushed, a shame because this part of Brittany known as the Cote de Granite Rose has the most spectacular rocky coastline and some great places to dawdle a day or so.
So after arriving at Trebeurden Monday evening, Tuesday we spent the morning getting our customs form, duly stamped by Saint-Brieuc douanes, back from the capitainerie and celebrated by having a wild swim in one of the local bays, followed by a perfect lunch snack at a creperie washed down with Breton Cidre.
Then onward to overnight at Ploumanach. This delight of an old fishing port used to dry, but a sill now keeps us deep-keelers mostly afloat. Of course that means theres a time to be there, so despite the short journey and a very pleasant gentle breeze, fishing was vetoed in favour of a restaurant ashore. Where we had the first of the Fruits de Mer. Our younger crewmembers followed this up with a creperie breakfast ashore, leaving Dad getting increasingly wound up about the encroaching departure time dictated by the sill. However all worked out perfectly, with the dinghy put away, and the spring and reverse off the rather complicated fore and aft mooring arrangements went without a hitch and off we went, leaving last nights restaurant at the top of the beach to starboard, and the unbelievably pretty little chateau on a rock to port.
The previous evenings gentle breeze being replaced by something a little stronger, but from behind, gave us an easy sail onward to Treguier, our last French stop that week. However we made it a bit more interesting by passing inside the Ile de Tome, which is just offshore from Perros Guirec. We couldnt this time stop at the harbour again behind a sill but were able to admire their extensive beaches, and note the drying route inward. Then along past Port Blanc, which doesnt dry but theres not much there beyond shelter among the sands and rocks, and into Treguier. Which has been well described by Grahams account of Mulberrys cruise. We had a very helpful welcome from the harbour staff, the pontoons there can be tricky with the tide. As Graham is also an RNSA member, we thought it appropriate to don our blue along with the masthead burgee which is always a little troublesome to get up because the stick gets caught here and there. But Graham was wearing the red, to go with his SYC Rear Commodores swallow tail burgee. And never mentioned our blue…so we neednt have bothered.
No fishing along the way, sailing too fast.
Finally after our first rest day of the cruise at Treguier, where we had moules for lunch and more Fruits de Mer for supper, and after getting the very helpful harbour staff to email Schengen checkout details to Saint Brieuc, we had a reasonable passage to St Peter Port, Guernsey. Except it got a bit bumpy off Roches Douvres.
Still no fishing.
Friday evening we were expecting to be let into Victoria marina, once there was water over the sill. (a theme here…). And having arrived mid afternoon we were in the first raft on the waiting pontoon. Instead we were greeted by a mixed batch of live music from the nearby pier. And the promise of watching would-be Icaruses attempting flight before the inevitable swim. It was the annual St Peter Port carnival.
Eventually the last birdman did their transition into duckman, and the music stopped. And the very friendly harbour staff started shepherding us into the marina and a convenient finger-berth. Just as the grand finale of the carnival started. Fireworks over Castle Cornet. Which would have been lovely to watch if only we had eyes in the back of our heads, or else risk some mooring disaster. They sounded impressive anyway.
Saturday dawned, full Guernsey breakfast at the nearby restaurant, and being their last full day with us before flying back to Southampton, our crew voted for a bus ride to the bays on the west coast, to swim or surf. Too gloomy for swimming, no surf but we lunched ok in the family restaurant just by the surf school.
Sunday and Monday in St Peter Port. Tides then ok for a return to France or maybe south to Jersey. The forecasts for later days werent good, and we knew if we once got to St Helier wed stay there in iffy weather, whereas there would be some options in France. So we went back to Lezardrieux this time, taking a similar route around the Roches Douvres. Which was a mistake as the cross tide going helpfully west met the NW hitherto gentle breeze in the opposite direction. Which freshened upwind of the Roches Douvres. And the waves really heaped up. However we had been motorsailing already and plugged on. At Lezardrieux there was no sign of the marina staff and after failing to find a suitable pontoon berth, including a failed attempt to slim down into a berth next to a very fat Dutchman (his boat, not him), we spent the night peacefully on the mid-river waiting pontoon, popping over in the morning when finger berths became free.
At Lezardrieux it became clear that more unseasonable weather was imminent. The cockpit tent reverted from a sunshade to a rain shelter. And the new AIS system we had installed just a week or so previously was not fully working. It turned out that our existing VHF aerial was faulty, so we installed a pushpit mounted replacement obtained from the nearby excellent chandlery Accastillage Diffusion (branches all over France and the Continent). Everything now seemed to work, but we werent to put it to proper test for some time.
The weather now severely limited our choices. There was an inshore route to Treguier, but not safe in poor or contrary conditions. The lovely Ile de Brehat was nearby, but deep water anchorages or moorings totally exposed. Paimpol might be doable, but we could visit another way.
Which is why we ended up spending a full week up river from Lezardrieux locked in at Pontrieux. This pretty little town is a nearby walk, the harbour staff are very helpful, the facilities including laundry and a free to use freezer for ice blocks are nearby. And after 4 days, mooring fees are cheaper by the week.
This is how we spent that week.
We had coffee and croissants for breakfast at a boulangerie (twice) despite the lady in the tourist office saying there wasnt anywhere to do this.
Went to the supermarket (twice) where they didnt have icecubes, ever.
Had lunch at a creperie overlooking a pretty part of the river in town.
Had a disappointing meal at the restaurant by the port.
Discovered that the adjacent creperie didnt do anything in the morning or the evening, or apparently at midday. Not sure why its there.
Missed the local Fez Noz because we had booked the disappointing meal.
Been to the local market.
Took a train to Paimpol where we had a good meal, bought a life-time supply of wicks for our oil lamp in a very traditional chandlery, and then a surprisingly long and interesting tour for miles around in Le Petit Train.
Took a train to Guingamp. Where we could have changed for Paris or Brest, instead we did the town. Nice enough really but wed run out of things to so about 3 hours before our return train.
Took a tripper boat to Ile de Brehat. This annual event was organised by a lovely lady in the Tourist office (not the one who couldnt advise us about coffee and croissants) in support of the local equivalent of the British Legion. This was again a mixed experience. The seemingly huge catamaran ferry, which almost filled the Pontrieux lock beam to beam, took us back down the Trieux river past the Roche-Jagu chateau, and under the suspension bridge (clearance 17m MHWS) approaching Lezardrieux marina. On reaching the Ile de Brehat, the ferry rounded the island from the north and then picked its way among the spectacular rocks and islets on the SE coast. Lunch ok after a little walk and then the rain set in. We ended up spending hours in a lounge bar of the hotel by the ferry landing. The Armagnac we bought to justify our seats was nice though.
After our week in Pontrieux, the rain and gales mostly ceased and we returned down river to Lezardrieux again where we eventually decided against a direct crossing to Salcombe. So Guernsey was again our declared destination in our French Customs form which we emailed to the marina for onward transmission to Saint Brieuc. A while later we had an official visit, they needed to see the form wed come in on. Obviously coming and going from France had confused them. All clear to go.
A very early start saw us creep out of Lezardrieux in nautical twilight, at around dead low water. The tides werent suitable for Salcombe anyway, but good enough for Guernsey. This time we went east of the Roches Douvres and benefitted from some shelter from them. Otherwise, not quite the smooth sea promised but easy enough to spot the many lobster pot buoys on the final 10 miles or so approaching Guernsey.
Good progress too, because our speed through the water was now about ½ a knot better. Our grubby bottom fouling had been killed by the fresh river water in Pontrieux and didnt take long to wash off. One advantage of our overlong stay there, but maybe just a couple of days might have done the job. AIS systems now fully working, with vessels showing up on phone and tablet Navionics.
This time we knew wed need to leave when the Victoria Marina sill was dry, so we stayed outside on the walk-ashore pontoons. A nice day on the island, with another 2 or 3 bus rides, and finally time to go home, with the best forecast wed seen for days.
Except, whilst the wind and the sea-state was all fine, this time we had fog patches forecast. The Jersey shipping forecast had fog banks. That didnt sound good but in the event the passage was worry free with all shipping showing up clearly on AIS over 10 miles away and, with a couple of exceptions, all passing over 2 miles distant. Modern magic!
We didnt fish on the way.
James and Carole
Jenny T
