Post by malcb on May 27, 2007 15:26:59 GMT 1
OK, I wondered where to post this. Should I put it in the members only Area or the more Public Area? I wasn't in a Small Boat, I was in a 12 meter Westerly, centerer Cockpit, yacht.
So I thought, why not put it here, my trip to La Rochelle
, and I'm still smiling.
The Plan, as anyone knows who has made a plan, is a work of fiction; but the plan was to leave the Hamble at 11:00 on 16th May and Sail to La Rochelle, via L'aber Wrac'h, Cameret, benedot, Belle Ile, Ile d'Yeu and finally La Rochelle. Well that was the plan.
The reality! Wind F6/7 SW! That meant leaving the Hamble and Sailing to Cherbourg.
because the wind was from the SW and we didn't want to motor 192 miles into a head wind.
From Cherbourg to Alderney, through the Alderney Race, good trip, but we're still a lot of miles from L'Aber Wrach't and now a day behind.
One crew member (the prat) has booked his flight home on the day after the earliest we could arrive at La Rochelle, at least Dave (my mate) and I had allowed another 2/3 days slippage. This other crew member really caused some problems.
So early start and motor into a SW F6/7 to L'Aber Wrach't, arrive about 22:00, manage pilotage with 2 GPs, with both showing passing Port Hand Buoy on the Port, when we spotted it (unlit) on our starboard
Leave next morning, see marina about 200 metres away, still being comletely renovated, we moored on a buoy the night before. Wind F6 on the nose, seemed calm, the suddenly it was like climbing a mountain.
Enormous waves coming in, couldn't see the channel markers until you were on top of the waves, than you dropped into a trough and lost them again, thankgoodness for GPS.
Then suddenly out into the sea and heading West then SW the S into the Chanel de Four; the tide was with us, but the West wind that had been on the long range forecast was..... Easterly.
No matter, sails up and a good long tack at an average of 7 to 8 knots, round to Cameret
On the way we suddenly saw 2 dolphins under the starboard quarter of the boat. tried to get a picture, but the best that I got was this
as they both jumped then dived away from us.
Arrived at Cameret
in the early afternoon, showered, then 1 crew member insisted on finding a bar that was showing the FA Cup Final. That was the sad git who was completely unsupportive on the voyage. He went for a siesta at about 10:00, never stood a watch, and was a real pain in the derrière. At first we thought he was suffering from sea sickness, so we made allowances. Eventually we realized he was a lazy Ba****d, so we adjusted accordingly.
The skipper, Nigel (no not SBC) was terrific, Dave, my mate (an ex submariner) never, ever got sea-sick, and was the cook, ands I stood 90% of the watches, and in daylight that was sometimes 8 hours without a break. Remember, I single hand sail, so that isn't unusual for me, and I wasn't bothered, but I also navigated for 50% of the time.
After Cameret, the weather worsened. We were doing over 100 miles to Belles Ile, to try to make up time lost. No real problem, but we arrived in Belle Ile, 10 minutes after the lock to the marina had shut. So we had to try to moor in the outer harbour with wind gusting F7/8 Easterly (should have been F4 westerly ;D) and the French had used every buoy on the harbour, and it was raining!!!. The Pilot Book said that there you either moored between two buoys or you moored between a buoy and a chain on the harbour wall. Well when the locals had tied up all the buoys, using 3 to a boat, and the wind was blowing our sterns across the chains on the wall, making it a lottery between picking up a chain or smashing our stern on the harbour wall, there wasn't much choice,
So we moored up against the heaviest and strongest thing in the harbour; The Lifeboat, and kept our fingers crossed. We used 9 fenders, and I don't think anyone slept.
Next day left early (so paid no harbour dues) and sailed to Ile d'Yeu and picked up a passenger en route
It completely ignored any offers aof food or water. It looked at us as though this was the norm for any homing pigeon (it had rings on its legs). However, the little bugger crapped in the sail cover before it flew off ;D
Then on 22nd may we arrived in Port St Martin, in the Ile de Re, dead on schedule and enjoyed 3 days R & R in a fabulous 'villa avec piscine'.
Great trip, despite the weather (but I trusted the boat and the skipper), and one of the crew (who I will never sail with again).
I've now got the mileage and night hours to do my Coastal Skipper (RYA), and next year, I'm planning to take my boat across channel.
So I thought, why not put it here, my trip to La Rochelle
, and I'm still smiling.The Plan, as anyone knows who has made a plan, is a work of fiction; but the plan was to leave the Hamble at 11:00 on 16th May and Sail to La Rochelle, via L'aber Wrac'h, Cameret, benedot, Belle Ile, Ile d'Yeu and finally La Rochelle. Well that was the plan.
The reality! Wind F6/7 SW! That meant leaving the Hamble and Sailing to Cherbourg.
because the wind was from the SW and we didn't want to motor 192 miles into a head wind.
From Cherbourg to Alderney, through the Alderney Race, good trip, but we're still a lot of miles from L'Aber Wrach't and now a day behind.
One crew member (the prat) has booked his flight home on the day after the earliest we could arrive at La Rochelle, at least Dave (my mate) and I had allowed another 2/3 days slippage. This other crew member really caused some problems.
So early start and motor into a SW F6/7 to L'Aber Wrach't, arrive about 22:00, manage pilotage with 2 GPs, with both showing passing Port Hand Buoy on the Port, when we spotted it (unlit) on our starboard
Leave next morning, see marina about 200 metres away, still being comletely renovated, we moored on a buoy the night before. Wind F6 on the nose, seemed calm, the suddenly it was like climbing a mountain.
Enormous waves coming in, couldn't see the channel markers until you were on top of the waves, than you dropped into a trough and lost them again, thankgoodness for GPS.
Then suddenly out into the sea and heading West then SW the S into the Chanel de Four; the tide was with us, but the West wind that had been on the long range forecast was..... Easterly.
No matter, sails up and a good long tack at an average of 7 to 8 knots, round to Cameret
On the way we suddenly saw 2 dolphins under the starboard quarter of the boat. tried to get a picture, but the best that I got was this
as they both jumped then dived away from us.
Arrived at Cameret
in the early afternoon, showered, then 1 crew member insisted on finding a bar that was showing the FA Cup Final. That was the sad git who was completely unsupportive on the voyage. He went for a siesta at about 10:00, never stood a watch, and was a real pain in the derrière. At first we thought he was suffering from sea sickness, so we made allowances. Eventually we realized he was a lazy Ba****d, so we adjusted accordingly.
The skipper, Nigel (no not SBC) was terrific, Dave, my mate (an ex submariner) never, ever got sea-sick, and was the cook, ands I stood 90% of the watches, and in daylight that was sometimes 8 hours without a break. Remember, I single hand sail, so that isn't unusual for me, and I wasn't bothered, but I also navigated for 50% of the time.
After Cameret, the weather worsened. We were doing over 100 miles to Belles Ile, to try to make up time lost. No real problem, but we arrived in Belle Ile, 10 minutes after the lock to the marina had shut. So we had to try to moor in the outer harbour with wind gusting F7/8 Easterly (should have been F4 westerly ;D) and the French had used every buoy on the harbour, and it was raining!!!. The Pilot Book said that there you either moored between two buoys or you moored between a buoy and a chain on the harbour wall. Well when the locals had tied up all the buoys, using 3 to a boat, and the wind was blowing our sterns across the chains on the wall, making it a lottery between picking up a chain or smashing our stern on the harbour wall, there wasn't much choice,
So we moored up against the heaviest and strongest thing in the harbour; The Lifeboat, and kept our fingers crossed. We used 9 fenders, and I don't think anyone slept.
Next day left early (so paid no harbour dues) and sailed to Ile d'Yeu and picked up a passenger en route
It completely ignored any offers aof food or water. It looked at us as though this was the norm for any homing pigeon (it had rings on its legs). However, the little bugger crapped in the sail cover before it flew off ;D
Then on 22nd may we arrived in Port St Martin, in the Ile de Re, dead on schedule and enjoyed 3 days R & R in a fabulous 'villa avec piscine'.
Great trip, despite the weather (but I trusted the boat and the skipper), and one of the crew (who I will never sail with again).
I've now got the mileage and night hours to do my Coastal Skipper (RYA), and next year, I'm planning to take my boat across channel.
