"It's a small world"

A quiet morning at Camaret, Julie stocked up at the supermarket, while David tidied up.  He managed to get the elderly computer working to pay a bill for SW Gaffers, before realising that the shore power wasn't working!

While there are few boats about at this time of year many seem to be familiar!   A motor launch with a blue ensign replaced "Agnes", ahead of us and Mark Woodhouse introduced himself.  They are friends of the Shaws, her previous owners. He recalls racing with "Susan J" in Poole, where, apparently, she was referred as the submarine, on account of often being sailed, by Dan, on her ear!  They have just retired and are embarking on a cruise towards La Rochelle, from Poole, via L'Aber Benoît, so far. We wish them well.

We sailed and motorsailed towards Douarnenez taking an inside passage past Toulonget. Going the same way, to start with, was this lovely gaff rigged schooner.  "La Recouvrance" is 140 foot long, a replica of a nineteenth century dispatch schooner, out of Brest.  Unlike us she was using her sails alone.

After a slow plod to Douarnenez, our lines were kindly taken by a young couple, as we filled a remaining gap between two large yachts with "no loss of paint".

Jack and Megan had sailed direct to Camaret from Falmouth, outside Ile d'Ouessant, the first leg of a voyage to Greece. On a budget, supplemented by fairing hulls at Pendennis Ship Yard, they acquired her last year and lived aboard at Gweek then Falmouth Marina over the winter, while fitting her out.  "Magijean" is a Halcyon 27 recognised as having being moored in the Helford for many years! We wish them  fair winds and look forward to following their nascent blog..- onceuponaboat@windycommunity - as her voyage evolves.

Fi's longest birthday!

Another windy night at Lampaul, with an increasing westerly swell, was shortened by a pre dawn departure. Taking the tide outside the rocks and islands almost as far as the Raz de Seine ànd then back into the approaches to Brest and Camaret as far south as our paper charts go.

We tied up behind "Agnes", the thitd of Luke Powell's Scillonian pilot cutters. All built from scratch, in wood in Cornwall. - "Agnes" in 2003.  She was at Falmouth and Lampaul as well and about to head back north.

This sad photo shows the collection of rotting lobster boats built in Camaret, at one time one of Europe's first and largest lobster fisheries.

We had arrived early enough for Fiona to have a birthday shower, to purchase a Breton courtesy flag, some French charts for Brest and Duarnenez and enjoy Moules Frites at Chez Philippe.

Île d'Oessant

The persistent easterlies have taken us as far west as we can go, short of Eire via the Scillies!
After a frustrating morning getting the outboard to start (turning the fuel on helped!), we at last got ashore at Lampaul, where we managed to purchase baguettes and hire cycles before the two hour lunch break, very sensibly still practiced here.

With a following F6 we soon reached the northern arm of the bay we entered yesterday.

This photograph shows the amazing structures at Pointe de Pern on the northern arm of Baie de Lampaul. Built in 1912 to carry electricity to one of the earliest fully autonomous light houses from the outset.  The strange pillars carried the power from the Creach light house half mile away, where the electricity was generated for both lights. . Nowadays the Pern light uses solar power.

The lighthouse museam at the Creagh lighthouse, it's self, was fascinating. These lights mark the north west extremety of France and like the Lizard in Cornwall the entrance to the Channel.

The second photo shows the site of an underwater warning bell, used to warn shipping in fog. A large iron structure with a bell was lowered from the rock, in to the water several meters deep and rung twice every two minutes.  Ships could ascertain the sounds bearing, as the sounds were loudest when their hull was perpendicular to the bell source.  By the end of WW1 radio direction finders had replaced this technology, using the same principle.

Despite the wind we cycled on to the eastern end of the island where the ferry at Stiff looked decidedly uncomfortable. After several cidres to try and find some smoked sheep saucisse, we and the locals decided they were apocryphal. So we ate aboard in preparation for an early departure back to the mainland.

A most rewarding passage!

After yesterday's deliberations, we took "Susan J" through the complex inshore passage of Portsail to the Four light.  Instead of heading south, we carried the tide to Ile d'Ouessant (Ushant), via the Fromeur Passage, to Lampaul, where, after an efficient beat up the spectacular rock strewn bay, we picked up a buoy and waited for the east wind to drop, it didn't, so we ate aboard in glorious cold sunshine. Possibly one of the most rewarding passages, so far!

Peace & quiet in the next Aber!

A gentle pilotage under foresails and a following wind, found us moored up this quiet, idillic ria (L'Aber Benoît).

The picture shows the crews perspective of the skippers deciding where to go next!

Summer cruise starts - the Channel

Fiona joined "Susan J" in Falmouth and after a fish and chip supper, with Scopolamine patches and an early night, we set off for L'Aberwrach.  Swinging the electric compass first (to no avail), we decided to use the elderly Sestral steering compass, still rejuvenated from it's fix of Gordon's gin in 2017, hoping that thelderly C120 plotter would sort it's self out, which it did, to a large extent.

This was Julie and Fiona's first channel crossing and overnight passage and David's first "in command" of his own boat.

We tacked as far as the Lizard, when the wind went light but still on the nose.  An early pasta supper was prepared, eaten and retained.  All crew got a good four hour sleep.  Dolphins, barrel jellyfish and even a Minke whale were spotted as well as several large ships whoose lights were interpreted with accuracy even in the rain, which gave way to a brilliant starlit sky before a sunny dawn heralded the anticipated north westerly and the Ile Verge, with it's massive light tower, at 77m, allegedly the tallest in the World.

The pilotage through the rocks, under reefed main, was straightforward and taste of things to come!

In just 25 hours, we arrived in fine fettle, if a little damp, to sample the local cidre and returning on board to reflect, albeit horizontally, on our achievement and all the new skills acquired.

David was last at L'Aberwrach, when still at at school, there was no marina just a quiet anchorage.  Now there are several cafés and bars, an active French lifeboat and just about every kind of watercraft using the delightful area of sheltered water.

On that occasion we ended up in Audierne. Four up in 22 foot, bilge keeled, gunter rigged Westerley and achieved this from Dartmouth and back in just two weeks. "Susan J" is so much more handy in almost all areas!

The photo shows "Susan J" rather incongruously, alongside all the modern boats.

Rather out of place!

Well deserved! 

AIS

One of our projects this winter has been attempting to install "active" AIS aboard "Susan J".  The already fitted passive device shows nearby vessels on the aged C120 Raymarine plotter but "Susan J", herself, remained invisible.  After much research on the Internet it appeared that a modern AIS 700 could be wired in the original's place.  So far so good. All the correct status lights, "Susan J" appeared ashore in Penryn but, since launching and sailing to the Helford River, we were still in Penryn!
An inexpensive SWR meter, designed for CB but covering the marine VHF band  (156 to 162 MHz) as well, indicated reflected waves greater than 3.1 to 1. The cables conducted, did not short and the connectors were in good condition. The only thing we couldn't check was the aerial and connector at the top of her mast.
The riggers had been up twice, to check the rig, replace the steaming /deck light and replace the frayed jib halyard. On discussion with them they had observed some slight corrosion, when removing the Windex and fitting a cheek block for a pigstick (and dressing overall!).
This probably explained why, unlike other yachts, increasingly since acquiring her, "Susan J" has needed to be within hailing distance of the Harbour Master, to get any response! We have been reassured that, because we could hear other vessels and the Coastguard, all was well. En route to our mooring we tried our second ever "radio check" with Nare Point NCI, who, after a mobile telephone call, were very helpful and able to confirm a rather weak but readable signal over just one mile in plain sight (but no AIS) on low power.
After the above investigations and further confusing enquiries regarding an aerial suitable for AIS as well as VHF, it appeared that, a modern version at least, of the aerial we had (with wind indicator as Julie already missed the old one!)   should suffice and might be simple to replace.   We also now have a new, relatively inexpensive  VHF/DSC instrument, with all the same features, to replace the aged separate DSC and. VHF boxes, in due course

We have since met David, Ben and Jake of Riggers UK, of Penryn, again at the Falmouth Yacht Haven because the tide was too low at the start of our summer cruise.

We can report the picture shows the new aerial being fitted....