10,000 Miles and Make & Mend!

Rain showers, poor visibility, a north wind and uncomfortable berth. After several hours of sailing and motoring into an increasing swell, we were struggling to leave the Baie du Douarnenez and would miss the tide into Brest. As the sun came out we ran back into the bay and found a delightful anchorage under the cliffs of Pointe de Chèvre. 

One bright spot was seeing "Susan J" 's log pass 10,000 M.  Almost entirely under her previous owners and an underestimate of her total distance run as the log impeller is usually stopped by marine growth. 

We confirmed that the large bang while beating to windward was the bobstay parting. The photo shows the pin and mousing wire and half the thread, which was still in situ in the becket of the block at the gammon iron.  Fortunately the shackle was easily replaced but raises doubts a about all the other stainless steel shackles which would be at least 16 years old?

Anchored in 12 meters at high tide the opportunity was taken to Splice 40 metres of nylon octoplait to our 35 meters of chain and replace a sheered SMS bolt on the spray hood.

Hopefully, an earlier start tomorrow will enable us to take the tide into the Rade de Brest.

Sardines and tradition

Friday was spent ashore in Douarnenez, a short walk from Treboule, where we were berthed.

A delightful town with an interesting history of canning originating in the sardine glut of the 19th century and then just about anything that could be preserved after the sardines left the bay. The hardships that ensued gave rise to the birth of communism in France in 1921 and an early example of women's working rights being improved.

The Boat Museum had several floating exhibits, including the Falmouth tug "Saint Denys", with the only example of a triple expansion steam engine in France.  A restored fishing vessel "Santa Anna" was interesting for her rigging, which has at last shown us a better way to organise "Susan J" 's topping lift and lazy jacks.

This photo shows a steel trading schooner that trades wine and olive oil as well as volunteer crews. She is alongside a stone Quay in the floating harbour reserved for working traditional vessels.

"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!