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2007 here we come.

I am officially retired (in principle) as my 65th birthday has passed in February.

After a great holiday in South Africa we are all ready for the new

Sailing season (God's window 9400' above sea level)

My thanks to Doreen and Kevin Carroll for organising the South African holiday and the visit to

 David Rattray Fugitives Drift who so passionately told the stories of the Zulu wars.  Unfortunately

David was shot dead 4 weeks after we came back a sad loss to the area and the Zulu people who he

regarded as friends and dedicated his live too.

..:..

May 9th

Lots to do at the start of the season this year, fit a calorifier, a new hot and cold shower tap, and a galvanic isolator, all before we set

off south.

We have made our mind up to spend more time in each port and do more cycling especially around the islands.

............................

The weather changed when we got here this year, having had such a good start in the UK, sunny for the past 9 weeks. Cleaned the boat off and rigged sails in the first 3 days, rushing in-between showers to get the sides done. Spent the next day fitting the calorifier and had a difficult time as the position I wanted it was the most difficult. The new shower tap (off EBay) is a great success tried and tested, but I had a problem with the galley tap as the fitting for the hot water is just not available.

I wanted a smaller cockpit table as the Scanmars original one is great but too big to be left up all day, so last winters project was to make a smaller one that folds down. I acquired a saloon table and cut it up to get the right proportions. The next thing is to get a bracket that fits the binnacle the one sold by Lewmar (old Whitlock) was far too expensive so had a S/Steel one fabricated for a 1/4 of the price. The end result was a usable table.

We left by the evening lock and spent over night on the holding pontoon before setting off in the morning thereby missing the rush for the first lock of the day this we have done before and find it less stressful, by the time the early lock has come through we are in the estuary 7 miles on.

La Turballe

First stop this year was La Turballe a fishing port being taken over by the sailing craft as the fishing industry dies. This port is a 24 hour port so easier to get in and out of but the berthing is in a large square and so in the main season it would be manic with rafting out up to 6 boats, so not something we would prefer. The port itself is a holiday destination and caters for mass visitors to the beaches around the port.

The next morning the weather forecast in the harbour master office was different to what we normally see this was a typed sheet and lacked some of the detail but as we had the previous 3 day forecast we decided to move on, Bad Move. We set of at 0715 F3/4 by the time we had got to the Loire estuary the swell and the wind strength went up to F6/7 and gusting over that. Double reef and a "patch of foresail" we had to continue across the Chenal Du Sud, but as soon as we could we changed course to head for our standby port of L'Herbaudiere which is on the Ile Noirmoutier, a 24 hour port so no problems. I am pleased we did as the weather deteriorated and lasted for 2 days.

L'Herbaudiere

This is one of the expensive habours on the west coast but needs must and 20 euros a night for 2 nights was paid. The port has just been upgraded from a predominate fishing port into a leisure port. Not a lot here but a pleasant port and nice to be out of the weather which ran at f7/8 all night and part of the next day. Its still too early for the French to be sailing so most of the shops and cafe' are closed.

Ile d'yeu

Its just 27 miles to Ile d'yeu  so less than a half day sail, we arrived in Port Joinville at 13.00 "Hebe GB" took our lines they had come down the day before having turned back the day of the gale. Plenty of room in the port this time of the year, last year the port was closed as it was over crowded.

Next day out come the bikes and off we go around the island and finished up at the Fregate for lunch, still a very nice place to visit and the food is exceptional, this is a simple chicken salad

After a visit to the supermarket, (Closed for 3 hour lunch) we stock up on the vitals and get ready to depart for Les Sables d'Olonne, our day was cut short with the requirement for a quick departure as other gales were heading our way. We had a 24 hour window to get ourselves tucked up again in a safe port or stay here on the island.

La Sables d'Olonne

32 miles later we arrived at Port Olona. Booked in for 3 days so the gale passed us by though the wind in the harbour was gusting 7/8  the winds lasted for 2 days and lots of rain, our early start to the season was getting a bit of a waste of time. As we entered the harbour we noticed they were putting more pontoons in on the other side of the harbour which was the fishing port on the Les Sables d'Olonne side these will be ideal for the town and eating out.

When it was not raining we walked up to the entrance and looked  at the sea but photos never look as bad as it really is, there is a 3 mtrs swell out there.

 After our compulsory stay our next stop was La Rochelle where we are going to leave the boat for 2 weeks and fly back to the UK, have to attend a wedding.

La Rochelle

A 42 mile sail on a very nice day but the wind was just that bit "on the nose" to sail for more that 2 hours as we needed another 15 degrees to make our course, so on with the motor until we got behind the Island of Ile De R'e then we had a good sail but was a little "tippy upy" Arrived in the early evening went down to the old port only to find it had been closed for the replacement of their pontoons in the harbour and the wet lock (it should have been finished in March) so back down to Minimes and look for a spot, not easy. Spent the night rafted out but next morning we spotted a boat leaving so managed to get a pontoon, this was very lucky indeed. We had not had a good start to the year so decided to stop here for 2 weeks and leave the boat for another 2 weeks. Out come the bikes and we enjoyed our stay. riding around the coast and into La Rochelle market every other day or so.

For information the ferry goes to La Rochelle from Minimes also you can catch a number 10 bus from the marina to the town and a number 7 out to the airport, all very easy to do. But remember no buses on a Sunday.

There is a cycle path into La Rochelle and is an easy ride, great works of art on the way as well. Glad we did not get into the old port as when we cycled there 2 days later they had a very large fair all around the old port, Will have to remember the date. (last weekend in June) The old port has been out of action since March and mid June they do not seem to be any further ahead although the basic pontoons are installed they are still out of action.

The Minimes port has internet available in the office and wireless on the pontoons, but I could not get my laptop to pick it up, neither could the chap just up from me, so a daily trip to the office was called for. 

We decided to stay in Minimes until we fly back to UK for 12 days the reason being that to get a pontoon is now getting very difficult as the marina is over subscribed and if you leave the visitors berths you will not get back on to a pontoon so leaving the boat would be a lot more difficult if it had to be berthed in a rafted area as boats are coming and going all the time.  Even the French do not leave their pontoon berth now, they come down for the weekend and stay on the boat in the berth. La Rochelle have applied to build an extra 250 places in a new extension to existing Minimes marina.

Lots of bike riding along the coast ( can be windy) mostly on cycle paths so less of a problem to the nervous. If you have not got bike then you can get them FREE as the photo shows you park up in another bike park  and leave the bike there. In the marina bikes are free for the first 2 hours then 1 Euro per hour after that, so there is no excuse for not participating.

Time to go home for a wedding in the uk.

Catching the bus into La Rochelle to the main square (Place de Verdun) then change on to the number 7 that takes you to the airport in about 12 minutes, the whole journey takes 25 minutes and cost less than 5 Euros for 2 of us.

Arrived back 24th June taxi from airport as no buses on Sunday 20 Euros to Minimes, Nice day glad to be back in the sunshine, having said that this year has not been a good year for weather, although it has been tolerably warm there has been a lot of wind and in the wrong direction.

Ars en Re

Time to start going back north to meet up with friends, left La Rochelle on the 29th June for Ars en Re a small port on the Island of Ile de Re (see 2006) its a very sheltered and a  none commercial port good place for bird watching. This year we watched the "festival of the sardines" when the old and the new fishing boats came into port, led by a Chinese junk! with a band on board also 3 bands playing on the shore as they came up the canal.

Off on another cycle ride easy going but against the wind coming back and I got another puncture!!! Cycling is a family activity on this Island. The Island is also known as "flower of salt", so lots of salt pans all around the Island.

Back to Les Sables d'Olonne

Left Ars en re with the wind on the nose and head banged all the way into Les Sables only to find they had been blockaded by a fisherman's strike. What good blockading the port does I do not know, its just antagonizes everyone so they loose the support they think they are getting, its a "no brainer".

"Camille" a Westerly on the same pontoon showed me a simple but very effective "boom preventer" that cost £6 from a climbing shop. I tried to move it when set up and no chance, but as soon as he released the tension the boom moved. Its a must for any boat. This is a brilliant idea

Fisherman's Blockade

The blockade was lifted 2 days later so not too bad for us and we left at 0645 the next morning not sure if we were going to Ile Yeu or not. The radio was full of people talking about the fishermen and what ports were going to be blockaded next, already 2 more were shut on our route back so we decided to go back to La Roche Bernard direct 88 miles, at leased we would be in our own port. Odysseus did very well and we did not go under 6 knots all the way according to my Tsunamis monitoring log.

We text "Bridie" to ask if our berth was occupied and that we may be back this evening. Bridie said they would Organise the berth and did we want a meal when we got in, "yes" was the reply, we missed the 19.00 lock by 15 minutes and so went through on the 20.00 lock. Boats that went into other ports on the way back did get blockaded so we made the right decision, it was not for another 9 days that all of the blockades were lifted.

La Roche Bernard

Back "home" we could relax and look forward to Bastille night a few days away. Lots of "Brit boats" in for the celebrations so met up with people we had not seen for a long time, Mike and Michelle had taken delivery of their new Beneteau 39 and were here, we had not seen them for some time. After looking at their new boat both of us have "itchy feet" more space, big fridge, decisions, decisions.

Guess who is making a mess of his food!!!!!!!!! Yes you are right its him again. You cannot take him anywhere!!!!!! fireworks at 11.30 pm. a good day was had by all.

Paul had a lot of work to do on his boat to get it clean after the winter, and he worked hard to get it back up together, even got Gloria to help!!!

Rieux

As the weather was still windy but Paul wanted to go somewhere we decided to go up river to Rieux, it is a small village on the Vilaine that we have visited before in 2005.

We needed to leave at 12.00 to get to the lifting bridge by 2.30 that was the first lifting after lunch. Its a good 2 hours motoring to the waiting buoy. Once through the bridge its only a matter of 3 miles to Rieux. You can got on up to Redon as we did in 2005 as far as the road bridge or go into the marina used by the canal boats but it is a little noisy and very dusty as it is next to the main through road. 

I had forgotten how nice Rieux was and we had good weather for the 3 days spent there. This time the hotel (red shutters) was open and we had lunch there one day, excellent 4 course and wine 10 Euro, it is quite common to get this type of food at lunch time in France especially if you are in a rural setting.

"A very peaceful end to the day"

Fishing is a French pastime and they eat everything, however there are good size fish in the river as you can see, but the river also gets traffic up to Redon this is a dredger returning down river after delivering gravel to Redon, there's not much room in parts of the river for you to pass if you have a deep keel. The cost of staying here if you use the electricity and showers is 7 Euros' a day (£5) and the shower block is immaculate, washing machines are 3 Euros'.

After we came back to LRB the weather changed again and we had more winds for a week.

Fridge problems.

During our enforced stay in LRB the fridge packed up and I spent 3 days trying to fix it, in the end I went to an electrical engineer and had a talk to him to see if I had missed anything, during this conversation I remembered the time I had a fault on my heating system and the fault was a fuse that had turned into a resister and got hotter when used until the voltage drop was sufficient the system to drop out at low voltage. I tested the voltage drop at the fridge compressor and sure enough the voltage was 10.3 volts and the supply from the battery was 13.2 volts. This time I could not find the fuse so re-wired the system with a new fuse holder and fuse, Voila, fridge now working the best it has ever been. Now all I have to do is find the cable run and fuse in the back of the control panel, not easy.

End of July and we have people coming to see us, our friends who we went to South Africa with and my Daughter and her boyfriend, in the end both turned up at the same time which meant we could all go out to dinner in the village. We took Doreen and Kevin on a "boat trip" down the river to Arzal and back just to give Kevin a feel of what "wet games" are like.

 Joanne and Tom wanted to go up river to Rieux, they would cycle up there on fold up bikes a distance of just over 12 Miles and we would motor up and wait for them. They both did very well and after seeing us about half way they arrived 2 hours and 2 bottles of cider later. Both needed to cool down so went for a swim.

 After our stay we returned down river only to met St Germine on her way up, when you get close you can see just how much water is displaced in a very small waterway, the bow pressure wave could put a small boat into danger very quickly.

The trip down the river is always something special, the wild life and watching life on the farms which line the route all the way into LRB. For most of the trip we are above the land as a valley drops away on the right hand bank by up to 100 foot in places so controlling the river height is very important issue.

Coming to the end of our sailing year, we decided to go out one last time before lift out. Off we go through the lock and to Le Cruesty for 2 days the weather has been a lot better for the last 3 weeks and its nice to go to familiar places in the Quiberon bay. After this stay we traveled on to Port Haliguen for 3 days. All our fishing attempts only caught 1 mackerel so not much for dinner.

During our stay in Haliguen Virginia R arrived from her trip up north and berthed along side of us, had a good 3 days but the weather was due to change again with f7/8 forecast for the following day. We both left and had a gentle sail back (37 miles) to the Arzal lock and back to LRB for the last time this year.

Back early this year for the birth of our first grandchild, so off to Arzal and lift out.

Back for lift out at Arzal

Lifted out at Arzal.

End 2007