4th July - St Quay (Fr) to Lezardrieux (Fr)
Posted at 6:39 AM, Sunday, July 5, 2009
We spent Saturday morning completing some boat chores whilst tied up alongside at St Quay. You can see how much tidal movement there is here by looking at the long gangways down from the shore to the floating pontoons. This was mid tide. When low tide it is a real workout climbing the gangway. When high tide they are almost flat.
Took a huge effort on my part to climb the mast to sort a bad connection on the steaming lamp. Well not really climb. More a powered hoist. With Sue on the winch and me clinging to the mast both on my way up and on my way down. I am so scared of heights I am sure Sue could have let the winch go and I would have just slowly slid down on the sweat pouring from me but braked to the mast by my arms and legs. I hate it.
Also thought about the amount of fog we’ve seen so far and replaced the two LED globes we had in the deck navigation lamps back over to normal (and brighter) incandescent globes.
Left St Quay around midday to slide under sail along towards the River Trieux some 12 miles westward, which heads inland just inside the picturesque Isle de Brehat.
The coastline along here is steep to and full of rocky outcrops which either act as signposts at low tide or work as an effective laxative when water just covers them. Thank God for GPS.
Took us a couple of hours before we could point shoreward and pick our way into the estuary mouth and then up river to Lezardrieux. Exceptionally pretty especially Brehat. Had to dodge the copious ferries carrying over tourists to wander around and admire the preserved buildings and lifestyle.
Lezardrieux is six miles up river, and on the western river bank stands the old stone quays from which they’ve been shipping sand for centuries to help France continue its seeming quest of covering itself with concrete.
Except here of course.
Lezardrieux is a delightfully old town with little to despoil it. Each house would look good on a postcard. A shame for the locals that most are unlit at night - indicating holiday homes. We arrived on a strong flood tide so had few options as space in their riverside marina is scarce at the best of times and positively dangerous at this point where the river banks close up – creating a rush of water whipping between the mooring piles - so took the easier option of going for a mid river mooring buoy.
Took us a few attempts but finally managed to get a rope down to one of the rather heavy metal buoys. Once on it seems all so simple. Bastard things.
Used the dinghy to help a US yacht who came in and had difficulties doing the same thing - and got invited over for evening drinks to ’Bright Eyes’. They are just over from the US and came via Azores into La Rochelle - heading north for the Baltic. Swopped ideas on places to go etc. I was most imporessed with our outboard (Yamaha). Started on second pull yet had not been touched (except a respray to cover the corrossion) since we put it away 2 years back. Like an old mate really.
Had aimed to go ashore tonight but both feeling too whacked. Could it be the sailing? Could it be the sun? Could it be the beer / gin?
Anyway. Freebie wifi from the marina office has a very weak signal. Keeps dropping out for us on the mooring despite the super amplifier antenna we fitted back in the Canaries. Will try later once the stern and antenna swing closer as the tide turns.
Cheers for now
Sue and John