5th - 8th July - Lezandrieux(Fr)

Posted at 1:18 PM, Wednesday, July 8, 2009

 Swagman’s now spent three days sitting at a buoy up river off Lezandrieux Marina as some blustery uncertain  weather has gone through.  One minute it's really hot sun, the next clouds, the next torrential rain, then gusty winds, and then it repeats itself all over again.  Tedious. 

We originally aimed to hang here for just 24 hours then go on to Treguier just around the corner, but a failed starter relay problem Sunday morning put paid to those plans.

Fortunately we’ve been able to secure help via the UK’s Sea Start to get hold of Nicholas from Trieux Marine Services.  He diagnosed the problem on Monday, and overnight got us some new (and bigger) relays – plus one further spare.  Now when we're ready and able to get going, the winds picked up a few notches.  So it is another chilled day hanging out on the River Trieux and using the freebie wifi - compliments of the marina.

These are some other smaller yachts hanging on the waiting pontoon looking back up river.  The marina is 200 years off on the right hand bank - out of picture.

The big white painted stone piles are to help direct the unbelievably big sand dredgers up river where they unload so the sand can be washed and graded before being carted away by road and rail.

Since arriving Saturday we’ve been exploring.

Up river some 6 miles in the dinghy to the village of Pontrieux on Sunday. If you wait for the right tide, and you mast is shorter than the 18 metres clearance under the railway viaduct, you could take your yacht up there to Pontrieux town quay.  Looks like one simply ties up alongside, rafting as required.  It seemed to have quite a few sad deserted boats parked up – shame.  It is only a short but interesting walk to explore the town proper. 

We roared our way up stream planing the dinghies in company with our new US pals off Bright Eyes.  High wooded banks – beautiful.  

Did it too fast on the rising tide so found ourselves forced to lie back and chat on the waiting buoy for 30 minutes enjoying the sun as we waited for the lock just before the village to open.  No wait at all on our way back down as the tide was almost up.  Then only 2 foot difference twix river up and down stream each side of the lock.

We’ve got out walking most other days taking the little lanes running up country and down the river.  It is a very pretty place and some of the properties are to die for.  

Sad that most seem to be holiday rentals – this always makes me think the locals are badly done by. But who knows, maybe not?

Also read a lot of books. Plus hooked into series five of ‘24’ sharing a couple of bottles of red and Cointreau.  Headachy the next day, so it is not all healthy living.

Now we are in good working order, think what we’ll do is slip from here once the weather is more settled and do the run along to Trebeurden – and only then think about our passage round the corner to the south side of Brittany. 

Postscript.  Engine fired up fine this morning but when we arrived off Trebeurden and tried to start - guess what?  Right.

Now on mooring waiting for tide so we can jump start the engine and get in over the sill - plus of course  waiting for Nicholas the electrician to return my call.

Cheers

JOHN and SUE