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After 11 years sailing in Northern Europe, we are back to Brittany, home to our first cruises! We have seen amazing landscapes, incredible shorelines, picturesque villages telling tales from the centuries past, friendly sea-creatures… and yet we are still struck by the beauty of the abers and rias here, and the rocky edges of the western shores :o)
More sunny pictures, bordering on the scorching hot, in our page
Photos
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215 miles sailed
1825 miles since the start
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23th -24th July: Helford River – Aber Wrac’h (100M)
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This is a short weather window, the wind is due to drop before we reach the Breton shores, but the first 12 hours should be quick, with a good force 4 from the North-West. We leave at dawn, as soon as the flow allows us to leave the river and there’s enough light to spot all the fishing pots springled over the water everywhere. Here we go, for our 10th crossing of the Channel with Saltimbanque!
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Moved by keen fishing instincts, we drop the line even before turning the engine off… and we catch 2 mackerels one after the other in the river mouth – how efficient!
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Gillan Creek is as beautiful from the sea than from the coastal path! And the weather is much better today...
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Under the cloud of gannets busy feeding, many dolphins are hunting the same fishes...
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Lunch is secured, we can hoist the sails and set the course to the South, sailing with the wind abeam on starboard as usual (it seems that we have been sailing on the starboard tack for most of this cruise!). The weather is fine, the wind settled and we even put in a reef for a couple of hours! Saltimbanque is happy, full speed ahead in a long swell. There are dolphins around, many more than 15 years ago as it seems it us.
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Passing the first part of the TSS is eventless. As we start across the second part, the wind drops… we can’t wait to be clear of the big ships highway! Once out, we hoist the asymmetrical spinnaker and catch the last of the wind. To our surprise, the latter is not so quick to die, and we can put up the genoa again until dark! The night is dark indeed, unfortunately without phosphorescent plankton. We can’t see them, but we hear them: the dolphins are still here, merrily splashing around the boat.
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Camille on her Saltimbanque, riding the long swell in the beginning of the crossing, pretty cool!
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This morning we have sailed below the 50 degrees North, for the first time since 2013. A little after sunset, we spot a flash on the horizon, a white spot every 5 second. It’s the Ile Vierge lighthouse!!!! It’s Brittany :oD it’s just there… at a mere … oh, wait, there’s 27 NM still to go on the map! In a dying wind and with a strong tide… well well, we might see it, but we’re not there yet!
15 NM left and it’s getting obvious that we will not reach port without the engine. The last hours are dragging on at 3 knots, slowly and noisily, shaken by the remaining swell… When crossing the Channel with peak tides, we don’t really sail straight. We get washed eastwards by the rising tide (the flow) and then westwards by the descending tide (the ebb). We are planning to reach the Libenter mark (entrance to the channel through the rocks of the Aber Wrac’h) at the start of the flow, and therefore have kept West of it. But we are slow, the flow is already starting and even quite strong, and we are not West enough. We need to overshot, progress carb-like half drifting and half forward, to keep on the mark. This is very slow, partially facing the stream: 2.5 kts, then 2kts, the more we wait the stronger the flow.. 1.7 kts… only 1 NM to go. We can see the white light of the Libenter over the shoreline. It is slowly moving in the right direction: we will make it. Wait, will we? Now we’re drifting in the wrong direction, we have to overshot even more, heading more and more against the flow. 1.6kts… then we feel a puff of wind, like a miracle, and quickly unfurl the genoa to catch it. 1 kt faster- we clear the mark! What a relief!
Now that we are in the channel, we just need to steer eastwards, clear of the rocks and ride on the flow all the way to the Aber Wrac’h… good that there are sufficient buoys around, because we are sailing fast now!
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After a bit of driving around the parking lot, we finally find a free spot and just jump on it !
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It’s pitch dark at Libenter, half-light at Cezon Island and… full daylight already as we reach the harbour. The sun is rising so fast here! But this is rather convenient right now, to be able to see the moorings and realise that they are all taken, and that visiting yachts are even rafted 3 alongside each other at the pontoon… it’s peak season apparently… we are getting ready to raft ourselves, as we see navigation lights turned on in the mooring area: a Dutch boat is leaving, we quickly sail to her position and get ready to grab the mooring, feeling a little like a car on a parking lot at rush hour…
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We are back to Brittany, back home! But this will be even more enjoyable after a few hours of sleep…
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24th-25th July: Aber Wrac’h (onshore)
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We have been spotting a few drops of water under the engine for some days now. Some of them are expected, coming from the stern gland, others are clearly coming from outside… we were not worried. But looking more closely before crossing, it becomes obvious that the waterpump seal is leaking. We recognize the symptom, and make a note to change it soon. It is a fairly regular maintenance operation, we have the spares onboard (3 times…)
We prefer to be moored at a pontoon before opening up the engine. We tune to the marina VHF channel to follow up on the yachts movements, and catch the first berth available. One needs to be quick around here! Dismantling the water pump and putting it back together is no issue, and we even get some help from the local mechanics to press the pump back together with their hydraulic press. Very kind of them.
A few hours later, the engine is watertight again. As it turns out, this is the first real intervention during this cruise. Apart from replacing a rivet on the solar panel in Westray, we have not had a single technical issue this trip!
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A bit of mechanical DIY onboard Saltimbanque, just so we keep our skills!
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Now there is no room for doubts, we have made it to Brittany!
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We have nothing else to do in l’Aber Wrac’h, but we don’t fancy beating against the strong south-westerly wind forecast for the next day to round Brittany’s tip. We will stay one more day, and therefore move again to the first mooring available – cheaper and quieter than rafting up in the marina!
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The next day sees us on the hiking trail again, enjoying a nice walk to the Aber Benoit. The views are unfortunately somewhat obscured by the rain, but it’s still a nice walk, from big rocks to white beaches, dunes and forests.
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Aber Benoit river, too bad the weather was not the best...
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26th July : Aber Wrac’h – Aber Ildut (20M)
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Sailing out of the Aber Wrac'h, along the islands Vierge and Wrac'h, and their mythical lighthouses
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New day, new landscape: away went the rain, together with the wind… oh well, our engine is strong and will bring us through the Four Channel – especially with favourable stream!
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Such was the intention… but a strong westerly swell slow us down. We get through the first milestone with the tide, but slower than planned. Right after the Four lighthouse, we get confirmation that we are too late to pass Saint Matthieu on the same tide. Not a big deal: we are just outside of l’Aber-Ildut, a place we discovered and loved in 2011. Jumping porpoises come and say hi, as if to invite us in.
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The Four lighthouse marks the end of Brittany, always very majestic...
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The harbour of Aber Ildut has changed a fair bit, but it hasn't lost its charm!
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The sun is warm and it is low tide, which makes the entry into the channel between the rocks a pleasant and dramatic experience. There’s 7 meters difference between high tide and low tide sea levels here, and you can see it on the landscape! Once inside the river however, we can’t recognize anything! Where are all the moorings we remembered? Instead of buoys, there are pontoons, a small harbour dedicated to yachts, and another one for the numerous seaweed-collecting vessels – the main activity here.
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Very well, but we still like moorings better. Luckily there are a few spaces left on mooring lines (one buoy aft and one stern), like in the good old times. To the young harbour master, to whom we put that the place had changed a lot, we must have sounded like dinosaurs… he was probably in primary school when we were here last…
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It's way quieter on a mooring in the middle of the river :o)
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At last an evening when we can stay outside until the sunset, it's finally feeling like summer!
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The surrounding area is still stunning and the weather positively summery! We are happy to wear shorts, t-shirts, hat and sunglasses, and even to sweat a little! We even dare to have both drinks and dinner in the cockpit! Sailing under the sun – bliss…
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27th July: Aber Ildut – Camaret (20M)
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Still the same weather, beautiful, warm and flat! We are planning a short day today, motoring passed Saint Matthieu Head. To kill the couple of hours before the tide turns, we walk in the coastal path up to Porspoder. This part of Brittany is stunning, with its big rocks, white sand beaches, outlook on to Molene and Ouessant islands… it is a beautiful country…
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Very scenic walk at the very end of Brittany, under a more and more insisting sun
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Tidal stream vorteces by le Conquet, in flat calm conditions.
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Just like planned, we motor passed Saint-Matthieu, taking advantage (a lot!) of the tidal stream. A light thermal breeze is picking up later, and we can put up the symmetrical spinnaker to sail the last downwind miles to Camaret. As we reach the harbour, there are even some true gusts, pleasing because they cool down the air…
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The marina is full, but most moorings are empty. Perfect, we still don’t like sticking with the crowds! We do like this summer weather however, and we hurry to shore to get a rare treat so far this cruise: an ice cream! Yummy! We are still slurping when we reach the end of the harbour, and the little chapel Notre Dame de Rocamadour, where beautiful models are hanging from the roof.
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Camaret harbour seen from the boat...
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... and from closer!
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Tonight again we have dinner outside, surrounded by several old gaffers on their way back from the recent gathering in Brest. It is an encore to the show we enjoyed two days ago, sailing out of l’Aber Wrac’h together with two plan Fife boats (Moonbeam 4 and Mariquita) which were tacking in the channel under full sail!
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We share this gorgeous sunset with an old gaffer
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The day before we had shared the channel in Aber Wrac'h with Mariquita
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28th July: Camaret – Lesconil (50M)
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Today the wind is expected to pick up more than in the last few days, and we hope to make good progress. The breeze remains rather elusive at the start, and we alternate between engine and sails until the Sein race, so as to control the timing and arrive in the passage with the strongest streams at the right tide. The weather is still beautiful, and sailing along the rocks of Toulinguet point is stunning.
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Touliguet point and its famous rocks
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Once again we sail the Raz de Sein South bound
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We end up motoring through the straight between Sein Island and the Raz Point, still enjoying a few free knots, offered by the tide. A gentle breeze picks up in the afternoon, as we start on the crossing of the loooooong Audierne Bay (20 miles of sand). Perfect conditions to put up the big spinnaker– we can always take it down when the wind increases…
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… or so we think: the wind is impressively stable, and we end up crossing the whole bay pulled by the orange and blue balloon. We are steering manually, even though we think that even the pilot could have handled it, so stable as it is. What a change from the Oslo fjord and its strong local gusts – or from the Baltic Sea where the wind goes from 0 to force 5 in no time!
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There are much worse ways to cross the Audierne bay!
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The sun slowly sets over the Penmarc'h point
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We are now in sight of Eckmühl lighthouse, at the Penmarch point. We are almost there when the wind finally gives up and leaves it to Junior to close the day. It’s the usual time for dolphins to come around and say hi, half-hunting half playing around the hull.
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It’s so nice outside… we even have a pre-dinner drink in front of the Guilvinec (alcohol free of course, we don’t drink and sail). Luckily we reach the anchorage by the beach near Lesconil before dark – which is helpful to avoid the pots and manoeuvre between the boats already there!
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The hook falls on pristine white sand just before the night does the same
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Here we are in Southern Brittany, the goal for this trip, after 12 hours of comfortable sailing, dry and warm. We are not even a little tired, after steering under spinnaker for 4 hours non stop. Stark contrast with the 12 hours sail to Dublin, under the beating cold rain, which left us exhausted for a few days! Summer is magical…
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29th July: Lesconil –Isles of Glenan (12M)
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Sunrise over the rocks around Lesconil
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Lesconil beach looks fantastic, but we won’t see much of it… we leave again before the sun is up, to make the most of the northerly breeze which blows during the night and early morning.
We leave the anchorage with the sail only, always elegant, and nicer for the neighbours which are still asleep. We glide on the flat sea in the pink sunrise. Course is set towards the Glenan archipelago, our last stop with our dear Saltimbanque.
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The weather forecast (no wind, lots of sun) incentivize us to explore further than the usual spots, and we first head to the sand bank called Guiriden. 4 meters of clear water. Anchor down, we hop in the dinghy to reach the almost deserted white maerl beach.
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Saltimbanque in Guiriden !
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Let's get to shore, this desert island might host a treasure?
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Even before setting the second foot on the sand, we can already count the small cowry shells (our lucky charm shells). We hadn’t found any during the rest of the trip, time to catch up on our collection! It’s hot and sunny, we are suddenly transported back to Barbuda in the Caribbean. There too, the beach was covered with cowry shells. So we start picking up, focused on the harvest.
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Guiriden reminds us a lot of Barbuda!!!
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First swim of the trip for Camille, it was about time!
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A few minutes later, we raise our heads… dozens of inflatable boats arrived at the same time from nowhere, and are starting to colonize the beach! It’s soon reaching a level of unbearable overpopulation… end of the Barbuda feeling :o( Time to beat retreat and seek refuge in the shade under the bimini, open over Saltimbanque’s cockpit. We jump in the water to cool down. First time this trip for Camille, she had waited for the right spot!
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As the sea level falls, we are a little too close to the shore for our comfort. The wind is expected to veer North during the night, so we decide to find a better place for the night. The main anchorage in the Chambre is protected, but we get claustrophobic as we pass through it, so many yachts… it seems that the whole of South Brittany decided to meet here today… we never saw so many boats here before.
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Glenan islands are beautiful, but it's not a well kept secret...
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Anchored south of Cigogne island. Can you spot Saltimbanque's anchor?
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Rounding the Cigogne island, we find another anchorage in the south, where we can spend the night thanks to the small tidal difference in neap tides. Still a lot of boats here, but more bearable. The water is super-flat, even clearer than next to Guiriden. We can see the chain up to the anchor from the boat…
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A short dinghy ride to the island and we pick up some winkles for dinner. We also walk into the newly renovated Cigogne fort. It looks less shabby than when Camille used to volunteer there, as a sailing instructor in the Glénans school… 20 years ago… not getting younger…
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For the very last time... where is Saltimbanque?
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Last sunset for Saltimbanque...
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The scene is set for our last night onboard: the warm sun, winkles and drinks, a stunning landscape… this was the least we could do for Saltimbanque!
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30th July: Isles of Glénan – Belon (13M)
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Today we are heading for home, in the Belon river, where Camille grew up, where we started on the Atlantic loop, and where we came back to.
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Leaving with the morning breeze, we can sail across the archipelago, happy to be elegant for the last time… the wind dies quickly however and we have to motor the rest of the way.
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Yep, it's still beautiful with the morning light !
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Here is already Trevignon, then the passage between the Ile Verte and Raguenez. Good fishing grounds, 3 mackerels are invited onboard. We also see our daily dolphin here. The lighthouse on Port Manec’h is getting bigger… and … is that a green buoy??? Have they marked the entrance to the Belon river now??? We must have been away for a long time… 11 years exactly, and we have visited many countries since then: England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Russia, Åland, the Shetland, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. All these flags are flying out to the wind on Saltimbanque’s backstay, as we enter our beloved river.
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Once again Saltimbanque enters the Belon river...
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...rich of so many adventures and countries visited!
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Full of experience and knowledge, with plenty of milles under the keel, we come back to our little village. Happy is he, who like Saltimbanque, has made a glorious voyage…
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