Up the river Aulne

The weather forecast looked so bad for the week that we have taken the opportunity to come up the river Aulne. Not only is this a still and safe harbour, but the fresh water will kill all the barnacles that have already set up home on our hull. It seemed a long trek across the Rade de Brest, and we were wondering if we would make it before dark, when we had an unexpected visit from a pod of 4 or 5 dolphins. A real boost to our spirits! The marked anchorage was full of enormous warships so we anchored a little further up by the impressive Terenez suspension bridge.

old & new bridges at Tenerez

We followed the river up the following day, enjoying being surrounded by green fields and trees after all the grey skies and sea. We spotted a seal on the bank, and a tree full of herons, and some 60 kayaks came by in a procession. Eventually, we came to a wier, and stopped to pass through a lock, at which point the heavens opened, prompting the lock-keeper to refer to ‘the British bringing their weather with them’ as he donned his waterproofs!

Port Launay

Bridge at Port Launay

Port Launay was on the other side of the lock, a picturesque row of typically French houses and a waterfront lined with boats. Another 4 km of winding river brought us to the town of Chateaulin, where we are moored against the wall. We have a lovely view through a bridge arch of the tree-lined town, its wier and another arched bridge topped with flags.

We took our folding bikes for their first outing and followed the river up a bit further. The next wier has an observation point underneath it. Here, the water is diverted though a system of chambers, and cameras monitor movement in the water to keep track of the number of migrating fish passing through. According to the lady there, the season for salmon running upstream has just come to an end, but she showed us the chart on the wall showing up to 700 eels a week passing through in June. Sadly, all we saw were bubbles and a piece of seaweed! The next wier along was in a V-shape,  unusual and quite hypnotic to watch.

V-shaped wier

Further on, we came across a big gathering of people, and joined them at the ‘Fete de la Moisson’, which seemed to be a celebration of old farm machinery. Rows of old tractors and vintage cars, ancient threshing machines, a hit-and-miss engine running a circular saw, cogs and wheels and long driving belts, Dave was in heaven!

There were piglets and chickens, traditional dancing and driftwood sculptures to keep the children happy, (though they mostly liked watching the crepes being made), and I was most taken with the old men on the bagpipes.

As we sat eating our baguettes today, we had a visit from an Englishman named Tim Phillips, who used to fish on our boat from Fowey years ago. He lives nearby, and recognised the boat as he passed by in the car. He told us a few tales of the good times they had on board (he was the chef and a poor one at that), and a near miss, when he fell overboard but managed to grab hold of the trawl ropes. A small world indeed…

Around the top corner!

Reuben proudly holding a live crab 

The weather changed after Roscoff, and we motored in short hops through grey skies and head winds. The coastline here is very rocky, and the entrance to our first port of call, Correjou, was pretty nerve-racking. The channel was lined with rocks either side (just showing as it was close to low tide), and the final entry led us between a red marker post (built on rocks) and an enormous pile of rocks only 60 feet away. You have to aim for the middle and have faith that they don’t extend far underwater. It was so wet and windy at Correjou that we didn’t even bother to launch the dinghy.

Grey days off rocky shores

Next morning, we motored through similar grey conditions to l’Aber Wrach, which brought back memories of the end of our last trip, when we ate ice cream in the sunshine with the Whitton family and had a lovely meal ashore. This time, the weather cleared enough after lunch for a wander ashore and a quick play on the beach, taking in the sight of French children learning to sail little dinghies. Then, lulled into a false sense of good weather, Dave took us up river to Paluden in the dinghy, only to find not a lot there and oncoming rain. Katie enjoyed her go at steering, but we returned very cold and damp and ready for a hot chocolate!

damp dinghy ride!

Thankfully, neither of the children have been seasick on this leg, they have happily amused themselves below with colouring, lego –making or watching DVD’s. The grey days have been considerably cheered by the consumption of various French foods – salted caramel spread, designed for pancakes and ice cream, but also eaten by our crew on bread. And a bizarre discovery of Dave’s -  some kind of spread based on the popular cafe biscuits (!?!). Biscuit sandwich anybody?

Our next step took us ‘around the top corner’ – past numerous rocks and lighthouses, inside of the island of Ushant (just visible in the mist) and through the Chenal du Four to Camaret. By the time we arrived, the sun had magically appeared and we had a lovely afternoon playing on the white sandy beach. Dave gave Katie her first snorkelling lessons and she was soon doing it confidently on her own. Not many fish to see admittedly, but all good practise!

 

 

Reuben thought it was too cold for a swim and he put his efforts into creating yet another mammoth sandcastle and revelled in watching the sea wash it all away bit by bit.




A wander round the fishing village brought back more memories of our last voyage. Here we said goodbye to John Waldon, our crew from the Azores, and had a lovely meal of mussels with his wife Fiona in a waterfront restaurant. A lot has changed in ten years and I failed to identify the same place!

Camaret

We saw what we thought were carnival floats throughout the town  – a pig farm, a mushroom house, a wigwam - along with lots of people dressed as Smurfs, Red Indians, Superheroes… It turns out they were literally floats – they all got launched in the harbour, whereupon many of the ‘riders’ got tipped in! We didn’t find out what the occasion was but it looked like a good time was had by all.

Fake (floating) Harleys!

not sure of the theme here!

The next day, Katie took the plunge and got me to chop her hair to shoulder length. She was really pleased with it at first before a wave of doubt hit… I think it looks fantastic. We have sent off her 13” long ponytail to the Little Princess Hair Trust (who make wigs for children who have lost their hair through illness or treatment).

Here are the before and after photos:

AFTER

BEFORE

Fete Maritime Paimpol

Our third experience of the Paimpol Festival lived up to expectations. The harbour was filled with nearly 200 classic boats and live music played on six different stages from 2pm until 2am for three days running. A chorus of foghorns started the day off at 10am, the cue for a variety of street entertainers, walking bands and performers on the streets.

The children were fascinated by a twelve-foot tall mechanical camel, with a fur-clad body, wooden legs that ‘walked’, and a head that moved, blinked and ‘chewed’ hay. One man rode on top operating the head and neck with pulleys, while six people pushed it along, one steered and two more pulled ropes to ‘walk’ the legs. Very realistic to watch.

Mechanical camel

 There was a beautiful roundabout made almost entirely of driftwood. Two parents pushed up and down on a seesaw, which made the carousel turn. Their children rode gently round on driftwood animals, while the artist/designer played the piano. A magical and peaceful experience, and all for free!

Driftwood carousel

We had a brilliant position this year, moored just in front of the ‘Fee de l’Aulne’, which had a stage on its deck. We could hear live music without leaving the boat, and if we wanted to watch the bands, we just climbed onto the wheelhouse roof. I can’t list all the bands there were so many - lots from Brittany, but also from as far afield as Poland, Algeria, and Canada. We certainly heard plenty of Celtic pipes, rousing shanties, haunting harmonies and some incredible fiddle-playing! Our favourites were ‘Radio Babel Marseille’, ‘les Pirates’, ‘Whiskey and Women’ from California, and of course, our own ‘Exmouth Shantymen’.

Katie getting brave in front of an audience

 

Topsham friends Rachel and Gracie came to stay for the duration of the festival, and the Parry-Smiths made a detour on their way to their holiday destination! The girls got very brave climbing on the mainsail and hoisting themselves up the mast on a home-made swing. They also had fun rowing around the harbour in our dinghy.

Sarah, Rachel and Chris P-J

The children enjoyed climbing a fake square-rigged mast, all purpose-made with three ‘masts’, complete with safety ropes to catch you if you fall. Reuben reached the first platform by climbing the rope ladder, or ‘ratlines’, but didn’t want to go any further. Katie and Gracie climbed right to the top and got to ring the bell on the second platform, a good forty feet above the ground. They then abseiled down on the ropes

Reuben & Gracie on the ratlines

Katie & Gracie reach the top

 When the music got too much, we could escape to the beach, just outside the festival site. The tide here goes out a long long way, so we were delighted to discover a seawater swimming pool five minutes along the beach. It was shallow by the beach but deep enough to dive into at the deep end, and even I braved the chilly water to join the girls jumping in!

 We had an early start to leave after the festival, which meant we finally succeeded in getting some ‘pain au chocolats’ before the bakeries sold out!

The weather was perfect – flat seas and blue skies, so we hopped along the coast, stopping at various places along the way. We visited the Ile Brehat to let the children swim and build sandcastles, then had an overnight stay at the tranquil Sept-Iles, a nature reserve full of oystercatchers, rabbits, bats and seals (and puffins earlier in the year).

Looking down from the Sept Iles lighthouse

Tregastel-St Anne

The following morning, we had another brief beach stop at Tregastel St-Anne – a stunning white beach surrounded by oversized boulders, then caught the last of the tide to Roscoff, where Rachel & Gracie were catching the ferry home. We had a lovely last meal with them before their departure at the crack of dawn, and we are now heading west to try and get ‘round the top corner’ of France before strong winds hit us at the weekend. 

Roscoff

Across the Channel

After an uneventful trip to Brixham, we set off early the next morning to cross the Channel. Perfect weather for the crossing the Channel – flat calm seas and blue skies. Unfortunately, this didn’t prevent Katie from getting seasick 

Thankfully, a visit from a friendly pod of dolphins helped to lift the mood, as did a comical encounter with a gannet.

‘Give In’, as Kate named him (because he wouldn’t!) kept flying to catch up with the boat, then landing head-first in the sea alongside, before drifting back and repeating the manoeuvre. He did this at least twenty times before he finally did give in.

Another highlight of the passage was the discovery of the long-lost sugar bowl. Last seen months ago on a friend’s wedding trip, we assumed it must have somehow rolled off the deck. But when I got down the sea-safe drinks holder, lo and behold, there ‘twas!

Dave and Reuben dolphin-spotting mid-Channel

We arrived in Guernsey about teatime and anchored off a beautiful beach on the south coast. Katie was fully recovered by now and the children were soon happily playing on the beach and jumping in the rock pools. We spent a happy couple of days here exploring the bay in the rowboats and clambering and paddling on its various beaches.

Land ahoy

Katie rowing and Reuben steering!

Looking down over Petit Port Bay, Guernsey

We then sailed over to Sark, and anchored in Dixcart Bay. Despite our initial disappointment that the ‘sandy’ beach was actually crunchy stone, we managed a proper sea swim (brrr!) and a walk around the rugged island. We found a surprising number of grapevines (a new enterprise according to sceptical locals) and ‘Sark-henge’ – a mini stone circle dating from the island’s granting of independence, 450 years ago this year.

swimming in Sark

Katie with antlers! Overlooking Dixcart Bay, Sark

Reuben admiring the growing grapes

Katie with a Jersey Tiger Moth

Horse-drawn carriages in Sark

Dave exploring Sark

Katie and Reuben at Sark-henge

Today we pottered over to France in the drizzle, to Paimpol harbour. As soon as we were moored up, Dave wasted no time rushing to the shops to buy crepes and the children have been practising their ‘bonjours’ on every passing stranger! We are enjoying the relative peace for a day or two, as from Thursday the harbour will start to fill up with classic boats for the Maritime Festival, which starts on Friday. Au revoir for now!