20th June – Camaret Sur Mer – St Ettiene
This was another milestone day. So far I had turned ‘half the corner’ – Chenal du Four – to day was the trickier Raz de Sein. This has a vicious reputation at the bottom end. As ever with these tidal gates, timing is everything. I had looked at the pilot books and the advice was to get there at Brest HW-0100 as the tide was turning. I had estimated it would take me 3 hours to sail the 15 miles to the Pointe du Raz which meant leaving at mid-day. However I was a little impatient to be off and after asking the harbour master to lend a hand with the lines, I slipped around 1100hrs. Wind was from the NE and was around 15kts – just about right. A reach across the bay, cut through the Chenal du Toulinguet and then more or less a single tack down to Pointe du Raz.
There were a couple of boats ahead of me, but most were leaving after myself. I had timed it perfectly, whilst I did have some tide against me most of the way down – it was a pleasant sail.
Although I did have plenty of time I was keen to turn the corner as soon as I was able. I was heading for St Evette, some 5nm+ South and East of Rax de Sein. It was a very popular location for both those waiting to go North through the Raz as well as a stopping place for those going South. There were a large number of buoys – very closely packed together in a sheltered bay – as well as the ability to anchor. I was keen to get there early to both get a buoy and have some manoeuvring space to pick one up.
The sail along the coast line was lovely – a little reminiscent of the Dorset coast, with villages nestled into valleys, quite isolated from each other.
Coming into the Bay it was indeed crowded! However not too much. A racer-cruiser with a couple on board had picked up a buoy by the stern rather than bow. There is a lower freeboard here and one of them could lean over and thread a line through the hoop. The freeboard on Purrfect Tale even at the stern is quite high and not a feasible option. I picked a buoy, had my lines ready to throw over and identified an escape route if I missed. Despite the tangle of lines on the foredeck, I managed to loop the buoy first time and then threaded the line through the loop.
Within an hour the remainder of the buoys had been taken. We were indeed close to each other and I had to shorten my line considerably to prevent boats swinging into each other.
It was a pleasant night on the buoy and I slept well.
Purrfect Tale 