1st July Lorient – Concarneau
Depart 0530 – Arrive 1430. Distance 38nm
It was an early start – 0500 reveille and 0530 departure. It is still dark in France at 0530 and indeed at 0600 – despite being on central European time, this part of France is further West than the majority of UK. Historically France was on Paris time until 1911 when it switched to GMT. With the occupation of Paris it was forced to go onto CET in 1940 and has not changed back. Hence the lighter evenings and darker mornings!
It was also cold! I tentatively felt my way out of the narrow channel from Port Louis into the main channel where I was able to get the main up before passing the Citadel. I motored down the channel heading towards the Ile de Groix with the harbour and marina on this side of the island – Port Tudy. Despite little wind just before dawn broke I switched off the engine and sailed at a sedate pace of around 4kts. Around me were the early morning fishing boats of different sizes – all small and mostly fishing for lobsters. There is a designated approach channel that comes around the NE of Ole de Groix and down into Lorient. To avoid any complications with traffic that might be approaching, I changed tack to cross at 90 degrees – motor sailing. Having exited this traffic lane it was back to sailing with a course that would set me just to the West of Iles de Glenan. Time for breakfast! Fried the remainder of the rotisserie potatoes I had bought on Saturday with the last of the gammon. Buttered some French bread and a strong cup of coffee whilst Purrfect Tale sailed on auto helm
It had still not warmed up by 1100 and there was even a need to put on an extra layer. By now there were some more yachts that had woken up and gone to sea. The wind was not helpful and I had to put in a couple of tacks, one of which was between two very large pieces of rock and a narrow channel – Ile Verde and Pointe de Raguanez. There were two other boats that took this course whilst the majority tacked outside – was probably the more sensible route to take!
It was now just after mid-day and I had been going for nearly 5 hours. As I rounded Pointe de Treveignon and tacked into the bay with Concarneau and Lorient, I decided to motor sail the rest as tacking my way down this part of the coast line was going to take a very long time. Having made that decision and still freezing, I still felt famished. I did not quite have to resort to the Fray Bentos pie but did fry up an egg and had a very runny and messy egg sandwich but felt better for it.
By now we were approaching the entrance to Concarneau which is very straight forward. It is a deceptively large port as I was to find out but the marina was outside the town wall and easy to enter. Whilst putting out fenders and ropes a very patient fishing trawler was behind me which I had not noticed. Rather than give me the 5 blasts on the horn they send someone forward who shouted to make me aware they were there – a much more kindly approach!
I had been warned that the marina was tight – and it was. But there was both a dory to meet me and someone who walked the pontoons ready to take lines of arriving yachts. Fantastic! A sole sailors dream. They first tried taking me down a very narrow channel and probably saw the look of slight horror on my face before backing me out and taking me down a larger channel. I had no need to anyone to take lines as the gap between the pontoon my boat and the boat next door was such that you could not get fenders down one side – I was jammed in! Not quite as bad as it sounds – but it was extremely snug.
Once berthed and paid my harbour dues it was across the road for a beer and cafe au lait.
Purrfect Tale 