From the Highlands to the Lowlands
On Monday 7th August, after topping up our fuel and water, we hoisted sails and headed North, away from Hondarribia.
A helpful F3/4 E wind appeared and we made a steady 5 knots in the light swells - good so far.
Our course would take us through the French missile firing range of Les Landes and we had been unable to confirm whether they would be firing today or tomorrow as it had been the weekend and they do not post any Notices out of office hours. So, in my best French (?), I telephoned the coastguard before we lost our mobile signal and they called the missile range for me. I was greatly relieved to hear that no firings would take place for the rest of the month until the 27th.
However, the wind started to head us and by midday, we were hard on the wind and then having to steer off course to the NW (instead of N as we wanted). Oh dear but we knew that we were in this for the long run and would decide later where to make landfall, hopefully tomorrow (but perhaps the day after).
Luckily, the wind gradually lifted and we were able to head N once again as darkness fell. At least, we were now heading for France!
As I started my watch (00:00 to 03:00) we were approaching a large group of about 20 fishing boats ahead of us. They were closely packed and moving all over the place while flashing lights to show they were casting nets. They also deployed flashing buoys into the water in pairs, spaced far apart and presumably with a net suspended below. We decided to tack eastwards to steer round the pack and keep out of trouble. We had been seeing large Bluefin Tuna during the day, some leaping clear of the water and as large as a man, so we guessed these were Tuna Boats. It seems they use nets to catch bait fish such as mackerel and then use these with rods and long lines to haul in the Tuna.
It took us a few anxious hours to sail clear of the fishing boats and as daylight came, we saw dozens more boats dashing South at full speed to join the hunt.
The wind started to weaken and to maintain decent progress, we turned on the engine and motor-sailed on and off for the rest of the day. We debated where to head for and opted for Ile de Re, as we calculated that we could reach a sheltered anchorage off the eastern end before midnight.
As darkness fell, we eventually sighted land - very low lying and consisting of salt-marshes fringed by beach.
We rounded the headland leading to the Pertius d'Antioche (or the bay near to La Rochelle) as the final vestiges of daylight disappeared. We still had 10 miles to cover to reach our anchorage and had a taxing time negotiating the shallow waters with various ships manoeuvring ahead of us plus more of those Tuna Boats! The bright lights of the shore competed for our attention with those of the navigation marks we were looking for and we were greatly relieved to find a place away from the dark shapes of other yachts to drop our anchor at 22:15. After a much-delayed supper we gratefully sank into our bunks.
Next day, we motored the 4 miles across to the enormous marina at Port des Minimes (3000 berths) next to La Rochelle.
We took a walk in the hot sunshine to look around La Rochelle with its famous entry towers (to keep foreign privateers away).
Although very busy, it was nice to visit and then sit in the shade with a cool beer as we watched the huge crowds and the ancient buildings.
The following day, we did our chores, stocked up on food, water and fuel before motoring back to our bay off Ile de Re to pick up one of their free moorings this time. It was blowing NW F5/6 so we were not going to set off again until dawn the next day when the tide would take us north and under the arching bridge between Ile de Re and the mainland.
When we did that trip 20 years ago there was no firing in august- must be worried about the Russians.!
ReplyDeleteWil you stop I Belle Isle on the way north?- a lovely
island also Houat
, also Houat
Yes, we heard that the ranges are being used more now and by foreign armies in August, so we were lucky not to have been affected. We had a nice evening anchored off Belle Ile and it really is a lovely place :)
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