Camaret Sur Mer to Anse Pen Hir - Tuesday 6th August

Camaret is a pretty little port but we'd been there for some days and we were getting stir crazy so we decided to go and anchor in a bay just a short way down the coast a bit south from Camaret.  It has the advantage of being free rather than paying 24 euritos in a marina.  So we filled up our water tanks, checked the engine and off we went.

Here are some of the pictures we took along the way:

 

 

More rugged coastline

 

and again

 

Chris at the wheel again

 

An old gaffer (another one)

 

The Bretons call these Vieux Grement which I think means Old Rigging

 

 

At anchor in a bay called Anse Pen Hir

 

Captain Birdseye catching Mackerel

 

ANCHORING - nautical stuff not for my brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Anchoring is something you either love or hate.  It has the advantage that it's free and private, but it has the disadvantage of being only as safe as your anchor's holding power.

 

When you anchor overnight you are either visible by moonlight or you are invisible if there is no moon or thick cloud blocking out the light.  Under these circumstances you are, in effect, an uncharted obstacle so it is important that during the day, when you are anchored you hoist a round, black ball in your rigging to say to others that you are attached to the seabed by anchor.  At night you are obliged to show an all round white light to indicate that you are there and prevent collisions.  Some old boats use a hurricane lamp but most modern yachts have a light fitted at their mast top.

 

The skipper of a small boat needs to know that his boat is staying where he anchored it, in other words he needs to know his anchor is not dragging so he will record compass bearings on three immovable objects so he can check his position (alternatively he can set an alarm on his GPS).

 

When you first anchor you find that you are up half the night worrying about your anchor dragging but when you get used to it you can sleep soundly having confidence in your anchor.  On one occasion we were anchored in the river at Treguier where the tide runs at about 3 knots.  I slept soundly but Lynsay sat up most of the night worrying about the holding of the anchor.