Getting Underway: L'aberwrach to Camaret Sur Mer- 1st August

We left L'aberwrach behind with a forecast of wind south-westerly, force 4 to 5 with a risk of a F6 gust and that is exactly what we got. The passage plan was to exit the L'aberwrach river by the main channel and sail west towards Cape Finisterre where we would have to tack in a SW direction against the prevailing wind or motor down the Chanel Du Four. As we are in sailing boats we always want to sail if we can and tacking against a tide is usually unproductive as every mile you gain you get pushed back by the tide so we chose to go when the tide was running in the same direction, i.e. running towards the prevailing wind. Any yachtsman knows that wind over tide can cause rough seas so we tried to plan to get through the Chanel Du Four before the wind strengthened. From entering the Chanel to leaving it is approximately 5 miles which would normally be about an hours sailing. Chris and I tried to tack but eventually gave up and turned on the iron donkey while Carla and Pete attempted to sail the whole way. The first three and a half miles went by without a hitch but the stronger wind arrived and we found ourselves in very confused and aggressive seas. The waves were approximately 2 to 3 metres in height but with no regularity. The boats bucked and rolled and was thrown about unmercifully. The autohelm couldn't cope with it so we had to steer manually and keep the boat tracking through the deep water to avoid the worst of the over-falls.

As we were passing the St Mathieu Light House a large ferry was approaching the Chanel from the south. Of course this sea is nothing to him but he saw us struggling to keep on track and stopped till we had passed and were safely on our way again. Once we were through the overfalls the sea miraculously smoothed out and we had a fabulous sail across to Camaret Sur Mer where we tied up in the marina and cracked open a bottle of bubbly.

Chris' feeling during that really terrible journey -

I always wonder why I like sailing being buffeted up and down, white horses, cold wind in your hair, the loud engine and wind on the b ****y nose but then the sails go up and you are gliding along like a bird giving you a sense of freedom. Everything seems OK and then the waves start getting bigger again and all I can think about is getting into the marina for a nice gin and tonic. At one point the sea decided to throw a wheelie bin full of water in the air which landed on top of Simon. Luckily I was down below making a cup of hot chocolate.
We've been through rough seas before and for longer periods of time but never so confused and impossible to predict, which made that hour of sailing one of the most challenging we have faced to date.

Ferry giving way to NANUK in the Chanel Du Four

Point St.Mathieu

Chris helming in the Chanel Du Four

Approaching Camaret Sur Mer

Camaret's Boat Graveyard

Marina at Camaret

Sunday 4th August

Chris and Robin have childhood memories of Morgat just a short bus ride from Camaret so we took a day trip there, found the hotel they stayed in and had lunch in a nearby restaurant. Chris particularly remembered how she had been buried in sand by her brother and was still finding it in unmentionable places all these years later!! The manager of the hotel remembered Robin and has an outstanding bar bill that he'd like settled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!