Pauillac and Mast Lowering

Sunday 18th September, pics to follow when we have a better connection.

We are now in Puaillac after a very wet sail
followed by cooler weather with rain showers, a bit like an English
summer. The cooler weather has been a blessing as it was a blazing hot
29 the day before we left Vitrezay and we have had 2 days of intensive
work getting the mast down and Mango ready for the canals which would
have been a struggle in that much heat.

The pilot books warn to be aware of the currents in the marina and they
are not wrong as we suspect that they swirl a bit; however, as long as
you do not come in at mid tide, especially on springs, and you have a
maneuverable boat it is something to take care of not rather than be
frightened off. The harbour staff are very friendly and did a very
competent job of lowering Mango's mast (we have not found anywhere
suitable to dry out to do it ourselves) using a small crane with the
bonus of a free bottle of wine which we drank that evening when
everything was finally done.

We did well in using Pauillac for demasting as not only did we get the
free bottle of wine but all the wood we needed was available on the dock
left over from boats who had had their masts put back up. We needed some
screws and other bits to make the mast crutches and the tourist office
told us where the local independent hardware shop was (the nearest DIY
stores are 10km away) which was a step back in time: wooden shelving
everywhere and loads of stuff round the back, but you had to know what
to ask for. We also managed to find some scrap iron rod that will done
for mooring stakes when we are on the canals.

Pauillac has a very smart frontage from its heyday as a wine port and
the emphasis at the tourist office is on wine tasting and selling so it
is not hard to guess how important wine is to the local economy
(there is even a giant wine bottle on at the entrance to the marina).  However,
 Wine is now complemented by hitech industry as down stream from the port is an
oil refinery and a port for offloading and loading airbus components.

Depending on the weather we may do a short cycle tour around the
countryside before heading off to Bordeaux on Monday or Tuesday.

Visiting Port de Vitrezay

We are enjoying a couple of days in the tranquil inlet that is the Port
de Vitrezay. More pics when we have a better internet connection

Vitrezay visitors pontoon looking towards the entrance and the Gironde

It is another place that is well managed by
Charente-Maritime with a restored wetland habitat, the local square
fishing nets for hire, a visitors centre and what looks like a nice
restaurant (unfortunately shut during our stay) in addition to good port
services. The only thing missing was WiFi, which we could probably have
got in the restaurant if it was open, which means that you will have to
wait to see the pictures. The major upside is that it is a free stop, we
were put on to it by a visitor to Royan who keeps his boat here. It is a
very rural area on the Gironde flood plain. We cycled inland to the
hills where there is a small town, chateaus, vineyards and not a lot else.
Our next stop will be Pauillac where we may drop the mast if the
facilities are suitable.

Getting weather information via SSB radio

Whilst anchored in Boyardville we had no internet access so we played around with the equipment we had brought for getting weather faxes transmitted on the SSB frequencies.  We were successful, but the images were not very good, probably down to the aerial being an ordinary telescopic one extended by a loing piece of wire hung on a shroud and blowing around in the wind.

Equipment we used laid out on the chart table

In action in the cockpit

We also found that it is critical to keep the aerial away from all electrionic devices, in particular computers. The set up also requires patience as you have to ensure that it is all turned on at the right time and careful manual tuning was needed at the start of and during the broadcast.  We are hoping that if we get a good quality external SSB aerial to plug in to the radio it will improve the picture quality sufficiently otherwise it will be a matter of abandoning it or getting a replacement radio with better tuning facilities.

Cycle out to Bonne Anse

After a rather frustrating Saturday morning and early afternoon when
everything seemed to take longer than expected, not helped by having to
empty the port forward locker when we found that some water had got into
it, we were finally ready to go for the ride we had planned to Bonne
Anse for the afternoon.

Bonne Anse is the lagoon at the entrance to the Gironde behind Point de
Coubre. It is a drying lagoon with a harbour which we thought might
make a pleasant alternative to the marinas further down the channel.
Once again we experienced the wonderful cycle paths of the Poitou -
Charente region: clearly marked, segregated from cars and pedestrians
and clear of glass and debris. The route we followed initially took us
through the towns along the coast and then into the woodland that runs
between the beaches and marshes leading up to Bonne Anse harbour.

The beaches are delightful but busy, and I would think heaving in
August. Bonne Anse itself lived up to our hopes, shallow water almost
fully enclosed by sandy bars and islets which looked particularly
picturesque in the late afternoon sunshine. Unfortunately the harbour
does not appear to take visitors so we would have the option of either
anchoring in the lagoon and drying out or anchoring near the entrance
and being ready to move if the weather changed. We treated ourselves to
an ice cream on the way back which rounded of a really good excursion
which would only have been improved if we had had time to stop for a
swim. If the weather permits we will sail up and have a look at Bonne
Anse on the ebb (it is not a good idea to attempt it at night so it was
not an option when we came in).

Today, Sunday 11th Sept, it is blowing old boots with some rain and a
big swell, as forecast, so we have stayed put and are hoping it will be
fit to move on tomorrow. As always our consolation is that the weather
is much worse in the UK.

The only downsides we have found to Royan are the loud live music at
night (at weekends at least), no WiFi in the marina and the long walk to
the sanitary block.

The french sailors have been very friendly and interested in Mango. We
have as a result picked up some tips on where to call in on our way up
the Gironde.

In the Gironde estuary

After several days of watching the forecasts whilst anchored off
Boyardville (an anchorage we have come to really appreciate) we decided
to head for the Gironde on Thursday 8th Sept as the swell was forecast
to be under 2m and it looked like some nasty weather was heading across
the Atlantic for Friday/Saturday.
The forecast 3-4 with occasional rain turned into a overcast skies with
steady drizzle at the outset, a nasty 2m swell and a force 5 which
slowly moderated. However, we were still sailing in shorts (albeit with
waterproof jackets) as the water and air temperature is such that
getting wet is not the nasty shock it is in the Channel and we would
steam under full waterproofs.
We got to the Gironde entrance early and so hove to to await low water.
The passage in was in the dark but it is very well lit and as the wind
had eased the seas were OK; however, the wind was dead astern so we
ended up motoring which meant a slow journey to Royan where we are now.
Of course today started grey but has turned into a beautiful sunny day
with a light breeze and clear blue skies.
Looking back at the weather information we had we made the correct
decision, we suspect that the cold front which was passing went lower
than expected. We have also come to the conclusion that it is very hard
to predict the weather down here, or at least the way we are using to
interpreting weather information does not work as well.
Royan is an attractive well to do holiday town with lovely beaches. We
will be here a couple of days and are debating whether to spend a bit
more time exploring the Gironde estuary or to hot foot it for Bordeaux
and the canal.

Boyardville

We initially anchored in Boyardville because it was going to be a long
and wet beat to Saint Denis, the optimum place on ile d'Oleron to wait
for good weather to sail down to the Gironde estuary. Once anchored
there we realised that it was miuch more protected than we thought,
especially on higher low waters of neap tides which allowed us to get
closer in to the beach.
The beach is the first we have come across where we would be happy to
dry out. As it is September the beach is not as busy which also helps.
There is a longish walk in to the town which is small with limited
facilities, but there is a very pleasant restraunt / cafe on the beach
and behind the beach is a lot of pleasant woodlands with paths and the
municipal camp site.

Boyardville beach looking towards harbour entrance

What makes the biggest difference here is the weather: blue skies,
strong sun, warm water and wind means that buildings that would look
dreary in Britain (stained by rain and algae) look at worst OK here.
Our only problem whilst on the anchor was getting weather predictions as
we could not get a decent mobile phone connection. What we found is
that it is essential to carry something like an iPhone around with you
as there are cafes and restaurants (such as the one on the beach) which
have Wifi but do not advertise the fact. Going in to the marina at
Boyardville was not really an option as it is small, full and access
restricted to close to high water and we would be wanting to leave
closer to low water.

Left Rochefort

We left Rochefort on Saturday 3rd Sept hoping for good weather to get us in to the Gironde. Below are some pictures we took on the way

One of L'Hermione's boats passing the Cordierie Royale

Waiting pontoon in front of the end of the Cordiere Royale

 
Unfortunately, a low pressure system is going through which has meant strong winds and a biggish swell; so, as we have not been in to the Gironde before we decided to anchor off Boyardville (Fort Boyard is in sight) and awaiting more settled weather.
The coast of ile d'Oleron on this, the Northern, side is sandy with lots of trees so looks very appealing. It does have the inevitable mussel and oyster farms, including two in the channel, which means one has to be
circumspect about going close inshore. There is also the inevitable sailing school, which has provided us with some entertainment.
Today is Monday and we are monitoring the weather forecast to see if
tomorrow will be settled enough for us to leave.