To St. Malo and Beyond - July 2005

[The Jackeens]

Part One

Five go Ribbing In The Channel...

Months of planning (well alright several evenings in the pub with advice of varying quality from our RIBbing mates) culminated in an early start on Saturday 23rd July for Antoinette, Martin, Pete 7 and ourselves. The weather was due to break and of course we were due a blue moon!

Remedy, Old Spice and Merlin set off at 8.30 a.m. on a gunmetal-grey morning from Portsmouth Harbour hoping to make Alderney before the weather broke. We steamed on against the tide through a cluster of sailing boats near Cowes; their spinnakers making a bright splash on the windless morning. Already we had settled on 25 knots as the ‘happy speed’ for all three boats so we could stay comfortably in sight of each other and not guzzle fuel supplies. Yarmouth was our first stop to fill up on fuel and breakfast before heading out past the Needles (10.30 a.m.) for Alderney.

Merlin leaves the Needles in its wake



photo : Paul

[The Jackeens]

Needles to Braye Harbour in Alderney

A mid-channel stop was essential for us as long-distance cruisers (OK we were only 33 miles from the Needles ) and we began to pay more attention to the extra fixtures and fittings on Pete 7's famed craft 'Old Spice' as a choice of hot (stove-brewed) or cold (from the fridge) beverages was on offer! The sea was still reassuringly calm with only one or two tankers to break up the grey scene ahead.

Mid Channel cuppa

photo : Paul


Heading more or less 205 degrees for most of the time we soon made out Braye Harbour in Alderney where we had our only contact with officialdom as the douanes (customs) helicopter checked us out. (The Rule of Paperwork held good all the time we were away i.e. the more paperwork you prepare and carry the less likely anyone is to check it ! No-one asked us for a scrap of paper the entire trip !)

Friendly Customs Chopper

photo : Paul


We were soon on a swinging mooring in Braye Harbour as Martin cracked open the (pink ) bubbly to celebrate Day 1 of our trip.

Bubbles at Braye

photo : Paul

(Have a google at
http://www.alderney.gov.gg/index.php/pid/37 and many other Braye Harbour sites for detailed info.)

[ollyit]

looks cool!, put some more pics up!

[The Jackeens]

Hoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
(or the unforgettable sound of the Alderney Foghorn)


A couple of trips in the little water taxi (we used the traditional method of calling him up : waving and shouting ) ) delivered us and our camping gear to land and a friendly local taxi-driver drove us uphill to the campsite. Lowering skies necessitated speedy pitching of tents in the very pleasant site which had historical fortifications on the seaward side. Off we trotted in search of refreshments and eventually dinner in The Moorings.

Our first night elicited some regret at the decision to camp as the wind howled and tore at the tent pegs and what seemed like all of summer's accumulated moisture dropped on Alderney. We also paid dearly for the campsite's charming location near the lighthouse as the foghorn hooted relentlessly all through the night. There were advantages however! The inevitable trips to the toilet block across the once green sward that was by now a sea of mud were intermittently illuminated in a ghostly fashion by the arc of the lighthouse! (Four flashes as I recall ).
Sunday was planned as a rest-day but our hopes of a lie-in were summarily dashed by the loud battery emanating from the fortifications as the local clay-pigeon shoot got under way! However the campsite owners took pity on us and produced a fried breakfast and some mighty pots of tea. We did nothing to correct their assumption that we had come all the way from Ireland as we felt in the need for sympathy. However soon the day brightened up and we set off to explore.

Martin, Pete and Paul walked around the coast to check out the behaviour of the well-known Alderney Race and had a look at the equally infamous Swinge in order to plan Monday's trip to Guernsey. Anto and I explored the town ( a workout in itself perched as it is on such a steep hill). Provisions for barbecuing were bought and we all spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon in The Georgian which had a beer garden (more of a cream-tea terrace really but we did our best!) great food and extremely friendly owners.

Back at the campsite we surveyed the (minimal) damage of the night before and offered to help a teenager who seemed to enjoy the sensation of flight from the way his tent was pitched... BBQ time!

Camping in Alderney

photo : Paul

[Jimbo]

I really do like that tent!

[The Jackeens]

Originally Posted by ollyit

looks cool!, put some more pics up!

Hiya Olly !

Will do some more during the week ! Off to get organised for Monday now (see ye tomorrow at Church)

Thanks Jimbo!!!! It's very cheery on the inside too...permanently blue skies and flowers...and boy was it necessary!!! Got it in Pompey

K n P

[jackeen]

Originally Posted by ollyit

looks cool!, put some more pics up!

didnt take as many as I thought Olly but will sort out a few more in the week

Paul

[Nick Hearne]

Excellent, not jealous at all honest
Keep it coming!
Nick

[The Jackeens]

Cheers Nick !

Sunday evening : Passage Planning and Wings of Fire

Thinking ahead, we booked another cooked breakfast for the morning and began work on the BBQ. One narrowly averted forest-fire and burnt-out patch of grass later, we decided we needed a base on which to set up our little disposable BBQ. (This is where Training comes in. ) Pete 7 immediately hurdled Olympic-style over a barbed-wire fence to search an overgrown field for a stand of sorts. He emerged minutes later clutching the wing of a Landrover (probably a WW2 relic) and immediately restarted the fire to applause from the rest of the team.

Bottles were produced and extensive passage-planning ensued which involved muttering about avoiding the Swinge in the current conditions and timing our departure with the predicted flattening out of the Alderney Race thus ensuring a reasonably comfortable passage to Guernsey.

Night fell and once again we were entertained by the familiar sounds of our friend the foghorn as well as high winds and rain and for good measure, a vibrant and deafening thunderstorm!

[The Jackeens]

To sleep, perchance to dream…

A leisurely Monday morning routine involved a prolonged campsite breakfast, striking camp and a forced march to the harbour. This time ‘Baby Spice’ was pressed into action as Pete inflated his onboard tender and competed with the Harbour Taxi!

Baby Spice does her bit! (shot later in Guernsey)



photo : Paul

We left at the optimum time for the Race (1.00) but managed to catch the tail-end of the wrath of the Swinge as the waves boiled up outside the Harbour. They were mountainous!!! and the drops were cavernous!!! We all hung in there grimly until we rounded the Island cheering up as we realised The Race was exactly as predicted…running nice and smooth. We bid farewell to our friend the lighthouse as we rounded the point.

An hour of hard work lay ahead however as the seas were still full of the energy of the previous nights’ storms. On one occasion Pete’s two ton Pacific launched straight into the air, Baby Spice still strapped on the back. After an excellent landing (no faults) Pete soldiered on regardless. We kept a lookout for each other as we disappeared in the troughs and were all mightily relieved to spy the rocky coastlines of Sark and Guernsey ahead.


A welcome landmark...heralding our arrival at Sark and Guernsey


photo:Paul

The tide was dropping as we toured around Sark and we reluctantly decided against the undoubtedly remote and beautifully situated campsite simply because of the downpours of the previous two nights and our wish to be nearer amenities in case of inclement weather once again.

Anto at Sark



photo : Paul

We headed for St Peter Port and were immediately struck by the distictively French ambience.

http://www.visitguernsey.com/product/?PageId=7


Guernsey (as far as we recall!)


photo : Paul

First stop refuelling! and celebrating the significantly smaller dent in our wallets! We were guided to raft alongside each other on a pontoon and Baby Spice ferried us ashore. This time we chose a campsite outside of town and Anto organised car hire (luxury). Anto ably took the helm of the hire car and patiently taxied us and luggage to the campsite where we set up the evening BBQ, downing a few flagons in happy anticipation of a night’s sleep. For we were in the middle of the Island, far from the town, far from foghorns and lighthouses...

It could only have been the influence of the blue moon however..as from four o’clock in the morning we were all awakened not by the nightly rain (we were used to that by then) but by the farmer’s precious peacocks. JW would have enjoyed that ! They shrieked all morning to scare away foxes, greet the dawn or whatever it is peacocks do…and in the process ensured another sleepless night for us weary campers! .

[The Jackeens]

Singing in the rain…in St. Peter Port

Tuesday remained dismal as far as weather was concerned . Our initial enthusiasm about camping having worn off a little by now , we sought the comforts of the town; first ransacking Millets for kagouls and other rainproof gear.

Travelling by RIB is a great antidote to shopping as there was not a cubic centimetre of free console space on any boat! We toured Guernsey in the hire car admiring the glimpses of coast and pretty villages before deciding to eat ‘out’ as it was still raining. We made a Passage Plan for the next day which would involve a fuel stop at Jersey then sidling through the Minkies (‘Les Minquiers’ a very interesting-looking group of rocks and tiny islands south of Jersey).

We also decided to try to follow a ferry into St. Malo if it looked at all tricky. Finally we deliberated as to whether it was a crime to slaughter peacocks...

Underway...



photo : Paul

[The Jackeens]

Guernsey to St. Malo and sun at last!!!!

Wednesday dawned grey but dry. We had all slept fitfully through the regular nightly downpour but the peacocks had remained inexplicably silent! Old hands at striking camp by now, we completed the toilet block run, ate breakfast, struck camp, ferried everything to the boats and returned the hire-car by 8.30 a.m.! We left St Peter Port by 9.00 a.m. Anto and Martin were sporting helmets and so Remedy and crew looked ready for anything as we headed for our next stop - Jersey.

Once again the seas picked up as we cleared the shelter of Guernsey’s coast but the waves eased as we pressed on. A green light welcomed us into Jersey’s St. Helier and once again the refuelling stop was waaaaay easier on the pockets!! We took time to visit a Harbour café and meet up with Charles who assured us that our planned passage by the Minkies would be a breeze and we would make St. Malo in no time at all.

just lining up the waypoints



photo : Paul

a green light and we're in St.Helier!



photo : Paul


Fuelling up in St. Helier : You Chn. Islanders are so lucky (lucky lucky lucky)


photo : Paul

We planned to make high tide at St. Malo to be sure of clearing the sill at Les Sablonnes and so left Jersey at 1.00p.m. Another skipper change ensued and Anto helmed Old Spice as we blasted on through flattening seas towards the amazing landscape of the Minkies (Les Minquiers). Plenty to concentrate on as well as admire round here as we followed our route near the cardinals which marked the extremities of the Plateau. Apart from the quite obvious shapes of the rocky outcrops there was a rash of lobster pots to avoid; all of which kept us from nodding off as the sun warmed up, the skies cleared and at last the coastline of France appeared as a thin outline on the horizon.


Martin studies a Minkies Cardinal



photo : Paul


St. Malo...at last!!!!! Hang on a minute! This looks much easier than the charts!!!(Pete ransacks the fridge again!)



photo : Paul

[Jimbob]

I was wondering what you were up to. Excellent trip and dialogue

[prairie tuber]

Great pictures and text> Thanks for sharing!

[Pete7]

Twoze a great holiday looking to go back next year

GPS said we had done 380 miles in the 10 days, flat calm all the way, well nearly

Pete

[Martin]

A most excellent experience... we can't wait to do it all again. Big thanks to The Jackeens for writing this up so so well and for bringing the memories flooding back! Thanks to Pete for keeping us all smiling when things got a bit extreme

Can't wait to do it all again next year

M & A

[The Jackeens]

Cheers Jimbo, Prairie T., Pete and Anto and Martin for the positive comments. Much appreciated. (Definitely look forward to doing it again!)

Next bit (to follow at some stage) will cover St. Malo onwards (and sideways ) as some self-respecting RIBs turn into canal boats in Brittany!

Us

[The Jackeens]

If it’s Wednesday…it must be St. Malo!

Following our leisurely cruise through Les Minquiers, we steered towards the western approach to St. Malo on an ultra-safe line . Keeping a close eye on the hazards popping up on our GPS we proceeded cautiously (only to see all sorts of craft powering in merrily through the shorter routes). With excellent visibility (and red and green markers that we really could not miss ), we began to realise in fact that this approach (while meriting attention!) was much easier than we first thought from our study of the charts. We crossed the sill at Port des Bas Sablons at 2.30 p.m. and immediately a friendly Capitanerie boat appeared and guided us to the Visitor Pontoons. We tied up, walked up the pontoon and we were in France!


St. Malo Campsite

photo : Paul

A quick check in at the Capitainerie and we began to think about accommodation. We really were ready for a roof over our heads (any old chambre d’hote would’ve done nicely!) and were just about to ditch the tents in the deepest recesses of the boat lockers when a local pointed out to us that there was a campsite adjacent to the Marina (albeit at a more lofty altitude). The lure of soaking canvas and battered tent pegs proved once again irresistible!

Once we hauled ourselves and our weighty luggage uphill we were rewarded by the stunning views over St. Malo and the sea, not to mention the reasonable rates (good old ‘Camping Municipal’ style),the excellent condition of the site and a toilet block incongruously situated in old fortifications! From our pitch we had our first glimpse of the Rance which beckoned us on to the next part of our trip; down the rivers of Inland Brittany to the southern coast.

First things first though as we quickly located an Italian Restaurant nearby (you gotta go native ) and knocked back some vino (OK, vin rouge then) in celebration. At the nightly planning session the consensus was that we should explore St. Malo for a day or two before heading into the wilderness of the Breton interior.

[The Jackeens]

Chilling out in St. Malo (Thurs 28th )

For once most of us seemed to sleep through the nightly downpour and accompanying thunderstorm
Pierre Sept is indeed rightly known as Pete 7 as every morning at 7.00 a.m. he was all organised with kettle boiling in his ‘007’ briefcase (which cunningly concealed a gas cooker!).
The ramparts were wreathed in morning mist as we planned an easy day with lots of café visits and checking out the old walled town. By afternoon temperatures had risen considerably so we all piled aboard ‘Old Spice’ and headed around to Dinard to have a swim and study the formidable prospect of the first Lock we would enter the following day : Barrage de la Rance.

Then back to St. Malo and a Pizza Restaurant where we all got nicely pickled on the old vin rouge and wrote some postcards. We tucked in for our last night at St. Malo and shouted out requests as a nearby camper played a tin whistle. We were ready to hit the River!!!!

Scary Spice Dude!!!

photo : Paul

[The Jackeens]

The Rance at Last!!! (Or don’t forget your umbrella and yard brush!)

Breakfast sorted, camp struck, the motley (and often merry) crew made for the Harbour where once again the RIBs were packed for departure. Some homemade, extremely unique (and incredibly economical ) biminis were constructed and attached to each RIB by various methods (in one of the subsequent photos one may spy the use of a yard brush in securing Merlin’s canopy!). Note also Pete 7’s clever and stylish use of an umbrella!

We rounded the point and headed towards the Barrage. We radioed in for the three o’ clock lock and graciously allowed the bigger boats through first (in actual fact I think some of them were threatening to run us down!!!) Then the Road Bridge was lowered and we lesser beings were squeezed in the back of the lock.

At last we were through and made stately progress down the Rance towards Dinan. The river gradually narrowed and the landscape changed to lush green verges.
Of course we stopped for tea…and of course it involved pains au chocolat. (France is a very civilised country where fodder is concerned.) We passed through Chatelier lock on a flooding tide ( this particular lock only operates a few hours either side of highs). We skinned past a Pleasure Cruiser on a very narrow bend and indeed many bends later we found ourselves in the magical medieval town of Dinan.

Conveniently there was a lengthy quayside ! But what set (some of ) our hearts a-flutter was the very un-medieval sight of a big brash Best Western Hotel right there beside the moorings!!! As far as I recall, Anto and I were cheering loudly to distract Pete from looking for campsites! In seconds we were at the Reception Desk booking rooms. An excellent extra treat for Paul & myself on our wedding anniversary!

Martin spies Barrage de la Rance

photo : Paul

Leisurely river safari

photo : Paul