The full photo album here.
21st – 25th March : Lorient – Lesconil (53 NM)
Back onboard after our Norwegian excursion, there are a few chores to attend to: filling up water, filling up the holds and fridge (the bikes are great!), picking up the outboard engine … we still find time for a coffee with our brother-in-law who happens to be in the area. We also chat with Gustave, a couple of berths away from us, who is working on a nice JPB32 called Nava and getting ready for a year-long trip to Norway and Iceland.
We say goodbye to the team in the harbour office and it’s finally time to take off from Kernével, course set due West, to the tip of Brittany which has to be rounded before heading North. The engine starts immediately after ten days idle, which makes us believe that the choking issues we experienced earlier in March were a remnant of the filter change and are in the past. How wrong we were …
UtPåTur has quietly waited for us on “her” berth in Kernével, it’s time to sart our journey now!
Port-Laforêt, a short walk in between two DIY sessions…
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! For this first leg we are expecting a very-nice-perfectly-suited southerly and some swell, and we are aiming once more for our beloved Belon river. The swell is there, no doubt. The wind, not really: five knots in the back, the sails are flapping in all directions, we give up and call upon the Diesel Breeze. No problem, the engine starts… and stops after 10 seconds… not again! We are however lucky in the sense that when the engine chokes, we can always restart it by force feeding fuel through the priming pump and then it runs smoothly for hours. Yet, we clearly have an issue… once again, we will have to give up the Belon river and head to Port Laforet, where we know we will find chandleries and mechanics to help.
One day spent heads down in the engine bilge to take apart, clean and put back together the filter and decanter. The engine seems to run better, but to be on the cautious side we plan a short trip only to Loctudy (where we know the shops and mechanics since our first engine issues in January). The wind is firmly set from the North and UtPåTur glides on these familiar waters, where we sailed our first tacks some weeks ago. We are definitely more familiar with the boat now, that’s reassuring! The engine starts perfectly a couple of times, hope returns … only to be crushed at the fourth attempt. And back we go, heads down in the bilge…
The fuel filter priming pump makes a weird suction noise, could it be the culprit? We speak a lot with the mechanics at LocMarine Service, who believe that it could also be the decanter priming pump. We have a new filter at hand, so we start with that one. Out with the old, in with the new, we turn the engine on and off half a dozen times and there is no air in the bleeding screw… Daring to believe that the issue may have been solved, we leave in the afternoon to the pretty Lesconil bay and anchor by the wonderful white sand beach. First night at the anchor with UtPåTur! Anchoring is so easy with the windlass. A warm shower later, we are looking out at the stars, alone in the bay… here we are, “ut på tur” for real this time!
At last alone at the anchorage! The real voyage has started…
26th-28th March : Lesconil – Brest (75NM)
Starting up this morning will be critical: if the engine runs, we’ll head North and continue our journey. If it chokes again, back to Loctudy we go… never has the key been turned so eagerly… the rotor is turning, we count the fateful ten seconds under our breath, then eleven, twelve, thirteen… the engine is still running! Yoohoo, the journey goes on!
Heading towards Penmarc’h point, the first hours are grey and quiet. We are motoring surrounded by dozens of gannets. Never seen so many in the area, it must be the season. Fish must be plentiful here too, judging by the number of hunting dolphins. Here and there the water is foaming, betraying the merciless fights for survival going on under the surface. Suddenly a huge tuna fish jumps out and splashed back violently to hit its prey! What a show…
After rounding the two lighthouses, we enjoy a better weather and more wind. We can turn our humming friend off and hoist the sails! Slowly tacking against the wind (of course we are against the wind, what else?), but it doesn’t matter: the sea is flat and the sun is shining, there’s only to enjoy being on the water, alive amongst all the dolphins pods who are so present in Audierne bay today.
Our companions for the day
The wind is backing, Audierne is coming up fast. Time to furl the sails and turn on the engine again. The key is turned, the rotor starts… and chokes again after 10 seconds… nooooo!!! Why such hatred?? Now that we are so close to the Raz, we can’t really turn back, we had better go on to Brest. And we know how to pump and force feed fuel to start…
This is the first picture taken of UtPåTur at the anchor from the tender! Likely the first of a loooong series :o)
We spend another night at the anchor in Sainte-Evette, on a very nice and sandy beach. The weather is nice, and apart from the engine everything is fine! We take out the dinghy for a ride, just to check that the outboard engine hasn’t been contaminated by its big brother… the boat looks nice from outside too :o) Laure is seduced by the peaceful anchorage and dips herself in the water – only to jump out immediately. Brrr, still chilly, in the low tens…
Early to bed, early up on the next day, since we have to time our passage with the slack at 8.30 am. The fog is so thick we can’t see beyond the bow… but we have an AIS now! Plugged on the laptop, we can see all the boats around, plotted on the navigation chart… luxury! If we are not careful, we will end up with a plotter in the cockpit and everything at the fingertip! The Vieille and the Plate towers are rounded (so the map says, we never saw anything…), and we are still tacking against the wind. We are managing better dead angle now, maybe with better trimming of the sails… and some help from the current too…
The Raz de Sein was very “misty-rious” today…
Around noon the shrouds of fog are slowly lifted and reveal the stunning coastal line of the Crozon peninsula, the “Peas Stacks”rocks, and the half dozen military vessels which are playing around in the Iroise Sea… we’re surrounded by mine explosions and rounds of blank shots… it was forecast a northwesterly wind today, it’s now blowing from the South… lucky, that’s one straight line for us towards the Goulet. We come quickly to the Chateau Harbour and tie up to a visitor pontoon, right next to Salamansa, friends of friends, who are back from Patagonia and whom we were looking forward to meeting.
UtPåTur in Brest, not far from Salamansa (dark blue hull)
It’s a short but intense stay in Brest: the days are spent on the engine (this time changing the decanter too – the Loctudy guys were right), and the nights with Salamansa. The recent trip through Patagonia is so inspiring, we can’t get enough of their stories and experiences. Their boat is also in aluminium, of a similar size as ours – although a very different layout inside. Technical comparisons and tips are eagerly exchanged. They are living onboard, doing some big maintenance and repairs and building up their treasure chest to leave again, hopefully in a couple of years…
29th March-5th April: Brest – l’Aber Ildut (36NM)
The engine bilge is closed, grocery shopping done, laundry dry, we leave again for an anchorage a couple of miles in the South, close to Roscanvel. Pfew, nice to find some quiet after the hustle and bustle of the big city! We have a good anchor, a windlass (so 40m chain is no issue), and a powerful engine to pull and set the anchor well in: we feel secure at the anchorage on UtPåTur. And we have a different view from the shower’s window every day :o)
Nohing better than a nice and quiet anchorage to recover from the intense activity of a big city…
The “goulet de Brest” in the last 12th of a spring tide…
We are close to the equinox, this is spring tides. Tidal streams around Brittany are notoriously strong and some passages are not to be tackled with wind against tide. Since the wind is northerly now (of course, where we want to go), we prefer to wait before attempting the Four passage. Exiting the Brest Goulet proves a bumpy enough ride, and we make for the Bertheaume bay and anchor on the beautiful sandy beach there. At low tide there is sand … at high tide, with the water 8 meters higher, the landscape is completely different.
Laure takes the dinghy for a rowing spin along the coast, then tries the water again… nope, still Caribbean only in colour… we have time to perfect our tide calculations for the passage tomorrow. The tide changes at Brest HW minus 5h. We shall present ourselves tomorrow at Brest HW minus 5.45 and hope that the very light wind will not cause any swell. Even at the best of moments, with the most favourable conditions, we end up with 5 knots of stream and up to 8 in the eddies! Equinox tides are no joke…
Laure is still missing her Norwegian kayak and is trying out alternatives!
UtPåTur in the cute harbour of Aber Ildut… at the same buoy as with Saltimbanque last summer!
Conditions were strong enough with light winds, no point in trying our luck outside Portsall where the wind is blowing force 5 to 6. We make way for the Aber Ildut and pick up the visitors moorings, conveniently free in this early spring.
The weather forecast is not great… northeasterlies (against us and against the tide therefore), up to force seven during the coming days, then a short southeasterly gale, then again northeasterly 5 to 6… lucky that we like this place, we are likely to stay stuck here for a while…
It’s difficult not to fall in love with this place…
Days go by, between small repairs (more or less successful) and long hikes on the coastal path. The first walk takes us to Porsmoguer south of Corsen Point (the western end of continental France), under a bright sun and in strong winds. The landscape is unique: turquoise water, white sand beaches nestled between high cliffs which reminds us of the sharp edges of Shetlands’cliffs … no fulmars or puffins here though… but plenty of dolphins and seals! The water is so clear that we can see fish swimming under the surface, from high up on the path.
The shore line at the tip of Brittamy is just incredibly beautiful…
We can even count the fishes from the coastal path!
On the second walk, we get closer to the Portsall rocks, through the cute little villages of Porspoder and Argenton. On the way back, there is a beach open at low tide. The high water mark is one continuous bed of multicolour periwinkles. They are so beautiful that we have to stop and collect the most bizarre, starting yet another seashell collection. Some of them are pink and look like our lucky groatie buckies… could it be… yes, that one is a true bucky! And this one too! A windfall, we find no less than thirty of them, which will bring thirty days without a gale (yes of course it works that way, scientifically proven)!
Approaching Porspoder, there are worse views…
Multicolor high water mark: thousands of periwinkles…
Back onboard and as the wind is still strong one evening, we are surprised to see a yacht coming in the channel. It was not pleasant outside today… as it gets closer, we recognize the ship: it’s Nava, the JPB32 skippered by Gustave. He wanted to see how much wind his boat could take, and broke the staysail’s track in the process… good for him, the shipyard “du Crapeau” is here to help, and hopefully he will be able to repair soon. It’s the opportunity for a cosy dinner onboard UtPåTur. It’s nice to meet young people who sail long distance, we didn’t see so many of them in Northern Europe… Another chance encounter: the father of Taoz skipper, whom we met around the Atlantic. We share a coffee, talk about the family and remember the good old times…
It’s already been 5 sunset from Aber Ildut…
Ok, walks and friends are nice and all, but when do we leave again? The northeasterlies seem to be backing down a little, soon we will be able to set sails, still tacking of course…
5th to 8th April: Aber Ildut – Guernsey (194 NM)
Saturday evening, we finally take off from our mooring and hit the road again. There is a lull in the wind for a few hours, which we hope to take advantage of and pass the strong currents without too much trouble. The tides are now weaker too, it should be easier. Everything is well up to the Four lighthouse, but we can see the waves breaking on the horizon… even in the lull, the swell is high and choppy. Full throttle on the engine, UtPåTur ploughs her way ahead, not very elegant but very efficient!
This is a bumpy ride all the same, even after the strongest of the current is passed, and when the wind picks up our stomachs are not feeling too easy. Laure will spend the whole night fighting seasickness, despite her patch…
We tack and tack under the stars, the wind is shifty. We’re developing quite the expertise in furling/unfurling technics, genoa and staysail alternatively. Sometimes the wind dies completely and we shamelessly turn on the engine and drive full speed on the direct course. Our friend the engine hasn’t choked once since Brest… maybe, only maybe, can we start and believe that it may be fixed?
For now it’s running well and pushing us across Lannion Bay on a lake-flat sea up to the anchorage we chose for the day, just South of Trebeurden. It feels like a summer day and we take out the cockpit table for the first time. Another brilliant invention by the former owners: the plumbing area’s bulkhead can be unfastened and clipped on to the steering wheel. Clever!
Let’s enjoy these summer-like conditions that may well not occur often in Northern Europe…
Today’s hike on the coastal path brings us to a small hill overlooking Trebeurden, whence we can see the marina which used to be Saltimbanque’s first home port… from this harbour we sailed our first tacks along this beautiful coast… we’re looking forward to enjoying it again, even though briefly, on our winding way to Guernsey.
UtPåTur anchored in magnificent Northern Brittany
Even passers-by find our boat beautiful… and they send us their pictures! (Thank you Erwan)
Tacking and tacking, under the sun and in a good northeasterly force 5. Between the Seven Islands and the pink granite coast. Nostalgic, we watch “our” rocks pass by: Tregastel, Men Ruz lighthouse, Tomé island… surrounded by squadrons of gannets flying passed the boat on their way to their colony on the Seven Islands. At the end of the tide, we take the first exit to the right and enter into Port Blanc, for a few hours stop. Of course we could have continued straight on to Guernsey, but the entrance to this harbour is too unique to resist stopping there for dinner…
Port-Blanc always delivers…
Time to sail to Guernsey!
Just as the sun is setting we leave again (better to have some daylight to spot the fishing pots that someone cunningly place right on the entrance channel…). On our winding road to the channel islands. The sea is flatter this time, and this will prove a very pleasant trip. Which is all the best, because it will be a long one too! Twenty hours tacking against the wind, to cover 45 NM… not that efficient… but who cares, it’s a sunny day and the sea is incredibly blue along the south coast of Guernsey.
Our program here is most logistics: we need to pick up a windvane and would like to fill up duty free diesel. As the wind is forecast to increase overnight, we consider heading right for the harbour… what’s more, it’s Camille’s birthday today – and that deserves a proper pint in a proper pub! This seals the deal: into the harbour we go, and even into the inner harbour. Very comfortable – our bed hasn’t been so flat in a long time!
For sure we have left France for real!
But first, we explore the showers. Saint-Peter Harbour’s showers are incredible: wide, warm, with a lot of pressure, and a portable showerhead which you can grab just like at home. These are hat-down the best marina showers on the trip so far – and it will take a good amount will and the prospect of good fish’n chips to pull us out of them. The best birthday present :o)
Gorgeous pictures as always, and so many adventures packing in to your voyage. Thank you for taking us with you vicariously while we are land-bound…watching you coming closer 🤞
Great article Laure, very informative and interesting with a lot of beautiful photos and video! I keep reading and following your posts. Wish you safe travels and God Påske 🐣