L'Aber Wrac'h

Night Sailing

On Sunday 26 August we had been invited for a long Sunday Lunch. Sadly a study of the weather forecast and tide tables confirmed that there was a small weather window in which we should be able to head west so we had to decline the invitation. Instead, after a light lunch on board, we untied and left St Peter Port sailing south waiting for the westerly wind to back so that we would be able to head west along the Brittany coastline. The wind died but, after a few hours motoring west, it built again from the south exactly as forecast. We sailed overnight working a loose 2 hours on, 2 hours off watch system. The phosphorescence that night was fantastic - very much like the Milky Way in our wake – and with the windvane set up, BV sailed herself west, eased along by the favourable tide.

As we approached the north-western tip of Brittany the tide started to flow against us. By this stage we also had gusts of 27 knots over the deck and the forecast was for the wind to increase further. Stopping in L’Aber Wrac’h seemed like the best plan so we tacked backwards and forwards to make the entrance and then raced into the estuary.

We bypassed the marina and headed up river to moor off Paluden. This was a new location for us to visit and, being further up river, we hoped that it would provide more shelter from the imminent gale.

Despite the showers we took the bikes ashore and cycled a 14 km circuit taking in the fantastic Viviers de Prat-ar-Coum on the shore of L’Aber Benoit, and the town of Lannilis where we brought some lovely rustic bread.

'Fred'

The viviers only had large crabs; larger than our largest pan. We therefore had to improvise and so after ‘Fred’ had been put to sleep in fresh water he was boiled in the wok.

‘Fred’ fed us well with enough crabmeat for a large dinner as well as crab sandwiches for the following day’s lunch and the claws became a (large) tasty starter for our meal that evening too. 

Morning Sunshine at Paulden