Wind and Tide Tactics

As we sat in Bénodet we were studying the weather forecast carefully and using the HF radio to receive GRIB files to help plan our move further north. The issue was that the high pressure system was creating northerly winds which would not help us through the Raz de Seine and the Chenal du Four. The GRIB files did, however, predict a period of westerly winds on Wednesday 12 September. This looked perfect for us but GRIB files are computer generated and need to be treated carefully, especially around headlands where stronger winds and local anomalies are common. On balance we decided to trust the GRIB prediction and left Bénodet at 3 pm on Tuesday 11 September taking the favourable tide west and north.

La Vieille (L) and La Plate (R) at the Pointe du Raz

We had a great sail along the coast but at the Pointe de Penmarc'h we had to start beating into wind to make headway towards Audierne. Normally tacking backwards and forwards into wind gets to be a bit tedious with your destination temptingly in sight but just out of reach to windward. However, as we tacked across the Baie d'Audierne we were joined 5 times by a large school of dolphins. They rushed up, stayed with us for about half an hour each time and then disappeared off again.

Their regular checks on our progress were an amazing experience. I have not seen dolphins leaping out of the water before but this school seemed to prefer to be out of the water than in it.

We headed north-northwest throughout the evening using the sectored light to help us into St Evette where we crept into the outer harbour using a powerful torch to find a buoy we could tie up to. There are no photos of St Evette as we arrived at midnight and departed before dawn at 0600 hrs; just long enough for the tide to turn and to allow us to time our arrival at the Raz de Seine.

'Belem' heading south past Pointe de St Mathieu

The GRIB file prediction worked well for us and we made good progress through both the Raz de Sein and the Chenal du Four. As we arrived at the northwestern tip of France and turned further east the light westerly wind became less helpful. We spent an hour rigging and hoisting the spinnaker but the wind was not strong enough to really drive us forward properly in the lumpy sea. The sea state was not bad but without a firm wind to hold the boat over the mast waved backwards and forwards collapsing the spinnaker each time. Also, the tide was about to turn against us. A beer and a relax seemed like a much better idea than getting frustrated at sea so, abeam L'Aber Wrac'h, we gave up with the flapping spinnaker, hoisted the genoa and headed into the Aber where we found a lovely anchorage tucked up in the river between the oyster beds.