progress, albeit under motor. Originally I had intended to go E of the Iles de Chaussey but although the tide is stronger between the Chaussey and Les Minquiers, it is about 7 miles shorter. Darkness was falling and the lights of Chaussey and Cap Fréhel were a reassuring confirmation of GPS in these rock-strewn waters where jagged black shapes are just discernible in the dusk.
The wind veered east and around 11pm we were able to sail again. By 1am the St Malo fairway buoy was in sight. We made slow but inexorable progress and by 2am were making about 3-4 knots down the Grand Passage approach. This was eerie as it is very well lit with numerous buoys, beacons and light towers perched on the rocks. With no other vessels anywhere in sight it felt as if this panoply of navaids was soley for our benefit. It was a moonless night and we crept in hearing the crash of surf on rocks rather than seeing it. Soon we had the twin green leading lights of the outer harbour aligned and could relax.
We had intended to stop at St Malo under the walls of the old town but the Rance River beckoned. The tidal range on the Rance is huge but governed by the barrage at its mouth, so tide tables are only a loose guide to what will be happening. We had read good things about the Marina at Plouer but were not sure if we could get in because it has 2-2.5m depth and our Contest 40 draws 2m. Since we were close to Springs and could get up to Plouer and back if needed in a couple of hours either side of high water we decided to give it a try.
At 3am it was very dark and the shore lights from Dinnard made it difficult to discern the channel markers for the Rance. We crept in at a couple of knots under genoa alone and were a bit thrown by a ferry, which appeared to be tied up but was in fact anchored in mid channel. Once past this obstacle the barrage lights came into view. Although the tide was flooding the current in the river was ebbing because of power generation. This was a bit disconcerting and had us drifting back towards a channel marker, which loomed out of the dark and we narrowly avoided. Making use of the excellent giant snap shackle mooring line we had purchased the previous year we quickly secured to a waiting buoy. It was 4am and I decided to radio the barrage. There is a large illuminated information board giving details of “éclusage” but I radioed to check. Immediately the response came back that we could lock-in at 5am - excellent. We tidied the boat and had tea as the Eastern sky started to lighten.
At 4.55 the traffic lights went green and we motored into the giant lock – alone. The crash and rumble of the bascule bridge closing reverberated off the walls and we felt very small. Imperceptibly the level rose, a great contrast to our rather turbulent lock at Hythe. In ten minutes the inner gates swung slowly open and the hitherto invisible lock-keeper gave us a wave. We were on the Rance, a long held ambition. The sky continued to lighten but in contrast to the weather so far the morning was grey and a little misty. Nonetheless the Rance was majestic. Plenty of depth and up to 3 knots of tide with us. Some 4 miles upstream the depth drops sharply and the channel narrows between clear but small, unlit markers; not recommended for a night approach.
Within half an hour we had the twin bridges of St Hubert in sight. Air clearance is 23m and we are 19m so it was important to aim for dead centre of the span. From below it looked tighter than I’m sure it was. The tree-lined river was tranquil and embracing, we motored cautiously under the bridges and could see Plouer to Starboard. With so much tide we overshot the approach channel (283 deg) and had to crab back lining up the church spire directly between the sill markers. The cill drops once there is 1.5m and and the markers illuminate. There is also a not very easily read tide gauge. Plouer Marina is an old tide mill pound, trees crowd right down to the water’s edge and it is enclosed by mud banks; a real oasis. Once over the cill we found 2.2m metres – just enough – and were lucky enough to find a free visitors berth. We crept in, tied up and fell into that wonderful deep sleep that follows a successful passage.
