FRANIMA’S SUMMER CRUISE 2003 - Rosemary Millerchip
The diary was at last clear so a decision was made to take off, come what may, for our Summer Cruise. On Tues. 8th July, although the weather was not ideal for a Channel crossing (no wind), we set off down the Solent to Alum Bay. We like it here, a lively anchorage by day but quiet and peaceful by night – and an ideal jumping off point for a crossing to the Channel Islands.
A daytime crossing saw us anchored in Braye Harbour by 6pm having motor sailed through fog banks all the way. 0750hrs start the following day we motored via the Swinge to Havelet Bay, St. Peter Port. No wind, very hot and, to our surprise, very few yachts: at this time of year Havelet Bay is usually very busy! Ashore for shopping and a very good lunch at the Guernsey Yacht Club. This is where we top up our reading matter – there is always a good selection of secondhand books for sale, the proceeds going to the RNLI. We’d topped up the fuel tank, an easterly 3-4 forecast and we were all set for North Brittany.
We have several favourite anchorages along this coast so our first stop was Pte de Chateau, Perros Guirec: there is ample room to anchor as well as several visitors moorings. It had been a lovely warm day and enough wind to sail. The next two days we spent in Perros Marina. The Anse de Perros dries so one has to approach the Marina on the rising tide; the lock gate is only 6 metres wide and on ‘neaps’ may not open for up to four days. So visits here must be planned with care! We think it’s a grand place – a busy little port, good bus services to Lannion, Trebeurden and Ploumanac’h, adequate shops for victualling and lovely walks.
We’d never been to Morlaix so decided to make that our next stop. Again lovely weather. We anchored at Pen Lan in the entrance to the Morlaix River whilst awaiting the flood – again a delightful spot. The river is well marked with buoys and beacons and with the tide boats take only about one hour to reach the locked basin at Morlaix. The approach is very off putting – dismal and ugly – after all, it had been a commercial port handling vast quantities of tobacco but the basin itself can accommodate a considerable number of yachts. The visitor’s area was full and we were slotted into a tight berth alongside a Warsash S.C. yacht. The weather turned sour so we spent the next week here exploring the town and surrounding area. We also met Solent Section Cruising Association friends and between us had a great time with each boat in turn hosting pre-dinner drinks. Morlaix is a small charming city with beautifully preserved buildings, good shops, good restaurants, supermarkets, launderette, trains to almost anywhere, the largest street market we have ever seen, it engulfs the whole city centre and a very sheltered marina. We must mention marina fees-stay 5 nights get 2 free!
On leaving Morlaix our next port was to be the Rade de Brest with an overnight stop at L’Aberwrac’h. The marina here was full and by late evening all the buoys were rafted up. The weather had again deteriorated – rain and thick fog - so there we stayed for two more days. Day 3 and the weather had improved a little but with the threat of more bad weather ( forecast SW5/6 increasing 7/8, later W ), we decided to set off for Brest. Our sail to Brest was much better than
