- a holiday trip to the Gulf of Morbihan in Brittany

The boat is a Mirror 16, number 249 with 178 square feet of sail. Roller reefing jenny and two slab reefs on the main. A 2 hp Yamaha outboard is carried. A foredeck canvas cuddy is fitted and found useful. CQR anchor is carried but not recommended there as it would not bite in to the weedy bottom! The locals use a fisherman or grapnel. Heavy duty boat rollers were carried and used.

Overnight ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo, arrived at 8 am Saturday in hot sunshine which lasted all day until dark. We were towing with my daughter and son-in-law's Volks Caravanette and they were with us. Had a good run down to Vannes then round the gulf to Pointe Kerners, Arzon. Gorgeous campsite with its own slipway into the water.

Pitched tents etc, discovered some damage to the 16 caused by roller swivelling round as we travelled. Managed a swim and walk before dark.

SUNDAY. Rain in the night. Our new tent fine. We have corner to ourselves with a view of the gulf through the pine trees. Brewed up, weather now warm and balmy sun shining. The pines smell lover'ley; the water flat. Hope to rig and launch the boat today - this done having borrowed an unused French mooring. Visited Sarzeau - prices out of this world then by road to Le Logeo very nice. Tasted my first oyster; they are spawned and farmed hereabouts. When a fisherman offered me one I closed my eyes, 'thought of England', then swallowed it whole. Bit like a salty egg going down - I digress. By road to Port Navalo, again a delightful spot. Acquired a map of the gulf - now we were in business. Drove back to camp and had a meal. Then sailed up the gulf past La Logeo, Bernon and out to our first island, complete with roofless cottage and spring bed! Many shells on the foreshore. Found some water in the bilge, crew baled with sponges as we sailed back to camp - outboard played up. It was light until 11 pm. Had rain in the night.

MONDAY. Up at 8.30 am for late breakfast. Went to chandlers on the Port Navalo road and bought some epoxy filler for the grunch in the hull. Did the repair and had lunch. The weather is warm and balmy with some cloud. It's very peaceful here with only about four other tents on the site. Off in the afternoon to Petit Mont on the Bay of Biscay. Visited municipal campsite at Tumiac, and Kerjouanno only about ten minutes drive from the camp. Skin dived from the beach but very little fish life about. Back at camp Renee made risotto. Afterward we walked to next bay and fished with spinner. I fell in trying to retrieve my spinner - big laugh. Back at camp at 10.45 pm, very wet.

TUESDAY. Rained all night until 8.45 am then sun. The birds are very tame here. The chaffinches come right up to the tent singing their heads off - absolute peace. Met friendly German who comes here every year and has caught conger eel in the gulf. The transport and crew have gone off for bread and milk and other shopping nearby. Went to Navalo beach, played boules and swam.

Back to camp for meal then launched boat again in evening, then motored round the biggest island, Ile aux Moines. Landed on small island, Pride de Berno. Again lots of shells on shore - daughter saw a rat. Off again round the Ile aux Moines; a very long trip. The little Yamaha is now going well after the fuel trouble earlier. Back to camp and off-loaded gear and crew. Then moored up and my son-in-law rowed me ashore in the inflatable clutching the outboard. It stayed light until 11 pm again.

WEDNESDAY. Crew up early to shop at Kernon. Gave us tea in bed - sun blazing hot. We will stay in camp today. Everything is here, will use the boat later! Absolutely tropical now. You can smell the flesh cooking!! Late afternoon rigged boat; very gusty wind indeed. Tried to sail to Galvris (Goat Island) but incoming current far too strong - 8 knots and the water boiling in places. Back to camp and mooring, then food 8 pm and sun still very hot. More tomorrow we hope.

THURSDAY Very hot sun. Went shopping, then used outboard to Galvris and made it this time! Climbed to the top for great view, also went into stone-age tomb with wall carvings; the things lit by strip lights from a wind generator outside. Very spooky! Departed after some sunbathing to a lovely little beach on Ile de la Jument. Nice and sandy for the boat. Anchoring in the shallows had a swim and brew. Then motored back to Kernes over very bumpy current. Sun at 6.45 pm still very hot. Had a look at the wind surfers at Lamor Barden and ran out of fuel in the current. Unfurled jenny and refuelled - all's well. This really is the most idyllic campsite I have ever camped in - German friend still fishing.

FRIDAY. Renee and son-in-law away shopping, daughter doing some washing, birds singing away and an outboard buzzing away in the far distance. Peace - this living!! Out in the Volks to Sucino to see old castle (not open), then on to Plage de Penvins. About 5 miles of beach facing Biscay with some rocks and a great dried out beach behind at low water. Good shelter for boat in Anse Blockfi.

There are some very good sites at Penvin and around. Saw about 6 GB cars for the first time at Penvin and also toilets when open! Also found a big supermarket, Equitaine, just off main road near horse riding stable. Daughter booked a ride for Monday 10 am. Back at camp, Renee and I rowed out to the boat in the inflatable - that was a giggle! Sailed off the moorings up the gulf and had three and a half hours of spot-on sailing round the second biggest island, Ile d'Arz. The old girl went like a dream, not a pretty boat, but very functional, and of course made originally for dinghy camping etc. Not another sail in sight and came back to mooring at 10 pm. Sun just setting in all purple and blue flecked sky. Very pleased with ourselves. I rated that one of my best sails ever.

SATURDAY. Wind strong from the east and up before we were. Deep blue sky and could hear the halyards frapping on the aly masts. Some new arrivals for the weekend - topless bathing?

It was decided we would shop and go to Port Navalo - nice beach, not too big and out of the wind. We took the inflatable to play with. Had a couple of swims and snorkelled round the rocks but only starfish and crabs; still very very hot. Several windsurfers out in the bay with a cruiser. We got well crisped up. On the way back to camp we called in on a chandlers. Son-in-law made a pink horror with; the wine by itself was OK though. We went to Vannes in the evening as the wind was just too strong to sail. There were big white horses in the gulf but at 7 pm the sun was still hot. Went by Volks to Vannes, the town not exactly swinging on a Saturday evening. Walked around the shops in this old walled town. It is interesting to note that the boat harbour came right to the centre of the town with lots of fish swimming around. It became very chilly so we made tracks back to camp, arriving 10.15 pm.

We looked as usual for the 16 on her mooring. "Horror", she was gone! Nylon mooring rope had worn through French camper pointed to her ashore up the shoreline a bit. Got outboard and motored back to the slipway. Then using rollers got her above the tideline and tied to mooring pins. Off-loaded some gear back to camp. Quick look revealed some paint off and a couple of gouges. Not taking water - good.

SUNDAY. Up early at sun up. Checked boat, will get her back to camp on the trailer for repairs. Those lazy so-and-sos of crew not up yet. 9.15 am made coffee just as the gaz ran out - oh well. After breakfast with the help of all hands on to the trailer and back to the tents. Spent the rest of the day with the mast down and the hull turned over doing repairs. The boat was an important part of our holiday and we wanted no hiccups at this stage. Wind still strong; gales at home on the radio, force 8.

MONDAY. Very windy all night, and chilly. Been spoilt with all this hot sun. Boat OK but tossing about like a cork. Lot of thin cloud about, sun out but very hazy - wind stayed strong and cold so we had a drive to La Baule some 50 miles away. Crossed over a beaut of a river 'The Voile' suspension bridge. La Baule's one big circular bay. Must be a mad house in season. Came back near St Nazaire admired the fine suspension bridge over the water. Back in the boat Tony and I went out in the boat spinning. All we caught was weed! The patent CQR was useless here due to weed. A fisherman or grapnel definitely the plot. Back at camp we have two young chaffinches in a box of straw. The parent birds come to feed them. The red sky looks good for tomorrow, wind now gentle. (Warning, no paper supplied in French toilets. Take your own.)

WEDNESDAY. Cloudy start, sun peeping through, went shopping. We sailed to the Ile aux Moines, the big island. Daughter had the tiller. Landed on a beach near the top of the island. Three tents in a field no one around. Had food then set off again to Ile de Jument. Very, very sandy. Had an hour here then back to mooring under motor. Nearly 8 pm still hot and sunny. Food underway.

THURSDAY. Time running out - very calm start. Sun out any minute, looks a good day. Chaffinches visited us as usual - so tame. Headed towards Vannes under full sail. Then up came the wind. Too strong, we have to remember this is Biscay. Headed in towards the top of the island and beyond. I had the Mirror planing four up. Enuf! Put in at La Pointe just out of the wind, which by now was 'tres savage'. Stayed till late afternoon watching the windsurfers. Renee took some cine of the action. Used motor back to camp. White horses all over the gulf, what a ride, right on the nose. The ladies went under the canvas ruddy. We got wet. We made it after a hairy drive. Tony had the tiller. Very gutsy these 2 hp Yam's. I opted to get the boat out today, so now we all rushed about using the rollers which were excellent. Then after fiddle dee dee back to camp. Skipper breathless. Big sigh of relief. Down mast and rack up. The old boat has had enough rough for one holiday. Spectacular sky and wind easing. A Biscay gale!

FRIDAY. Heavy rain all night. 9.30 am hot sun. Wonder what we will get today. Shopped, then to Port Navalo for beach out of wind - no joy. Brewed up and food then to chandlers and back to camp. Had a skin dive, also hail storm. More packing. What an area for change.

SATURDAY. Packed up and ready by 12 noon in dry. Now very cloudy but good trip back to St Malo. Raining, all very gloomy. Depart 10.30 am. Nice boat, better cabin. Water rough, docked at Portsmouth Boat trailer and Volks facing the wrong way, all to be turned round - home through Surrey sunny day. Fini -

The above makes an excellent dinghy cruising area without sticking your neck out too much. Obviously you have to be capable and know your boat. I think a firm base like a campsite is worth operating from, with added confidence of toilets, showers etc. Offshore from Port Navalo there are offshore islands, but I repeat, 'this is Biscay'. So know your capabilities before committing. Some of the islands in the gulf are privately owned so bear that in mind when landing. All relevant gen on the above has been passed to our DCA library and so is available to members for free. Jeff and Sally Rogers, no 2015, are the last people to go and have a holiday there, unfortunately 'sans' boat, so their gen would be very up to date)