Day 1 – Mardi, le 15 Juin 2004

A hot sunny day was the forecast for the beginning of our adventure – perfect for the crossing from Poole to St Malo. The trip on the Sea Cat was very smooth and efficient, and we arrived at our destination at 7:45pm French time.

The drive to Vannes was quiet and easy – a stark contrast to the daily traffic jams of Reading. We found the slip that we had earmarked the previous New Year for the launch of 5 Bob but unfortunately the tide had already started to fall and the muddy seabed was exposed. So we sat on the wall, ate the quiche that Laura had made (tasty!) and admired the beautiful view of the Gulf and the sunset, before sleeping on the boat parked in the road.

Day 2 – Mecredi, le 16 Juin 2004

The alarms woke us early in order to catch the 6:30am tide. It was a smooth launch, and after the trailer and car had been secured we started our sail north up to the town of Vannes. The entrance to this town is restricted by a bridge and lock. We arrived at the bridge and noticed a pontoon where a couple of boats were waiting. Trying to understand the French notice, this seemed to be the place to wait until the bridge lifted. Within a couple of minutes the traffic had been stopped and we could pass through – only later did we realise the bridge only lifted twice a day – a pure stroke of luck we had timed it just right!

We took a visitors' mooring in the harbour and then went to explore the town. Having been highly-organised we already knew from our earlier land-based trip to the area that Wednesday was market day. Most of the streets were full of fresh food and crafts – it was a wonderful atmosphere. We bought some patisseries for breakfast and washed it down with some local jus de pommes. The fish market was a very popular spot, with a vast array of sardines, crab, many other local fish and a couple of tons of local oysters! We selected some turbot and bought some vegetables to accompany our evening BBQ.

Because the bridge didn't open again till the next high tide we had a few hours to kill, so took a walk along the river and had a picnic lunch in the park. Having had very little sleep we also took the opportunity for a little siesta in the sun.

Having left Vannes at the 5 o'clock bridge lift, we motored out to find a sandy beach for supper. Because of the sunny weather (and lack of showers) we decided to take a dip before dinner. Let's say it was 'bracing'! We soon warmed up back on our own 'private' beach, where we started up the BBQ. It was an early night, following a whisky nightcap.

Day 3 – Jeudi, le 17 Juin 2004

We woke to very still and calm surrounding waters. After breakfast we had a very leisurely sail east, eventually picking up a breeze and heading for Ile d'Arz. Having found a small quay we landed on the island and had a lovely lunch in a small bistro – David and Laura selecting the very local and popular moules et frites.

Following lunch the wind picked up and we headed for Logeo for a walk. Unfortunately there were no open shops for provisions so we moored on the edge of the channel in the hope of catching some fish for dinner – we failed!

Searching for a quiet mooring we found a quiet bay and tied up to the quay on the eastern side of the Ile aux Moines. We had a fine (vegetarian!) BBQ in the pine forest and then stayed overnight in the bay. It was a beautiful spot and well sheltered from the prevailing wind.

Day 4 – Vendredi, le 18 Juin 2004

It was an overcast morning as we woke. We set off for Locmariquer for bread and provisions at the Spar. From the port we took a walk to the Point to have a look at the Atlantic and watch the boats come through the notoriously difficult entrance to the Gulf.

After lunch we took advantage of the flood tide and sailed up to Auray with a good wind and sunshine. We originally planned to stop at Bono, but decided to continue up to Auray as it was a bigger town, and it certainly didn't disappoint. It was a challenging sail up the wooded river valley. There were even hot showers – a real reward for our salty bodies. We had dinner in a restaurant in the harbour and moored overnight to a boat owned by a very friendly British couple.

Day 5 – Samedi, le 19 Juin 2004

Luckily there was enough water in the harbour in the morning to take a trip to the town to buy some provisions from the local market and some patisseries for le petit-dejeuner. David managed to secure his chocolate fix for the day with his pain au chocolate, and Matt had the best pain aux raisins he has ever had!

Today was the first time we felt brave enough to venture outside of the Gulf. Having negotiated the entrance without too many difficulties we headed east and into a quiet sandy bay for lunch, followed by a walk to the nearby marina at Port Navalo for Matt and David whilst Laura safely anchored the boat in the bay. After lunch we continued east, hoping to reach Port Jacque-Michel, however the distance was further than it appeared on the map. The rain soon began to fall so we decided to head back into the Gulf, stopping at Port Navalo to shelter and satisfy our thirst with a local cider. The weather still hadn't improved and the northerly wind was strong so we were searching for a sheltered spot for dinner and the night. Logabaden seemed a perfect destination, and we arrived just in enough time to pick up a buoy, put up the tent and shelter from a downpour. Once the shower had passed we moored on the quay for a BBQ dinner of kebabs and ended the day with a walk around the small town.

Day 6 – Dimanche, le 20 Juin 2004

Father's Day – "…cards and presents - yippee!" Matt received a 'Fat Cat' memorabilia tee-shirt from his girls and he put up his cards on the ever-versatile 'hat rack' (burgee cord!). It was an overcast morning as we headed into the town to check out the Sunday market. Very interesting and good-quality stalls – ranging from bread stalls to sailing outfits. Laura bought a shoulder bag, Matt a present for Liz and David couldn't make a decision!

We sailed out of the mouth in strong currents – all very exciting. It was a good strong wind as we tacked west towards Trinite-sur-la-mer. As the day progressed we began to notice the cold front approaching from the west. We attempted to take shelter in a bay close to the entrance of Trinite and erected the tent in the severe rainfall and had lunch as the rain passed, followed by a very welcome brew on the Trangia!

After the squall had passed we motored into the harbour and found a mooring in the Marina, although it was very busy due to a regatta being held there this week. We took a walk along the coast and had a very welcome shower in the marina. Feeling refreshed from our wash we found an excellent fish restaurant for dinner in the port. Laura finally had her sardines, which she had been dreaming of all trip – lots of bones! Matt sampled the fruits de mer.

Day 7 – Lundi, le 21 Juin 2004

Another shower for David this morning – think he's finally getting the hint! We had a very French breakfast of croissant, pain au chocolat (David!) and pain aux raisins, washed down with a cup of café au lait.

Light winds means that departure was delayed, so time was well spent washing the decks and making the 'old girl' more respectable after her week of intensive use.

We left Trinite at a similar time to the Regatta fleet (though we sailed and they motored!). The sky was full of rain clouds coming our way, so with some careful planning and reading of charts we took a shortcut through the shallows on our way back to the Gulf. We had lunch as Port Navalo followed by a promenade around the headland.

The rain began as we headed to the islands and never really stopped all night! We moored at a quay on the West side of Ile aux Moines. David tried to catch dinner (again) by prising off limpets from the rocks to use as bait. However, our trip has still been unsuccessful on the poisson front!

We had a BBQ dinner under the shelter of the trees followed by a fire to dry off our soaking clothes. After dinner we took a walk that led to the Bar Aloa and included a rather embarrassing moment involving David and a chopping board, whilst removing his trousers – I'll let you imagine the rest!

Bed to the 'pitter-patter' of the rain. Hopefully our last day will be brighter!

Day 8 – Mardi, le 22 Juin 2004

The last full day of our adventure started with the crew feeling and smelling very smoky from our BBQ last night, but after a good breakfast we hoisted the sails and started our trip around the Ile aux Moines. There was a fair amount of wind to take us northwards up to the mainland and Point d'Arradon. After a short stop off at the Point, David took the helm and sailed southwards in a very zigzagged route. We did, however, make good time and got to Port Logeo for lunch; soup was on the menu. After a short stop we pushed on northwards to complete the trip around the island. Although the weather had been overcast with light rain we had kept warm and dry so far.

After a good day of sailing we moored up at the marina on the island. The weather began to change to strong winds, it looked like we were going so have a rough night and therefore we went in search of a good restaurant for a hot meal. We walked up to the town, which was a lovely small community, and we all agreed it would be a great place to return to and take a cycle ride around the island. We stopped off for a quick drink at the bar in the town as the heavens opened.

After a detoured walk back from the town (Laura was sure the port was just 'around the corner') we put the tent up in preparation for the night and changed into some dry clothes. Following a call from Liz we discovered the Sea Cat had been cancelled due to bad weather (we know, storms in the channel!) so we had to arrange tickets through Brittany Ferries.

We had dinner at Chez Charlemagne (N47'36 – W02'51), a lovely restaurant with a very welcoming open fire. There was time to dry our clothes as we shared stories with other soaking sailors!

On returning to our humble abode the sea and wind had picked up and it was very rough, so we had to secure all the loose fittings on board before a very windy night. It was a pretty fretful night for both the boat and her occupants as winds got up to force 7.

Day 9 – Mecredi, le 23 Juin 2004

Following a sleepless night and a brisk walk we motored up to the slip near Arradon and with the help of a friendly local we had a very efficient recovery – she was safe and dry. The old girl had looked after us well. Due to the length of time she had spent in the water she even had started to grow some barnacles below the water line!

It was an uneventful drive to St. Malo, broken up by a shopping trip to Super U to buy some patisseries for Sarah's breakfast and some more wine for the Andrews' cellar! With a number of hours to kill before sailing home we had a wander around the old part of St. Malo town, which whetted our appetite for a future visit!

All in all it was a very enjoyable sailing trip in a beautiful part of the world, sweetened by the welcoming manner of the locals who were obviously impressed by the eccentric ways of the Britons!