Houat
It is just over forty miles to Houat a little island just west of Belle Ile and the forecast is 13-16 knots from the east. We left the harbour and we one of the first to go just as we had been on of the first to arrive. This time we did not meet a ferry so the exit was simple.
Soon after departure we found ourselves going north west because we had to avoid a wind farm which is under construction and has been placed exactly between ile d"yeu and Houat (pronounced Wat, like hat). We could not believe our luck, to be able to use the cruising chute in the way back was unexpected and given the forecast very unexpected.
When we reached the turning point the chute had to come down and we were off again doing 8.5 knots with the wind on the beam, what a sail! We sailed the whole way it was a great day. We can't really understand where the day went because it was only forty miles, we were going well but it took all day…
We arrived in Houat and this time I was able to drive into a very busy anchorage and find the perfect spot. We will not need to re-position ourselves. The wind did exactly what was expected and we were held nose to the shore and it was beautiful and calm. We set the anchor alarm and the next day we could see that we had hardly moved from the point where we first settled. We had not swung down in the night at all.
My first job was to put on a brave face and dive the keel and film it. It is not an easy task because you natural buoyancy brings you to the surface and you use a lot of energy trying to stay down and film and the water is a little murky (Compared to the med). I surfaced having filmed both sides and then dried myself off and downloaded the film…. I had filmed nothing. The camera was in the wrong position I was swimming and so the hand holding the camera was all over the place… I was going to have to do it all again and this time I needed to concentrate. The coldness of the water, the buoyancy and the depth were all against me. With my mind now fixed on the task in hand I went down again and this time I managed to get the important bits on film. I downloaded them and sent them to the insurers.
Later after lunch we went to the long beach, we were able to brave the water from the beach, I am sure it is warmer in the shallows but not by much. We had a lovely time and stayed until the light had started to fall. The tide had receded so we had to pull the dinghy down the beech to the water.
After dinner we stayed up quite late because the boat had swung the "wrong way" and it was due to change between 12 and 1am. At around midnight the boat started to turn as forecast and we went to bed. Then we heard voices, I got out of bed to see what all the fuss was about and a 47 foot boat had entered the very crowded anchorage and managed to anchor across the bows of another boat and they had go the chains linked. It was a right mess in the dark. The people on the boat who were the innocent victims slept through this event. It took about 30 minutes for them to disengage and they then re-anchored outside which is what they should have done in the first place.
In the morning the boat was able to move into the anchorage as other boats left. We have breakfast in the cockpit and an email from the insurers. They suggested I talk to a known Discovery expert but in their opinion this can be fixed upon our return. I called John and sent him the video and he agrees, so the plan is when we return tot he UK we will book the boat to be lifted and have a surveyor on hand to assess the keel.
At just after 1:30pm we went ashore to explore the island, it is not a huge place but it was very hot. We arrived in the main conurbation and found a restaurant but we had missed the food service, In France eating hours are very inflexible. We were able to grab a couple of baguettes and some French cider and enjoy the atmosphere. After lunch we explored the rest of the island and selected a restaurant for "next time".
We then returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day reading. This is what holidays are all about.
Soon after departure we found ourselves going north west because we had to avoid a wind farm which is under construction and has been placed exactly between ile d"yeu and Houat (pronounced Wat, like hat). We could not believe our luck, to be able to use the cruising chute in the way back was unexpected and given the forecast very unexpected.
When we reached the turning point the chute had to come down and we were off again doing 8.5 knots with the wind on the beam, what a sail! We sailed the whole way it was a great day. We can't really understand where the day went because it was only forty miles, we were going well but it took all day…
We arrived in Houat and this time I was able to drive into a very busy anchorage and find the perfect spot. We will not need to re-position ourselves. The wind did exactly what was expected and we were held nose to the shore and it was beautiful and calm. We set the anchor alarm and the next day we could see that we had hardly moved from the point where we first settled. We had not swung down in the night at all.
My first job was to put on a brave face and dive the keel and film it. It is not an easy task because you natural buoyancy brings you to the surface and you use a lot of energy trying to stay down and film and the water is a little murky (Compared to the med). I surfaced having filmed both sides and then dried myself off and downloaded the film…. I had filmed nothing. The camera was in the wrong position I was swimming and so the hand holding the camera was all over the place… I was going to have to do it all again and this time I needed to concentrate. The coldness of the water, the buoyancy and the depth were all against me. With my mind now fixed on the task in hand I went down again and this time I managed to get the important bits on film. I downloaded them and sent them to the insurers.
Later after lunch we went to the long beach, we were able to brave the water from the beach, I am sure it is warmer in the shallows but not by much. We had a lovely time and stayed until the light had started to fall. The tide had receded so we had to pull the dinghy down the beech to the water.
After dinner we stayed up quite late because the boat had swung the "wrong way" and it was due to change between 12 and 1am. At around midnight the boat started to turn as forecast and we went to bed. Then we heard voices, I got out of bed to see what all the fuss was about and a 47 foot boat had entered the very crowded anchorage and managed to anchor across the bows of another boat and they had go the chains linked. It was a right mess in the dark. The people on the boat who were the innocent victims slept through this event. It took about 30 minutes for them to disengage and they then re-anchored outside which is what they should have done in the first place.
In the morning the boat was able to move into the anchorage as other boats left. We have breakfast in the cockpit and an email from the insurers. They suggested I talk to a known Discovery expert but in their opinion this can be fixed upon our return. I called John and sent him the video and he agrees, so the plan is when we return tot he UK we will book the boat to be lifted and have a surveyor on hand to assess the keel.
At just after 1:30pm we went ashore to explore the island, it is not a huge place but it was very hot. We arrived in the main conurbation and found a restaurant but we had missed the food service, In France eating hours are very inflexible. We were able to grab a couple of baguettes and some French cider and enjoy the atmosphere. After lunch we explored the rest of the island and selected a restaurant for "next time".
We then returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day reading. This is what holidays are all about.
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Rocks we are anchored between the rocks and the beach -
Entering the village, it was hot. -
The port is just used for ferrys and not visiting boats.