15 May 2024 New log entry: Return to Granville ↙ Report?
- Boat Exeat
- By Anna Pocock
- Route St Malo ··· Granville
- Underway 04:04
13 May 2024 New log entry: Hunkering down in St Malo ↙ Report?
- Boat Exeat
- By Anna Pocock
- Route Iles Chausey ··· St Malo
We had initially planned to spend one night in St Malo, and then head up the Rance river the following day to shelter from some incoming bad weather. But after spending an hour negotiating St Malo’s lock gate to enter the harbour on Sunday evening, then waking up to a downpour forecast to last the day, the thought of taking on two lock gates in one wet morning really did not appeal. We decided to wait out the inclement weather in St Malo – and really, when it’s raining for days on end, the facilities and distractions of a city are just what you need.
Exeat was tied up by the harbour wall, a stone’s throw from the old town’s majestic arched gate and ancient ramparts. At first, I was a little wary of berthing in such a public position, but in fact we weren’t disturbed by any noise or unwanted attention for the three days we ended up staying. And it was perfect to be able to hop ashore so easily (especially with a dog on board), to wander the fascinating streets of St Malo.
The old town has all the shops you would expect from a popular tourist destination and ferry port, including well known French clothing stores such as Petit Bateau, Lacoste and Maison Colas, as well as two mini supermarkets, gourmet food suppliers, off-licenses selling St Malo rum and Breton cider and, of course, artisan bakeries. Skipper was particularly delighted to find his favourite Breton delicacy – the buttery caramel-soaked “Kouign Amann” – and followed his nose to a boulangerie to snap up one of these moreish sugary treats that he’d first discovered in Vannes two summers ago.
Although one is spoilt for choice of mouth-watering places to eat, many restaurants are closed on Mondays (to make up for opening all weekend). After wandering the streets in the rain trying to find somewhere open (and not fully-booked), we managed to nab a table at the Michelin-recommended Briezh Cafe, which is an ode to all things buckwheat but with a Japanese twist. Alongside traditional Breton galettes, it serves local Cancale oysters, and galettes rolled up and pan-fried to a crisp as appetisers, filled with delicious ingredients like seaweed butter, smoked andouille sausage or shiitake mushrooms. There’s also an impressive cider menu, which of course is the only drink to enjoy with galettes – Japanese-inspired or otherwise!
Once the rain abated, we enjoyed walking along the old ramparts and vast sandy beach beyond. After three days sheltering in St Malo, we agreed there were far worse places to wait out some weather.
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12 May 2024 New log entry: I’ll choose Iles Chausey ↙ Report?
- Boat Exeat
- By Anna Pocock
- Route Granville ··· Iles Chausey
- Underway 02:24
We planned to head down to St Malo later, but as we couldn’t access the port’s lock gate until the evening (and had to exit Granville’s sill gate mid-morning), we had just enough time to make a detour to the Iles Chausey, six miles west of Granville. Light winds meant we had to motor-sail there, but at least the conditions were perfect for exploring this otherwise very exposed archipelago.
Initially we headed to the south end of Grande Île, where there is a marked entrance and several visitor buoys scattered amongst the private moorings. The buoys didn’t have any mooring lines in place, and having to hook a buoy and swiftly thread a mooring line through it, short-handed, has proved challenging in the past. Mooring poles have been lost; strong words have been uttered. So we turned around, nipped round the corner to the charming and unpopulated bay of Port Marie and dropped the hook. From here, we dinghied ashore and explored as much of this pretty island as we could in the time available.
Ashore are several appealing-looking holiday cottages, and a seafood restaurant at Hotel du Fort et des Iles. The views from the summit are breath-taking at low tide: Chausey has one of the largest tidal ranges in Europe. At high tide, most of the islets are completely submerged, whilst at low tide a dramatic landscape is revealed, which reminded us of the Scilly Isles.
With a four-hour sail to St Malo ahead of us, we reluctantly bid au revoir to the Îles and Normandy…by nightfall, we would be in Brittany!
10 May 2024 New log entry: Checking into France at Granville ↙ Report?
- Boat Exeat
- By Anna Pocock
- Route Jersey ··· Granville, France
After a morning stroll through St Helier, desperately searching for some redeeming charm in the town but finding only chain stores and uninspiring cafes, I can safely say that Jersey is nothing like the TV series Bergerac led me to believe! Happily, we would be in France this evening, and fellow sailors had spoken glowingly of Granville so we had much to look forward to.
Eager though we were to get there, we couldn’t rush our arrival since Granville’s Port de Hérel marina has a sill gate at its entrance, meaning boats can only cross it three hours either side of high tide. For us, this meant aiming for a 7.30pm arrival. Exeat had other ideas however and we had to lower her mainsail as we neared France and just use the foresail, as she was zipping along so fast!
At 7:45pm, the sun only just beginning to descend from a cloudless sky, we entered the marina and eased into a visitors’ berth on the finger pontoons – friendly French neighbours hopping out of their boat to take our lines. Ah, how good it felt to be in France again!
We had e-mailed the Customs (Douane) office (bse-granville@douane.finances.gouv.fr and capitainerieduportdegranville@manche.fr) in Granville port a few days earlier, with our completed entry form. But the office, located by the ferry terminal on rue des Isles, is only open certain hours as listed here, so we would need to go along the next day to have our passports stamped.
As it turned out, this was a very relaxed procedure and the local Customs Officer didn’t even scan our ship’s papers. I would rate Granville as an entry port for this reason alone! But it has many more attributes to recommend it: super-helpful, friendly marina staff, great shops in the nearby town (including two excellent fishmongers, two bakeries, a Carrefour City and a launderette, all just a stone’s throw away. Don’t miss a walk through the picturesque old town, La Haute Ville, where you can wander along the ramparts overlooking the vast Normandy beaches, and drink local cider in the square.
We celebrated our arrival in France with a DIY seafood feast of local oysters, crevettes, scallops and bulots (whelks) – a particular speciality of this region in Normandy, which we felt duty-bound to support by consuming!
9 May 2024 New log entry: Last Channel Island before France ↙ Report?
- Boat Exeat
- By Anna Pocock
- Route Alderney ··· Jersey
- Underway 05:57
Although we could happily have stayed far longer in delightful Alderney, we had to reach France before Buddy’s Animal Health Certificate expired (AHCs must be used within ten days of issuing). Another consideration is that when first entering France from the UK, you are legally required to check in at an official Port of Entry, so this dictated where we could sail to. With easterly winds forecast all week, Cherbourg wasn’t a good option to sail to, so we decided to head south to either St Malo or Granville.
To break the journey of an otherwise long sail, we planned to stop over at Jersey for the night. Not only was this a convenient distance from Alderney, but it was the only Channel Island that we hadn’t been to in Exeat. It would be exciting to complete the picture, and having had such positive experiences of all the other islands in La Manche, I had high hopes for Jersey.
Tearing ourselves away from Alderney, we sailed through the Swinge and then past Sark, waving goodbye to the Bailiwick of Guernsey after a memorable few days. On a beam reach in calm seas and sunshine, it wasn’t long before the long golden beaches of Jersey came into sight.
Anchorages in Jersey didn’t seem to be reliable enough to overnight in, and St Helier marina is the only one open to visiting yachts (Elizabeth marina and La Colette yacht basin are primarily for residents, except by special arrangement). Arriving in St Helier in good time for the evening lock gate opening, we joined the chaotic throng of boats jostling around the harbour. Not only did there seem to be a rally of boats descending on the port, but there were also around forty yachts waiting at the holding pontoons. We later discovered it was Ascension Day – a public holiday in France, and opportunity for every French sailor to take to their boat!
We waited patiently as the Harbour Master buzzed around directing boats to berths, sending some pushy yachts back to rejoin the queue; eventually it was our turn and we were beckoned into the marina. Just as we were about to raft alongside another boat, back came the Harbour Master who’d spotted our Yorkiepoo…”No dogs allowed in this marina” he apologised. It didn’t matter that we had a rabies certificate for Buddy, an AHC, and proof of recent vaccinations, marina rules prevented any boats with dogs entering (note to self: in future, apply in advance for a permit to stay at the dog-friendly Elizabeth marine). We would have to stay overnight on the holding pontoons.
Given how busy the marina was, this actually wasn’t a terrible option – and at least we weren’t subject to the lock opening times for our departure. Once we had tied up and disembarked, St Helier town failed to make amends for our unsatisfactory arrival. Instead, we returned to Exeat and cooked a cheering dinner on board of crispy gnocchi, chorizo, and garlicky courgettes, looking forward to an early morning getaway. All in all, I can’t say I will be sorry if I never visit St Helier again; although I’d love to hear from anyone who’s had a positive experience or who can recommend alternative places to overnight in Jersey.
8 May 2024 New log entry: Back to Braye ↙ Report?
- Boat Exeat
- By Anna Pocock
- Route Dixcart Bay, Sark ··· Braye harbour, Alderney
- Underway 02:55
After a bumpy night anchored off Sark, we woke early and caught the morning tide to Alderney. Despite light winds, we were there in under three hours – which was just as well, as it gave us time to get to the shops in town before they all closed early*.
A twenty minute walk into St Anne brings you to the cobbled delights of Victoria Street, where you’ll find a fishmonger, farm shop (with butcher’s counter), independent chemist, off-license and variety of gift shops and eateries. It’s really quite impressive how well served this small island is by quality retailers and restaurateurs, and we did our level best to support the local economy!
Another thing Alderney has in spades are the wild flowers Snowbells, aka three-cornered leeks, growing copiously on banks and roadsides. Akin to chives in flavour, the whole plant is edible and can be snipped onto salads, frittata, new potatoes or anything that takes your fancy. I picked a modest supply to pep up our meals on board, and along with some coveted Kiln Farm Dairy butter, yoghurt and ice cream, felt delighted that we could take a taste of Alderney with us when we left the following day.
*Most shops in Alderney shut at 1pm on a Wednesday, although Jean’s Stores near the harbour is open until 6pm most days and stock many Waitrose products as well as Alderney’s homegrown dairy products.