Tempting as it was to keep on going south, after two months in France - sailing down the coast from Roscoff to La Rochelle - it was finally time to turn around and start the journey home (if we were to be back in the UK for the start of the autumn term for our two children).As soon as the lock gate opened at Port de Saint-Martin we set off, sailing north for the first time in weeks. With a brisk north-easterly, we had a pleasant fetch back to mainland France, and anchored off Les Conches beach, near La Tranche sur...

We couldn’t leave the Île de Re without visiting its capital and port of Saint Martin, accessible through a lock gate 3 hours before High Tide and 2.5 hours after.This quintessentially French town clusters around the port with so many chic boutiques, appealing restaurants, and elegantly dressed holiday-makers strutting along the quay that it feels like Paris-on-sea. On a Sunday in August the town was busy, and we were rafted three boats abreast in the marina. On top of that, it was our most expensive berthing to date, at an eye-watering 60 euros for the night. But we had access to...

For the past few days we’ve had more unsettled weather here in La Rochelle than we’ve had all summer, with some strong winds overnight and even a day of showers. Consequently we haven’t done as much overnight island-hopping as we’d planned, but have instead been taking day trips out of La Rochelle to explore the surrounding area, then retreating back to the safety of the city’s harbour for the night. One bonus of this option is that the capitainerie offer a 3-for-2 night deal if you stay in the port for two consecutive nights. Another advantage is that being back in...

After four nights on the Ile de Ré (two in the port of Ars-en-Ré and two anchored off the island’s eastern coastline at Anse de l’Oubye), we needed to sail into La Rochelle to collect my brother and niece, who were due to stay on Exeat with us for a week.It’s been nearly twenty years since I was last in the city, but I still had a slightly faded memory of the beautiful old port, with its wraparound cafes and bars serving seafood platters, ice-creams, cold beers and other welcome treats. Of course, it’s completely different seeing a place from the...

When we first started planning where to sail in Exeat this summer, we always hoped to reach France. But after our son was invited to stay with a friend on the Ile de Ré in August, our plans started to crystallise. We could sail him there!Now, following months of planning and six weeks of sailing down the French coast from Roscoff (after crossing the Channel in early June), we have finally arrived at our destination: Ars-en-Ré in the north-west of the beautiful Ile de Ré, just off (and linked by bridge to) La Rochelle. En route, we’ve discovered some stunning islands,...

Despite the light winds, we had a fantastic sail to Les Sables, spinnaker flying and whizzing Exeat along at a steady 7 knots.We’d last been to Les Sables in 2009 to meet a friend returning from the legendary solo yacht race, the Vendée Globe. Our kids had been tiny then - the youngest still in a pushchair - so didn’t remember much of the place, other than making sandcastles on the beach. In truth, I can’t say I remembered the town very well either - it looked so different when it had been full of Vendée supporters, the press, and all...

With our water tanks re-filled, fridge replenished with ice, and galley cupboards re-stocked, we left the hustle and bustle of Port Joinville and headed down the coast to the south of the island.The eastern edge of the Île d’Yeu is lined with vast sandy beaches and appealing inlets: we liked the look of Anse des Vieilles, a small cove just past the island’s southernmost tip. There were a few other boats anchored here before us, but possibly some sailors are put off by the numerous yellow swimming buoys that extend quite far out into the bay - restricting both how close...

Leaving the dockside dramas of L’Herbaudiere far behind us, we had a delightful sail south to Île d’Yeu, with the clouds clearing - literally and metaphorically - as we sailed ever closer to the island.We were grateful to arrive at Port Joinville (the island’s capital) early in the day, when the Capitain ushered us straight into a convenient pontoon berth. As other boats continued to enter the marina throughout the afternoon and evening, they ended up heavily rafted in the central pontoons (up to four abreast!), which no doubt would make for some fun and games at departure time. Thankfully nothing...

We have finally left Brittany and entered the Vendée region of France. It felt a poignant moment to take down the Breton flag Exeat has been flying ever since arriving at Roscoff in June, but we were excited to be heading on south towards our final destination of La Rochelle.Our first port of call in the Vendée was at L’Herbaudière on Noirmoutier-en-l’île. Pleasant as the port seems, I have to admit that we did not have the most auspicious stay here. Having safely docked at the visitors’ pontoon in the early afternoon, a torrent of boats proceeded to enter the harbour...

Boat was great, the weather was not as nice.A 5 day crossing turned into a 7 day nightmare. Strong winds, rain squalls and mechanical problems resulted in a very rough ride....

Perhaps I was being unfair to Pornichet in my last post. After staying a second night (due to inclement weather), I discovered some hidden gems in the town that made me feel a little more favourably towards it - and certainly made the enforced additional day in Port de Pornichet a whole lot more enjoyable than it first promised:In the centre of town there is the most incredible covered food market, selling a vast array of seafood, as well as cheeses, bread, olives, fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. It’s open from 8am-1pm Tuesday to Sunday, and on Mondays during July and...

We needed to get our daughter’s friend to a train station for Monday morning, and Pornichet seemed to be the best option from our anchorage near Le Croisic. It was a few hours sail along our route south, had a marina that could hold 1000 boats, and the train station had direct trains to Nantes (from where you can either fly from Nantes airport, or catch fast trains to Paris and, from there, the Eurostar). In retrospect, its proximity to a station may be the only thing to really commend it.Port de Pornichet is at the far end of the Baie...