There was enough breeze to sail off our anchor this morning so we got the main up for the first time in a while and drifted out, gathering speed as the breeze picked up and the tide whirled us between islands towards Port Navalo.
Watching boats moving along in the Morbihan is a bit like watching a fast forward; it all looks a bit too desperate to be real.
We had quite a sporty sail in the end once we left the Golfe, to the extent that we nearly drowned Satellite, who we were towing behind us out of laziness. She tows really well up to a point. A few splashes of water in her don’t make much difference but there comes a critical point when her bows drop low enough in the water to allow even the smallest wave to slop over the top.
As we got closer to the coast of Belle Ile, we realised this was about to happen, and started to bail her out, just as the water began to flood in. There was one horrible moment where it looked as though she was about to go under, and we quickly heaved-to to stop any more water getting in. Luckily we caught her just in time, and managed to pump her dry again in the flat water of the island. Satellite’s never been the most sensible of punts, and there have been many times when I’ve cursed her during our trip. But deep down I’m quite fond of her by now, or at least the purpose she fulfils, and I would have been quite sad to get home without her.
Given that it was north westerly, we decided to stop in Sauzon on Belle Ile, a little further west on Belle Ile from where we were before, with a view to heading on tomorrow when the forecast is better. The moorings outside the harbour here looked a bit rolly for our liking, so we went alongside another couple of boats on moorings in the outer harbour, because the inner harbour dries. I love the harbourmaster here; he gave us a half price mooring for having a pretty boat and the showers are free.
Sauzon is much smaller than Le Palais and there’s not much to do if you’re a teenager and not that interested in boats. This was confirmed by a group of hopeless giggling fourteen year olds with stomach fulls of cider who accosted us on our way back to Planet this evening. All they wanted to do was practise their (drunk) English. Where are you going? Ile de Groix In that? they said, pointing at Satellite. Now? Ile de Groix is a fair hop away from Belle Ile and having seen Satellite’s performance earlier today it was an even less likely prospect.
Planet 