Douarnenez, Port Launey and
the Rade de Brest

A dull but a very hot and sticky day with  thunderstorms threatening. A leisurely start to stock up with supplies at the supermarche and then we walked up the river and over the weir to see the boat museum.

There was lots of  small boats inside the museum and a number of larger boats on display outside in the water including a Thames sailing barge. Each boat had sound effects below e.g. the engine.

Later in the afternoon we took the dingy across to the other side of the river where there is an island which can be reached on foot at low water. Between the island and the shore is a statue of a naked lady there with an inscription about a sardine which we did not understand until we looked at the other side of the statue which is a sardine!

On the island is a large semi derelict mansion and adjacent houses. I collected shells and Barry found some mussels but a man came from the house and said they were contaminated so Barry (grudgingly) threw them away. Later he collected large limpets for fishing bait as we have had no success catching mackerel with feathers. At several places we have seen people collecting some sort of sea food at low water with big nets . We saw one man today and he showed us some small transparent shrimp which he said would just about make a starter for one.

Just after six the racing fleet that we had seen yesterday arrived  and started rafting up all the way along the pontoon. I think they were al least ten out. Several crew jumped overboard and had a good swim but they were all well behaved. Later in the evening, when the lock gates opened, the entire fleet left in a matter of minutes to go up into Port Rhu, Douarnenez for the night. Thunderstorm in the night cleared the air.

Arr16.30L

Another leisurely start to the day, lunch on board as we watched the race fleet leave. The day was sunny but there appeared to be a mist out at sea. After lunch we started our return journey this being as far south as we had planned to go. We left the visitors' moorings at Treboul heading North West across the Bay de Douarnenez and found the mist was quite thick, more like fog. Unfortunately we met the fleet again racing around the cans in the bay and, as we were motoring, had to give way to everything ! The fog stayed with us right up to Camaret which made navigating the narrow inshore channel that leads to the point west of Camaret a bit exciting ! We couldn't have been doing too much wrong as, as we rounded the point we noticed we now had two boats following us.

Warm sunshine greeted us when we arrived and after tying up we had look around the marina area which is at the end of a mole. We found the  tower and church there which we could see from the sea and a large ship being restored. We looked over the wall at the beach and as it was so hot and sunny Barry decided it was a good idea to take the dingy round and have a swim despite the water temperature. We both went in for a swim but it was very quick and very cold. As we were in the dingy we took the opportunity to look round the marina nearer to the town which is supposed to be for locals but we saw several British boats there. A pleasant evening dining on board.

The thick fog of early morning cleared but left a drizzly cold day so we decided to go to Brest first to visit Oceanopolis, a large aquarium complex next to the marina. As we approached Brest we saw a very large ship weigh anchor and two tugs start to take her into port. She was also accompanied by two tug sized vessels which looked as though they had fire hoses but they were grey so we wonder what she was carrying. We took on fuel and had an early lunch before setting out for Oceanopolis, a short walk away.

Oceanopolis is set out in three pavilions Temperate, Tropical and Polar. We went to the tropical first and saw many sharks and brightly coloured fish. Many of the photos did not come out as the tanks were large and I had the flash on.

We also saw these lion fish.

After the tropical pavilion we went outside and the day had turned out hot and sunny so we were quite pleased to go into the cool of the polar pavilion.

To start off with there was a panoramic film show of Antarctica. And then they lifted a blind at the side and there were these King penguins looking at us. After this we went on and watched them swimming underwater, amazing.

The seals after that were so laid back gliding on their backs looking up at us. Backm out in the sunlight we had an ice cream and rested our legs before tackling the temperate pavilion. This is where we should have started but got lost. It was rather disappointing after the colours and excitement of the other pavilions. I was quite glad it was only a short walk back to Lucia and a nice cup of tea and paddling my feet  over the back to cool down. Barry says he caught two large fish over the back, one got off the hook before he could net it and the other was too heavy and jumped out of the net. A likely story! A short walk around the marina did not show us any shops in the near by.

A morning of domestic chores; bed changing, washing, vac, hosing down etc. Looking at the money and food situation told us we need to find a bank machine and a supermarket. The morning mist had cleared to a hot sunny day again so we caught the bus into Brest from just outside the marina, great bus service, cheap and punctual with good maps that are availlable in the marina office.

The city hall , outside there was an interesting fountain set into the sloping floor of the area in front of the steps. The fountains went up and down almost like a dance. I was waiting for the music. We bought filled baguettes and drinks for lunch and sat on the steps watching the fountains.

We wandered down the road window shopping and came across another set of fountains. Here the water was running over stone geometric shapes. From here we walked down to the river and then back to the town hall where there was an exhibition of paintings and photos of Brest, mainly the docks and boats. Many of the paintings were impressionist or modern in style.Later we found a cash machine and the supermarket and stocked up  before catching the bus back to the marina.

After a mooch around the chandlers buying more fishy bits we set out for a leisurely motor up the Aulne river. No luck with the fishing again so we will have to eat the supermarket tuna. A very pretty river but it got hotter and hotter as we lost the breeze.

The first anchorage on the map after the large abbey St Guenole was filled with a large crane and scrap navy boats. The next one was very high sided to and little so we carried on under the suspension bridge to Tregarvan. A pretty village from what we can see. We anchored here for the night. It was very hot, the water temperature had risen to 21.5 degrees so as soon as we had anchored at Tregarvan we went over the back for a swim however the current of nearly a knot prevented us from swimming so we just wallowed in the water keeping a tight hold on the ladder.  That night it was so hot we went to sleep with only a sheet over us.

Port Launay arr 16.00

Getting hot again so over the back and into the water, temp. 20c 

Wallowed for a while and then had lunch before setting out up river to the lock at Guilyglas. After negotiating the lock we carried on up to Chateaulin where we found there was only one short pontoon already filled by three boats so we decided to return to Port Launay and tie up to bollards in the village. Very reminiscent of northern Holland. 

Very hot now, water temperature up to 27 degrees!!! The water was very green with floating leaves but we had to go in and cool off. It felt like going into a cool bath. We were thankful for the deck shower to clean off though. Water temperature rose to 29.8 at 22.00!! Too hot and sticky to do anything.

Anse de l’Auberlach’d bay

While sitting in the cockpit first thing in the morning Barry was engaged in conversation by two separate ex. pat. English who had bought property in Port Launay and also learned that the local boulanger had married an English woman! Who knows there may be more?

Later we took the dingy up to Chateaulin, crepes for lunch and had a walk round the town before returnng to the boat to get ready for our departure later in the afternoon.

When we reached the lock it was filling from the other side and the lock keeper came and told us it would be an hour before the water rose enough for him to lock us out. We went for a walk and met an English couple whose boat was in the lock. They joined us on board for tea biccies where we learned that they have a house near by but lived in Cornwall. When we eventually got through the lock we had a very pleasant motor down the river through the beautiful countryside before we anchored for the night in the Anse de l’Auberlach’d. This is a bay at the mouth of the river sheltered from the northerly winds where we had quiet night in company with two other English boats.