We started this season with a French Visa so that we could extend our stay in France beyond 90 days. This gave us the option of staying in France for 180 days which was a real bonus as we wanted to explore the north and west Coast of Brittany and Atlantic France without rushing.
We left Lymington on 21 April, bound for Alderney, however the weather gods gave us a SW 4-5 and a lumpy sea so we changed our plans off the Needles and headed for Cherbourg. It was an easy if a little chilly crossing and we were pleased to get into Cherbourg by 2215 and enjoy our usual long cold passage supper of bacon eggs and beans!
A day stocking up in Cherbourg then saw us head across to Guernsey as we had some equipment to collect from the Harbour masters office. We left fairly early to catch the spring tides south through the Alderney Race and had a fast passage to St Peterport. Roustel Beacon is still damaged and probably wont get fixed until well into 2026. The damage was cause by a cargo ship not paying sufficient attention to the rather frisky tides in the area.
On our return journey in September we again stopped in Guernsey and had a wonderful few days walking the stunning South coast and a quick trip across to Sark. Despite the mild weather for the trip we found the anchorage at havre grosse quite uncomfortable in the swell that set up through the gap. we only stayed the one night in Sark but had a very enjoyable walk around this lovely island. With no cars or vans and no need for streetlights it became one of the first "Dark Sky Island in2011. However back on the mainland we managed at long last to visit the House of Victor Hugo. Author of many works, including Les Miserables we really enjoyed our escorted walk around his fascinating house. An interesting man with very defined religious and aesthetic tastes in decor. So glad we managed to see it this time.
Returning to our southward journey we sailed from St Peterport to Lezardrieux on the Cote D'Armor. A good sail across, we arrived in daylight and enjoyed our first views of this stunning coastline.
Lezardru and trigger
Aberwarach and Rosscoff
River Alume and cameret sur mer