Captain's log, 17 June 2013 - Alkira in Benodet N47 52.972 W04 37.051
ALKIRA
Charles & Maggie Bevis
Mon 17 Jun 2013 16:50
After filling up with fuel and water we headed to Sark. Weather pleasant, sunny and warm, but that chilly NE wind continues to blow. Anchored in Gosselin Bay, lovely, peaceful and calm with just two other boats for company. Went ashore for a walk to the main area, sent postcards and had afternoon tea (scones, jam and cream of course) in a lovely garden.
Ashore again on Saturday and walked to the other side of the island. Very strong NE cool wind blowing but plenty of sunshine. Refreshment taken at local pub and then more walking before returning to the boat later in the afternoon. Sark is just lovely, Ann really enjoyed her first visit.
Charlie decided to give us a safety talk but oh dear, slight blunder at this point! He accidentally knocked the catch and released the newly refurbished life raft - thank goodness it didn't inflate and we managed to get it back on board still in it's hardshell.
Sunday 9th - we left Sark at 6.45 a.m. and headed for Morlaix, northern France. Long day downwind sail but unpleasant conditions. Arrived 8.45 p.m. European time. Dropped anchor Dinner was already prepared so little to do other than heat and eat before retreating into our warm beds.
Monday 10th - Anchor up at 8.30 on a grey but calm morning, now heading west to L'Aber Wrach. Saw our first dolphin. Started teaching Ann how to play backgammon whilst en route to while the time away. Decided to make the most of the facilities and tied up in the marina. Nice place with plenty of good restaurants to choose from. Dinner, wine, dvd and bed.
Herve and Lottie arrived with their dog "Dingo" on the 11th and we all went out for a delicious lunch, enjoying the sunshine and able to eat al fresco for the first time. Herve drove us to the supermarket for some essentials before heading home with Dingo but leaving Lottie with us. The following day was dreadful - rain, rain and more rain. No chance to sail today to donned weatherproofs and went for a walk - we must be mad! Got soaked and not happy to arrive at the next village to find it deserted and almost everything closed. The one place remaining open was the local bar, so coffees and hot chocolate drink all round and we settled in for the next hour or so. Walked back to the boat later that afternoon and decided to to treat ourselves to another meal at a restaurant.
Thursday 13th - The weather is still rotten to decided to stay in L'Aber Wrach but moved up the river and picked up a mooring. Weather improved and the sun came out but still cool. Fishing lines out, but nothing caught. Lots of odd jobs done. Ann and I put the world to rights, then I gave Charlie a hair cut, a strong wind ensured the clippings blew away otherwise it wouldn't have happened... quite an improvement even though I say so myself, lol... Fabulous night on the river, with clear skies and flat calm. Bliss.
Friday - rude awakening at 6.30 a.m. - Charlie decided we should leave and head around the corner of France to ??? The forecast didn't sound very good to me but he thought it was worth making a run for it! Turned into an extremely lumpy journey with very strong winds and big waves. NOT NICE AT ALL. Long, long day and me back in my bed again feeling very unwell, but we finally arrived at Benodet and picked up a mooring at 9.45p.m. I stayed where I was and Charlie, Ann and Lottie had quick meal and fell into bed sometime later that evening.
Benodet is a lovely little town but alas full of holiday homes, so presently everywhere is pretty deserted and the town awaits the arrival of the holiday home owners and holiday makers. Great ice cream shop though and very pleasant to walk around the town. Huge number of boats on the river and very pretty surrounding countryside.
Sunday - left Benodet and headed up river. Beautiful trip with stunning countryside and lovely chateau's to see along the way. A wide river and plenty of depth for us. Had to stop a little sooner and pick up a mooring as 600 canoeists were heading toward us. Tucked ourselves out of the way and enjoyed watching them all paddle past whilst enjoying a beer or two. Decided to stay put for the evening as it was so peaceful and another flat calm evening.
Headed back into Benodet Monday morning to do laundry and walk into the town for the local market. Good produce available and bought some lovely food stuffs for our meal this evening. Got back on board just in time as the clouds came over and it has poured with rain most of the afternoon. Everyone happy doing their own thing. Charlie tackling internet issues. Lottie reading. Ann helping me with various odd jobs that I hadn't expected to get done. Every day, in every way, we are looking more and more 'ship shape' - it's very rewarding and makes life increasingly more comfortable.
Tomorrow we are heading for Concarneau. Thinking of going into the marina as we need to stock up at the supermarket. We hear it's a nice town so plenty of opportunity to walk around and see what it has to offer. I'll let you know in due course.