Following Graham's departure Tony and I set about our various jobs, hampered not a little by heavy downpours and wind.

 

However drinks on board with Noel and Kate Little of Pikant out of Thorney Island SC, became a supper party when Kate offered to cook our supper back on their boat so that we could continue the evening. She departed and a little later 3 happy chaps left Candida for Pikant..... another late night.....

 

Sunday morning was slightly better - until with 5 minutes to spare the harbour master came round demanding we move to let in a rally. Considering we had been in the berth all Saturday and that the staff had logged us there, we politely declined unless they could offer us a suitable alternative, as we did not fancy rafting 3 deep in 30+ knots of wind....

Eventually the poor girl shrugged her shoulders and went away - the regatta came in and they found themselves berths and everyone was happy (payback for the way they used to treat us at CYH!!)

 

Peter Jenkins arrived in good form on Sunday evening, and we had walk around the lovely centre of La Rochelle had a Gallette for supper followed by a walk back to the boat and a pudding from the Champion Supermarket( bought on Saturday!) - yummy!

 

Monday morning was pretty miserable - but while Skipper went to get an almanac (Bloc much cheaper and I think better than Reeds) and a new winch handle to replace the one that disappeared somewhere in Biscay, Tony and Peter set off on bicycles to do some storing of the ship (we will draw a veil over the reasons for Tony's failure to do this on Sunday morning, but it is said that he was seen some kilometres outside La Rochelle desperately seeking a supermarket that was open after 11.45 am!).

 

We eventually left Port de Minimes - which we felt was expensive at €35 per night plus €2 per shower, and not particularly welcoming - in fact not our favourite, and not a placve we would want to revisit - at 13.30 after filling with 50 litres of diesel - ouch! no more cheap Spanish diesel.....

 

As we left - in company with Pikant - we ran into a major thunderstorm with rain lashing down and a gusty wind, once it cleared though we had a lovely sunny day and headed up for La Pallice and the bridge to the Ile de Re. We were then accosted AGAIN by a motor launch (unmarked)- this time with two gun toting girls who sported Douanes Francais on their uniforms - who enquired as to our legitimacy! we explained that we had had a visit from their colleagues on the previous Friday, but we would be very happy if they wished to join us - this declined and they went on their way

 

We then had a glorious sail to Les Sables D'Olonne with a westerly wind giving us a broad reach to within a couple of miles of the entrance when the wind finally ran out of breath.

We were allocated a berth in the quiet area of Port D'Olona and for €24 per night felt better looked after - even if wi-fi was only available at the Capitainerie.

Tuesday - as forecast, came with strong West/NW winds, and some stunning waves crashing onto the beach - this was declared a go nowhere day (it also rained a lot!)

The town itself was reasonably uninspiring, except for the huge amount of marine business based there.

 

Wednesday the forecast was a bit iffy - Tony departed at 08.00 to get his train to La Rochelle and thence to Ryanair and Stansted, meanwhile PJ and the skipper deliberated whether conditions were suitable for a run of 30 miles to Ile de Yeu. In the end we decided to go, and while there was still a considerable swell left from yesterday we had a grand sail in a rising breeze, to start with, with one reef and the nr 3 then 2 reefs and half the 3 then just 2 reefs, thinking about a third!

Fortunately as we were doing around 8.5 knots  Port Joinville appeared quickly and having departed Les Sables entrance at 10 arriving 32 miles later at 14.00.

Since when the wind (as forecast) has continiued to increase hitting 35 knots plus on a regular basis.

 

Pete and I got out the bikes and cycled to St Sauveur, a quaint village that is in fact the capital.... it has a butcher, baker, fishmonger, a general store and a couple of souvenir shops, as well as an enormous church that would probably take the population of the Island in its entirety!

 

Tomorrow (Thursday) the forecast is light winds, despite which we hope to get to Belle Ile (Le Palais), and on Friday either Ile de Groix or Lorient. We shall see, the weather is anything but settled - by the way could someone ask the Met Office what happened to that long hot summer they promised us?

 

Candida