2 August 2010 – Still in Camaret

The whole day has been taken up with the insurance claim.  Roger rang our insurer, Pantaenius this morning just after 9am and spoke to the well-trained and sympathetic Felix Evans in the claims department.  He was very clear that if the claim was on a French Insurer there was a need to get an estimate immediately from a French yard.  He also promised to email a claim form, which has now been completed and can be emailed back.

On Felix’s advice, therefore, we sallied forth and sought a suitable boatyard.  I had spoken to a young man on Saturday in the Le Couteur Uship Chandlery who had spoken excellent English.  The chandlery was late opening, but we tracked down the boss, M Yves Le Couteur (CM Yacht Services) who was in his office.  We could have not been more fortunate.  I had primed myself with the necessary French vocabulary about estimate (le devi,) insurance claims etc  and did OK (thank goodness sit didn’t happen in Spain!) but M Le Couteur spoke excellent technical English which made the task substantially easier.  Within a quarter of an hour he came out to view the damage, and to take photos.  We collected the estimate this evening and his estimate is c1000 euros.  We think that it probably underestimates the costs.  The main element is 16 man-hours at 42 euros/hour, plus VAT.  M Le Couteur is to forward the estimate to us electronically for forwarding to Pantaenius, as we don’t have the scanner aboard.

No fee was asked for the estimate but we decided that it was right to express our appreciation, so bought him a bottle of single malt.  As we were in the Super U Roger spied some good-looking prawns, which I cooked when we got back to the boat – a treat, but we both felt that they were probably not as fresh as they might have been . The feast was rounded off with a bowl of cherries.   We’ll do better from the criee in Loctudy when we get round Penmar’ch – not far now, although we think we may stop off tomorrow in Morgat, just along the coast and round the Cap de la Chevre in the bay of Douarnenez.  We haven’t been there for years (probably 15) – and there are two big memories – one of tossing out mussels that I thought were a bit iffy from the galley into a small boat alongside that I didn’t know was there – and having them promptly thrown back!  And the other is of the statement about Morgat in the Rough Guide to Brittany, that said that the place was full of leather-faced people talking about their spinnakers – and guess what I found Roger talking to our neighbour about! 

Hot and sunny today, now