Spellbinder had been berthed at Gijon marina for about a month until the
Moloney family crew joined by ferry to Santander and coach to Gijon. The
prospect for Eamon, Isabel, Olivia and Phillip was to sail across the Bay of
Biscay to La Rochelle involving, at best, two nights at sea. The omens were
not good, the Azores high was settling over the UK with a ridge southwest to
the Azores, all the wrong way round to normal patterns but good for a
heatwave in Britain. The problem was the winds were settled into mainly the
northeast, the way we wanted to go. In the days before leaving Gijon on 10
July thick humid mist had engulfed Gijon and rumbling thunder storms could
be heard brewing in the Cantabrian mountains. The urge was to get away from
this coast as soon as possible, so after refuelling the lines were cast off
and Spellbinder nosed out into a light westnorthwest breeze anashamedly
motor sailing to make any sort of progress. After 6 hours the wind veered
into the northeast and the best course took us towards Arcachon an extensive
shallow basin with shifting sand banks and an enormous sand dune at its
tortuous entrance. This lies about 70 miles south of the Ile d'Oleron which
is outside La Rochelle, and is in the middle of the 140 mile largely
featureless and flat pine-covered coast of Les Landes before the harbours of
Capbreton and Bayonne in the south close to the border with Spain. To add to
the constraints there is a French firing range off this coast making life
even more difficult! Arcachon had already been written off as a place of
refuge because of the risks involved in entering but we pressed on
regardless in the hope of getting close inshore and finding a lift that
could take us north. The Moloney family were stoical in the face of the
first night at sea in a rolly motion with the engine running without their
sealegs, but by the next afternoon with the prospect of two more nights at
sea before there could be any hope of reaching Ile d'Oleron a change of plan
was necessary. The forecast for our sea area was NE F4-6 with gusts and in a
rising sea Spellbinder bore away to the southeast and the harbour of
Bayonne. The engine went off and in a F3-4 from the ENE Spellbinder reached
down to the southeast corner of the Bay of Biscay not far from the
fashionable resort of Biarritz. At 0800 on 12 July Spellbinder berthed in
the Anglet marina at Bayonne having avoided a mass of small fishing boats in
the harbour entrance, there for the fishing at high water. After a night in
Bayonne to recover some equilibrium although thunderstorms were raging in
the mountains, Spellbinder sailed at 0700 to get the best of favourable
current up the coast of Les Landes. Fortunately it was "le weekend" and the
firing range was not in use. This was motorsailing in earnest and with the
wind stuck in the northeast at F3/4, Spellbinder bashed into the sea with
one reef in the main and six rolls in the genoa to make best course. That
evening the mouth of the Arcachon was passed and we gazed at the amazing
sand dune. The mouth of the Gironde estuary was reached in the early hours
of the next morning but overnight we had been almost able to make the course
to d'Oleron with the wind freshening and veering a little into the ENE F4/5-
hooray! So it was, that in the lee of the Ile d'Oleron Spellbinder anchored
with much relief off a small village at La Ramagasse after a passage of 32
hours. The dinghy was launched and a shore party enjoyed the feel of terra
firma under their feet. On Monday 15 July Spellbinder sailed the 41 miles to
Les Sables d'Olonne, the centre of the Vendee sailing area, on a hot day
with the wind incongruously in the westnorthwest, no doubt the coastal
breeze mentioned in the area forecast. Was it divine intervention that we
happened to be in Les Sables d'Olonne when it was noticed that the mainsail
luff line had snapped near to the top batten pocket? Luckily no damage to
the sail itself and in the home of excellent yacht support facilities the
main was repaired in 24 hours by Voileries Tabot in Port Olona for the sum
of 50 Euros. Although we had to motorsail in light winds from the NNW the
Ile d'Yeu was reached on 16 July where the anchor was let go in a lovely bay
at Anse des Vieilles. One advantage of the wind being stuck in the northerly
sector was that these anchorages exposed to the south and the (usual!)
prevailing winds were safe overnight places to stop and relax. The following
50 mile passage to Belle Isle and the anchorage off Port Herlin was the best
yet in a lovely NE F4 on a flat sea. This was what we had joined for and the
beach there described on the chart as fine sand was absolutely delightful.
It was almost inacessible and the better for it. On Friday 19 July
Spellbinder weighed anchor and sailed for Lorient. It was a gentle sail on a
hazy day and the entrance to Lorient was enjoyed with yachts, pleasure boats
and ferries everywhere. Our destination was the Lorient marina in the old
commercial dock that was to be the home for Spellbinder for the next three
weeks. Plans had been changed by mutual agreement with the next crew to
delay the last leg home to Plymouth of Spellbinder's foreign voyaging until
the second week in August. Work and family commitments made this desirable
but the weather was on the change, crashing Singapore type thunderstorms
were happening every night, visibility was reported poor round Ushant and,
who knows, the wind may be more favourable by then?!
The Moloney family returned home by pre-booked ferry from Roscoff on
Saturday 20 July. It was sad to see them go, they had been stoical and
supportive throughout a difficult passage but it is nice to think that the
last four days were enjoyable sailing after the Vendee coast had been
reached, and we did get in one or two good meals ashore.
