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ROB'S LOG CAMERET FRANCE
.                                                 LOG CAMARET   FRANCE 08/09/09                                                                         WE LAIDED IN CARAMARINAS FOR 7 DAYS WHICH,   ALTHOUGHA BEAUTIFUL ANCHORAGE WE WERE EAGER TO GET ON, AS WE STILL HAD ALONG WAY TO GO BEFORE WE WERE IN HOME WATERS (ENGLISH CHANNEL) . THE TIME WAS NOT WASTED HOWEVER AND WE MANAGED TO GET THE DECKS PAINTED, THE BOAT PAINTED UP AND INTO COASTAL CRUISING MODE. EVENTUALLY THE NORTH WID STOPPED BLOWING AND WE SLIPPED OUT OF THE RIA CARAMARINAS AND HAD A LONG DAY MOTORING IN A BIG SWELL IN WHICH WE ROLLED OUR SCUPPERS UNDER WITH EVERY ROLL. IN 8 HOURS WE FINALLY ROUNDED ISLE OF SIGAS ON THE NORTH CORNER OF SPAIN AND HEADED EAST.   ORIGANALLY   WE HAD BEEN   LA COROUNA BUT AFTER BEING TOLD THE ANCHORAGE HAD BEEN TAKEN OVER BY THE MARINA EXTENTION   WE OPTED FOR A BAY OPPOSITE, ESENDA MERA, A LOVELY BAY IN WHICH WE DROPPED ANCHOR THAT EVENING WONDERING WHY WE HAD BY-PASSED IT ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS (WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER OPENS).                                               THE NEXT DAY, WE GROPPED ABOUT IN THICK FOG THE 25 MILES UP TO RIA CEDERIA ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE ANCHORAGES AND WE BOTH ADMITTED THAT THE SCENERY WAS EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS ANY OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS. BEING THERE ON A SUNDAY WE INVITED A COUPLE OF A NEIGHBOURING YACHT TO DINNER. (MRS MUM NORMALLY COOKS A FULL ROAST ON A SUNDAY) DURING AN AFTER DINNER YARN WE LEAREN’T THAT THE LADY FRANCESSCA HAD BEEN AN ITALIAN   MOTOR CYCLE RACING ACE,   EVEN COMPLETING THE ISLE OF MAN TT, WOW! WE WERE INPRESSED. MOVING ON THE NEXT DAY WE MOTORED AROUND TO VIVERIO. THIS IS THE PLACE FOR SHOPPING, AS ONE CAN MOOR THE DINGY OUTSIDE THE EXELLENT SUPERMARKET OF WHICH WE TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE.                                                                                                     THE BAY OF BISCAY, IS DEFINITELY NOT MY FAVOURITE PIECE OF WATER IN THE WORLD WE HAVE CROSSED IT 4 TIMES NOW AND GOT BEAT UP EVERY TIME.   RIGHT FROM WHEN WE PLANNED TIS VOYAGE IN 2005 I HAD INTENDED TO COAST HOP BACK AROUND THE INSIDE OF THIS HORRIBLE PIECE OF OCEAN ON OUR RETURN, BUT THINGS CHANGE IN 4 YEARS AND SU WAS ANXIOUS TO GET HOME AND WITH FEMALE PERSUASION WE SAILED OUT OF VIVERIO FOR BREST SOME 300 MILE STRAIGHT ACROSS. THE BAY HAD OTHER IDEAS, ONLY TEN MILE OUT THE SKY TURNED BLACK AND THE WIND INCREASED TO 30KNTS FROM THE NORTH WEST. TO MANY TIMES IN MY LIFE I HAVE COME UNSTUCK THROUGH TO MY ORIGIONAL PLANS. SO, THE COURSE WAS CHANGED DOWN WIND FOR RIBADAO 30 MILE TO THE EAST WHERE WE DROPPED ANCHOR THAT AFTERNOON. AFTER AN EARLY START NEXT DAY WE MADE THE 60 MILE TO GIJON MARINA.                                                                                                                           ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT LIKE THE TOWN OF GIJON ON OUR LAST VISIT THE SPAINIARDS HAVE SCRUBBED IT UP REALLY WELL AND WE THROUGHLY ENJOYED OUR 3 DAY STAY   EVEN THOUGH THE MARINA CHARGES FOR OUR BIG OLD BOAT WERE AN OUCH.                                                                                                                                             MONDAY THE 24TH AUGUST WE SAILED FROM GIJON FOR AN OVERNIGHT PASSAGE OF 115 MILES TO BILBAO THIS WAS THE START OF A   NEW CRUISING GROUND FOR US, WHICH ALWAYS GIVES ME A BUZZ AFTER LAYINFG A DAY WINDBOUND AN EARLY START WITH A GOOD SAIL 74 MILES TO BAYONNE OUR FIRST FRENCH PORT ANCHORING IN THE RIVER WHERE THE PILOT BOOK RECOMMENDED, THE NEXT DAY WAS SPENT ENJOYING EVERYTHING WE LIKE ABOUT FRANCE (GOOD FOOD, GOOD CHEESE AND GOOD WINE) ANCHORED WELL OUT OF THE FAIRWAY   ENJOYING LIFE. THE NEXT DAY, AFTER GETTING FUEL IN THE MARINA, WE MOTORED UP THE RIVER TO BAYONNE, MOORING ON THE TOWN QUAY. THERE TO GREET US WAS THE DR JECKELL HARBOURMASTER WHO PROCEEDED TO GIVE US A BIG BULLOCKING FOR ANCHORING IN HIS RIVER AND MOORING UP TO HIS QUAY AS HIS PORT WAS FOR COMMERCIAL VESSELS ONLY ( DESPITE LOCAL ANGLERS ANCHORED IN THE FAIRWAY) IN OUR DEFENSE I SHOWED HIM MY BRAND NEW PILOT BOOK WHICH SHOWS THE ANCHORAGE AND DESCRIBES THE TOWN QUAY AS A GOOD PLACE TO TIE UP BESIDES THAT THE MARINA WAS FULL ANYWAY. I, COULD NOT REALLY SEE IT AS A BIG DEAL, AS SHIPS DID NOT COME   UP THE RIVER ANYWAY. AFTER THE HARBOURMASTER HAD SAID HIS PIECE RELENTED AND SAID WE COULD STAY FOR 48 HOURS THE NEXT AFTERNOON HE RE-APPEARED AS NICE MR HYDE,   WITH A WEATHER FORCAST FOR US AND CAME ABOARD FOR A YARN AND IN NO TIME WE WERE LIKE OLD SHIP MATES.       ALL THIS, DID NOT SPOIL OUR VISIT TO BAYONNE WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY WITH AN OUTSTANDING CATHEREDRAL   AND A GOOD SATURDAY MARKET WELL WORTH A VISIT.                                                                                                                                                                                               AT THE APPOINTED TIME THE HARBOUR MASTER ARRIVED TO LET GO OUR ROPES AND WE MOTORED DOWN THE RIVER AND OUT INTO THE BAY OF BISCAY BEING QUITE THANKFULL THAT IT WAS DARK AND WE COULD NOT SEE THE 4 METER SWELLS AS WE CAME OUT OF THE PIER HEADS.   COMPLETEING OUR EASTERLY COURSE WE WERE NOW HEADING NORTH UP THROUGH THE FRENCH MILITARY FIREING RANGE THAT WOULD TAKE UP THE NEXT 120 MILES OF COAST UP TO THE RIVER GIRONDE. FORTUNATELY THE RANGE IS CLOSED FOR AUGUST BUT AS IT WAS THE 30TH WE WERE CUTTING THINGS A BIT FINE. WE WERE FINALLY CLEAR OF THE RANGE MIDDAY ON THE 31ST   AND AS WE HAD A GOOD WIND CARRIED ON TO THE PORT OF LES SABLES D’ OLONNE TO BERTH IN THE MARINA IN THE AFTERNOON, WHERE WE WERE TO BE HELD WINDBOUND FOR THE NEXT 4 DAYS WHICH HURT MY WALLET EMENSELY.   WHEN THE GALES HAD ABAITED WE WERE UNDERWAY WITH AVENGEANCE AND WE SAILED 25 MILES TO ISLE DE YEU TO ANCHOR DURING THE FOUL TIDE FOR 6 HOURS THE 60 MILE TO BELLE ISLE TO ANCHOR YET AGAIN FOR THE TIDE, THEN OF AGAIN 100 MILE TO THE RAZ DE SEIN THE 1 MILE WIDE PASSAGE AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE BAY OF BISCAY WHERE THE TIDES CAN REACH 7KNTS WITH OVERFALLS TO MATCH. BEING DELAYEDBY THE THICKENING FOG WE ENTERED THE RAZ 2 HOURS LATE WITH 6KNTS OF TIDE UNDER US AND A SPEED OVER THE GROUND OF 10KNTS UNTILL WE HIT THE OVERFALL WAVES AND HAD GREEN WATER ON DECK. I THEN USED A TRICK THAT I HAD LEARNT ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION TURNED BARBAROSSA 180 DEGREES AND EASED THE ENGINE DOWN UNTILL I JUST ABOUT HAD STEERAGE WAY, THIS PUT THE SEAS FROM BEHIND AND WE WENT QUITE SAFELY THROUGH THE RAZ DE SEIN STERN FIRST AT 5KNTS!   ONLY JUST CLEARING THE PASSAGE BEFORE DENSE FOG SET IN LEAVING US TO GROPE OUR WAY IN AMONGST THE ROCKS TO ANCHOR AT CAMERET SUR MER, WHERE WE WERE DIRECTLY BOARDED AND SEARCHED BY THE FRENCH CUSTOMS, AND ALTHOUGH VERY   CURTIOUS,IT WAS THE LASRT THING ON WANTS AFTER 2 NIGHTS AT SEA ON A 200 MILE COASTAL PASSAGE WITH THICK FOG!