Extended time aboard

[gjgm]

We are used to three weeks or so at a time, but hope to get a bit further down French Atlantic coast,weather permitting..maybe a few months.
So this boat is slender and small so issues such as bearings failing on the washing machine are not on the issue list.
However,if anyone has some thoughts or experiences on what they retrospectively have thought..damn,wish I had brought that,please let me know!Also any hassle experiences that come with longer stays aboard would be welcome too.Cash,insurance?
Extended supplies of Marmite obviously already upsetting boat trim.

 

[Nigelpickin]

We are used to three weeks or so at a time, but hope to get a bit further down French Atlantic coast,weather permitting..maybe a few months.
So this boat is slender and small so issues such as bearings failing on the washing machine are not on the issue list.
However,if anyone has some thoughts or experiences on what they retrospectively have thought..damn,wish I had brought that,please let me know!Also any hassle experiences that come with longer stays aboard would be welcome too.Cash,insurance?
Extended supplies of Marmite obviously already upsetting boat trim.

A flat reel hose with a Hoselock fitting
Velcro!!!
Spare impeller
Spare macerator pump
If you can find a way to fit bikes on board then it changes the trip entirely, twice before we had our current boat, we bought cheap ones from Carfour and left them with bemused locals in Brest before we crossed back.

Number one tip - pick your furthest point of travel and hoof it down there as quick as you can, we did Falmouth to La Rochelle in three days last time - then take your time getting home. It's far less stressful that way.
Also, if you've not done them, the islands from morbihand to Chatente Maratime are all fabulous and if you get to belle iles it's just lovely.
Oh and watch out for Bastille day, can be tricky getting moorings in some marinas.

Will be great to hear your passage plan when it's ready

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

We are used to three weeks or so at a time, but hope to get a bit further down French Atlantic coast,weather permitting..maybe a few months.
So this boat is slender and small so issues such as bearings failing on the washing machine are not on the issue list.
However,if anyone has some thoughts or experiences on what they retrospectively have thought..damn,wish I had brought that,please let me know!Also any hassle experiences that come with longer stays aboard would be welcome too.Cash,insurance?
Extended supplies of Marmite obviously already upsetting boat trim.

Retired G? Sounds exciting. Spareswise, service kit for the heads is a good idea - losing the wc when you're in the middle of nowhere can be a pain in the... well, you get the general idea. Spare fresh water pump as well if you have room.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Retired G? Sounds exciting. Spareswise, service kit for the heads is a good idea - losing the wc when you're in the middle of nowhere can be a pain in the... well, you get the general idea. Spare fresh water pump as well if you have room.

We spent 4 months doing a similar trip down the W coast of France, most of one precious day in the Glenans was spent wrestling with a faulty macerator pump. So, yes, definitely high on the spares list. Don't forget impellers for engines and generator.
We took our bikes, very glad we did, they were well used. Quiberon bay was our favourite area, the islands are lovely. And the Morbihan is great. Make sure your anchoring gear is up to scratch, we anchored several times in gales, no other choice.
You'll love it, have a great time.

 

[Bandit]

A good water hose times 2 I have a Gardena Hose from Amazon France lay flat woven
http://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0001E3RC8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

A full set of engine spares
Spare impellers 2 per engine
Spare diesel prefilters at least 4 per engine Racor/Separ type
Spare stern seal
Spare props, & prop nuts?
Spare cutless bearings one set
Spare bilge pump
Spare shower pump for each shower
Toilet spares
Spare wipers
Paper charts
Outboard impeller, spare prop, shear pins, split pins. spark plug
Toilet paper
load up with bottled water before you go
Water tank treatment
Additional mooring lines and fenders

 

[Bandit]

Kindle paperwhite Wifi compatible
Ipad sim card capable for French simcard ( buy payg in france)

 

[Piers]

In some of the Brittany (and further south) marinas, you'll need an adaptor for their fresh water fittings. Have a look at the second pic on this page of my website: http://www.playdeau.com/leg-3-laber-wrach-to-camaret-19-june-2013/

It's the hozelock fitting used to join two hoses.

PAYG data sims are good to go in France, but the cost of PAYG voice sims is ridiculous. At least 50p/minute. Crazy.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Yup of course engine spares and other oily spares are necessary but you also have to think about what failures might occur with domestic systems which really would ruin your holiday. In my experience engine spares are usually fairly readily available wherever you go but spares for domestic equipment are not. I'm thinking about stuff like a water pump failure, fridge failure, toilet failure etc. Might be worth carrying a spare water pump, a set of toilet spares and maybe, if you haven't already got a 2nd fridge, either fitting one or carrying a 12V camping fridge just in case. I think we've experienced more galley fridge failures than any other equipment on our boats

A good quality set of tools is a must and worth considering a set of electrical spares like breakers, bulbs, switches etc. A selection of tapes, duct tape, insulating tape, double sided tape, masking tape, velcro sticky tape is worth carrying. Lastly one of the most useful spares I carry onboard is a good selection of marine grade stainless screws. There's always stuff falling off boats

 

[neale]

Gavin, from the many cruises I have been involved with over to France, there was one thing that regularly stopped boats for days at a time, sometimes needing a trip back across to uk to get it sorted. That thing was a starter motor. For some reason they seem fiendishly difficult to get hold of in France. It it was me, I would add a starter motor, an alternator and a whole spare raw water pump to an extensive load of consumable engine spares. As yours is an out drive boat, I would also carry a spare set of props.

I think you're gonna need a bigger boat

 

[gjgm]

Thanks
you mean like this, Piers?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Conne..._86_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1MPYSBZKGVBEW286WSRS

 

[gjgm]

Gavin, from the many cruises I have been involved with over to France, there was one thing that regularly stopped boats for days at a time, sometimes needing a trip back across to uk to get it sorted. That thing was a starter motor. For some reason they seem fiendishly difficult to get hold of in France. It it was me, I would add a starter motor, an alternator and a whole spare raw water pump to an extensive load of consumable engine spares. As yours is an out drive boat, I would also carry a spare set of props.

I think you're gonna need a bigger boat

Now you've jinxed me Neale!
Can't I get that big expensive stuff couriered out from UK , say Keypart, though? Even in Gsy, we had to wait for compressor clutch to get sent from Gent (VP centre)- and then fog stopped all aircraft !!
Mike- yes, I can see a water pump breaking would be a real pain...
Thanks all for the input , so far.

 

[CLB]

I carry a spare starter motor on my 28 footer and, despite carrying it around for four years have never needed it. Trouble is, if I take it off.......well you know what will happen

 

[Piers]

Thanks
you mean like this, Piers?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Conne..._86_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1MPYSBZKGVBEW286WSRS

Yes. First found the problem in Camaret and searched and searched for the fitting, but no-one had them. That was a few years back, but it was a pain filling with water without one!

 

[Nick_H]

As well as carrying spares, I would also get the boats important systems checked or serviced before you go. Make sure your VP service engineer is an experienced mechanic, not a trainee, and pay them for extra time to do a full survey of the engines and drives and let you know if anything is showing signs of potential failure. Also get the windlass, bow thruster, Eberspacher, Wallas cooker, sea cocks, trim tabs, hatch cover rams, and outboard checked/serviced. If you haven't replaced the batteries in last 5 years I'd do so, and maybe get a new immersion coil for the calorifier.

 

[jrudge]

I used to keep a boat in La Rochelle for about 5 years.

I would no go too overboard. Spares are readily available albeit they are expensive compared to Keypart but as above they will courier.

Mike f gives sage advice and I would just follow that along with normal service parts and tools which most of us carry in any event

 

[gjgm]

As well as carrying spares, I would also get the boats important systems checked or serviced before you go. Make sure your VP service engineer is an experienced mechanic, not a trainee, and pay them for extra time to do a full survey of the engines and drives and let you know if anything is showing signs of potential failure. Also get the windlass, bow thruster, Eberspacher, Wallas cooker, sea cocks, trim tabs, hatch cover rams, and outboard checked/serviced. If you haven't replaced the batteries in last 5 years I'd do so, and maybe get a new immersion coil for the calorifier.

That sounds like the last 18 months of repairs, Nick ! After 11 months, rumour is I will get the Walls hob back.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Hi Gavin, rather than pm you I'll tell you here what we found good and bad about the W coast of France. I'll start with the not so good because it's a very short list! Belle Isle was lovely, we stayed there 3 times so must have enjoyed it, however our 2 nights in Sauzon were like being in a washing machine, the most uncomfortable of the 4 months away, however sSauzon itself was a delight and well worth seeing. Le Palais offers various mooring options, by far the best was locking in to the large basin, but be prepared for fun and games as they squeeze them in to the extent that you could walk from one side to the other across moored boats!
The Quiberon peninsula and bay were a true delight, all the islands were lovely and well wort a visit, our favourite was Houat where we anchored for a few nights off the fabulous crescent shaped beach, which is where my avatar pic was taken, but do be prepared to move if the wind shifts, pyjama parties are pretty common place as boats swing around at night. We were lucky, our stay was perfect.
We stayed a while in port Hauligen(?) on the tip of the Quideron peninsula and cycled the few miles to Quiberon for the markets and shops. We loved it there.
Also don't miss the Glenans, a smaller version of Scilly but with better weather, but very shallow so take care, but well worth the effort. On one of the islands they have a large seawater pool full of lobsters, quite a sight! And Ile de Re is not to be missed, St Martin de Re is beautiful and, if you don't mind a crowded port, worth mooring up there for a few days. We stayed on a buoy about a mile out amidst 3 lightning storms around us, worriedly watching the echo sounder as the depth under our keel dropped to 0.0!
Ile d'Yeu and D'Oleron are well worth visiting, the fish soup from the poissonerie on Yeu was superb!
We then spent a great few weeks in La Rochelle in the basin des Chalutiers which was great, a super market, huge choice of restaurants and shops, and in the evening lots of street entertainers. But do take mosquito repellant! We then went to Ile Aix which is well worth the effort, small but beautiful. We ended up in the the Gironde at Port Medoc, a large modern marina with a few small bars and cafes and a pleasant village about a mile away. Lots of great and easy cycling to be done through the forests. Well worth the trip down from La Rochelle.
On the way back we visited the Morbihan and found a number of good anchorages, but watch out for the tides, up to about 10kts at times. There is a pontoon off the main island, Ile aux Moins, but do be careful about uncharted rocks just a few hundred meters away so go towards the top of the tide, we saw and heard a yacht hit it twice, and it was in the marked channel! We spent a very pleasant few days moored up at Le Bono, lovely spot. And don't miss the River Villaine almost next door, the lock is interesting!
All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our 4 months and I'm struggling to think of anything bad to say about the coast. I guess my one disappointment was the lack of secure anchorages, but that was more to do with the constant W winds, but almost without exception the marinas were excellent and reasonably priced, often with a free night if paying for 2 nights, or 7 for the price of 5, always ask.
The weather seems to markedly improve when you reach Benodet and the temperature rises by about 5C on average, the food is great, our onboard bbq was used most days cooking crevettes and delicious local sausages and meats, and the wine............what's not to like? The French were all friendly, and although mid July towards the end of Aug was pretty busy, we always found somewhere safe to moor or anchor. The beauty of having lots of time is that if the weather cuts up rough you can just stay put till it improves.
Just go and do it, it's a fabulous cruising area, you won't regret it!

 

[Piers]

Hi Gavin, rather than pm you I'll tell you here what we found good and bad about the W coast of France. I'll start with the not so good because it's a very short list! Belle Isle was lovely, we stayed there 3 times so must have enjoyed it, however our 2 nights in Sauzon were like being in a washing machine, the most uncomfortable of the 4 months away, however sSauzon itself was a delight and well worth seeing. Le Palais offers various mooring options, by far the best was locking in to the large basin, but be prepared for fun and games as they squeeze them in to the extent that you could walk from one side to the other across moored boats!
The Quiberon peninsula and bay were a true delight, all the islands were lovely and well wort a visit, our favourite was Houat where we anchored for a few nights off the fabulous crescent shaped beach, which is where my avatar pic was taken, but do be prepared to move if the wind shifts, pyjama parties are pretty common place as boats swing around at night. We were lucky, our stay was perfect.
We stayed a while in port Hauligen(?) on the tip of the Quideron peninsula and cycled the few miles to Quiberon for the markets and shops. We loved it there.
Also don't miss the Glenans, a smaller version of Scilly but with better weather, but very shallow so take care, but well worth the effort. On one of the islands they have a large seawater pool full of lobsters, quite a sight! And Ile de Re is not to be missed, St Martin de Re is beautiful and, if you don't mind a crowded port, worth mooring up there for a few days. We stayed on a buoy about a mile out amidst 3 lightning storms around us, worriedly watching the echo sounder as the depth under our keel dropped to 0.0!
Ile d'Yeu and D'Oleron are well worth visiting, the fish soup from the poissonerie on Yeu was superb!
We then spent a great few weeks in La Rochelle in the basin des Chalutiers which was great, a super market, huge choice of restaurants and shops, and in the evening lots of street entertainers. But do take mosquito repellant! We then went to Ile Aix which is well worth the effort, small but beautiful. We ended up in the the Gironde at Port Medoc, a large modern marina with a few small bars and cafes and a pleasant village about a mile away. Lots of great and easy cycling to be done through the forests. Well worth the trip down from La Rochelle.
On the way back we visited the Morbihan and found a number of good anchorages, but watch out for the tides, up to about 10kts at times. There is a pontoon off the main island, Ile aux Moins, but do be careful about uncharted rocks just a few hundred meters away so go towards the top of the tide, we saw and heard a yacht hit it twice, and it was in the marked channel! We spent a very pleasant few days moored up at Le Bono, lovely spot. And don't miss the River Villaine almost next door, the lock is interesting!
All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our 4 months and I'm struggling to think of anything bad to say about the coast. I guess my one disappointment was the lack of secure anchorages, but that was more to do with the constant W winds, but almost without exception the marinas were excellent and reasonably priced, often with a free night if paying for 2 nights, or 7 for the price of 5, always ask.
The weather seems to markedly improve when you reach Benodet and the temperature rises by about 5C on average, the food is great, our onboard bbq was used most days cooking crevettes and delicious local sausages and meats, and the wine............what's not to like? The French were all friendly, and although mid July towards the end of Aug was pretty busy, we always found somewhere safe to moor or anchor. The beauty of having lots of time is that if the weather cuts up rough you can just stay put till it improves.
Just go and do it, it's a fabulous cruising area, you won't regret it!

I have to agree with everything you say. It's the most delightful crusing area, full of wonderfullness. I'd also go one step further south to Rochefort. A lovely river trip and a gorgeous marina.

 

[Nigelpickin]

This is all getting me very excited about getting back in the water, great thread

 

[gjgm]

Thanks indeed LJ.
Just need the weather...