Cruising towards Portugal - La Rochelle to Bayonne

[Nigelpickin]

I have mentioned in another post that we now have wifi with bandwidth so am able to get some videos posted of our, (to us), epic trip to Portugal.

We are now very much in new cruising territory having come south of Royan and visiting new marinas and towns is all super exciting. Anyhoo, we have covered around 650 nm and reckon that there are about 850nm to go before we arrive at Portimao.

We are travelling in company with our friends and fellow forumites Richard and Elvia, (thats their Trader, Ocean Spirit in the vid), it's great fun and all very relaxed; we are even cruising at displacement speed when the sea allows which has been great for the nerves and indeed the fuel bill, (averaging 3nm per gallon currently).

Hope you enjoy the video, for those interested in seeing the famous standing wave at Cap Ferrett it's at around 1:20 and while my heart goes out to those scuppered by foul weather on the UK south coast, this is what real sea looks like

Thanks for the heads up Jeremy (Rudge), just a few days too late!!!

Hope to have another video and the blog up soon.

Peace

 

[IDAMAY]

Happy days except for the Douane ramming my bathing platform and taking a chunk out of it! So much for the ubiquitous Bateau Ecole's! Apart from that they were courteous and friendly after SWMBO reassured them that we had no guns or narcs on board.

 

[rafiki_]

Lovely vid Nigel. Looks an epic journey.

 

[Montemar]

Brill!
Thanks for posting the video.

 

[longjohnsilver]

What did you think of Arcachon? How easy was it to get in and out? Was your exit near low or high water? We spent some time in Port Medoc just inside the Gironde and met a Frenchman on his boat, who also had a holiday home in Arcachon. He described boating there as a shit, his words not mine! Would still like to go, but it is out on a limb.

 

[Garold]

Enjoyable and interesting video Nigel.

Not sure what your plan is when you get to the Spanish Rias but we've just sailed through them over the last few weeks (in Lisbon now), and they were worth more time than we had planned for. They felt a bit like West Country cruising but with good weather and more destinations.

The food and alcohol in Northern Spain seemed excellent value too.

The trek south along the Portuguese coast thus far hasnt been quite as interesting.

Garold

 

[Nigelpickin]

What did you think of Arcachon? How easy was it to get in and out? Was your exit near low or high water? We spent some time in Port Medoc just inside the Gironde and met a Frenchman on his boat, who also had a holiday home in Arcachon. He described boating there as a shit, his words not mine! Would still like to go, but it is out on a limb.

I love Arcachon LJS, have been there a few times on driving vacations and it's always been an ambition of mine to take the boat there, and we really enjoyed it.

The marina is ridiculously expensive but they've pretty much got the market sewn up in terms of competition, Medoc 75m north and Cap Bretton 50m south.

Easier getting in for us as the swell was less then one metre and we had 15 seconds between the waves. You do have to check with Cap Ferret Semaphore for the sea state across the sand bank and swell height. Very informative, they tell you what to expect and speak perfect English.

We followed a fishing vessel in and out, it seems to the case that if you time entrance of exit at high slack there will be fishing vessels coming in and out which boosts ones confidence somewhat.

I would not attempt the channel at low water or even half water, the swell trough is simply too dangerous and there's a real risk of bottoming the boat. You can see the roller coaster ride we had on the way out at the 1:20 mark and that was with a 1.5m swell in Biscay.

As for wether it's worth visiting, if you like beach front cafes, cycling, dinghy adventures and fabulous beaches and lagoons then yes, it's unique on the French Atlantic coast; like a posh, busy Morbhan with better weather. As for keeping a boat there, I think that you would get a little bored after a season or two.

If we ever bring the boat back I would probably have two to three weeks there next time.

 

[Nigelpickin]

Enjoyable and interesting video Nigel.

Not sure what your plan is when you get to the Spanish Rias but we've just sailed through them over the last few weeks (in Lisbon now), and they were worth more time than we had planned for. They felt a bit like West Country cruising but with good weather and more destinations.

The food and alcohol in Northern Spain seemed excellent value too.

The trek south along the Portuguese coast thus far hasnt been quite as interesting.

Garold

Hi Garold,

I hadn't realised that you were doing the same route as us!

Did you visit any ports on the north coast of Spain? We are in Zumaya tomorrow and Santander after that. If you have tips on any nice marinas, let me know.

We are all looking forward to the Rias, we've not had a chance to anchor overnight yet, Morbihan was gloomy, windy and wet when we passed through in June so we need to find somewhere to compensate for that!

We are really looking forward to Porto and Lisbon and should arrive in mid to late August, hope that we can spend some time on the Douro. Where are you going to be ending up?

Please pass on any tips on the Portuguese coast if you have any

 

[rlw]

Brilliant, just back from a week in Biscarosse / Arcachon and did Dune de Pyla also.
Was trying to convince my other half it would be even better by boat. Think my chances are slim after showing her the vid of the standing wave

Hope to do the same some day.

Rob

 

[longjohnsilver]

Thanks for that Nigel. Will be very interested in your thoughts on N Spain.

 

[IDAMAY]

Just to add to what Nigel said. This was our second visit to Arcachon, the first being in a Sealine F42/5 in 2001. The entrance/exit is quite feasible in the right conditions but does need to be taken at or within two hours of high water and, like the Gironde, certainly not with any wind over the ebb. The actual swell info from the Semaphore was for 2 metres and it was definitely all of that! Although Arcachon is a very nice place I don't think it is worth a visit by boat in its own right, just as a passage stop.

The 75 Nm from the Gironde is along a quite featureless coast of sand dunes and pine forests. If Arcachon is inaccessible there are absolutely no ports of refuge between the Gironde and Cap Breton, itself a bit marginal in an onshore blow. Having said that our two passages between La Rochelle and Bayonne were very peaceful - long may it continue!

 

[Nigelpickin]

Brilliant, just back from a week in Biscarosse / Arcachon and did Dune de Pyla also.
Was trying to convince my other half it would be even better by boat. Think my chances are slim after showing her the vid of the standing wave

Hope to do the same some day.

Rob

I could edit the wave out if you need a hand convincing her!
There's plenty of day and week charter stuff available; it would be great to take an apartment and rent a launch of some sort.....

 

[Garold]

Hi Garold,

I hadn't realised that you were doing the same route as us!

Did you visit any ports on the north coast of Spain? We are in Zumaya tomorrow and Santander after that. If you have tips on any nice marinas, let me know.

We are all looking forward to the Rias, we've not had a chance to anchor overnight yet, Morbihan was gloomy, windy and wet when we passed through in June so we need to find somewhere to compensate for that!

We are really looking forward to Porto and Lisbon and should arrive in mid to late August, hope that we can spend some time on the Douro. Where are you going to be ending up?

Please pass on any tips on the Portuguese coast if you have any

We are heading to southern Spain too but we have this year switched to a sailboat so probably travelling slower than you.

We went straight across Biscay to Corunna and used the Marina in the middle of town Real Club Nautico -Corunna. It was very convenient for walking into town though a bit of fishing boat swell creeps into the Marina. We filled up with fuel on the way in at the other close by Marina Corunna (on the right behind the long sea wall). The fuel access was very easy with no current and very helful attendant.

We anchored close to Camarinas Marina and it was very sheltered.

Muros is a pleasant town with a Marina but you may find the berths a bit small for you.

We also visited Sanxenxo which is a more developed tourist town with a long sandy beach and stayed in the Marina. They are well set up for mobos and yachts of any size. The late night disco finishes very very late though so try not to moor near it. The fuel is easy to get to as you enter the Marina on the left.

We enjoyed Vigo and once more we stayed in the Marina closest to the centre of the town (Royal Club Nautico) and they did have some larger boats in there. Helpful staff, but no fuel pumps working when we were there.

Bayonne is well worth a look and both marinas had lots of berths for larger boats. Good shelter and quite nice local beaches with plenty of street cafe/bar life in the older part of town.

We haven't really explored Lisbon yet so we have that to discover.

But otherwise, Porto has been the best place so far on the Portuguese coast. We moored in the Marina at Leixoes but it was a bit basic and tight even for us at 38 foot. You would probably be better trying the newer Douro Marina which is closer to town anyway. We haven't been there so can't tell you if they have larger berths.

The swell down the west coast of Spain and Portugal has been more constant than we anticipated and made our entrance into Nazare an experience that I wouldn't choose to repeat.

Anyway, enjoy your trip. Though we have sails a large part of our journey thus far has been spent motor sailing so perhaps we should just have kept the little mobo anyway!

Garold

 

[Nigelpickin]

We are heading to southern Spain too but we have this year switched to a sailboat so probably travelling slower than you.

We went straight across Biscay to Corunna and used the Marina in the middle of town Real Club Nautico -Corunna. It was very convenient for walking into town though a bit of fishing boat swell creeps into the Marina. We filled up with fuel on the way in at the other close by Marina Corunna (on the right behind the long sea wall). The fuel access was very easy with no current and very helful attendant.

We anchored close to Camarinas Marina and it was very sheltered.

Muros is a pleasant town with a Marina but you may find the berths a bit small for you.

We also visited Sanxenxo which is a more developed tourist town with a long sandy beach and stayed in the Marina. They are well set up for mobos and yachts of any size. The late night disco finishes very very late though so try not to moor near it. The fuel is easy to get to as you enter the Marina on the left.

We enjoyed Vigo and once more we stayed in the Marina closest to the centre of the town (Royal Club Nautico) and they did have some larger boats in there. Helpful staff, but no fuel pumps working when we were there.

Bayonne is well worth a look and both marinas had lots of berths for larger boats. Good shelter and quite nice local beaches with plenty of street cafe/bar life in the older part of town.

We haven't really explored Lisbon yet so we have that to discover.

But otherwise, Porto has been the best place so far on the Portuguese coast. We moored in the Marina at Leixoes but it was a bit basic and tight even for us at 38 foot. You would probably be better trying the newer Douro Marina which is closer to town anyway. We haven't been there so can't tell you if they have larger berths.

The swell down the west coast of Spain and Portugal has been more constant than we anticipated and made our entrance into Nazare an experience that I wouldn't choose to repeat.

Anyway, enjoy your trip. Though we have sails a large part of our journey thus far has been spent motor sailing so perhaps we should just have kept the little mobo anyway!

Garold

Thanks for all that Garold, we we've arrived at Zumaia and it seems very nice, and the fuel is €1:05 ltr - happy days or Dias felices as I think we now say