Lorient (French for low rent)

Lorient is a commercial port, the entrance is straight forward but smaller boats should keep to one side to allow large shipping movements through a narrow entrance way, once into the harbour entrance it opens up into a myriad of channels.

To the left (port) is a VERY large marina called kernevel , it seems to cater for the majority of visiting boats and is a "safe " distance from the town center and also a good distance from the commercial port.

The channel breaks off into two directions around an island, obviously called "St Michel" island , we chose to go off to the starboard side as it looked less commercial and the houses more rural I had hoped to find an empty mooring or a place to anchor, but to no avail, so went into Locmiuélic marina, or St Catherine's (of course) as its better known .

We were met by two uniformed marinero's with a neat rib and foam fenders over the bow for pushing boats into tight spots, id already seen a large and easily accessible spot, but was told we were going around the corner else where.... Long keeled yachts don't like " corners or elsewhere" and i was a little concerned at heading off into some dark inaccesible corner But I need not have worried, we were lead to the hammer head of "c " pontoon and helped to turn around and pushed sideways into position.... Very professional, polite and a job well done (so the next thought of god how much is this going to cost me).



The marina is in a more rural location and well protected , in fact if you couldn't see the tower blocks , offices and port cranes over the other side you'd think you were miles from any major civilisation , Prices are a reasonable €35 per night , free power, free WIFI, free showers
( CON-carneau was €42 per night and €5 for a shower )

At the head of the pontoons are a couple of very smart restaurant cafes and the sound of sax jazz was wafting down to the pontoons, it was calling to me .... Comfy seats....sun set...Drink beer, so we headed off to the bar for the obligatory sun downer , I so hate my life

There is a VERY good water taxi and bus connection serving the entire area, we took time out to go to the submarine museum and took a guided tour of the submarine pens built to house the U boats in WW2.

We took the option to go on board a submarine and although not a genuine U boat ( french sub from the 70'S ) it was still really informative and interesting to see the way in which sub mariners live. (Nutters)



Sailing bit :

I couldn't wait to leave the Disneyesque town of Concarneau, so as soon as the winds had calmed and the rain stopped, we paid up our harbour dues and cleared off , the wind was south westerly and had been howling 20 knots plus overnight. But had now dropped to 15 knots and we beam reached under full sail towards " the dragon " which is the name of a group of rocks at the headland...... I counted 19 yachts all doing the same thing.

This was a good sail , same tack all the way, very little traffic, few rocks, little navigation , we clocked 4.5knots as an average speed, sadly the wind died as we approached Lorient and i was forced to fire up the engine and enter the harbour under power.

The weather has been kind to us upto now with little rain and light winds, but there is a storm coming in the next couple of days and we need to be tucked away safe when it hits, we will most likely anchor in the gulf de Morbihan or up the river to vannes

NOTE:

I had hoped to get into lock Tudy on I de Groix but we were on spring tides and the harbour packed with smaller boats, we had to use plan B and into Lorient, but I'm not disappointed with the choice.

Nelsons bits:

Good choice to rock up on this side, there are lots of office blocks and a commercial port on the other side, so stinky dog has some small beaches and a semi rural village to explore at leisure, he also found a new rock to carry every where and one of those gay looking biejon frieze things to chase around.