Current Position
47 53 89N
004 08 64W
River Odet, Benodet and Sainte Marine
We had a fantastic 30 mile sail from St Evette with winds from the WNW at F3/4 which meant a down wind sail so we clipped our preventer to the boom which took away any fear of the boat accidently gybing and knocking one of us unconscious. (a preventer is a rope that is attached to the boom and then run forward to a cleat on the bow and tied off. This stops the boom swinging backwards and forwards in very light wind conditions and a rolling sea, therefore preventing a very nasty head injury or worse still - man overboard !) We were occasionally escorted by a pod of porpoises and every now and then just one would come very close along side. It's funny, we can see all sorts of bird and wildlife on land but nothing makes us squeal with absolute delight more than a pod of dolphins or porpoises. The problem we have is getting to the camera in time to take photos!!. Benodet is one of South Brittany's principle yachting centres in the centre of the Anse de Benodet . The River Odet is navigable for 7 miles to just south of Quimper where there is a bridge with a height of just 5.8m so masted boats can go no further.
We went up river ( we do like a nice river) and under the Pont de Cornouaille which had a 28m clearance height but still made me close my eyes, cross my fingers and say a silent prayer as we went under. Why I should worry when there is 14m clearance I just don't know!! It just looks so weird!!! We then picked up a vacant mooring buoy for an overnight stay in a lovely sheltered spot. The River is very deep in places with very steep sides and is heavily wooded with lush green trees, has lots of little inlets and some very stunning chateaus. We love to anchor in a beautiful bay but there is something so very peaceful about being on a stretch of river, with flat still water, surrounded by dense gorgeous trees and all you can hear is silence. Next morning we went exploring further up the river and eventually turned around and headed back down stream to Penfoul Marina as we needed to do a shop and take on water. The recommendation was to get onto a berth at high/slack water when the tide has lessened as it rips through and can make berthing very difficult. We did exactly that and berthed on the outer pontoon, pointing up river with the bridge in the distance. Perfect. We made it just before the heavens opened and the rest of the day was very windy and very wet. We don't see the point in going out walking in the rain only to try and then dry off dripping jackets etc below decks so tend to use wet days blog writing, checking emails, passage planning and generally pottering about. Lymington meets Sandbanks is the best way to describe Benodet with lots of stunning houses on prime locations overlooking the sea. The beaches are long and the sand golden. Next day we took a walk into town, visited the supermarket and did a couple of hours walking along the shoreline stretching our legs. Our aim now is for the Morbihan. On the charts it looks like a navigators nightmare and once again the pilot book talks of getting your entrance timing right as the tides are strong. We will do a couple of short stops en route. This trip so far has been a real navigation and passage planning challenge. I have to say we have done good with no issues.
Song for this post: Take me to the river by Talking Heads
Thought for this post: it is absolutely essential to sit and discuss passage plans, tides and any issues/obstacles . We have our paper charts and a page of hand written notes with tide times and heights in the cockpit for easy reference.
Highlight for this post : the porpoises of course!