Down the Islands of France, From Glenans to Yeu

After departing the Glenans we sail and motor to the next Island down the coast - the Isle de Groix, it is only 25 mile so we just take a look and then continue going to Belle Isle.
Here is a map of the French Coast.

 Approaching Isle de Groix - looks pretty

more lighthouses!

 We move on to the next Island - Belle Isle and the port of Le Palais, there are more trees here than on Groix

 Here is the entrance to Le Palais, there is a fort to the right

 Of course we share the harbour with not just one but two ferries, there do handbrake turns, I think I could have spat on the boat as it passed - within spitting distance

 They have added pontoons in the shallowish water on the town side of the harbour - the pontoons are floating boxes clicked together and are summer only.

 On the seaside of the harbour, along the pier, you moor between two white buoys, or between a bouy and chains on the pier wall. You often raft up three boats to a pair of balls - we raft alongside one other boat. A fellow sailor, jumps down into his dinghy and puts our lines through the buoy rings for us. Nice guy. If you arrive in working hours (up to 9pm) there is an official Dory that takes your lines for you.

 John making lunch using the new Galley

 Tres French? tray subway.

 Next day, no wind

 And so to the Isle de Yeu, we stay here two nights as we stumble across a Cruising Association Rally and are invited to a pontoon supper (Stand up, drink and eat some snacks) an enjoyable evening.

 Yeu is a very pleasent place, I cycle to several supermarkets and a boulangerie, all shut from 12 to 15:30! But I do get the outboard serviced and there was a good chandelery

 Too soon we have to leave, note entrance is shallow in places, use the entrance transits.

 And we leave the Isle de Yeu - good beaches, nice houses,

 more sailing courses for kids - they are taught to sail biggish boats too.

 Weird, low lying buoys are found at the Eastern extremity of the island, they have a couple of vague yellow marks, I suppose they are mussels or oysters?

 Goodbye Yeu

 Someday I might visit your lighthouses

 Onwards to Les Sables de Olone, and more lighthouses!

 See the red roofs typical of Le Vendee

 John helms her in, this was at high water, very easy to go agound at low water, there are two transits on the shore, but as the sand and silt wanders about each year and they don't move the transits you need to be careful. Thank goodness for high water

 You can see one of the transists - the single white tower on the right.

 The inner marina has bulked up since Shirley and I were here last. We actually kept Otago here one winter (2004/5 I think). There were fewer restaurants then.

 And of you think this is a big marina, just wait until the next post, from La Rochelle!