Winding down and packing up (otherwise known as cleaning)

Where did all the water go?

Sue Peters now Blue Peter

The Beach at Cap Coz

A very sunny beach at Port La Foret

Hazards at the lowest tide of the year at Port La Foret
It was completely dry about an hour before this. But boats were not coming in. I wonder why?

Not quite La Sable d'Olonne but pretty damn good.

Claude. The lovely proud new owner of Blue Peter

Well it was a fine day Thursday so we took off all the sails and all the ropes and moused them. Fell in to bed exhausted. It was a lovely day Friday so we washed all the ropes and rearranged all the lockers topside. Fell into bed exhausted. Saturday we decided was R & R and we went to the beach and got very hot and bothered but we enjoyed it immensely. We treated ourselves to a meal out and had a delicious homard roti. the big mistake was having the starter as we couldn't move afterwards or was that because of the bottle of wine. The weather was set to change so we put up the conservatory. Phil started making lists and organising himself to get to Dieppe for the ferry home on Tuesday. All went to plan apart from the force 9 gale in the channel. All Brittany ferries were cancelled but the Newhaven sailing went ahead. The Captain warned them that the crossing would be very rough. So Phil took his trusty stugeron. He was met by an extremely kind Ewen and went back for a good natter with both Ewen and Pauline before being safely delivered home. I meanwhile had a lovely windy day. i worked very hard at cleaning out cupboards but do not seem to have got much further. Where does all this stuff come from. I went for a sunny walk and was nearly blown away. Then the deluge started and the wind howled. It has been blowing 4s today but it seems positively peaceful apart from the man next door using his Karcher and I had my windows open!!!! So I am in charge of the boat or may be TiGrA is in charge of me until Phil returns with the car and then we can really pack up. We spoke today on Skype. He has brought a very reluctant cat home as she has had a wonderful time on holiday with my friend Nannette and has obviously been very loved and spoilt. Thank you for everything Nannette.

As an aside. Phil Brown has not stopped eating (or drinking) this summer and he has lost 7 lbs!!!! I bet I haven't. Some people.!!! I think I had better avoid the scales for months when I get home.

After our really lovely sail, despite having to do a 360 to avoid a fleet of small racing boats we realised we had a lot to do. But first some pictures.

Our last trip this season-August 31st

We had a week in Locmiquelic a) because we like it there and b) they offered us a deal for the week. The natives are really friendly and the showers and loos some of the best we have seen. The weather was good. Le Cargo had food as good as we remembered and we bumped in to a boat we new. A Seastream from Andy's collection. When we met her the first time she was on the Hamble and called SuePeters. Phil spotted her and trotted round to the pontoon behind to read the name. She is now called BluePeter and her new French owner Claude obviously wasn't keen to waste money on painting a whole new name. He is a really nice chap and had just got back from sailing round the Pacific on his friends boat. Through the Panama canal for the second time and visiting the Marqueses and the Galapagos Islands. Whilst we were in Locmiquelic he took Blue Peter out single handed to Groix. He just loves his boat. He also kindly offered to take us to the supermarket which is a short bus ride away.
We took a trip to the Vauban fortifications in Port Louis \nd visited the Museum which is very interesting and had a drink at a lovely beach front cafe.
Some of the highest tides of the year were happening and everyone was Peche a Pied. Our neighbour brought back belon oysters from Riantec and gave me one to try after he had scrubbed the mud off the shells. It was so fresh and tasted deliciously of the sea.Riantec is some way away where they consider the rocks and beaches clean.
We had a trip in to Lorient on the ferry one day and prepared for our final trip.
The 31st of August dawned. The forecast was for some rain and storms later. We woke to a rain shower with  a blood red sky. Red sky in the morning and all that weather lore. Phil asked if I wanted to go or stay. I chose to leave as we were not going to have Lorient weather but Port La Foret weather so there.
 By the time we set off the rain had stopped. We had been sitting on the bottom for two days but fortunately we had enough tide to get away.
We had a glorious sail. Blue skies and wind behind from the south. It was a bit fickle and Phil fiddled and moaned  when it dropped. But we managed to sail for all but the last hour of our 6 hour trip so not too bad at all.
We entered Port La Foret in some trepidation as there is a bar. Phil asked me to sit still and not jump about. But we had our calculations right and the lowest point was briefly half a meter but over sand but it is a bit scarey when people are paddling at the end of the training wall as you come in to the harbour!!!!!
I was very pleasedwith myself a sI have doen the navigation for the last three trips and so far so good but I still forget some of the actions on the plotter. The paper bit is OK and no doubt I shall have forgotten the whole lot by next year.
There were very few visitors berths and we are jammed in next to a 34 foot Bavaria. I am not sure Monsieur was very happy and we are using our flat fenders. But today it is blowing 9 but we are not moving as we have nowhere to go!!!!
The holidays finish here on the 4th September and Port La Foret is filling up with people leaving their boats for the winter.