Quite a day !!!
St. Vaast is a huge marina with a gate that holds in the water when the area outside dries out as the tide goes out.
The gate is open about 5 hours - 2 before and 3 after high tide.
If you are late arriving - you don't get in!
Can't be late.
From Deauville to St. Vaast is 54 nautical miles - 11 hours for Blazer - too much for Jackie.
03.00 - up and get ready - Jackie transffered to the sea berth in the saloon - you are held - snug - by a lee cloth that stops you falling out of bed.
Off at 03.40 - weather no wind but a bit of swell - no rain - full moon.
The lock at Deauville was on free flow and it was not easy negotiating the channel to the safe water mark with no lit buoys!!!
The course was to pass a wreck bouy - 2 miles off - then turn west directly to St. Vaast 54 miles away across the bay of the Sienne.
4 fishing boats and a big ferry to keep me busy - keeping out of their way - lots of hot coffee - no wind - engine on - tide helping us to get 7 knots over the ground.
Daylight about 07.00 and Jackie emerged shortly after - saying cosy but noisy - still restful.
I cooked breakfast - using the bum strap to wedge myself into the galley - 2 fried eggs and beans on French bread - served on tin dishes - they don't break when you drop them - (Vic).
Overcast but dry - we were warm enough - wrapped up in our waterproofs.
The wind picked up so full sail on - plus engine - flying.
Jackie suggested we try fishing -
Engine off - still doing 4 knots - Jackie caught FISH AFTER FISH !!!
Lovely Mackerel for tea.
Very exciting - it made the trip- the hand line was working brilliantly with a Mackerel feather on it.
Fishing done - engine on again and full speed.
We fished once more and caught a total of 16 fish between us - Jackie caught nearly all of them.
We arrived at the safe water buoy off St. Vaast - spot on - thanks to the plotter and were tied up by 14.00
10.5 hours - not bad - plus we slowed down to fish - twice.
After a good sort out - we saved the four biggest fish - then gave the rest away to three neighbouring boats.
They were lovely for tea cooked in the oven with garlic - thyme and lemon juice.
Jackie baked a jam sponge and we had our wonderful tea in hot sunshine in the cockpit along with - a G & T for Jackie and red wine for Mike.
A walk into town across the marina gate - we saw a boat selling fresh caught crabs - cheap !!
This is a big oyster production town and one of the reasons we came here.
There is a little island just off shore called Taitou and they take trips there in an amphibious vehicle built for the job - clever - all hydraulic.
We have booked in here fo two nights for now and the weather looks good for the rest of the week.
Mike and Jackie Smethurst.
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