20 August - 9 September
We left La Rochelle (as all visitors have to for the duration of the Boat Show) and headed north, stopping at Les Sables d'Olonne, a very lumpy night anchored off Isle d'Yeu, then into Port Joinville as Anne had a stomach bug. Weather was a mixture of lovely sunshine, cloudy and gray, rain at times, and fairly windy.
We then went into Pornic for a couple of nights as we had missed it on the way down - although overcast, it was a nice harbour town with a lot of very grand villas overlooking the sea.
Another night's stop in Piriac-sur-Mer left us within easy reach of the Vilaine River allowing us to arrive at the lock around high tide.
We were first to tie up in the lock and gradually other boats joined us - squeezing in wherever they could. Shortly before lock opening time the very harassed lock keeper opened the bridge over the lock and had everyone move right forward (we motored forward with another boat tied alongside and someone on the shore helping with our lines) and organised us even tighter together to get more boats in - we were packed in like sardines and have never seen such chaos in a lock. Unfortunately we have no photos - we were far too busy looking after the boat. But it did work!
Once safely through, we motored up the river and anchored for the night. The next day we continued up river, through the swing bridge to as far as masted yachts can go and moored in Redon as we needed provisions etc. A very historic place near the confluence of two rivers and where the Nantes-Brest Canal crosses the Vilaine River. A number of mediaeval half-timbered houses and wealthy shipowners' houses are still in use today.
We returned to the river and anchored for a night. Then, as we had a bad weather forecast, we tied up at Rieux - a tiny village by the river - and sat out the gales and rain for almost a week before motoring down river to La Roche-Bernard.
For more photos please click here
