Monday 24 June
Having topped up our water stocks again at Port Vauban marina in Camaret, and waved hello to an Allures 44, Midnight Sky, flying a British ensign in the bay, we set off to complete our mini-tour of the spectacular Crozon Peninsula, first following the coast that we walked along yesterday. It was interesting to see from sea level the vantage point Mate had unwittingly stood atop! Crossing the Anse (Bay) de Pen-Hat, that faces due West and the full force of the mighty Atlantic ocean, it was easy to appreciate, even on a relatively windless day, why this beach is often crowded with surfers.
Les Tas de Pois is a line of rocks jutting out from the next headland South, very reminiscent of the Needles off the Western point of the Isle of Wight. In the right conditions, the challenge is to pass between them, but you have to choose your passage in good time, to ensure you line up for it squarely – and Skipper has time to close his eyes – not easy while taking photos to evidence the experience. The light swell rolled us inexorably towards the gap between numbers two and three: La Fourche and Le Dentelé, but we slid through smoothly and the difference in sea conditions on the other side was quite remarkable – surprisingly calm.
guarding her caves
Down to round the Southernmost point, the chart indicated we would pass through a veritable herd of goats, but the only one we were aware of was the Cap de la Chèvre, as always adorned with a multitude of fishing pot marks. Today we had our first brief sighting of dolphins this season. By mid-afternoon we were anchored off the beach just outside Morgat harbour. The pilot recommended a dinghy ride into a local cave, and we were not disappointed in bobbing gently inside, admiring the multicoloured stone of the walls around us. It wasn’t Mate’s easiest experience, claustrophobic as she is, and it’s tricky not to run the outboard onto just-submerged rocks in the approach, but we managed to stay safe, and even avoided a couple of snorkellers nearby.