Thursday 1 August
After an early start to ensure Mate’s mother caught the 0802 train to Bordeaux, to begin her journey of several stages back home, a second batch of laundry adorned my lines before 0900. A repeat visit to the market ensured a well-provisioned fridge, and then I had a brief wash down before my water tanks were refilled and I was made ready to go back to sea.
When the lock gates were finally reopened for the evening high water at 1830 I was on my way in no time, pausing only to allow Skipper to re-establish that a green light my side of the lock indicated that it was my right to leave (outward-bound vessels usually have priority), and the incoming local (smaller) yacht was obliged to wait for his red light to turn green…
The river was churning and sandy/muddy coloured, but we slipped easily back downstream under a grey, overcast and damp sky. We pushed against a cold headwind out of the channel and across to Ile d’Aix, where we failed to set the anchor and took advantage of an available mooring buoy to spend a reasonably comfortable night amongst trip boats and alongside a very familiar shape of aluminium hull – maybe an old Allures?