Slo' Mo' Sailin'

 

The historic Breton fishing port of Paimpol basks in the evening sunshine. We have taken a full afternoon to sail the twenty miles from St Quay Portrieux . For once, slow sailing was the object of the exercise. High water was at nineteen hundred hours - and, to be sure of having enough depth, we didn't want to arrive too much before then.

The Ost Pic is the first marker of a five mile channel. It guides us in from seaward, the low afternoon sun glinting off the water. Turning it to a burnished silver. Making the smaller posts and buoyage hard to discern amid the glare.

We thread our way past craggy islets.

The islets grow into full blown islands.

Finally, rolling green shores rise up to embrace us.

The sight of craft, albeit of lesser draft than Stargazer, emerging from the channel is reassuring. As are a bevvy of inbound craft. We pace ourselves to three knots, giving the tide time to rise some more.

A stone jetty appears ahead. We round it, with two and a half metres of water under the keel - twice the clearance I had expected. Before us the lock gates lie open, on 'freeflow' (both gates open at the same time - allowing boats to pass straight through). There is no need for us to lock in. Two happy surprises in as many minutes. Beyond, the harbour is thronged - with one last space, for Stargazer.