Tide is King

 

 

Stargazer has reaped her reward, of three metre low water depths, from the neap tides.

They have allowed us our sojourn in Ploumanac’h. Keeping us afloat.

Now they, and the morning fogs, present a challenge for our departure.

 I would like to take Stargazer into Paimpol. An historic Breton fishing port; whose schooners once scoured stormy Icelandic waters, for cod; and where, to this day, the harbour takes the place of a town square.

The approaches dry to six metres. Add two metres for our keel, plus a metre for swell, and Stargazer needs nine metres of tide, to enter the Paimpol lock.

The solution, as ever, is to be guided by wind and tide. We are forecast a jolie brise tomorrow. And the tide runs east from midday - by which time any sea fog should have cleared. The six hours of fair tide should carry us from Ploumanac’h (red triangle to left) to the Ile de Brehat (orange circle with anchor, top right). If we anchor for a day, among the sheltering crags of Brehat, high water heights will be nine metres at Paimpol (orange circle with anchor, mid right). In Brittany, the tide is king.