A mobile crane is parked astride one carriageway of the broad main street. The damaged trawl beam is lifted, from the stern of a fishing boat, and laid on the quayside. Practiced eyes assess the situation.
Solutions are discussed.
There is nothing for it - to effect a repair, the heavy net will have to be laid out flat.
The zebra crossing is pressed into service. Traffic queues patiently. Proof, if needed, that St Vaast la Hougue is a fishing port first and a resort town second.
With the help of an angle grinder and arc welder, the gear is set to rights.
The crane lifts the net once more and lays it neatly on the edge of the quay.
The traffic rumbles back into life and I walk along the sea wall. Out towards the Vauban tower at la Hougue. They dot the French coastline. Built by Napoleon to defend against a marauding British Navy, in the great age of sail. The days of Nelson's 'wooden wall' square rigged battleships.
I stumble upon the ramshackle yard of a present day shipwright 'en bois.' Restoration projects on the stocks.
Back in port, an American flagged Boreal has arrived on her maiden voyage. They had stopped at a plethora of drying ports on their way up from Treguier, simply because they could, before joining their British flagged sister ship on sea-trials.
Stargazer's next choice of port will be more vague than normal. The lock gates open at midday tomorrow, part way through an eastbound tide. Our plan is to ride that tide, ducking down deep into the Baie de la Seine (where the tide is less strong) for the westbound phase, before climbing back up into the main eastbound Channel tide overnight. We will see where we have got to by the end of that cycle and put into port.
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