by Denise and Robert Davey & Blue, on board Barolo
After a week spent sorting out the boat at a leisurely pace, we began our summer cruise at the beginning of June. We headed off southwards from our home port of Arzal on the River Vilaine, Brittany. The weather glorious, few fellow countrymen around yet, we generally enjoy France at this time of year. Our planned destination is the Spanish border. We love the Basque region, on either side of the frontier, so hope to spend a couple of weeks there, before heading back to Brittany at the end of August.
We headed down the coast, stopping off at one or two ports that we hadn’t visited before, and reached the Ile d’Yeu for the laundrette. We were berthed next to a chaotic, smiley Breton who took a shine to our spaniel, Blue. Just as we were leaving the berth, he asked where we were heading for next. “Sables d’Olonne”, we shouted, and got a bellowed “Non! C’est fermé” and a lot of gesturing in reply. Les Sables d’Olonne is the home of the Vendée Globe race and a major yachting centre, so it was rather like saying that Truro was closed. We couldn’t quite believe it, but decided to give it a miss. As we passed by, sure enough, instead of the usual fleet of yachts off the port, Les Sables d’Olonne was deserted. Strange.
We arrived at Les Minimes, the enormous modern marina just outside La Rochelle at about seven o’clock in the evening. The main attraction of this place, apart from the supermarket, is that there is always room for visitors, particularly at this time of year. So, we were more than a little surprised to find the reception pontoon full to bursting and the only place available in the most exposed position. As we tied up, the cleats on the pontoon, usually so robust and well maintained, were pulling out of their brackets and looked very insecure. The place was going to pot. Perhaps economic dire straits in France had meant that the marinas were not being funded as much as usual? It wasn’t until the next morning, walking along the pontoons that we realised how ignorant we were. Damage was evident everywhere. Wrecked pontoons were busily being towed away by harbour workers in ribs and dumped on a slip, to be broken up and cannibalised by people with trucks on the shore. Lorries laden with brand new pontoons waited while boats were moved ready for launching and re-siting.
When we visited the reception again, we found displayed photographs of the cause of the destruction. On 28th February this year, Tempête Xynthia had rattled through the Vendée region, devastating ports along the coastline. Flooding over the low-lying inland area had followed the huge tidal surge that had done so much damage to the ports. Pontoons had lifted off the pilings securing them to the seabed and crashed down, missing their holes, leaving yachts, motor-boats, fishing boats dangling at crazy angles when the tide receded. And we were worried about a few dodgy cleats! Les Sables d’Olonne was obviously damaged in the same way, as were several other ports along the coast. Renewal work hadn’t been started earlier due to insurance disputes, but was now under way, hopefully in time for the coming season.
We had experienced the same storm in Cornwall, but its full force must have dissipated by the time it reached us. It was humbling to see the extent of the destruction caused by the sea in the space of a few hours and renewed our respect for the elements. Onwards.
