Ars-en-Ré to le Croix, Ile de Yeu - Sunday, 17 August 2003, 55 miles

We needed to cover some miles today. Between Ile de Ré and Ile de Yeu the available ports are rather expensive for multis, and not all that nice (in our opinion).

We set out at 09:45, as soon as we were afloat, and were able to sail as soon as we reached the entry channel.

During the morning, the wind came and went, all from ahead, and we had a cloudburst. But, at 13:00, we got a North Westerly F3, which gradually backed, so that we reached les Sables d'Olonne in one tack at 15:30.

Past les Barges (rocks guarding les sables d'Olonne from the North), the wind backed fully to West so that we could lay Ile de Yeu, and the sun came out. However, by 18:00, the wind had veered again, so that Ile de Yeu lay about 5 miles dead to windward. We then had a choice between the South shore and the East, based really on where we thought the shelter would be better. We chose South, and anchored at 19:45 in 12.5m in l'Anse de Veilles, just inside the promontory at the South-East corner of Yeu. We'd been here before, and knew it to be a good anchorage, if a little lively at times.

After dinner on the boat, we moved closer inshore into the reserved swimming area and anchored in 6m. We'd previously noticed French boats doing this, and it seems reasonable enough - no one was going to be swimming in the dark, I don't even think they are allowed to.