COAST TO COAST IN CAVALIER

Rita Hayman

(Rita took over as Port Officer for Auckland, New Zealand, earlier this year but, as she admits in Around the Ports, soon deserted her post to go off cruising...)

Last year I sailed to Ireland from Gibraltar in Cavalier, a Rival 32 owned by an Auckland friend. We coast hopped from Gibraltar to La Coru¤a enjoying many small ports and anchorages, not easy going as we had winds and current against us, but we enjoyed every moment of it. We made our way up the Rjo Guadalquivir to Seville where we spent three days, which was probably the longest time we were in any one place. We had a brisk (!) sail from Coruna to Bantry Bay, and then a delightful cruise off the Fastnet coast to Cork calling at a different village or anchorage most nights. Our New Zealand cruising grounds are delightful but I think Southern Ireland might have even more to offer.

After our New Zealand summer we made the journey back to Monkstown in Cork harbour, where Cavalier was hauled out. It took several days to drying everything out after what had obviously been a very wet winter. Then her owner Neil Coleman, Ron Johnston and I sailed to Falmouth and thence to Lymington, enjoying many stops en route.

We left Lymington on 19th June for the journey south, laden with motor tyres as fenders for the locks, and after a couple of days in Cherbourg moved on to Le Havre where we had the mast lifted. Cavalier was a sailing boat no longer. We were off Honfleur by 0530 on 28th June to catch the tide, which enabled us to read Rouen the same day, and tied up at a pontoon provided for visiting boats. Hot Showers! After leaving Rouen we passed through our first lock, then being out of the influence of the current could start our leisurely cruise through France.

Tying up in Paris right beneath the Place de Bastille was a real highlight. The marina was very well run with excellent facilities, at the moderate cost of about £10 per day. We were within walking distance of many of the places we wanted to see, otherwise the Bastille metro station was only 100 yards away. After two wonderful weeks in Paris - including Bastille Day celebrations - we continued our journey, leaving the Seine shortly after locking out of the marina and taking the Marne route. We found this delightful; the scenery, the other cruisers we met - though not nearly as many using the waterways as we had expected - and the French people with whom we came in contact. Our limited French saw us through, and we were made welcome by everyone we met.

The locks were not a problem. As we were ascending they were small locks with moderate rises of water level - as long as one ties up fore and aft all is well! Cavalier has a slightly crooked pulpit as a souvenir of one lock when we were not well secured. The water flooded in with unusual gusto and we were dashed against the opposite wall. We did not allow it to happen again! On some occasions we were asked as we reached our last lock of the day when we would be commencing cruising in the morning. Then, at the appointed time, we would find the lock-keeper waiting to help us through, after which he or she would hop onto a motor scooter and be waiting for us at the next lock. Once this was accomplished with a grandchild being towed alongside on a small pushbike, rather like a barge-tow! One morning we were escorted thus for nearly three hours.

The highest point above sea level to which we climbed was when passing through the Ballismes Tunnel. This is 3 1/2 miles (5.5 km) long and completely unlit, and traffic moves in each direction at appointed times. When we entered we could see a pinpoint of light ahead, and with this as a guide, and Ron and I stationed one each side with a torch, Neil steered us through. This proved a great exercise in concentration as there seemed not much room to spare, although obviously there must be enough for the commercial barges to pass through. On the downhill side we descended a `staircase' of about nine locks before we moored for the night.

The countryside was always a delight - small villages, larger but still picturesque towns, fields and fields of sunflowers in bloom - and of course the vineyards! The wine and the wonderful array of French cheeses will always be remembered. On the Rhone the drops in the locks became quite extreme - I think 23 metres was the biggest - but locking was made very simple by floating bollards and the very gradual drop in the water level. We rarely had to wait more than a few minutes for the lock to be made available to us and out 32ft boat was occasionally the sole occupant.

I left Cavalier tied up in SŠte, on the shores of the Mediterranean. The previous day we had passed through a canal bordered by salt marshes where there were thousands of pink flamingo fishing for shrimp. In S'te I had a glimpse of the Mediterranean to reassure myself that I had indeed cruised `coast to coast'. This is a wonderfully leisurely way to travel, which I am sure many members have experienced or plan for the future.

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