TripSailor.com® Sailing Blogs

With a leg ahead of near on 50 miles, we edged out of the Morbihan early and in a thickening descending mist like the ghost ship from John Carpenter`s  supernatural thriller “The Fog”. Quite soon the fog succumbed to the strengthening sun and breeze and we motor sailed for the mouth of the Vilaine.

The Arzal lock was open and we tied up on the starboard side and ate lunch while we waited. The lock wasn`t particularly busy but as we were flushed out, mayhem was breaking out at Arzal and Camoel  with yachts battling to enter as we left. There was going to be some disappointed boats!

After our journey from Port Blanc, we now had 26 miles of The Vilaine to navigate, as we wanted to visit Redon where the canal system from St Malo and Dinan junctions with the river. Yachts and power boats use the canals to avoid going around the coast so you see lots of de-masted yachts using the Vilaine.

The river is beautiful and gets better the further up you go. Lush green trees and fields and river banks that harbour creatures great and small. We have never seen so many herons,  birds and fish and the otters seem to love this river. It is a haven and a sanctuary and we felt a little guilty disturbing their habitat but by the same token, we wouldn`t have missed it for the world.

Twenty six miles of navigable Vilaine later, Redon appears. The train at the end of the line, a fullstop. We arrived on Saturday evening and for a sizeable town it was quiet with little happening other than the café and cinema, which must have had a French premier night. It was interesting to see the canal network, that seemed to be Redon`s pride and joy, well kept and nurtured with the blooming flowers adding a pleasing scent to the Brittany air, but in truth, time and resources has left Redon  behind, it is the weak bird from the nest requiring devine intervention.

Passage: 46.83nm             Distance Run So Far: 1191.49