HARDY CRUISE PARIS 2011

At last years Southampton Boat Show dinner with our owners, we discussed options for this years cruise. After some deliberating and whether our boats could fit under the bridges, we decided that we will spend two weeks travelling up the Seine and to make Paris out ultimate goal.

Would we be able to rise to the challenge?

Careful planning was required at the office with regards to the air draft and tide which Sally and Malcolm liaised on. We got all our fender boards ready and all the necessary paperwork for the French including a CEVNI test certificate that we all obtained.

This year we had 7 boats and stopped along some ports along the way and then reached Paris

Saturday 28th May

The weather was not favourable, so some of us had to change our plans for the crossing to Le Havre. Phil and Sam Keen (Keen Interest) were due to meet us in Le Havre and could only join us for the first week, so they decided to go to another part of France when the weather was better as we would be going up the Seine by then. Bernie and Hilary Pearce (Hardy 50, Dolphin) had already crossed from Plymouth to St Vaast a couple of days earlier so they still managed to get to St Vaast on Saturday, as did Mark and Jan Gill (Hardy 42,Grace) from Guernsey. Lory and Barbara Cordall and Ingrid Long (Hardy 42, Miss Molly) and Paul and Moyra Marshall, Jeremy and Diana, (Hardy 42, Namaste) and Mike and Christine Holley (32, Blue Harmony) decided to come over from Fowey Monday which was when the weather was improving.

Sunday 29th May

Malcolm, Teresa and Sally (Hardy 50, Lysithea) left today as they planned as Malcolm had a prior engagement. The weather was force 6 as predicted and a bit lumpy to begin with, but it just got better the further we went and we arrived in Le Havre 4pm FST. Ted Awty joined us Sunday evening and flew in as he as it was his Sons wedding on Saturday so he already brought the boat over previously.

We were supposed to be going to Rouen on Monday but we decided to wait for the rest of the owners and arrive a day later so we could all leave together as a group.

Bernie and Hilary, Sally, Malcolm and Teresa and Ted and June Awty all found some where to eat whilst Mark and Jan Gill stayed onboard. We were happy as we found some traditional French food which was well washed down with Muscadet. We then retreated back to our boats and had an early evening.

Monday 30th May

Whilst waiting for the other owners to come, Malcolm, Teresa and Sally took the opportunity to buy provisions for the boat along with some jobs that needed doing on the boat. Namaste and Miss Molly arrived mid afternoon and Blue Harmony was close behind. The weather was much better than the last few days and everyone was glad to be together. Most people decided to refuel and for the majority of us, no more fuel was required until the end of the trip. Malcolm and Sally arranged dinner at Le Havre Yacht Club and had a lovely meal and the staff looked after us very well, all 18 of us!

After a discussion, we decided to leave at 07.30 FST the next day so that we could catch the tide most of the way.

Tuesday 31st May

We left Le Havre in windy conditions which was 65NM and decided to slow down so that the trip was more comfortable for everyone and then we started to make our way to the Seine to our first stop Rouen.

We went past some lovely places along the way from Rouen such as Quilliebeuf and Caudebec and followed our guide book and put all what we had learnt from our CEVNI test to good use. We could travel at 15 knots but you do have to slow down for other traffic. We arrived late afternoon in Rouen and were aided by the Capitainerie, Monsieur Beuzuelin who helped us tie on other boats if required. In île Lacroix in Rouen, there is quite a rushing tide so several ropes were needed to tie on for the night.

Malcolm, Teresa, Sally and Lory, Barbara and Ingrid off Miss Molly went to explore Rouen and looked around a modern Cathedral which was named after Joan of Arc. Rouen was lovely and had some very ornate buildings including a clock and a building that almost looked like it was toppling over!

Malcolm, Teresa and Sally found a nice place to eat in the town square whilst our owners ate on board. This was Mark and Jan Gill’s last port of call as they could only commit to one week, so we said our good byes and 6 boats were left now.

Wednesday 1st June

The weather was glorious and we went onto a lovely place called Vernon which was a distance on 50NM which took about 6 hours, as we had to keep slowing down for other vessels and stick to the speed limit of between 7 and 10 knots. We had two locks to deal with this day and the first lock had a range of 9 meters which was a challenge but we all got through it and went through the next one with ease.

I was requested by the port to call up on the VHF and they would guide us into Vernon as there were shallows outside the entrance. Our guide boats appeared and imagine our surprise as and it was a Hardy Navigator 18!! He guided us all in and we were watching our depth carefully as it was getting quite close and we all tied up. Vernon is one of the most picturesque places that you will ever see and the Capitainerie really did look after us well.

Ted and June, Mike and Christine, Bernie and Hilary and Malcolm, Teresa and Sally had a lovely dinner in Le Marina which was recommended by the Capitainerie and then we retired to our boats.

Thursday 2nd June

The weather was very nice again. A group of us went to the Artists Monet’s garden and house which is where he was raised as a child The house was amazing and there was Japanese art all over the house which was his passion and you can see where his influences came from with such beautiful surroundings. Ingrid, Barbara and Sally had a traditional French ‘galette’ for lunch and watched the world go by.

We went back to the boat by 1pm and after a stock up at the super market and we had to put all our masts down for the next port as there was a bridge with air draft of 5m, everyone was ready to leave for port de l’ilon. We made the journey in 2 ½ as it was 16NM hours but again we had to slow down and had one lock to go through and it took quite a while to open which made our journey longer.

After tying up, we decided to explore the area. The people were helpful and they had an on site chandlery but there wasn’t much more there. They informed us a lovely barbeque spot which was ideal as Bernie bought his barbeque on his boat. Bernie had stocked up on steak, chicken, sausages and bacon and we had a feast! The rest of us supplied the wine and we had a lovely evening.

Friday 3rd June

We were up early and about to make the last leg of our journey to Paris!! This was 65NM and we had a good journey with more places to see and there were boats and barges on the river again that we had to slow down for.

It took about 9 hours and we had to exercise some patience with the locks as there were 4 of them. However, it was all worth it as when we came into Paris from the Seine as we saw the Notre Damne and the Eiffel Tower from river and not many people can say they saw that spectacular sight from their own boat and we took the opportunity to take quite a number of photos.

Unfortunately the last lock into the Paris de l’Arsenal marina was limited on how many boats you fit into the lock, so it took about two hours to get our boats in. It was all worth it finally when we got into the marina as we could really start to take in we were finally in Paris.

Most people ate on board whilst Malcolm, Ingrid, Sally and Teresa went to a small brasserie around the corner and had an early night.

Saturday 4th June

After a traditional French breakfast of croissants, our sightseeing began!! We were armed with our map and Malcolm being our tour guide for the time we spent in Paris, we were set to go! The weather was glorious and hot again and first stop was the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was very impressive and the stainless glass windows were amazing. Next we went onto the Louvre and saw the all of the amazing architecture of the buildings. Unfortunately, the museum queue was too long to wait, so we decided to have lunch in a shaded area underneath the trees.

The next stop was a walk along the Champ Des Elysees with all the major shops and then we walked up to the Arc de Triomphe. The building itself is spectacular and it was a sight to see seeing all of the traffic darting around with no lanes! We walked back to the boat, quite tired, and then Bernie and Hilary, Mike and Christine, Malcolm, Teresa and Sally decided to eat at a Restaurant that was recommended by the Capitainerie and everyone had a lovely evening.

Sunday 5th June

Another French breakfast and another sunny day! Everyone had their own plans and we (Malcolm, Teresa and Sally decided to make the first stop the Sacrè Cœur in Montmarte and we experienced our first time on the metro which, to our surprise, went quite smoothly!! The Sacrè Cœur was very impressive and when you got to the top of the stairs you could appreciate all of the views, which was breathtaking. We then went into Montmarte which is also known as the Artists Quarter, as everywhere you turned there were Artists drawing people or selling paintings of the local landmarks.

We had lunch in the centre and Ingrid and Sally were happy as they found a place that sold moules and frites, their favourite!

We all had drinks aboard Lysithea and was discussing the possibility of stopping at another port on the way back as they had been long days which some of us decided to do, so we all decided to have an early night as it was our last day in Paris tomorrow, or so we thought….

Monday 6th June

The weather was not so nice today but Malcolm, Sally and Teresa headed of to the Eiffel Tower and walked up the second level. This was an opportunity to take several photos, it was a little overcast but we managed to get some lovely views. We then had a lovely lunch in a Restaurant and went onto the shopping Centre called Galeries Lafayette to look at the building as the roof is very ornate.

Before we went to dinner, the Capitainerie came rushing out to us mid afternoon and warned us there were strikes on all of the locks on Tuesday which is when we planned to start making our way home and we wouldn’t know anymore until the next day. Sally arranged a table for us at Bofinger which is where we ate previously as we thought this would be our last night in Paris and all we could do is to enjoy ourselves and see what tomorrow would bring. We liked the crème brulee which was set on fire and Malcolm had a rum ba ba which was also set on fire and he was given a bottle of rum to pour more on!

We then decided to go to bed and had to run home as there was a thunderstorm and have an early night in preparation of what tomorrow may or may not bring!

Tuesday 7th June

It was time to say goodbye to Teresa as she was flying home and left Malcolm and Sally aboard Lysithea. We needed to find out about the locks so as Jeremy onboard Namaste spoke fluent French, he was given the task at 7.30am to phone the first lock to see if they were open but we got no answer, so we had to wait until the Capitainerie was in at the marina. He phoned the locks and they were all shut.

So undeterred, we decided to make the most of it and Malcolm, Ingrid and Teresa went to ‘Le Jardin des Plantes’ which was a zoo with gardens which had quite a few animals we hadn’t seen before. We found a ‘moulerie’ which specialise in mussel which pleased Ingrid and Sally again and had moules done in different ways.

At around 6pm Ingrid, Diana, Sally and Moyra decided to go for a ‘power walk’ to get some much needed exercise after indulging too much on this trip! Everyone decided to eat on board and have an early night in anticipation of whether we would go through the locks or not tomorrow.

Wednesday 8th June

We awoke thinking that the locks wouldn’t be open and decided to have a bit of a much needed lie in. Malcolm went to check at 9am if the locks were open and they were! So, action station’s was required!! We let everyone in our group know and after a mad dash to pay, ropes were untied and we were for the off!

Unfortunately there was a queue for the lock as everyone else had realised they could leave too, so the first lock took an eternity to get out but we were on our way heading to port de l’ilon again. This was a long day again and the weather wasn’t so good and we had 4 locks to contend with, but it is much easier on the way back going down through the locks.

It was hard to say goodbye to Paris but we decided to have a barbeque in port de l’ilon again as it worked so well the last time. Barbara and Ingrid made a lovely salad and so did Moyra which complimented the barbeque beautifully.

Thursday 9th June

This was about an 8 hour trip to Rouen which was 65NM and we had 3 locks to go through which took time. This was the first time that Malcolm and Sally had to sit down below as it rained but we made the most of it. We tied up and put our masts up. Some people ate on board whilst Sally, Malcolm, Bernie and Hilary and Mike and Christine found a small brasserie and had dinner together.

Friday 9th June

Sally phoned Honfleur as we were unsure if the lock gates were repaired and they were due to open today and indeed they were open, so some of us decided to go to Honfleur, which is 61NM from Rouen and speed limit got back up to 15NM which seemed really quick! Namaste and Miss Molly needed to get back so they decided to go to Deauville and refuel whilst the rest of us went to Honfleur. Ted and June Awty, Sally, Malcolm Bernie, Hilary and Mike and Christine had dinner in a brasserie that was lovely and we reflected all of time on the cruise which had been very enjoyable.

Malcolm and Sally and Bernie and Hilary were all heading back to Gosport whilst the rest were staying, so we said our goodbyes and had our last night in France.

Saturday 10th June

Lysithea and Dolphin headed to Gosport after we got the first road bridge lift out of Honfleur at 08.30 FST and make it home in about 6 hours with a speed of around 20 knots. Conditions were calm and we arrived back in Haslar marina mid afternoon. It was time to say goodbye to the boat as Teresa met us in her car and took Malcolm home and Sally to the train station to begin her journey back to Norfolk.

A great time was had by all and we gained more experience and confidence in boating and formed new friendships.

We look forward to your suggestions for 2012!!!