Spring Rally 2025 to Honfleur - Southern Fleet

On the designated day at the designated hour Bernie Blower's Boating Buddies set sail on Fulmarks making landfall at Le Havre the following morning.

We were somewhat saddened to hear that the bulk of the HOEOCA fleet had taken a wrong turn in the Solent and were swept West to destinations unknown.

The wind was mainly in the West blowing a steady 15-18 knots which made very pleasant sailing with a single reef in the main. Able Seaman Osborne prepared a Cornish pasty for each of the crew before nightfall and the first watch started at 20.00 hours. At the first crew change  First Mate Rivers-Latham was only too happy to hit his bunk at 23.00 precisely leaving Captain Blower in the path of a very large container ship which seemed to be having trouble with his light on deck which flashed 5 times! I delayed my nap and remained at the chart table assuring the Captain that the game of Frogger was going well and we were swerved and missed with several metres to spare! Luckily the life raft was not deployed and soon reinstated on the stern.

Arriving safely in Le Havre the customs dance commenced and on this occasion the Douane didn’t keep us waiting too long.

The next morning we motored to Honfleur in some fairly challenging conditions and a choppy sea state. The entrance lock was navigated with ease and we were of little entertainment value to the tourists.

My new friend Chris Alcock, owner and skipper of Wild Thyme, had been contacted by phone and had made an excellent job of befriending the assistant harbour master Thomas who arranged for us to be berthed close together in the Vieux Bassin.

The crews of Fulmarks and Wild Thyme quickly became acquainted over evening drinks.

Due to the weather in the channel mid-week it was an easy decision to stay 4 nights in Honfleur which was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Of note there were a couple of excellent markets, visits to art galleries and the maritime museum and breathtaking visits to La Chapelle Norte -Dame de Grace and Eglise Sainte-Catherine where we were treated to a magnificent Organ recital. We partook in several walks along the Seine, through beautiful gardens and a particularly steep 79m vertical climb that provided a magnificent view over the town. Both crews found the visit to La Mora a highlight. This is the name given to a Viking longboat that is being constructed over a 5 year period  which will then be sailed to England to commemorate ‘1066 and all that ‘.

The rally dinner for seven at Les Deux Ponts was a bit light in numbers but we enjoyed a typically French meal where we toasted absent friends and then for a second time onboard Wild Thyme where a bottle of single Malt was downed in one!

The return home was planned to be a mainly daylight passage. The crew of Fulmarks nervously witnessed the wind against tide effect on the Seine 12 hours before departure and opted for a lie in. Wild Thyme and the other visiting yachts locked out at 05.30  where as Fulmarks left an hour later, we were relieved to see that we still had 0.3m under the keel as we exited the lock! We were very happy to see the river was now flat calm and still flowing seaward at a rapid rate of knots.

The return sail was equally as exhilarating as the outward passage although the weather deteriorated as we approached the UK causing us to put both reefs in the main. Luckily this was done before we saw 32 knots across the deck. The last 6-7 hours went on for ever as darkness approached and fell and the tide into the Eastern Solent turned against us. By now Wild Thyme was tucked up in Eastboune enjoying fresh prawns and pan fried sole while we made do with a cup a soup each! But alls well that ends well and we finally berthed in Hasler marina around 23.00. A pot mess of stewing steak tinned potatoes and baked beans were soon washed down with a couple of glasses of red infuriator and sleep eventually came nearly 24 hours after I had woken up worrying about the passage home