There is a depression nearby, with SW5-6->7 forecast, so we decided to visit Cité del La Voile and the old submarine base. We eventually worked out that as it's Bastille Day the Sunday bus timetable applied and eventually arrived. The tours of the base itself were all booked up, which was disappointing as it is an amazing structure built during the second world war with a concrete and steel roof 3.5m thick which withstood all the bombs dropped on it, so we did the tour of the submarine. This was Flore, built in the 1960s, and a fairly conventional diesel-electric submarine. After the enormous nuclear sub at Cherbourg this was remarkably basic and cramped.
Another large exhibition covered many aspects of sailing but we skipped it as I think it covered a lot of stuff that we know. The marina there contained the late Eric Taberley's Pen Duick, Pen Duick II, III and VI, L'Hydroptere (the foiling trimaran which broke the 50 knot record and which we saw off Cowes) and several other massive multihulls. One of the big sheds had the door ajar and we peeped in and saw the trimaran Foncia suspended over another similar monster. They must need big launching trollies.
Weather quite unstable today with sun and showers. The marina is sheltered by tall buildings but sometimes a gust comes and rattles the masts. The owner of the next berth returned early from his cruise, describing rain and big waves on the way back from Belle Ile. Similar weather forecast for tomorrow, so I think we will stay here again, possibly moving up the river on Friday to Hennebont.
