St Malo Cruise - from the beginning

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:39

The St Malo Cruise began from a number of Solent locations - in this case Hythe Marina. Oh, and it began late, very late! So here's the crew of Maverick assembled on the RIB - at least they've all got a full breakfast inside them.

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:41

...so down Southampton Water and the Solent to meet the rest of the RIBs at Lymington. Here's Geoff and Andy in "Out of the Blue"

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:42

...and HMS's crew on the Phantom Evo

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:44

and a polish built 6.3m diesel RIB, "Seahawk" with Andre and the rest of the Polish crew

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:45

It's soon time to open up those throttles once out of the river and into the Solent...
(I've now transferred onto "Awesome")

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:48

And that's a SIB on the back of Maverick

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:50

You'll have to look at Charles' photos for Alderney, as I've skipped directly to St Malo, a few shots in the dark...

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:50

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:55

The Intra Muros district of St Malo (the "old town") is like Chester or York, except that it was entirely rebuilt in the 1950s after having been completely flattened by bombing raids in WW2.

These restaraunts back on to the town walls.

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:56

The restaurant "Porte St Pierre" ...and some familiar faces

Richard B · 02 October 2002, 23:58

- and the usual confusion with currency and dividing up the bill

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 00:00

I've left the pictures of the late night revelling in the bar in Charles' thread...

So here's the morning after, from my hotel room window, a beautiful calm day, and a hangover!

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 00:04

You'll have to wait until tomorrow for some more...

OK then, one more. This is St Malo from Awesome, with a French RIB come to see what we're up to, why the English use such huge diesel engines in their RIBs, and why the English seem to build RIBs entirely out of alumunium. Left him standing

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 07:56

Quick trip up the Rance Estuary, past the elegant villas of Dinard, to have a peep at the Hydro Electric station

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 07:59

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 08:00

...and back into St Malo for fuel (uh-oh, comedy of errors strikes again!)

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 08:07

Now, just for reference, if you arrive at St Malo marina when the Capitainerie is closed (lunch 12:00 to 14:00) then you can't get petrol. Unless you've got a french Carte Bancaire (CB) or Carte Bleu - like a UK switch card. The self service pumps don't take visa, amex or mastercard. It's the same at petrol stations. This friendly Frenchman had his card, but needed petrol for himself, and the machine only accepts a single, limited transaction (40 Euros I think). So we waited...

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 08:09

And we eventually leave St Malo... (again!)

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 08:09

Richard B · 03 October 2002, 08:11

Looking astern from "Out of the Blue" to "Seaharrier" and "Awesome" following...