After a restful day catching up on much needed domestic chores (like servicing the aft toilet) it was an early start to join the 0845 transit from Caen, arriving at the Pegasus bridge around 0945. Unfortunately the new policy of fixed transit times meant that the next lock was not until 1300 so we took the opportunity to stop downstream of the bridge by the floating restaurant La Peniche. Although not really a recognised mooring this almost derelict quay is a popular waiting spot for yachts joining the upstream transit and is an ideal spot from which to visit the Pegasus Memorial. This small but well designed museum tells the tale of the 6th Airborne Division and their midnight raid on the Pont de Benouville and the nearby Ranville bridge over the River Orne. The attractions include a multi-lingual curator who gives a detailed account of events with the aid of a 3D model, as well as film footage in both French and English. The original Pegasus Bridge stands in their grounds.

Our next stop was at the Ouistreham fuel barge, open 45 minutes prior to each outbound locking where we paid the horrific price of €0.93 per litre, and were rationed to a measly 150 litres! Motor boats really are in the minority in France, and it was no surprise that of the 50 or so boats who shared our lock there were only a handful of motor boats amongst the dozens of yachts, and these were mostly day boats and leisure fisherman. There was quite a delay whilst everyone found a space to tie up or raft alongside with several tannoy messages telling people to move up.

Once through the lock our route took us north of the spoil ground marked by the Melville north cardinal mark and then on a direct heading across to Trouville's leading line. On reflection we decided this course was rather too cautious and would have been better planned more inshore. We could have benefitted from the coastal tide and seen more of the picturesque places on route. In the event we had little or no tidestream help, even though we were before high water.

At Deauville we opted for the more central Port Morny basin, rather than the anonymous surroundings of the new marina, although the visitors berths are on a spit of land in the middle of the river which is rather isolated at high water due to the open lock gates. There is only one pontoon for visitors and we had to raft up next to a Dutch motor boat, who felt it was a great invasion of their privacy and did everything they could to make us feel unwelcome.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 24 nm

Total to date: 1411 nm

Avg Speed: 5.5 knots

Duration: 4:15 hours

Diesel: 122 litres (est), €0.93/l

Mooring: €28/night

Electricity: Free

Bridges

Pont de la Fonderie
Swing bridge

Viaduct Calix
33m

Pont de Colombelles
Swing bridge

Pont de Benouville
Lifting bridge

Waypoints

Ouistreham Lighthouse
49 17.22N 00 14.72W

Ouistreham ECM
49 20.74N 00 14.30W

Trouville SW WCM
49 22.97N 00 03.72E

Trouville harbour
49 21.97N 00 04.65E

Charts

AC1349

AC2146