We leave according to plan to get the best tidal conditions. Still some current left but manageable and no severe swell or wind. In a distance, we pass the Cardouhan lighthouse that is the oldest lighthouse in France still in operation. The sail down to Arcachon is undramatic, nice wind and we close in according to plan.

Arcachon bay is a large bay with an infamous entrance with sand banks that move around so the charts are not reliable. In my pilot book, it states that entrance should only be done in good weather with limited swell and good visibility is required to spot the banks and marks. A couple of miles before the entrance, the weather shifts from clear sky to fog that gets thicker and thicker. All of a sudden, there is a call on the VHF for a boat in a specific position. My French is far from perfect so it takes me a while to interpret the position and find out that it is me that they are contacting. They strongly advises us not to enter in the fog and either go back to Royan (80 NM) or continue to Hendaye (80 NM). Neither feels like a good option since that would mean sailing all night and not be able to see the bay that should be beautiful. As I evaluate the options, the fog clears up a bit and I decide to go in while there is still visibility. Not perfect according to tide but with good lookout and a close look at the depth gauge we manage to get in. The chart is clearly to no use. On the chart, we steam over land half of the time where the bank on the charts obviously has moved some hundred meters.

We get into huge Arcachon marina just before the dark sets in and take a long promenade to the town and finds that the Café de la Plage is still open so we finally can get something to eat.

The city is built around its beaches and become a popular holiday when hygienists began to recommend sea bathing in the 1800s. Entrepreneurs built hotels, casino and restaurants especially for the Bordeaux bourgeoisie and other wealthy people. A number of nice villas was built in the city and forms Ville d’Hiver in the old part. These villas are called ”Arcachonnaise” and has a special architectural style. We stroll around in the city and enjoy the houses.

I also take the time to put on my running shoes and head for the observatory where you have a great look out of the scenery, Arcachon Bay, nearby Cap Ferret and the town. The park nearby is also a nice place to calm down.

Everything is centred on the beaches that are long and nice and stretches from east to west where the marina is in the eastern part with its own beach.

The sunsets in Arcachon gets very nice as they set on the peninsula that ends with Cap Ferret. We enjoy a number of these fantastic sceneries and together with the calm water and the beaches it makes a good setting.

We take a day to go over to Cap Ferret. Martin talked a lot of this famous place and we takes his advise and climb the lighthouse to get a perfect view of the bay, the peninsula and the Dune of Pilat at the bay entrance that is Europes largest sand dune. The day is hot so we decide to wind down in the oyster village and choose the Chez Boulan seafood restaurant that overlooks the pond and Dune Pilat in the distance. Extremely nice oysters and a calm atmosphere.

I also get some time to do some work on the boat where two tasks could not wait. We got a rope in the port propeller on the way down and the Radar had stopped working. Even if I tend to procrastinate work in the favour of pleasure, two motors are nice and sometimes needed and not having a radar in these foggy waters is no good idea. The rope was easy to remove but the radar took me a while before I could get hold of a wire that has disconnected.