We had anticipated being in Les Sables-d’Olonne (Les Sab) for two weeks, this was extended to almost three weeks due to delays with installation of our onboard freezers. We ordered Vitrifrigo dual freezers in Australia with The Multihull Group months before we arrived in Les Sab. Our order was then passed onto Robin Marine, a company based in Les Sab, for supply and installation. We were told at handover that dual refrigerators had mistakenly been shipped by the distributor instead of dual freezers. We were seriously not impressed that this issue firstly had not been picked up on delivery, and secondly that this error caused us a delay of six days with no offer of compensation. Which meant extra marina fees and other associated costs, and less time for our overall trip.
During this time delay the ‘Lagoon dock’ was getting pretty crowded with boats rafted up, which made leaving the dock for a sail difficult. So we organised a new berth with marina staff, and ended up on an outside berth in the main channel. Whilst this made it easy to get out for a sail, there were some downsides to the move. One being increased traffic which included ‘learner’ jet skiers who really had no idea – talking on mobiles, taking photos on mobiles as they weaved their way down the channel. The other major disadvantage was a large loading depot across the channel from our berth. Whatever they were loading blew onto Sea Goddess which after a few days created large patches of rust spots on the fibreglass. So, we had a massive clean-up job using rust stain remover particularly in the cockpit and transom areas. Together with the rust remover and large amounts of elbow grease we managed to clean most of it off (though this is still a work in progress).
One of the highlights of our stay was taking a friend from London on a sail off the coast of Les Sab. We spent about seven hours out on the water with the Code 0 and a full mainsail deployed reaching speeds of up to 11 knots in 18 – 21 knot winds. Dolphins, birds dive bombing for fish, clear seas and skies – just perfect.
The town of Les Sables-d’Olonne
Les Sables-d’Olonne is a lovely coastal town, and like a number of European towns there is an old part and a new part. Easy to get around, the town has a good range of amenities, restaurants, supermarkets and the like within walking distance from the marina. We were there in July, the height of the holiday/tourist season, so the ‘tourist spots’ and restaurants were busy. As you make your way out of the main channel by sea a number of gorgeous buildings are on view, and once exited you will see, on the port side, the beach area surrounded by high rise buildings, hotels and shops. We would recommend a walk/stroll along the pedestrian walkway from the marina which follows the main channel to a church which overlooks the sea. If the tide is in your favour take a walk along a stone bern/breakwater to stairs which lead up to a stone pier or continue on the pathway for an extended coastal walk.
Transport options: All the usual modes of transport to get around town are available: bus, taxi, car hire. There is also a small ferry service which links the old part of the town to the new part, and you can pick it up or be dropped off at either end of the marina. Cost is €1.10 one way. There is also an option to buy a multi-trip card which is cheaper.
For the most part we walked everywhere, only requiring transport for the provisioning shop.
Supermarkets: SuperU is the closest to the marina and is directly behind the Admiral’s Hotel. Carrefour is nearer to the main town hub, so a slightly longer walk. Both have a reasonable range of food items including meats, fresh fruit and vegetables. Carrefour is larger with a wider range of household items, liquor and this is where we picked up 2 x 10kg gas bottles for the trip. (The bottles were €25 each including gas). NB The base of the bottle may need modification to fit into the onboard gas locker. This was our experience on the Lagoon 42.
For provisioning we caught a bus to a shopping centre outside of Le Sable d’Olonne, E.Leclerc Olonnde-Sur-Mer www.e-lecerc.com/olonne, to shop at a large supermarket there. (We picked up a public bus across from the railway station, near the Hotel Ibis Styles). The supermarket has a great range of fresh foods including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, cheeses as well as household goods, fishing gear and small electrical. There is also a well stocked fish market as part of the complex, along with a pharmacy, Orange mobile store, cafes, and clothing stores etc. The centre information desk organised a taxi for the return trip to the marina with all our purchases, cost €12 (as at June 2019).
NB Based on a recommendation from another Lagoon owner we organised prepaid mobile data with Orange (based in this centre). Cost was €80 for two devices, and in hindsight this was not the best option as data was limited to France only. In Spain we organised prepaid mobile data with Vodafone which had coverage throughout Europe including the Canary Islands, cost €20 for 30Gb unlimited devices. Great price and we had much better service from Vodafone staff.
Restaurants: There are a number of restaurant options near the marina, and as you walk along the pathway next to the main channel. A couple of our favourites Café Joy (try the Platter d’Deux) and Le Galway. Take away options and specialist bakeries are a walk into town, though there is a nearby Italian pizza place where you can sit outside, take away or have pizza delivered to the marina. To feast on some pizza, just follow the path next to the main channel.
Post Office, Banks and ATM’s: are all located near the railway station. Most retailers did not take American Express, however Visa and MasterCard were okay.
Chandleries and marine services: are all located next to the marina including Sailing Atlantic Services (SAS), Robin Marine, Eric Marine, U Ship, and Sablaise Nautique SN. Goods and services are generally expensive at these outlets, there is not a lot of competition and they have a captive market. Luckily we had purchased and shipped a lot of items from Australia, so our purchases were minimal. It’s worth noting that some of our compatriots hired a car and drove to chandleries in La Rochelle where in their view goods and sailing equipment were cheaper.
Organising additional services in Les Sab can also be tricky as SAS and Robin Marine are in high demand, so if you need something done, fitted, supplied you may have a wait. We organised configuration of the MMSI with Robin Marine and the boat marking plate through SAS.
Finally, we are on our way!
With our freezers installed, the arrival of our crew member, provisioning completed, our passage plan in place, and a good weather opportunity we set sail for Biona Spain. Well that was our plan, join us for our next installment where the fickle Bay of Biscay gate crashed our party (journey).
