A note on the photos: I had to change my desktop PC today as the hard drive on my existing one showed signs of failure. The new one has the Windows 8 operating system (which so far I am not keen on, hate that garish look) and, although my software all works with it, some files have done odd things, such as the watermark coming out in various sizes, unlike before.
Mont St. Michel was in, while behind her was Commodore Goodwill.
Portsmouth looks pretty at night, with the Spinnaker Tower and the coloured lights along the old walls. One of the Wight Ryders followed us out of the harbour.
After an uneventful overnight crossing - apart from a tiny bit of rolling now and again - we arrived in St. Malo early the next morning. It was wet but not cold. After disembarking we checked back in and then went for café obligatoire at the terminal coffee shop. We didn't have long, only an hour or so, both of us had been there before, and the weather was dismal so we didn't bother going for a walk along to the Intra Muros (walled town).
The small coastal cargo vessel Lady Carina arrived as we were departing
I think the trawler had a problem, she came in accompanied by the local tug Davier.
A local sailing boat whose name I couldn't see.
I took quite a few exterior shots, including on the bow which is open to the public except at night or in inclement weather.
There was a bit of shipping about in the Channel but most of it too distant to photograph properly. Commodore Clipper was on her way to the Channel Islands from Portsmouth. The photo was taken at the limit of my 100-400mm zoom lens.
Blue Marlin was one of a number of tankers in the Sandown anchorage.
There was a fabulous sunset as we passed the Isle of Wight and entered the Solent
Christos XXIV and another tug, Spartan, were in the St Helens anchorage, waiting to tow old redundant warships from Portsmouth to the breakers.
Zircone
Leonora Kosan
HMS Endurance, now under sentence of death, laid up in Portsmouth.
SD Indulgent
This reefer, Star Endeavour 1, nearly got away.
St. Cecilia
SD Powerful and St. Faith
Cracking sunset.
We were off the ship and out of the terminal in very quick time. Dave went for his train back to Havant while I met up with another friend, Stella, for a quick beer in the Ship Anson pub before getting the 2015 Wightlink cat home.
It was a good trip and the 24-year old Bretagne is a nice ship in good condition - and a huge contrast to the run-down Isabella 1 of a month ago. Let's hope she sticks around for a good many years yet.
Also, a word about the Portsmouth terminal; years ago this was a dingy, tatty and depressing building which you really didn't want to be in for longer than humanly possible. Not any more. The old one was torn down and its replacement, opened in 2011, is light, airy and with excellent facilities.
