Overnight on Aulne maritime

A sail up a tidal river in Finistère, western Brittany, to spend the night aboard my cruising dinghy in the remote rural countryside of the region. This is a classic dinghy cruise in coastal waters, exploring the delights of shallow waters inaccessible to larger craft. INTERESTED IN DINGHY CRUISING? Read my book, 'The Dinghy Cruising Companion' for much more information about dinghy cruising and order my new anecdotal book 'Sailing the Shallows'. www.bloomsbury.com And join the Dinghy Cruising Association: www.dinghycruising.org.uk AVEL DRO - my own boat. Avel Dro is an Ilur designed by François Vivier, and built of clinker plywood by Les Charpentiers Reunis of Cancale in 1994. I bought her in France in 2003 to import her into the UK, and more recently returned her to France again., and to French registry - hence her Tricolour Ensign. The design is based closely on the traditional inshore fishing boats of Brittany in the early years of the twentieth century – which explains her simple boom-less lugsail rig and lack of a mainsheet horse, (sometimes controversial among my viewers). Although rare in Britain, Ilurs are relatively common in France. Modern Ilurs are slightly different from mine however, as they have more built in buoyancy. The name Avel Dro is Breton: Avel = wind, Dro = to turn – so it means a whirlwind. Length 4.44 m Sail area 12.2 m² Beam 1.70 m Draught 0.25 / 0.86 m√ MUSIC Monarch - Laura Platt Muddy Waters - Gavin Luke Footprints in the Sand - Roots and Recognition featuring Melanie Bell more of Melanie here:    • Melanie Bell performs Overview (alt) at th...   all from Epidemic Sound www.epidemicsound.com Video copyright Roger Barnes 2026