High Tide, Low Tide and Riding the Tides

High tide at Môle Beach.

 I did not grow up by the sea, nor have I spent much time in boats. Rick, on the other hand, has done both and I appreciate his stories and knowledge of all things marine. I have, in my adult life, found myself coming to the sea in times of trouble. When my children were very small and my husband had just died, I several times put the kids in their car seats, where they would immediately fall asleep, and drove from my home in Walnut Creek to Half Moon Bay, parked my car by the ocean and just watched the waves for a few minutes, not even getting out of my seat. I would then drive another hour to get  back home. Just the sight of the rolling waves was able to soothe my aching heart. There is definitely something about being on the edge of the land and looking out onto the vast and mysterious expanse of the ocean that has a calming effect on me.

I am certainly trying to understand the natural forces of the ocean and to enjoy the human interactions with it while we are living here. We keep informed with what part of the tide and moon cycle we are in and observe the effects that the water level has on the ferry pilots and fishermen. The 6 hour rhythm between low and high tide and the shift in schedule each day are fascinating to me. I have only a vague idea of how the moon pulls at the oceans and how the rotation of the earth beneath the bulging water and the revolution of the moon and sun create this endless interaction between the shore and the waters. It is one of those phenomena, like the stars and planets in the heavens which fill me with wonder and seem to put my life into its proper perspective.

Low tide at Môle Beach

The Bay of Saint Malo has the highest coefficient in Europe. A coefficient is not a concept I have ever considered before coming here, or had even heard of. Essentially a tide's coefficient number describes how low or high the waves will reach. On many beaches of the world there is not a huge variation in the tides, but because of the geography of St Malo, the Atlantic Ocean can rush through the narrow sleeve of the English Channel and form impressive high and low tides with a difference of 10 meters (34 ft.) between the two. Several times a year we have what is called a grande marée (exceptionally high tide), with a coefficient of over 100 (the average is 70). And as sea levels rise and the oceans warm, the dramatic nature of these high tides becomes greater. This was one of those weeks.

Waves crash onto walkways and fill the streets.

These are greatly anticipated events and are very well attended. You can watch some amazing videos on YouTube to get a sense of what it is like. 

The breakwater is a very effective tool to calm the port waters.

The very long breakwater built two hundred years ago between the Môle beach and the commercial port protects the ships in port from the roughest waves. It is also made to be a walkway, pleasant when the tide is not too high, as a sudden wave can surprise you. It affords a lovely view back towards town.

Our favorite benches to sit and watch the busy activities of the commercial port. The quay leads to the breakwater walkway.

One routine we have developed, is to visit the commercial port just as soon as we are up and dressed. It is just a few minutes walk from out our front door to the quay. Before breakfast we go to see what is happening today. I find it endlessly entertaining.

Unloading scallops. There is a land crew that comes to meet the boats as they arrive.

Some days there are fisherman unloading their scallops, which seem to be the only fish delivered here at the moment. Fish do have seasons, and this is the season for scallops, which are harvested (and consumed) in great numbers.

Low tide at the port. The big commercial ferries will wait for deeper waters to sail.

The tides, of course, also affect the activities in the port. Traffic slows down during the highest or lowest tides. I like to imagine the harbormaster, looking out from his round tower conducting the orchestra of sea-going vessels. To me it seems like a symphony.

The harbormaster's tower overlooks the port.

At the port you find local ferries that shuttle people back and forth to Dinard, which come and go quite frequently. There are three commercial ferry lines, Brittany, Condor and the Danish DFDS. They travel between St. Malo and the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey, or to Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth in England. There are small and large fishing vessels, freighters and boats that keep the harbor tidy, not to mention the rescue boats. There is always something to watch.

At high tide, the local ferry boat has to dock at the high end of the ramp.

Last night, as the sun was going down, we watched the sauveteur (rescuer) rubber boat bringing a young man ashore, then a truck arrived to load up the boat, presumably to take it to a storage garage for the night.

The surf rescue truck loads the rubber rescue boat onto its trailer to put it to bed for the night.

If you exit the protected port and turn right, you are on your way to the channel and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. If you turn left you are brought to the mouth of the Rance estuary. I think I have mentioned in this blog before that the spot where the Rance meets the sea is one of my favorite places on this earth. It never ceases to delight my eyes.

We find ourselves visiting the port several times a day as it is so close to home, protected from the wind by the ramparts and breakwater and it offers never ending human drama with the sea as the backdrop, as well as an inviting place to sit.

The seafaring people are never without an audience.

Our Breton friend Bernard introduced us to a great app called Marine Traffic years ago while we were living in Dinard, It allows you to follow what's happening on the ocean highways and byways in real time. We consult it every day to identify ships and boats in port. When you pinch out a bit, you can get a sense of how much activity there is on the nearby waters.

Marine Traffic map.