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Back on the water
On the tip of Brittany, it rained 47 days non-stop, with several severe storms. With Goretti, Kirstin, Ingrid, Opika, Leonardo, Nils and Pedro being the strongest. So, when those two days of full sunshine, with no wind at all, came around the time of the high tides, the kayak went back out on the water. Of course, I didn't take out the rods, as the winter flagship species, pollack, is forbidden to us until May 1st, while the fishmonger's stalls are full of them for sale... Sea bass are reproducing, so we leisure fishermen leave them alone. But, never mind, getting back on the water is essential, and a stroll along the foreshore is most welcome.
Not many people on the water
So, on March 3rd, it's 94°, and I'm rigging my kayak with a motor and lithium battery. It's a squally day on the water, but the weather's even better, with a forecast of 16°C. I consulted the health and water control website. The analyses are good and there are no health restrictions on the species I'm after. So I can look for clams, scallops and crabs.
After a good hour's sailing in fine weather, I settle down on my foreshore spots. Not many people on the water, which is perfect. I start, as usual, with the clams, picking my thirty or so large clams, as the foreshore starts to open up nicely and I move on to the large clams. I pick up about fifty in half an hour.
I decide to finish the last hour of wandering by exploring the various pools between the pebbles, dragging my kayak behind me. I come across a spot with big sleepers. I pick up a big male and leave 3 big females in the water. The mesh is 15 cm, and my ruler, which stops at 20 cm, is too small for the measurement... I also unearth a few scallops, but I don't have time to refuel as the tide is coming in. I'll be back tomorrow to look for them specifically, so it's time for a snack before the return trip.
In turbo mode
On March 4, the weather was the same, but the calm was perhaps even more pronounced. The coefficient is 99 and it should go down well. The same version on the kayak side, I take advantage of the calm to switch to turbo mode on my engine and I'm off at around 13 km/h. The kayak is very low to the water and the impression of speed is still there. The kayak is very low to the water and the impression of speed is even stronger, a bit like in go-karting, but without the noise. Today, it's specific shells.
Once there, I put on my waders for a nice stroll through the ponds in search of these belles de la rade. It's a bit like mushrooms: once you've seen the shape of the shell hidden in the sand, your brain registers it before you're aware of its presence. In 1 h 30 of walking through the puddles, I'll pick up a good twenty, find as many under the 11 cm regulation and they'll stay in place for the next tide, which is in 15 days' time.
After this beautiful walk across the foreshore, I enjoy a nice snack in the sunshine before heading back. It's 18°C and we'd like to prolong this long-awaited moment...
I'll be back the next day with a coefficient of 97, but the weather will have turned again, the wind has picked up and rain is forecast for the end of the day, the end of the spring episode. As the water is turbid, I'll be looking for shells by ear, as those that have run aground on dry land are snapping their shells. The sound is quite distinctive, really a clack, clack, clack. The clacking also makes a small splash of water, so they're easy to spot. I'll find another dozen or so.
This spring episode allowed me to make sure that the kayak's winter maintenance had been effective. This session opens the 2026 season. It's not going to be an easy season, given the series of regulations that have been put in place.
