The harbour is protected by two quays (deux caûchies) made of large granite blocks. During our visit it was a rising tide (eune mé montante) and the many different boats (batchieaux) – yachts (batchieaux à vaile) and power boats (batchieaux d'engin) – were all riding on the moorings (les mouillages). There aren't many fishing boats (batchieaux pêtcheux) in St. Aubin because you can only move in and out two hours (deux heuthes) either side of a high spring tide (un plein grand' d'mé). During low tide (la bâsse-ieau), the boats stand on legs (les bétchil'yes) or sit on bilge keels (les tchelles d'câle) on the mud (la souale). Along the quays there are service points for electricity (dé l'êlectricité) and water (dé l'ieau) and also cranes (les crannes) for hoisting boats ashore. Pontoons (les pontons) are provided for boat owners to moor a wooden or plastic tender (un caûqueteux) or even an inflatable (un bâté soûffliabl'ye). NB. Is this possible new word acceptable?

Each boat (bâté) has mooring ropes (les amathes) attached to heavy chains (les chaînes) on the harbour bed. These lines are looped onto the bow (l'avant, lé nez) and the stern (l'arriéthe, lé driéthe, lé tchu d'un navithe!) and joined by a link line carrying a stick buoy (eune bouie à bâton) tied to the middle (au mitan) of it. This is picked up and the lines attached when you wish to moor up. Along the walls are ladders (des êtchelles) for access to the pontoons where your tender is moored. At the ends of the quays there is a slipway (eune montée or un d'valeux) for launching a dinghy or tender with wheels or on a trolley (un tchéthiot). The slipway is cobbled (galoté) but the cobbles (les galots) are inclined to give raised edges to prevent the wheels (les reues) from sliding or formerly (en temps pâssé), the horses' hooves (les chabots) from slipping.
Finally (enfîn), there are three small boat yards (les chantchièrs) but not for boat building, and along The Bulwalks (Le Boulevard) there are several (deux'trais) restaurants and guesthouses and lovely old granite houses which lead to the historic Old Court House. Beyond is the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club, the narrow, winding road to Ghost Hill and Noirmont, the causeway (lé tailli à chînment) to St Aubin's Fort (Lé Fort dé St. Aubin), and the steps to the beach (la grève).

After all that, our next meeting will be on Wed. 1^st Sept. at 8.00pm at La Société to catch up on the last dictionary translations and for some, to catch up on the Eisteddfod piece!

À la préchaine
John Clarke (Président)
Ralph Nichols (Ségrétaithe)

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