Scallop fishermen | Saint-Malo – Mont-Saint-Michel Bay

45 minutes for a highly prized nut ...

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Monday 8am in the port of Bas-Sablons in Saint-Malo,

Surya, a 12-metre multi-purpose fishing boat, leaves the port and heads north-west, towards the Bay of Saint-Brieuc and its scallop beds, frequented by 250 boats registered for this winter campaign. Two days a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, Till the skipper and Briac his deckhand meet on the fishing grounds. As they left the harbour, Briac methodically secured the two side dredgers to the cables, which in turn were connected to the central winch. This morning few boats have taken to the slightly rough seas and in our wake a few Malouins are cutting a path, 2 hours 30 to reach the area open to fishing.

10:00 am, we leave the imposing silhouette of Cap Fréhel to port in bright sunshine.

The boats from the Bay of Saint-Brieuc are already in the area and the Malouins are dispersing, each observing the route taken by the others. As Briac smokes a last cigarette and Till scans the position of the boats through binoculars, the tension is gently rising on board Surya. The crew don their oilskins and check the dredgers one last time. , a last glance towards the coast to see: rubbing prohibited this morning!

The Top Start

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11:00am, the start:

All the engine’s power is called upon. The 300 horsepower come into action in a flash. Till with one eye on the PC map and the other on the horizon gives his instructions to Briac, who operates the winch. The 2 dredgers were launched at the same time, one at 110 metres, the other at 90 metres so that they didn’t pass each other. After 10 minutes of dredging at full power, with occasional jolts that rocked Surya and stiffened the taut cables to the max, the dredgers were brought back on board with a metallic clang. Till left the cabin and rushed over to the dredgers to tip them aboard and open their mouths. They dump shells, pebbles and a few larger boulders onto the deck before immediately returning to their collection work. Two more drags follow in the same frenzy, using the 45-minute time limit to the full.

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11:50 am, the tension eases and the time for the theoretical balance sheet triggers a little pout from Till: it’s good enough!!

The almost 600 kg of shells will just about cover the costs. But now is not the time to do the sums. Shells and pebbles cover the deck, now it’s time to sort them out. After checking their size, the shells are placed in tubs and then in bags. Kneeling on the deck, the two sailors will be busy for the whole of the return journey, while I’ll be in charge of the autopilot all the way to the buoyed channel at the entrance to the port of Saint-Malo. Last stop on the Dinan slipway with the delivery of the precious bags and quick exchanges with the other boats.

15:00, port des Bas-Sablons, Surya has found the pontoon.

Still marked by the intensity of the moment I’ve just experienced, I disembark and walk awkwardly. I relive the day by looking at the photos taken on board. My legs, on the other hand, are going to wobble until the evening.