Bay of Biscay Crossing

We spent the last week or so hopping around the coast of France, visiting some really good places worth mentioning such as Concarneau and the Ile De Yeu. The weather has still been terrible but we are still having fun. Whilst hopping around the coast we got caught in 5 metre swells, which was really quite horrible, definitely the biggest seas we have encountered so far, but it was fine they we large swells so we just glided over the top. It was a brill experience.
The forecast was a force 6/7 SW and the sea state rough but we did not have much choice as the previous anchorage we were in in Audierne was completely exposed so we had to move on down the coast. I don’t know whether you can even call it an anchorage it is completely open to bay of Biscay and no matter where the wind is coming from there is a continuous swell. Sym has devised a plan where we put the boom right out and attach a sea drogue to the end of it. It is fantastic and works wonders, apart from the morning we woke up to find it soo rolly and go outside and the bloody thing had chaffed through and was at the bottom of the sea. Great 35 quid down the swanny. We are so fed up of exposed rolly anchorages, it fells like we have not had a decent night sleep since leaving Gosport. Cant wait to get to Espana.
Anyway, 21 st August we finally get a break in weather and we can cross the Bay of Biscay. The weather forecast is hardly any wind for the first day, but we jump at the chance, even if we have to motor the whole way its better than too much wind! We head of from Ile De Yeu and head for Giyon or Santander. The trip was so calm I could not get my head round it, it was like a lake. We saw our first set of dolphins and even saw a whale about 100 yards from our boat, sym had tears in his eyes. I might have to erase this if he sees this .This was quite scary, cos the amount of stories you read about Whales sinking boats must stay I was not ecstatic about it being so close.
The first night we had thunder and lighting, oh just our luck. Thank god it was calm though, the wind finally picks up the next day and we are able to sail the rest of the journey. We make good progress and the second night I get my first starry starry night that sym has been promising for so long!! I must admit it was soo beautiful!
We finally arrive in Santander at 7am and by god its lush. The weather is boiling and the first place we anchorage is just off a beach with golden sand and palm trees. We deserve it! We have finally done the dreaded Biscay and it was cool, now it the rest of the world to Conquer.
The anchorage is soo flat and well protected and the first thing we do is dive into the water ( still a bit chilly though )

Ouessant to Camaret

We spent a lovely few days in Ouessant. We got boarded by Customs which was quite exciting. They went through everything on the boat, under our bed, food cupboards, even opened and checked inside our box of flares. They went as far as to count how much money we had on board! I think we must of looked a bit dodgy but they were very friendly and professional. I made the mistake our falsely alerting them there were drugs on board. When they were looking under the bed there was a strong smell coming from Syms tool box which had some Resin and matting / fibre glass. I told them don’t worry its just resin and their eye brows raised and called the other guys from on deck. They thought I meant I had weed on the boat. Quite embarrassing really, what an idiot I am. Sym had to come down and un wrap it all to show them what it was! Phew!
We went site seeing around the Island and went into Lampout where we ended up in a old basket ball court on top of a mountain where there was a fete going on. Quite bazaar really. We ate some frites and had a couple of bottles of wine, as you do! The wine was really nice and only a few euros a piece, which wound Sym up where he spent a few hours talking about the prices of booze in Britain ( slight exaggeration )We got soaking wet in the rain on the way home, where we had to walk through some woods in the pitch black. Sym starting worrying about were wolves and kept talking franticly all the way back to the boat to stop himself being scared!
We are still waiting for a good weather report to cross Biscay and still SW gales in. So we decided to day hop as much as we can, doing a bit of travelling until the weather changes to cross.
Following morning we lift up the hook and head along the coast to Caramet. Weather sunny but on the nose again. Nearly every trip so far has been beating to the bloody wind. Is only a 24 mile trip so we fly there in no time at all and sail into the anchorage( looking like pro’s)
We find an amazing supermarket where we stocked up the boat with lots of wine, cheese and beer. The only down fall was we had to walk the trolley on a main road for 10mintues, down a public slipway and load it into our little dingy, where we rowed back to the boat which took about half an hour cos of the wait of it all. Quite a palaver.
Woke up this morning a bit concerned as there was a force nine coming in and anchoring in these conditions was a bit of a nightmare. I nervously waited up on deck for a few hours cos I could not sleep and I saw a boat in front of us dragging!
Sym comes up and starts flashing a torch in their windows trying to wake them. They come up after what felt like half an hour and tried to take up their anchor. After a few failed attempts they just chuck out a anchor over the side of their guard rail and go back to bed, no thank you or anything. That really riled me up cos if they dragged again they would most certainly bash into Quartermoon.
As it happens we woke up in the morning and they were gone, whether they dragged and sank is another story!
Weather is still terrible so we sit tight and wait

The Channel Crossing

For the last week we have been anchoring in Cawsand Bay, Plymouth just pottering around and waiting for a good weather forecast to cross the dreaded Bay of Biscay. Which I am sooooo nervous about that I just want to get it out of the way.
Originally sym thought it would be a good idea to leave from Plymouth straight across Biscay arriving in La Coruna - which we were all planned to do. I think he likes to chuck me in the deep end as the longest sail ive ever done is one day, now we plan to do five. A bit like the scenario when he told me that night sailing was so romantic with all the stars and I was going to love it. Then he takes me out in a force 8 head on into the wind across Lyme Bay ( on our previous boat ) and I honestly thought I was going to die, even the god damn fishing men were turning away.
Anyway a bit of a diversion there so ill get back to my point. The weather has been so shockingly shit - force south westerly for a week that we decide to take our chance and just cross the channel and get to France cos there was a break from SW winds for about 24 hours, so we decide to head of in quite windy swelly seas ( not ideal ) but long can you wait, good weather might never come we were starting to think.
Role on a different country, its only been a couple of weeks but we are getting so impatient and want to get going and I want this damn Biscay crossing out of my hair.
My first night sail was a bit daunting. I felt quite sea sick and the poor cats had not moved out of their blankets for 24 hours. We are starting to think this is very cruel!At the same time telling ourselves that we are at anchor 90 % of the time and fingers still crossed that they will get used to it.Plus Wolverine is so cute we cant get rid of him for selfish reasons.

I start to think to myself “what the fuck are we doing” and I go below to try and get some sleep, but my tummy is going nuts and I cant get to sleep. A few hours later I start to dread as I know its my turn on my own while sym gets some rest. When I come out low and behold there are bloody lights from boats everywhere and its rough as anything. Hopefully it will harden me up. Sym is soo good though, he looks after me on the whole trip.
Anyway it was not so bad on my own. The blessed sun finally comes up and we prepare to cross the busiest shipping channel in the world - where we did not see one boat!!
The cats are starting to come round and go down for something to eat We catch dodgy looking fish with a big beak, we end up chucking it back in the water cos I felt far too rough to be chopping of a fish head and gutting it all for the cats benefit, they can make do with dried biscuits tonight!
It feels good to be in France. We hoist up our first courtesy flag and the sun is shinning. We take off our British wintery socks and trainers and get the hats and shades out. A celebrating dinner of Moules and Frites me thinks, after all we really do deserve it!
Its funny how quick you forget the sea sickness and the pain in the arse its been and how scared you felt the night before. I thought to myself I was being such a pussey, it was not that bad and we survived!
Au revoir!