PASSAGE TO ILE D'YEU
Aquila
Alan and Sarah Bennett
Tue 27 May 2014 01:59
46:43.6N
2:20.8W
Bad luck comes in threes……then…
If ever a day were to have everything, perhaps this would be it. The crew awoke bright and early, buoyed by the prospect of a passage to Île d’Yeu, with the previous evenings Fruits de Mer, Liar Dice and Old Pulteney fresh in the memory. The crew maintained currency over breakfast, debating the shock UKIP election results via Skipper’s WIFI and Radio 4. One crew member, becoming over exuberant on hearing that Tom Daley was looking for a new diving partner, decided to demonstrate his prowess by executing a perfect swan dive into the marina!
After much laughter, a shipshape Aquila slipped her moorings into still waters when…oh no…the rev counter displayed no revs, and the alternator was not charging Aquila’s batteries. Some exemplary investigative work revealed a tripped circuit breaker, following which normal service was resumed.
Further becalmed, with cat’s paws tickling the surface, the asymmetric flew for the first time of the season. Until….the halyard jammed fast in the bull ring atop the mast. Never fear, some strong foredeck work from Peter and Stuart saw her fly again. With a NW1, Aquila’s colourful kite saw her speed SE in glorious sunshine.
With morale in the cockpit entering stratospheric levels, the crew lunched on quiche and ice cold beers courtesy of Ken, before allowing themselves to indulge in some foredeck showboating (see phots!).
With a SW3 to 4, the asymmetric was replaced by the genoa but progress remained at 8 knots! In such a superb vessel, it was unsurprising three porpoises decided to join in the fun, playing in our bow-wave! The joy was temporarily marred as the cabin boy wondered what he’d done to deserve being pelted by the Skipper with used tea bags in the cockpit! Tea was accompanied by cake and Messiah playing in the cockpit……stonking……As the sun dips towards the horizon, the sound of dits and laughter spreads across the Bay of Biscay. Supper was Sarah’s superb spag bol with a fine Chilean Merlot. Bring on Île d’Yeu….we put in at 0320 and dram may have been poured!
