45:46.09N 1:15.5W

Wednesday 10 July Exit Gironde, long sail/motor N to anchor near visitor buoys off Ile de Re midnight 60NM

Wait for ebb (noon), top up fuel and motorsail out of huge estuary. Hardly any wind, so fortunately no tricky seas in final long and narrow buoyed channel. Turn 100degrees to stbd and head N. Cold atlantic airstream, on the nose. Try sailing but end up motorsailing, then just motoring. Slow progress as foul tide for last few hours. Pretty inhospitable coast and no appropriate ports on W of Ile d`Oleron. Knew it was going to be a slog. Couldn`t have set off any earlier as fierce flood at narrow mouth of Gironde. Arrive S of Ile de Re midnight. Very dark – don`t see the white buoys from our previous visit, so anchor in close and sleep well.