48:36.0N 004:33.7W

 

 

We arrived in L’Aber Wrach.  Where?  Well it is on the North Brittany coast, and the best harbour short of the Chenal du Four.  Yesterday was both fun and a nightmare.  We set off from Dartmouth, bright and early, in light winds.  Motored for an hour or so, and then up went the sails.  Lovely day – bright and sunny, good winds and carrying on quite happily.  Quite breezy at the end of the day, so decided to put two reefs in the main sail (this reduces the amount of sail exposed, it’s like taking the foot off the accelerator).  Lesley and Dennis took over the watch, and found themselves crossing the shipping lanes.  As you know, Lesley is a good skier, and enjoys a slalom.  Well she was slaloming amongst supertankers, container ships etc.... quite hairy between 9 pm and 2 am!  By the time I came on watch at 2 am, there was one solitary tanker to avoid, and then off towards the tip of Brittany.  Trouble was, there was no wind and the tide was against us.  We motored, we motorsailed, we did a little cursing, but there was no way we could make the tidal window for the Chenal du Four, so chose to divert to L’Aber Wrach.  Lovely harbour, good meal ashore planned for tonight, and much catching up on laundry/showers etc....  Tomorrow is Biscay, hope to update you with the satellite link.

 

PS Thanks to Alice (Dennis wife) for the lovely cake