Crossing Biscay
Scot Free III
Frank & Anne
Fri 19 Sep 2025 13:00
Arrived in Brest today, after 4 days, 4 hours, 36 hours of motoring and 423 miles of rocking and rolling.
Apologies to all those of you who have kindly followed the blog over the years for not managing anything during the passage or indeed before we set off!
Arrived back in Muxia, as luck! would have it, at the start of their biggest festival of the year-4 days of partying. Managed a meal on the night of our return before it all started.
The Fiesta de la Barca comes from an ancient legend that tells of the miraculous arrival of the Virgin Mary in a stone boat. The Sunday is the main “pilgrimage” /procession through the town to the church on the point for the blessing of boats to ensure a prosperous and safe year. Numerous coach loads of mainly elderly people arrived on that day for the religious side of the festival, although masses were held several times daily over the 4 days.
Incredibly loud “petardos” ( firecrackers) signalled the start of each day. There were marching bands and processions which we heard clearly in the marina, a street market of cheap tat, a fair ground, a massive long tent serving food, octopus being heralded as the dish to have and 2 massive stages.
The first night, music went on until 5:30 in the morning! The headline act packed up their own stage the next day and departed.
First stop for us, the pharmacy for more earplugs! Particularly the bass reverberated even through the boat. Then the supermarket to re provision, so we could leave whenever the weather allowed. Sadly we had to endure the full 4 days before the weather played ball. We did stay up for the fireworks at 12:30 am on Saturday. Had a brilliant view from the marina and they were spectacular but so loud, had fingers in ears for the duration. We’re grateful the wind was blowing away from us so any debris went out to sea.
We knew there was going to be a mixture of sailing and motoring crossing Biscay as winds were light but the swell made life uncomfortable. A’s supply of sea sickness chewing gum was much depleted during the crossing but it did work.Thank goodness for podcasts! Reading out of the question.
Many container ships spotted and dolphins seen swimming and splashing alongside at night.
Very grey and dismal as we approached Brest, passing numerous old forts mostly built by Vaubin in the 17th Century to protect Brest.
