Salcombe to L'Aber Wrac'h 22-23 Sept
22/09/06 05:55 Filed in: France
22nd September
The gale passes overnight and with a more benign forecast we decide to head for Spain. After a quick stop at the town pontoon we sail at 09:45.
We decide to adopt a watchkeeping roster of 3 hours on 3 hours off.
Initially we are able to make good our required course with SE winds. As the day progresses the wind starts to veer south and increase. We have to tack our way across the channel.
23rd September
During the early hours the wind increase to F6 and we are down to 3 reefs in the Main, 1/3 Yankee and full Staysail. Throughout the day we make good progress as the wind backs to SE.
Late in the afternoon a tired pigeon, well out to sea and destined for fish food, comes aboard.
As night falls the wind again veers south and we pass through a violent thunderstorm. With more of these on the way and Meteo France forecasting increasing winds from the south I decide not to pass Ushant in such conditions and divert to L'Aber Wrac'h.
The approach and entrance are straightforward but the last few buoys leading to the mooring area are unlit. I discover that the spotlight battery is fully discharged and while groping or way forward we ground on soft mud at low tide around 23:30. Our visiting pigeon flies away. Presumably to safety.
Two hours later we refloat on the rising tide and by 02:00 we are safely secured to one of the harbour mooring buoys.
The gale passes overnight and with a more benign forecast we decide to head for Spain. After a quick stop at the town pontoon we sail at 09:45.
We decide to adopt a watchkeeping roster of 3 hours on 3 hours off.
Initially we are able to make good our required course with SE winds. As the day progresses the wind starts to veer south and increase. We have to tack our way across the channel.
23rd September
During the early hours the wind increase to F6 and we are down to 3 reefs in the Main, 1/3 Yankee and full Staysail. Throughout the day we make good progress as the wind backs to SE.
Late in the afternoon a tired pigeon, well out to sea and destined for fish food, comes aboard.
As night falls the wind again veers south and we pass through a violent thunderstorm. With more of these on the way and Meteo France forecasting increasing winds from the south I decide not to pass Ushant in such conditions and divert to L'Aber Wrac'h.
The approach and entrance are straightforward but the last few buoys leading to the mooring area are unlit. I discover that the spotlight battery is fully discharged and while groping or way forward we ground on soft mud at low tide around 23:30. Our visiting pigeon flies away. Presumably to safety.
Two hours later we refloat on the rising tide and by 02:00 we are safely secured to one of the harbour mooring buoys.