Back to the Jungle

Seaview on our final morning

We left Cherbourg on Thursday morning with the wind having gone east of north which made for a much better than hoped for crossing.   We left in a stiff F6 with Rich promising that it would ease off, which it duly did half way across.   Ten hours later we rounded the Needles and picked up a buoy off Yarmouth having clocked up a total of 1200 nautical miles and visited 31 different ports/anchorages.  We then had a couple of very idle days soaking up the sunshine in Newtown Creek.   For the first time this year I swam and Rich paddleboarded!   Slightly ironic when we had been so far south, but there was always a wind, a choppy sea or it was just too cold to tempt either of us into the water.   Apparently Biscay is 4% colder than normal for this time of year.    Our final night we spent anchored off Seaview where we were wined and dined in style by Tori and Tris.   A terrific ending to a good trip.     Now back in Duck St trying to tame the jungle.

Nomad and her crew in Priory Bay

In summary - a great time despite some dodgy weather early on.   We've filled in lots of gaps in our geography, know how a salt marsh works,  never had any really frightening moments and are convinced of the benefits of going May/June - less crowds, cheaper berths.  We are still talking, and planning the next adventure - Scotland? Baltic? Spain?

Murray Mania At Sea

Nomad in Petit Port, Guernsey
Three days after Murray’s epic win.   We were glued to Radio 5 Live as we came across to Guernsey from Treguier.   Reception was not that great but we didn’t really need to hear, we could just tell by the crowds’ reaction who had won each point.    We anchored in Petit Port, a beautiful bay on the south of Guernsey.   Sukey (Rich’s sister) and Mike greeted us there with champagne and fish and chips.   What better way to celebrate?   Courtesy of Mike’s workshop Rich has mended the anchor hause pipe (again) and fashioned a new bowsprit for the cruising chute.  Courtesy of Sukey’s laundry we now have beautifully clean, ironed (unheard of on a Nomad) clothes.   On Monday we climbed up the 365 steps to the top of the cliff and were rewarded with a spectacular view across to Sark and Herm.   The sun continues, but so does the NE wind, which is not so good for our return across the channel.  After a benign passage through the Aldernay Race we are now in Cherbourg.    Today we will stock up with French goodies, enjoy our final moules frites and, possibly, visit the decommissioned  nuclear submarine, before sailing for UK tomorrow.  

Back in North Brittany

Charles Style & Geoffrey G, Stte Evette

We had a great evening with Charles Style and Geoffrey, his crew, in Stte Evette swopping salty tales.   The next morning we woke to thick fog as we both departed in opposite directions.   Luckily the fog half lifted as we reached the Raz de Sein so we could see the bottoms of  the marks, but not the tops, which were still shrouded in gloop – very eerie.   We pushed on through the Chenal du Four and arrived in L’Aber Benoit mid afternoon.  A frustrating day with little wind, grey and mizzly, and then the visitors buoy we picked up, which we were assured was free by the trusty Channel Pilot, cost us a mighty 18 euros – the most overpriced place we have come across.   Luckily we woke the next morning to glorious sunshine and despite there being no wind had a very happy day motoring our way to Treguier helped by a large atlantic swell that was so smooth it looked more like giant rolls of silk gently billowing across the sea.

British Underwear on Parade

Kite surfing school, Iles de Glenans

Now in Loctudy having had two glorious days in Iles de Glenans.  We arrived there in thick fog so were mightily relieved to anchor safely.    Two days of lazing, boat cleaning and general pottering.   Excitement came when the customs boat swooped on us.  Rich was comfortably lounging on the spinnaker bag wearing nothing more than his holey boxers.  I said I thought we were about to be boarded.  He thought I was joking.    Within seconds the customs boat was alongside with one guy face to face with my knickers drying on the guardrails, whilst Rich hastily struggled into his shorts.  They concluded their business very rapidly and let us off the 150 euro fine – “because the sun is shining”-  that we should have paid for our boat registration being 2 days out of date.  (In the heat of the moment we couldn’t find the in-date one that was lurking in the chart table).   Were we let off because of the sunshine?  Or too much Brit underwear?  We will never know.   Tomorrow we plan to meet Charles Style, who is heading south, to hand over charts/books etc.