Normally sailors arrive with thunder and lightning from heaven - like an AC/DC-Song … no, I am just joking! 

We arrived at La Coruna with no Electric power - Blackout all over Spain on 28th of April.

After a warm welcome to and at the Regina Laska there was a first chance to enjoy Leon‘s Board-Kitchen - all the restaurants were closed because of the blackout!

 

Start on 29th East to Cedeira, Anchorage in front of the harbour in this little „Ria“. The town was not too exciting. Season has not started there yet.

 

Wednesday, 30th, the weather was predicted well for the next two days and so we started to Cross the Bay of Biscay at 10:25 Local Time for Belle Ile en Mer. 

 

 

My first experience of being on the way for two days and two nights on a passage of 331 nm. We were three quite expericenced sailors and planned 3 hours of watching and 6 hours of resting all over the day. Leon made the backup. After the first night with a little „shower“ with lightning and thunder and about 25 to 32 knots of wind - we had to reef the genoa and the main in order to the unsure conditions in the center of the Low-Front which passed from East to West-Northwest - we had low winds and low waves for the rest of the passage. In the second night, Leon could sleep all night. No backup needed.

 

What to do during the Passage?

 

One thing is always stay awake, have watch for course, passing ships, waves, dolphins, fishing gear, checking every change of course, note it with the time and the speed, checking radar during the night and the charts and the plotter through the day.

 

The other thing for me was to be the testimonial for the two guys making astro-navigation with the „Sextant“. There were made lots of shots - to the sun, to stars and planets. 

 

Only Leon and I actually knew where we were - Alois and Rudolf tried to find out where we have been. Finally they almost got us - around two miles nearby! Congrats! It was like searching eggs at easter-time.

 

After 46 hours we reached Belle Ile at 08:15 in the morning - entrance at 10:00 to 10:30 - waiting at a buoy for being called to enter Le Basin Flot - the inner harbour. 

Climbing the Mast to rearrange the Wind-Indicator (Windex) and bringing order into the cables at the first pair of spreaders were further „First-time-made-Actions“ for me. I had a real good view over Belle Ile and … I survived. Maybe my colleagues wanted me back on deck for checking out the oysters for an „Apres“. ;-)

 

I love this town, this harbour. It was my second time to arrive here and the oysters and the white wine were as good as last time. 

Sailing Like god in France!

 

Next Stop: 

Couresty at the entrance of Golf du Morbihan.

 

There we met a friend of Alois, had a little round of talking and we got a few ideas for our further trip along the Breton south coast. 

Then we left - on little current against into the Gulf passing a very ancient stone-circle in form of an eight and found and anchor-place afterwards, Leon has noticed a year ago. 

With the dinghy to the pier and following Commissar Dupin on Ile aux Moines to a Celtic power-place with a ring of stones in the middle of the island.

Ile aux Moines - Golf du Morbihan

 

 

 

Concarneau - we had a Place at a ponton in the Harbour.

Through the entrance of the castle we entered another world. Middle-Age with very good new Restaurants 

On Board we followed a Case of Dupin in Concarneau, in front of our door, as we can say.

 

Lesconil a short step on the way north. 

 

A very Impressive landscape with Rocks and Single very big stones on the one side, and tidal phenomena on the other side with ships in the middle of a beach, on empty rivers.

 

 

And do not forget TARA, the restaurant with the best seafood-kitchen on this tour. 

Although we calculated tides, currents and winds around the french Cape Hoorn, Raz de Sein, and decided to leave early for having the current with us. Passing at slack water was the plan. Hardly to believe, there were up to 3.5 knts „smashing“ us through - 11.5 knots on the speedlog.

 

Taking a buoy on the south-West bay of Ile de Ouessant, Westernmost point of Continental France  - just a good Place at Winds from nord or north east - as we had.

 

 

 

Last day - back to 

Brest

There we got the result of the Conclave: Pope Leon … what else! 

 

Conclusion: 

Very good sailing on a fine boat with former unknown persons, now sailing-friends, with complete ervices aboard and at land. enjoying sea, wind, land, kitchen and typical drinks as Picon Biere (AFTER SAILING!!!).

No stress, just doing things we sailing people love - even if it is calculation on tides, currents, routes, possibilities and ways making sailing easy - even if you do 551 nm!

 

 

By the way we knew how to behave on board, how to sail and even when it is time to reef or start the engine. Comfort and Style!

Next year is already booked. Northern Bretagne - up to St. Malo - and Channel Islands are on the plan - together very good friends from Sweden together with our wives.

 

There is just one problem: It will last too long until the next leg will start! 

 

Leon and Regina Laska, Reginasailing-Family - C U soon!"