News from the front.

Sitting onboard at St Quay Portrieux, 14 euros later and I've got wifi for a day. Hurrah. Didn't quite make it out of port today, clear blue sky and genetic lazyness persuaded me otherwise, make full use of 14 euros of broad band instead. But in general life could be a lot worse. Left Brighton, lets see, it was before today. Always gets a bit hazy that before today bit. So it's Wednesday today, 12th July 2006. And I'm in north Brittany. Thankfully I jotted down some scribbles along the way so a bit of cut and paste...

Monday 26th July 2006
Brighton to Cowes. On the move at last.Sailed fair proportion of the way. Main marina busy so went to east cowes marina a little further up the river on oppisite side to main town. Calm and quiet.

Breezy day in Brighton.

Tuesday 27th July. 2006
Day off in Cowes. Cycled up to Newport and down other side of river into Cowes proper. What a lot of chandlers! Had to hide in pub.

Wednesday 28th June 2006
Sailed from Cowes to Yarmouth. Nice easy slow sail down the coast of Isle Of Wight. Tied up to floating pontoon in harbour. Taxi ashore for walk around and a beer.
Yarmouth Harbour.

Thursday 29th June 2006
Left Yarmouth 6am, took the last of the ebb down to needles then slight left turn towards Alderney. Not much wind so motored far a while then sailed up to shipping lanes. Chickened out the and engine back on. I know my place and it isn't messing with several thousand tonnes of steel heading my way at 20 knots. Cowardice is a very good thing. Not much traffic thankfully so quite stress free. Into Braye harbour about 7ish. Tied up to yellow visitors bouy, tidied boat and caught water taxi ashore. Walk up hill into town for couple of beers.

Friday 30th June 2006
Left Alderney 1pm, light wind and timed the Swinge well - slack water. Nice motor with hour or so sailing down to Guernsey. Not good viz coming into little russel channel so slight panic and much plotting of gps fixes got me to St Peters port. Crikey these tides are fast, engine on tickover and still doing 7 or 8 over the ground. Moored up to floating pontoon outside marina, not enough water to get over sill. Abba night tonight in marquee on dock. Can't wait. Met Mark & Liz (newly engaged!!) (St Journa) and Malcom & Linda (Stray Cat) from Hoo Ness yacht club so nice to have some company for a few days.

Saturday 1st July 2006
Motered & sailed a bit round to Dixcart bay in Sark. What a place - no cars, beautiful!! Well worth staying for another day. And free!

Dixcart bay anchorage in Sark.

Monday 3rd July 2006 2006
Motored from Sark down to St Helier, moored up in marina there.

Tuesday 4th July 2006
Day off in Jersey, crew arrived in form of old mate JP. To the pub it is then. Via restaurant.

Wednesday 5th July 2006
Sailed, well motored, to Iles Chausey. Wao, not this rivals if not beats Sark. No wind so motor across for a few hours on a glassy sea. Bigrocksville here. Picked up visitors bouy in the sound next to Grand Isle. France playing tonight in world cup so bit surreal having the only little bar on the island packed with cheering locals.

Thusday 6th July 2006
Bit of motoring, bit of sailing see us in St Malo. What good timing, tall ships race is in port so town in buzzing. Never ones to be party poopers JP and I join in as best we can. For several days. Avec much fine ale and Moules Frite.

Sunday 9th July 2006
JP heads back to London and I try to not go out! Little bit of boatwork and early night.

Monday 10th July 2006
Motor round to St cast and pick up mooring, Moules Frites again! Gotta stop that, I'll start growing a shell soon and poor boat budget can't sustain such constant gastronomic heights.

Tuesday 11th July 2006
Sailed from St Cast round coast to St Quay Pertrieux. At last a fantastic sail. Wind fitful at first, spent a few hours tacking out of bay and then for once the wind veered in my favour. Fine sail up coast to St Quay. Certainly interesting navigation around these parts, plenty rocks. But well marked, most of them and deep water everywhere else.

Wednesday 12th July 2006
Thats today! Coffee and croisant for breakfast. And big walk up rugged coastline. Internet for lunch!

So thats the story so far, Must say, I'm quite taken by the rugged beauty of north Brittany, people very friendly and relaxed, nothing at all like Parisians, these people are nice! Next is more miles towards Brest. More rocks to avoid, more Moules to avoid or not. Must get up tomorrow and head off up to, lets see -Lezardrieux? Iles De Brehat? Further if there's good wind? Don't miss the next exciting episode............

Chez Moi..

And the adventure continues......

Thursday 13th July 2006
Motored little bit away from some reefs and a dingy race then sailed most of way up to Ile Brehat ands Lezardrieux. Once again Waoh! Ile Brehat looks incredable, F7 northerlies on the way so no anchoring for yer cowardly captain. Lezardrieux it is and what a place. Skimming past reefs exposed as it's low water, what a lot of them there are, cardinals and beacons everywhere but not that difficult really. Nice chartlet inset on the imray C14 shows all required. Then more woh as you the river shows itself and up you go for few miles, sheer cliffs, forests down to water line, oyster beds and just something else.

Beach and moorings at Lezardrieux

Friday 14th July 2006
Got train to Dol De Britagne to Visit some friends who were on holiday there. Actually, missed bus to train station so walked most of way trying to hitchhike then eventually got lift but was nearly there anyway! Fine time was had by all.

Saturday 15th July 2006
Went to market then the several trains back to boat. Walked from Paimpol. Few hours off in Rennes so had a look around. Nice place. Bit of a bash happening back at Lezardrieux, traditional singing and dancing with (hurrah) moules frites and local cider

Sunday 16th July 2006
Quiet day, went for nice walk through forest along river bank then bit of a boat tidy. Finally cleared starboard bunk in main cabin. No longer lots stuff held in in place with lee cloth. read and snoozed then another walk down shore. Freshest oysters anyone can ever have, straight from the rocks at low water. Sailing again tomorrow. Biscay on my mind, boatwork to be done then big leap.

Monday 17th July 2006
Motored round to Trebeurden, anchored off next to a little island. Rocks sculped into wierd and wonderful shapes by the wind. Mussels off the shore for tea!

Conachair peacefully at anchor and some rocks off Trebeurden

Tuesday 18th July 2006
Motored to Roscoff, bit wind at the end, tried to anchor where charts indicated but dragged straight away so picked up mooring bouy near harbour

Wednesday 19th July 2006
Windy and wet first thing as front went through so thought better of it and stayed put. Spliced up some new bungie ties on the sprayhood - much tidier.

Thursday 20st July 2006
Motored nearly all the way to L'Aber Wrac'h. 4/5 on the nose, ripped jib tacking when leach line caught on spreaders. Depressed about that, poor sail deserves better. L'Aber Wrac'h beautiful, on bouy in river, very peaceful. Biscay and Chanel De Four much on my mind.

Friday 21st July 2006 2006
Sewed jib in morning, not nearly as bad as I thought., just a seam so sewed it by hand using the same holes that were there from the sewing machine. Not sure about Chanel De Four tomorrow, front coming through so will be wind on the nose, I'll see what it's like in the morning.

Saturday 22nd July 2006
Chickened out, rain and bit of wind so went back to bed.

Sunday 23rd July 2006
Easy peasy. Pilot books suggested having washboards in and harness on while going through Chenal De Four. I needed neither, flat calm. Bit bumpy between L'Aber Wrac'h and Le Four lighthouse as the swell got bunched up by the tide but once round the corner it was calm. Still lots of upwelling water and the like, certainly wouldn't like to be here in anything nasty but I was right to chicken out yesterday. Into Brest. Next stop Spain!!

Channel Du Four.

Monday 24th July 2006
Next couple of weeks were spent in Brest, much boatwork and relaxing. Jobs included getting a stainless bracket fabricated to mount radar, mounting radar, bought and fitted new VHF radio, redid a lot of wiring and mounted new switch panel, new seal fitted on water pump and lots other little bits. Good place for boatwork. Plenty of local chandlers and places to find engine spares.

Tuesday 8th August 2006
Left marina and sailed ever so slowly across bay, anchored for little while before the set off to Spain!!!