10th to 14th July - The Bay of Biscay

The original plan had been to cross the Bay of Biscay and stop at Falmouth.  However the weather forecast was now showing potential strong winds in the Channel and particularly around Falmouth at the weekend, so the decision was made to do the whole journey back to Swanwick in one go, which could take up to 5 days.  Also, after six weeks on the boat, most people were quite keen to get home.

It would be a tiring journey with four hour overlapping watches, in which there are two people on watch at all times.  The primary person is on watch for two hours, supported by someone else who would then take over as primary watch after the two hour period.  To complicate matters but to ensure that people are on watch at different times each day, there are two one hour "short watches" at four and five o'clock in the afternoon. 

This is how it went:

10th July

09:30 Filled up with fuel; diesel, bread and croissants
09:50 Departed Combarro
09:55  Navigation system in cockpit stopped working
10:00 Greg made breakfast (coffee and croissant)
10:01 Greg got croissant crumbs all over cockpit
10:30 New temporary navigation system put in place
11:00 Old navigation system started working again
11:30 Mainsail raised, motor-sailed at over 7.5 knots
12:30 Large pod of dolphins spotted
14:00 Greg made tuna "surprise" sandwiches for lunch.
15:00 Changed course to go closer to Cape Finisterre as conditions were good. Large swell but rolling over it comfortably.
15:30 Saw lots of gannets
16:00 More dolphins
17:00 Lowered mainsail as wind now coming from behind the boat and the sail was flogging in the swell.
18:00 Skipper woken up due to concern about a fishing vessel about to hit the boat (it didn't)
18:05 More dolphins, this time jumping out of the water.
19:00 Very, very rolly in the swell.
20:00 Richard cooks two of his special pizzas.  Quite an achievement in the swell.
20:30 Emma eats a pizza with pineapple chunks.
21:00 Night watches, everyone tired and uncomfortable in swell. Not much sleeping. Sanity restored by Richard's chocolate treat.

The first night appoaches

11th July

06:00 Weather much the same as yesterday. Wind from behind and lots of swell.
07:00 Raised sails with Richard in an attempt to motor-sail.
07:30 Lowered genoa
08:00 Lowered mainsail
12:00 Wind strength increased, raised genoa with Emma
12:30 Wind direction improved slightly, lowered genoa, raised mainsail, raised genoa

The start of what would be three days of good sailing

13:00 Greg made superb omelette for lunch
15:30 Wind strength increased further and changed direction significantly.  It also started to rain. Lowered genoa, lowered mainsail. Reefed mainsail, reefed genoa.
17:00 Wind strength reduced and so removed reef in genoa.
18:00 Lowered genoa, removed reef in mainsail, raised genoa.
19:00 Greg cooked pasta with tomato and chorizo sauce
20:00 Lovely evening sail in 12 knots
21:00 Richard eventually finished his crossword.
21:30 Lowered genoa and prepared to motor-sail through the night
22:00 Hoped that tomorrow would bring more stable winds

Richard in "crossword position"

12th July

02:00 After four hours sleep I got up for watch, replacing Greg and supporting Emma. Discovered Emma in disarray, cold and with her trousers on back to front. Some spirit was restored with a portion of Richard's special chocolate but she still refused to put any more clothes on. There were no boats nearby, the next two hours were spent huddled in the cockpit playing "I Spy" and "Who Am I?"

04:00 Richard replaces Emma and supports me. Makes tea and coffee.  No boats nearby. Next two hours spent discussing the meaning of life, the crossword and the International Space Station.

06:00 Greg replaces me and supports Richard.  I go to bed saying that I will be back in one hour to put the sails up.

08:00 Two hours later, Emma gets up to go on watch, replacing Richard (still with her trousers on backwards). I also wake up and put the sails up.  Emma makes tea and drops a cup of tea all over galley floor (very grumpy). All three sails up and reaching at 7 knots in 10 knots of wind. Emma takes down the Spanish courtesy flag.

10:00 I replace Greg who goes off to try and emulate John Hutton and catch some mackerel. Paul, the autopilot, stopped working, as did the navigation display in the cockpit. Fortunately, after several restarts, they start working again. Greg and Richard both use our toilet to avoid "blockage" issues. Emma is a bit distressed (particularly after long discussion about flushing techniques and why one particular crew member has more problems than anyone else).

12:00 Crossed the Continental Shelf where the depth goes from 5,000m to 200m within a very short distance.  Famed for its treacherous seas at this point we didn't notice anything. Richard replaces Emma who goes off to make lunch. Warm ham and cheese rolls and warm tortilla. Emma goes to bed.

14:00 Greg replaces me and I go to bed. Still sailing in a good wind. A few boats about but quite a long way away. 

Greg supporting Richard on watch

16:00 Wind picks up and we drop the staysail. Emma comes on watch for the first two hour "short watch" and replaces Richard.

17:00 I come on for the second short watch, replacing Greg.  The wind has come round and it is difficult to sail the boat in the swell.  We go through a series of combinations of sails up and down, reefs in and out, trying to create the ideal combination of speed and comfort.  Emma's solution of both a reefed mainsail and genoa works best.  I spoke in the wrong tone of voice.

18:00 Richard replaces Emma, who makes dinner of a rather strange bacalao empanada and an excellent avocado and green tomato salad.  Important nut attaching the steering wheel to the boat tightened as it was about to fall off. 900m long tanker passes behind us.

20:00 Lowered genoa, turned on engine and prepared for another night's motor-sail and the watches start again.  I am back on at midnight. 

13th July

02:00 Pass Ouessant, the most westerly point of France. Briefly obtain the internet and see that gale force winds are forecast for Falmouth later in the day and in the Solent in the afternoon of 14th July.  Luckily, we are making good time and should make it to Swanwick the following morning before the bad weather.

There is still a place for paper charts

08:00  Fuel levels are low due to the nights of motor-sailing, we would now need to sail for several hours to make it all the way to the Solent without going somewhere to refuel.  Looking at the forecast wind direction it was decided to cross the Channel now and head diagonally towards the Isle of Wight instead of along the French coast.  Not ideal as it is better to cross the shipping traffic at right angles.

09:00 When Greg made the opening remark to Emma - "don't take this in the wrong way but...." it didn't bode well.  Apparently she looked like a gnome and he had the idea that if she was placed in one of the gardens along the Hamble no-one would notice.

One for the garden?

09:30 Heard the English voices of Falmouth coastguard, issuing a gale warning.

12:00  Greg made lunch of "pinchos" followed by caesar salad.

Pinchos for lunch

14:00  Sailing well, not much traffic

16:00  Woken up because there was lots of scary traffic as we approached the Traffic Separation Scheme.  Avoiding action taken under motor to give way to a 650m cargo ship. Successfully sailed between all remaining ships.

18:00 Lowered sails for the final time

19:00  Emma and I make dinner.  Supermarket lasagna and another avocado and green tomato salad.

20:00 Last night at sea

14th July

06:00 Arrive at the Needles on the Isle of White.  Just Emma and I on deck, everyone else decided to sleep during the arrival

Approaching the Isle of Wight

06:15 Weather horrible; cold and overcast looking like it was going to rain.  Why did we leave the Med?  Really strong tide through the Solent, we were doing 10:5 knots over ground, with a boat speed of only 7 knots.

07:30 Reach the entrance to the Hamble River.  Richard and Greg get out of bed.

07:45 Half way up the Hamble and ready to moor the heavens open and there is torrential rain.

08:00 Arrive at Swanwick Marina.  Fortunately the rain stops.  Unfortunately there is another boat in our berth.  Not what you want after four nights at sea.  Allocated a temporary berth.

09:00 Full English breakfast at the marina cafe 

10:30 Finally in our proper berth.  Given the poor weather Richard and Greg decide that there is no point in staying around and Greg calls Suzy to come and pick them up.

11:00 Before leaving the boat Greg does really good job at cleaning his cabin and the bathroom.  Richard makes a feeble effort and then makes a point of consuming as much of the boat food and drink as possible to get his money's worth, despite the fact that Emma and I are staying on the boat for the next few days.

Discovered after Richard had supposedly cleaned his cabin

12:00  Suzy arrives to take Greg and Richard home.

12:30 Greg and Richard leave.  Emma and I are left.  It is all over.

17:00 Winds reach 34 knots in the marina

Bali Hai's new berth

A nice spot