Monthly Archives: August 2015

La Coruña

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We staid at marina Coruña for several days and enjoyed the marina and the town very much. In the charming oldest part of town, high up, we find a bar- shop – restaurant with fantastic ham and goat cheese served with drought beer.
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Impressive post-office building, parks, playgrounds, and huge waterfront promenade was enjoyed by foot. Two large tent at the marina were offering food from different regions of Spain for a very reasonable price, every evening at at 21 hour. We had Paella one night and grilled sardines and  chicken the other night in a wonderful environment meeting the Spanish people dining late.

There were often families with several generations.  After fixing fresh water pump, making a shelf to the galley, trying to get HF radio to work, pictures to the other boats crossing the Biscay, washing clothes, home page and other tasks, we were ready for a long leg to Porto.

Biscayen

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It took two days and 10:45 h, on the 15-17/8-2015,  to cross over the huge Biscay bay and reach La Coruña in Spain. At 8:03 we sail out from the outer cay of Camaret-sur-mer after fuelling 2 times 200 Litre diesel. Thank`s to the men catching squids that help us moor at the fuel-station. From the start we struggled with heavy swells and it continued the first 24 h. After one hour we set main and jib and sail for 1½ hour before the wind turned more against so we rolled in the jib and took a reef in mainsail and had to start the engine. The nature were ruff and beautiful at the same time as we rounded the last cliffs of Brittany. Soon there were water, and only water, as long as we could see for 2 days. We had seen a couple of  sailing-boats heading out the same way and at 17:30 we got a VHF call from” Just So” that wanted very much to have us taking a picture of the boat going for gennaker. We were to far a way but “Infinito” were closer to take pictures. Now we were three boats out there having contact and it was nice (AIS / VHF). Later on a we got contact with a Dutch boat also. Before sundown we got visit of a couple of dolphins at a start and a lot of them after a while. So beautiful animals. We decided to enjoy seeing them jumping and diving around the bow, so no pictures or movies were taken. Twice a day we send mail home to our to sons, using Inmersat. We wanted to be able to have contact with our sons durring the passage of the Biscay. The second 24 h was not much fun because of misty and foggy weather and no sight of the Dolphins. Most of the time we could see at least to of the three boats following us. 01:19 the second night we met a sail-boat on the opposite direction and he flashed at us and I was unhappy for not being prepared to flash back. The third morning at 9:30 we could see land , Galicia, in Espania.  Suddenly it cleared up and we could see the other three boats heading for La Coruña. Unfortunately one of the boat got coaght in a fishing net and called us for help on the VHF. We turned around but “K’Dans” was closer and dragged the unlucky sailing-boat al the way to La Coruña. Afterwards, in the harbour, it was nice to meet al the people from the boats. Next day a diver cleared the boat from the net and we got some net for fruits and vegetables.

Guernsey to Camaret sur mer France

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133 Nm started in Guernsey 10:30 10/8-2015 and arrive 11:30 11/8 after 25 hour. We thought the forecast current was good with later on winds from north-east when we were going south-west. Unlucky again the wind and current against so a lot of boring motoring. After 2 hours we sat main sail with a reef and stay-sail and sailed upwind for 8 hours. We had haze and drizzle rain al day long. The rest of the sailing was motor and main with a reef. We moored, with nice help from French sailors, on the inside of the outer cay in Camaret sur mer, that did not show its best face because of the bad weather. A tourist attraction it is though, with a cemetery for old ships, an adorable little old church and a very popular place to fish from the cay. The village has a lot of restaurant and an artist-street. The sailing school is very active with optimists, hobycats and others.

Cherbourg to Guernsey The channel island

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43 Nm started in Cherbourg 14:00 8/8-2015 and arrived in Guernsey 23:00 after 9 hour of sailing . We had a lot of current against us and did not get the “Alderney race”. Also wind against and not much of it. We triad anyway to sail for sail. It was dark entering the pontoon outer harbour and we got to moor alongside too motor-boats on a pontoon not connected to land. Next day we got to move so we were connected to land. A long walk op to the highest part of the village and afterwards a nice treat with fish and ships and beer from drought at The Boat House on the harbour was nice. No shopping here because it was so expensive so glad for having filed up in Cherbourg. On the way to the outer harbour we inspected the inner harbour that had a “sill” at the entrance and a scale showing the water level above the so cold sill, a stone plate. We woke up, in the middle of the night, by the sound of firework and it was not a small one, right in front of us in the harbour entrance with the lightened up castle at one side. I have nether seen anything like it.

Dieppe to Cherbourg in France

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107,6 Nm started in Dieppe 9:30 5/8-2015 and arrived in Cherbourg around midnight after 14,5 hours. After a few hours the wind disappear so we had to go for motor. Lars tried fishing and got lots of as he thought was too small mackerels) and Maria worked out. Cherbourg have a large outer harbour so we thought it would be easy arriving during night but was the opposite because there was so many entrances to different harbours, so many lights. We easy moored on a waiting pontoon until next day when a nice harbour captain in a rib gave us a direction on where to moor. We got excellent help from a nice couple from England, Hamble river, to land and had a very nice stay in Cherbourg, mostly working on Alexandra but a nice guided walk threw the city and a sundowner with  Maggie and Tim was there time for.

Boulogne sur mer to Dieppe in France

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53,6 Nm started in Boulogne 12:00 1/8-2015 and arrived in Dieppe 22.00 after 10 hours of sailing. After calling the harbour we got permission to enter the harbour (they have a ferry priority) and while the marine did not answer we moored at the end of one of the pontoon bridges. Next morning we were advised another place further in. It was magical to come in to Dieppe in the night with the harbour lighted up, on high tide, following the fisherman’s hard work running the steep stairway up the cay and arranging to hoist up the big basket with today’s catch of fish. For the first time since we left Denmark we had a great meal of Moules mariné a frit at one of the many restaurent on the cay. The coastline, with the stony beach to overcome before reaching the sand and water, was beautiful and a Mecca for the inhabitants of Dieppe. A somewhat dangerous bike-ride to the outskirts of the village gave no results concerning boat equipments but a large supermarket could fill our bike bags with good French food.

Scheveningen The Netherlands to Boulogne sur mer in France

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130,6 Nm started in Scheveningen 06:30 30/7-2015 and arrived in Boulogne-sur -mer 07:30 31/7-2015 after 25 hours. The first 2 hours sailing for motor upwind with very high waves, were not nice at all. Happily we could set sail and we had wonderful sailing all the way to Boulogne. After sunset we enjoyed the moon and the stars along the French cost the whole night. Sailing into the harbour was easy and we mourned on a floating bridge like al the other places here in northern France and excellent help from a Belgian sailor. Six meter low tide was amazing and we decided not to go to bed but take the steep gangway up and the bridge over to the village and get baguette at a boulangerie and delicious Rochefort cheese at a fromagerie to enjoy for breakfast on board. Very good harbour with fine service like a recycling station close by, so we could get rid of special oil waste, cans, plastic, hard paper. Also very helpful when we should tank diesel next day at 11 hour at high tide. We needed high tide in order not to hit some dangerous rocks near the fuel station.