From Royan Jacob and I started with the first sun light to sail south towards Spain. We had very calm weather, almost no ocean swell. But the main “obstacle” or awkward thing was the firing range (Schießübungsgebiet) of the French military reaching out 35 miles from the coast from the Gironde estuary down to Capbreton which you are not allowed to enter at any time. They only leave a 3 mile wide strip off the coast on which you can sail between the coast and the firing range. So we had two options. Either to go around it outside but that would have meant almost 200 miles and the logic port would have been Bilbao. The other option was to go along the 3 mile strip. But here you are caught between the coast and the firing range. So in case of bad weather one could easily get into a dangerous situation if you can not sail out to sea to gain room. And on this 100 mile distance there are no harbours. Arcachon is in the middle but it can only be approached at high water and only in good weather the actual harbour is 10 miles into the bight of Arcachon. In and out makes already 20 miles for nothing.
Because the weather was very calm and the forecast was the same we decided to sail on the narrow strip over night. In all the books and charts it was highly advised to get latest up to date information about the firing activities because even this narrow strip is not always safe. So I called the phone number of the operation centre of the firing range and luckily I even got somebody on the phone who spoke good enough English to tell me that only on the Thursday morning it would be unsafe in the area of Mimizan. But we had started on Tuesday morning and the plan was to have passed the whole thing by Wednesday morning. So the Thursday firing practice should not affect us.

The dune of Pyla near Arcachon

At sunrise the next morning we were through and came out at the south end of the strip. Besides some fishing boats there had been no obstacles on the way. Navigation is easy because the coast is straight as a line, no shoals (Untiefen) and all deep almost up to the beach. The easiest thing is to follow the 20m-depth-line. Due to light winds we had to motor half of the distance.
Since it was so early and we were not too tired we skipped Capbreton, which would have been the first port after the firing range and went directly to Hondarribia, the first Spanish port directly on the border to France. At 11:30 we arrived there and after our habitual mooring drink we went to the beach to relax. I wanted to go to this port anyway because I expected my next new crew member here.
The evening we went to town were the streets were packed with people partying with some stages with music and bars playing music outside. It was the festival week celebrating a victory over the French some 300 years ago.
The next day I spent with washing my clothes and Jacob went out to explore the city.
On Friday Jacob had to leave to Bilbao to get his plane back to England.

During the week-end and until Tuesday I spent with some repairs, going to the beach and eating good food in the tapas bars. During all these days it was very hot and almost no wind.

Tuesday evening Asa, a woman from Sweden, arrived by train. The next morning we left for Getaria, a small fishing port ca. 20 miles west of Hondarribia.

It was a nice sunny day but only 10 minutes after we had arrived in Getaria a heavy rain shower came down. We didn´t mind it because we wanted to go to a restaurant. We ran through the rain and our shoes got soaking wet. But we were wearing sandals and it was warm. After dinner the rain had stopped and we were more or less dry. So in the dark we walked through the city.

The peculiar thing about the city was that they have a very big and modern museum about the region in a newly built building that looks far too expensive for this small town. Next to it they had built a tower with a lift in it so you  could get up to the upper areas of the city. I have to admit that the city is situated on a very steep slope and that such a lift is a very convenient thing. But it just looks a bit overdone.

The next day it was again calm sailing with not very much wind but we made it to our planned port of Elanchove. This is a tiny little fishing harbour with no marina and only moorings. There wasn´t even a free mooring, we had to squeeze between a 43ft sailing yacht and and motor boat. But it was very calm in there and free of charge.

On Friday morning we left to go to Bilbao to pick up Bernd who had come from Germany.

Parts of the trip we could sail but towards the end the wind had died completely so we had to motor the last third especially because from the outer harbour entrance to the yacht harbour was 3,5 miles of port area.
The marina of Las Arenas, a suburb of Bilbao, is nice with a luxurious yacht club including a swimming pool, is nice but also the price is luxurious. 35 Euros per night including electricity. Nevertheless we booked two nights because we wanted to visit the city the next day.
So we did and between rain showers we looked at the Guggenheim Museum from the outside, saw one jump of the artistic jumping from one of the bridge columns into the river that took place that day, went to the old town and we got all three of us Spanish SIM-cards for our telephones.

On Sunday we sailed further west ward and picked up a mooring at the yacht club of Laredo. The place was nice but after sun set the harbour master came and we were quite shocked when we had to pay 25 Euros for the night. 25 Euros just for the mooring, there is no shower, no electricity. So the mood on board was a bit depressed because we had thought that after the expensive stay in Bilbao we could make good something in the budget.
So the next morning we left as soon as possible after breakfeast with the clear determination to anchor the next night. In the bight of Santander we had identified a corner where we wanted to anchor. When we arrived there we found out that it is not as quiet as we had assumed because we hadn´t taken the ocean swell into account. And on top the anchor did not hold very good. But it was holding good enough in the swell, there was no wind and also no wind forecasted for the night. So we stayed there, with the anchor alarm on the GPS set to 0,02 miles and the echo sounder depth alarm set to 5 metres.
At first I could not sleep as I was worried whether the anchor would hold or not. But eventually I fell asleep, woke up in the middle of the night, checked the situation and our position but it was all in best order. We were only circling around the anchor as the chain and rope permitted. At sunrise we got up, had breakfeast and continued our journey. This day we wanted to go to San Vicente de la Barquera. The books kind of warned to got there but only because there were no facilities for yachts. That fact made it even more attractive for us because it sounded as if the port should be at least cheap.
The approach was easy and we were there at the right tide. Shortly after us came in an English yacht called Stillblue of similar size with a father and his adult sun. We both moored at the quay of fishing boats. We had to bring out very long lines on the bow and stern so that the boat would not hang in the lines when to tide went down.
We looked and asked for a harbour master but the fisher men just shrugged their shoulders. Well, we did not mind the absence of a harbour masters as it meant there is nobody to pay any money to or who would came and charge us.
We went to town for dinner with the two English men and had a very nice evening.
The next day, we spent on sight seeing to the medieval cathedral and castle, interrupted by a lunch in a small restaurant in the narrow streets of the old town.

Before dinner Asa and I went to the beach where many surfers were and we took a swim and tried to body surf a bit.
For dinner we had fish we had bought in the town during the afternoon.

On 27.8. Brigitte flew in from London to come on board.

Birgitte cooking dinner with us.

Because she had not sailed so much before and the weather was actually horrible with rain, 5-6 Bft from ahead we took it easy the next day and sailed only to Camaret 11 nm away from Brest.

We picked up a mooring and had Spaghetti Carbonara for dinner. Afterwards the harbour master took us to shore with our dinghy towed for our return to the boat later. We had a nice evening in one of the bars and luckily it had stopped raining when we went back.

The next day, Thursday 28.8. we set sails to St. Evette which included as a navigational challenge the rounding of the Raz du Sein where the hand book strongly advised to be there exactly at slack water (Stillwasser) because otherwise tide against wind could build up dangerous seas. So we started with plenty of time, the weather had improved and we perfectly well timed got through the Raz du Sein.

Sailing vessel just befor Raz du Sein

Coast south of Raz du Sein

Raz du Sein Lighthouse

In St. Evette we also picked up a mooring, slept in the next morning and in best sunny weather wanted to start to sail to the 100nm distant Ile d´Yeu. But the engine did not start. I tested the starter battery but the mulitmeter said that it had a good voltage. So I thought the starter had a failure. But as we were at a mooring it was no problem to leave under sail and wait with the repair of the engine until we are in a proper port.
So with light winds and sun we sailed all through the night with Brigitte and Jacob in one watch and me alone in the other watch. There were almost no other ships and we were far out from the coast so also no other obstacles.
Unluckily the wind got less and less during the night. In the morning we put the genoa and the main sail in butterfly position which helped a little bit but when the wind had died almost completely we were doing only 2 – 2,5 knots. We already well saw the Ile d´Yeu but because the engine did not start we had to be patient. I thought that this would be the right moment to try out the spinaker. I got it out, arranged the sheets (Schoten), barber hauler, down haul and the spinaker boom lift. The spinaker itself is in a long canvas tube (Segeltuchschlauch). So you first hoist this tube and with a line you can lift up the tube from the bottom to the top to unfold the spinaker. This way even with a small crew of just three people it was no problem to set the spinaker. Even with two persons and an autopilot it would be possible..
The spinaker instantly gave us one knot more of speed.

First time under spinaker

In the late afternoon we had finally reached Port Joinville on the Ile d´Yeu. Because the engine was still not working we had to moor under sail. It almost went alright but I had underestimated the turning circle of the boat. When turning in the harbour basin under sail to go alongside the pontoon we hit the pontoon with our bow a little bit. A little bit of wood had been scratched off the pontoon and on the boat the metal rail on the bow took most of the impact. So no serious damage had happened. We hooked up to shore power to charge the batteries. After some quick shopping for dinner I tried to start the engine and it started! So it had been just the flat batteries and nothing was broken on the engine. That was a great relief. So I was very happy that evening even despite the little damage on the bow.

Les Sables d´Olonne

The next day, Saturday 31.8. we very nicely sailed the 30 miles to Les Sables d´Olonne. But when I wanted to set the spinaker the spinaker halyard (Spinakerfall) got caught in the furling system of the genua and jammed it (blockierte es). That meant we could not set the spinaker neither furl in or out the genoa. So with a ¾ of a genoa and the main sail we sailed to Les Sables d´Olonne. In the approach to the harbour we furled (wickeln) the genoa by hand around the forestay (Vorstag). That was quite difficult because we had already 4Bft of wind an the sail was madly flapping in the wind.
After we had moored Brigitte and Jacob hoisted me up to the mast in a bosuns chair (Bootsmannsstuhl) and I untangled the halyard.
Afterwards we went to the bars and had some beers.

Drinks in Les Sables d´Olonne

The next day, Monday 1.9.2014 we sailed 42 miles to La Rochelle. The day started with little wind but we made the best out of it and took a swim in the ocean from board.

Jacob jumping

Jan jumping

Because we arrived only after sunset and the handbook had recommended not to go to the old harbour at dark, we went to the modern marina with 4000 (!) places.

Sunset off the coast of the Ile d´Oléron

It had just been extended and apparently due to the construction work the navigation marks on the harbour entrance had not yet been corrected, at least it was all different from the sea charts. But with great caution, a very strong search lamp and the chart plotter we safely found the entrance and eventually a free place.
Early morning of Tuesday 2.9.2014 Brigitte had to leave to catch her plane from La Rochelle to London. We were sad to say good by, it was such a enchanting trip with her.
Later Jacob and I moved the boat 2 miles up to the old port of La Rochelle. And that is really one of the best harbours for yachts to be. You are in the middle of an old harbour basin, on the quay there are all along restaurants, the next bakery and super market are near by within 5 minutes walk and street musicians play.

So while we cooked our dinner, lamb with salvia (Salbei), zucchini with lemon and rice with eggs, salad and pineapple with yoghurt as dessert, we first heard two old men playing jazz and for dinner we got very good cover versions of rock and pop songs.

Dish of the day: Lamb wiht rice and zucchini

When we were finished it was already almost 10 pm and we went to sit directly where the music was. Unfortunately the musician had to stop playing because of the people living there. But it turned out that the musician is a German, Julien Müller is his name, under way with his voicycle., and maybe he becomes famous. At least he is participating in the German casting show “Rising Star” on RTL and he got into the next round last time and the next show will be in September. So watch out for him.
He invited us to have a glass of wine with him and some other friends at a nearby wine bar. So we did. During the evening we also met Clarisse, a young french woman living and working in La Rochelle and invited her for the next evening for dinner. Originally we wanted to cook fish, but the fish market closed already at noon what we did not know. So we had pork with carrots and mashed potatoes. Afterwards we again went to meet Julien and had once more wine with some people.
For the next day we had planned to have a barbecue on the beach because a new crew member, Maria, from Germany was expected. And because they were all so nice people we invited also Julien, Clarisse, Annabell, Louis and some other french guys making street music to the beach barbecue.
Our main challenge was to get a grill. We had to walk for almost an hour to get to a big supermarket were we got the last grill, but only the actual grill, not the stand and hold for the charcoal. On the way from the super market we had picked up Maria from the station and she was very delighted when she heard that we had prepared a barbecue.
Without the stand and hold for the charcoal it was even nicer on the beach because we simply took some of the small rocks, arranged them in a circle so that we could place the grill on it.
Everybody had brought something to eat and drink and it was put in the middle on a big blanket. We had a wonderful party on the beach, undisturbed by the police. It is actually not allowed in France to grill on the beach.

Maria

The next day, Friday 5. September 2014, we sailed again just a short distance to Saint Denis on the Ile d´Oléron and on Saturday, 6. September we sailed to Royan on the estuary (Mündungsgebiet) of the Gironde. Due to little wind we did more than half of the distance of 42 nautical miles under engine. When we entered the estuary the tide was fully against us. We knew that before but not that it would be 4 knots at the maximum. According to the books and tidal charts it should have been only 1,5 knots. But it did not matter as we were too early for the harbour anyway because it is only accessible 2 hours after low water and we still had to go 15 miles. So thanks to the good wind. we out sailed the current, but at some times doing only 0,1 – 0,5 knots over ground.
The last 200 metres to Royan harbour were the most exciting ones because it was very shallow, the shallowest point we came across left us just 10cm of water under the keel. But that was the litteral one hand width of water.
On the next day, Sunday 7.9.2014 we slept in, had breakfeast with croissant and baguette. During the day we visited the modern cathedral built by a scholar of Le Corbusier, Guillaume Gillet, and afterwards went to the beach. Before the shops closed I bought light wind spinaker sheets in expectation of our next leg along the French coast to Spain with light winds from the back.
On Monday, 8.9.2014, Maria had to leave already again, as well early in the morning to catch her plane from Bordeaux.
Just after she had left the sky cried, it poured with rain until the afternoon. So Jacob and I did some reading, route planning and put a shopping list together. After it had stopped raining we went shopping for the over 100 mile long trip because there are no harbours between Royan and Capbreton. Except Arcachon, but that is only accessible in good weather, is 10 miles inland, and one needs to be there at the right tide.
For dinner we invited our neighbourgh, Guy, a retired Swiss man from Geneva, and enjoyed together with him our carrot risotto.