Biscay was a breeze – with the odd force 5 or 6 as well.
Is how our guest Patrick described our recent trip across the Bay of Biscay
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Unusually for this time of year, the bay was flat calm for nearly ¾ of the way across. When the wind finally came it was from the NE giving us a very fast broad reach to Finisterre.
We had many fabulous sunrises and sunsets, and on our last morning the glow of the sun on the hills made a fantastic sight just as we rounded Finisterre. The wind eventually died away in the lee of the land and the temperature rose into the 20’s as we approached our destination Bayona.
Chris had brought with him an underwater camera and after a small amount of fiddling it was mounted on a pole so we could take underwater shots of Velvet Lady sailing. Unfortunately at times were going too fast for Chris to be able to hold the pole, so most footage was shot when motoring at low revs. We have photos of the rudder, prop, anodes and bow wave all from an unusual angle.
We had many visits from playful dolphins during the trip, and finally Chris managed to capture some great underwater footage of the dolphins playing at the bow. I am waiting for the edited version of the dolphins and will then figure out how to load them on my blog!
Whilst the guests were enjoying themselves in the sunshine on the deck, learning about the boat, helming and navigating, Richard and I were trying to get to grips with our new cooker. It really is fantastic with all sorts of bells and whistles – electronic ignition on all the rings and a proper thermostatically contolled oven. It is much easier to operate especially with the boat tossing around but we are constantly having to refer to Delia and Jamie for timings. No longer do we just put something in the oven as high as it goes and wait! Luckily on ocean passages we don’t tend to cook food that is crucial on timings – and now we think we have learnt enough to co-ordinate having dinner ready on time. We are even getting bold now and thinking of having a go at making meringue.
Our fast passage across Biscay, gave us 3 days to cruise around the Rias – a little taster for next week. The weather was glorious, blue sky, no cloud and temperatures in the 20’s. We anchored every night next to white sandy beaches and ventured ashore in the dinghy to find little bars serving very cold beer.
The great thing about these little places in Galicia are there are not so many locals who speak English and I am having to practice my Spanish. Thankfully it is coming back to me quite quickly – uno vino blanco y una cerveza por favour – There you are, not very difficult at all
Hasta la proxima semana (until next week)
Salud (cheers)
If you are quick there are still a couple of places on the Rias trip starting Saturday, and another chance to visit both the Rias and the southern part of Spain starting 17th October
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