Passage from Brittany to Galicia

We say goodbye to the lovely Port la Fôret, turn on our engine and put us up the sails. We have more than 50 hours of passage to make across the bay of Biscay.
Donal O Driscoll has given us many wise words over the years and they frequently come to mind and guide us. His advice on passage making is make it as fast as is comfortable. Weather and conditions can change on passage and in the Bay of Biscay there is no where to go but through it. Based on this we leave the engine on, while we sail and make 7 knots rather than slowing back to 5 knots without it,
This passage, like our last, is rolly. The kids are dosed up with seasick medication and yet still feel a bit queasy and sleepy. They are troupers and always perk up with any bit of distraction. They can’t read or write because of the motion but they have podcasts downloaded and it’s lovely to see them laugh away to themselves when they are wearing their headphones. We also enjoy playing music on the speakers and we are all loving Queen at the moment. Later on night-watch it seems all I have downloaded to Spotify on my phone is Prince - so I listen to Purple rain about 5 times!
Colm joins Ronan on the first watch after dinner when day turns to night. he brings a blanket and his band of toys up with him and they all have a lovely few hours together. Later in the night Ronan spots the ‘Green Isle’ fishing boat he on the AIS and talks to a Donegal man on the VHF. Later a Cork fisherman nearby contacts Ronan for a chat on the radio.
When the first night is turning into the second day on passage, the wind comes up and there are squalls and dark clouds about. I have to bear away to prevent Régal becoming overpowered and rounding up into the wind. We put two reefs in and the boats settles back down and is comfortable on her course again. Colm is up with me when I see the blows from a Whale in front of us. I think she is sleeping because the 4 blows come from the same spot. I bear away to Port and as we come closer her huge back and fin come up and before she dives down. I hold my breath until I am sure we and she are out of harms way. I let out a ‘holy …..’ when I breath out, she was a big one - Probably a fin whale.

We continue on our journey through the vast infinity pool, which is how Ruby describes where we are. Hour after hour all we see is sea and a 360 degree horizon.
Later on, on day two there is a bit of excitement as our AIS screen becomes dotted with boats. We are out in the middle of the Bay of Biscay when all of a sudden we seem to be surrounded by traffic. We investigate the chart and see we are near the Gascogne Knoll, a shallower part of the bay and near the French/ Spanish boarder. We avoid getting too close to anyone but see some of the boats in the distance.
The swell is dropping by the hour we all welcome the reduction in roll and the improvement in sleep.
At 8am on day three, Colm declares ‘Land ahoy’ - He is the first to spot the Spanish Coast, dead ahead. As we get closer the heat comes up and we have a sun -filled 7 hours before we drop our Anchor in Cedeira.Read more