La Rochelle to Spain

With the newly published schedule of firing off the french coast showing activity from the coast outwards for the entire week it becomes fairly urgent to traverse the range before the weekend is out. We wait for the wind to reduce on the Saturday afternoon and finally get away from La Rochelle at 4pm Saturday, it is 180 miles to Spain. Leaving the Marina berth is difficult and we have the invaluable help of Ian and Francis from Raptor - a royal ulster boat that is two boats up from us! (Ian and Francis also live about 2 miles from us so it is a small world!)

We attach a warp to Shadowmere's stern cleat and the other end goes to the end of a pontoon two boats up wind of us. Ian holds the bow rope, a few feet from the bow and walks down the pontoon, this allows me to reverse and guarantees that the stern ends up facing the wind as it pivots on the long stern rope. With the boat nearly aligned with the channel we cast off, Francis recovers the long rope, Ian coils it and throws it on board as we pass the hammerhead, phew.

I always say the first and last 10 feet of any passage are the worrying bits!


Leaving the marina
Being overtaken by a faster boat


With a 4 pm departure, we motor into the wind and large swell for 3 hours and then turn left for Spain. Sails up for the next 30 hours and some nice sailing as winds and swell die.
Sausage casserole going into Mr D (the slow cooker) - the new galley works well.
Missed him
Oh, there he is, can you see him? a big dolphin...


Mr D delivers once again
Sunrise over the Bay of Biscay


We arrive in Hondarribia on the Spanish border at 1am, next day Eileen joins us and we do the town






And the journey continues with my beautiful crew...