All out of excuses not to go

The bank card turned up as promised on Tuesday 23 April; a massive relief. We made plans to leave that evening and moved out of the marina in the late afternoon to an anchorage just off Rosiere Steps on Herm so that we could catch the evening tide south and west. The only issue was the weather forecast with thick fog predicted. Not wishing to sail in fog unless absolutely essential, we bravely decided to stay the night where we were and enjoyed a great crab supper.

In the morning, despite joking about how many excuses we could come up with not to depart, we were very pleased with our decision as we were surrounded by thick fog and would have been sailing in it. Unfortunately the fog never lifted so we spent a further night at anchor! The picture on the right shows the view from our cockpit on Thursday morning. There is a blue ferry less than 100 metres away dropping off passengers at Rosiere Steps (just to the left of the outboard motor).



Just when we thought we were going to have to spend a third night at anchor, the fog lifted enough for us to go on the evening tide. Initially under motor, and then with just enough wind to make 4 knots, we headed west on an amazingly smooth sea floodlit by a full moon; magical.

As predicted the wind got up during Thursday night. As we filmed this short video during Friday morning, there was an Irish yacht in difficulty close to L'Aber Wrac'h, our destination. The conditions were proving too much for him and the lifeboat was launched. It all looks pretty benign in the video; BV took it all in her stride (but I was seasick though, happily, this wasn't caught on film!).

The view from the marina at L'Aber Wrac'h was typically Breton; it reassured us that we are finally properly on our way towards the Mediterranean.

The view from our cockpit in L'Aber Wrac'h Marina