So after a long 14 months in the UK, we finally left Port Solent September 6th. This was as soon as the engine checks had been completed and goodbyes had been done. Which didn’t take long as friends and family are now used to us buggering off fairly regularly, and honestly couldn’t seem to care less anymore!

We had a great sail to Brest, giving Ushant lighthouse the middle finger as we sailed through the inner passage. As with all things French, they returned our rudeness with style and our final few hours through the Chenel du Four and into Brest were shite.

The Chenal du Four has all the charm of a a knackered sea side roller coaster that once on you can’t get off. One minute you’re being hurled along by raging tides and the next you’re bouncing around like you’re living in a washing machine because the wind’s decided to blow the wrong way. All the while, the infamous Brittany rocks lurk on either side, fishing boats that aren’t on AIS aim for you, and the fabulous Breton fog can rolls in unannounced at any moment. It’s less of a channel and more a test of whether you really wanted to go sailing in the first place.

Anyhoo!! It didn’t last long and 36 hours after leaving Portsmouth we were fast asleep in France. The next morning we were moved to a different berth and we waited out for the predicted storms to arrive. Which they did. With bells on.

The marineros waited until it was particularly unpleasant and decided we needed to move. Which we did. Obviously I gave them the eye of stink but they didn’t care and we parked up like pros in 30 knots of wind with the obligatory entire marina watching. And no swearing!!!

So we settled in for what was likely to be a long wait. Professional crews had parked up their mahoosive floating hotels and flown home to wait out the weather, but us liveaboards just mainly drank good wine and hid down below.

We passed the time mooching around Brest. We ate both good and bad Moules Frites, always good croissants and coffee and stared at all the different weather apps hoping they might say something different.

We just needed a 3 day window to cross Biscay. Every day the weather would change at the last minute, but eventually, after 10 days we had a break. Most of the boats in the  marina left the day the wind passed, but we waited an extra 24 hours for the worst of the swell to pass.

And then we left! Beautiful Biscay after weeks of horrendous storms at the very tail end of Summer… What fun!!