After leaving Brest it was lumpy and wet for about 12 hours. Just the leftover weather from the previous 2 weeks of high winds.

The last 12 hours were the same as the first, except with the additional delights of it being at night with a raging thunderstorm to accompany the big winds and high seas. So all in all Biscay was a bit wank.

We hadn’t planned on going into A Coruña as we always seem to get stuck there, but another incoming low pressure system forced our hand and so reluctantly we turned left. We actually LOVE A Coruña. It’s just that every time we’ve been, it always ends up being at least a 10 day stay, and after all our delays we wanted to get a wiggle on.

Nothing had changed. It was still lovely, sun was still out, cruise ships were still in and winds were still high.

After a few days it became obvious that yet again, we’d be stuck there as Lee had to return to the UK for work. I say work but what I mean is he gets to sail big boats around and get paid for it. We clearly have different definitions of work, as mine involves wiping bottoms and dressing stinky wounds! Still. It keeps me in shoes that I can’t walk in so I won’t complain as much as I like.

Anyway, before Lee left we made the best of it, did some sightseeing and found a great restaurant tucked away, so all was good.

Whilst Lee was away, dog beach day arrived! October 1st marks the starts of low season, so dogs are allowed back on the beaches!

Obviously some people didn’t get the memo and tried unsuccessfully to barge their way through the throngs of over excited mutts, but eventually had to admit defeat and watch as they all charged around, threw themselves in the water, schooched sand, chased balls and had the occasional scrap.

I did some sightseeing and finally went into the Tower of Hercules, which was really worthwhile. Actually quite humbling to see something built thousands of years ago for the safe passage of sailors, and that it is beautifully preserved and still standing today.

Lee flew back to exactly where we had come from to bring a boat to exactly where we were. They had planned on having a couple of days to sort themselves and the crew out, but another huge low pressure system meant they had to leave pretty sharpish else they wouldn’t be going anywhere for the following week, and the trip would be cancelled.

He arrived in the Challenger 72 just over 3 days after leaving, so it was a nice quick passage for them. They turned up, he parked her on the fuel pontoon and then  in her berth and proceeded to commut the mammoth 20 feet from our boat to work for the next 10 days.

Once the new skipper joined and the handover was complete, we carried on making our plans to get South…