The Bay Of Biscay

With boat jobs complete, medical dramas resolved and tins stowed we sailed away from mainland UK on 14th August. After a bumpy rounding of Land’s End we made for the Isles of Scilly where we anchored for a couple of nights and explored Tresco whilst waiting for the wind to swing into the North.

• 

• 

• 

Biscay’s formidable reputation proved not without merit. Our first 24 hours out from Scilly were pretty miserable, with very confused swell making for challenging conditions and unhappy boys.

• 

• 

Conditions over the following couple of days were much kinder; the sea state calmed, the wind eased, the sun shone and we were regularly joined by pods of dolphins at our bow and once even buy a pod of pilot whales.

• 

• 

• 

On our third night we had a bit of excitement off the coast of Spain when a halyard jammer on our mast exploded releasing our gennaker (massive downwind sail) into the sea. We then spent a very rolly couple of hours in the darkness, trying to retrieve our sail from beneath the hull, which thankfully eventually emerged intact.72 hours after leaving Tresco, we arrived in A Coruna, in NW Spain – relieved, exhausted and excited at what further adventure awaits.

• 

• 

• 

• 

---