2 months, already

Ribadeo marina where we spent 4 days, waiting for more favorable conditions.

A little look back considering the crossing of Biscaye was a major step south.

the first one was the North Sea and Channel with its fog and traffic,

the second was the coast of Brittany with its open ocean, rocky traps and considerable tides.

the third the Bay of Biscaye which is always remembered for its bad seas and dangerous breaking waves. during gales.

Since we do not want to strand ourselves in a tight schedule we did not manage too badly waiting for the right weather windows, in this quite rotten summer. Most of the time the wind was too light and from the wrong direction, but since the good weather windows were unusually short, we just went when no lows were in sight.

July was lousy, cool, cloudy, rainy sometimes. It is not before the second week of August that we felt summer and relaxed more, enjoying more.

We had expected wind in the North Sea, they were none, just flat sea and fog. We expected an heavy ship traffic, they were some yes, mostly seen of the radar, but never frightening or putting us in any harmway since we stayed clear of their lines. We expected even heavier traffic across the Channel, as people fear it so much, they rather go via Scotland and Ireland. The traffic in fact was sparse and the wind still absent.

Brittany's waters were negociated with much care respecting the tides and numerous rocks, choosing good weather, though in this case, it did not bring much wind...

The Bay of Biscaye from Brittany to Spain, if carefully planned is nothing more than 300 miles of open ocean. We started close haul for a while with a light wind, then as the wind veered, we continued beam reach as it became force 4 to 5, then to 6 the last day and night. It is important to favor west for 70 miles to clear the continental shelf, where heavy swells can be dangerous in rough weather. The weather pattern varies a lot and changes fast, but with a window of 4 to 5 days, it is not a problem. The arrival on the Nothern coast of Spain can be more challenging as very common heavy swells rise great seas and obstruct some of the not too easy entrances of Rias. The moutains Cantabrico in Asturias and Galicia create some termical wind patterns than can be surprising if not aware of them. This coast is not to be taken lighty, though the sun and the warmth let us think we are in gentle seas. None of that, the fierce Atlantic come rushing from its nearby 5000 meter depht on to the cliffs of Galicia and Portugal. 3 to 5 meters swells are not uncommon, no need to mention their size during a force 7 on up. I have experimented it once, it is enough ! So beating to windward with more than force 4 is out of question on a 32 ft.