Above is NW France, the red line is our route via many small drying fishing ports, quiet anchorages, industrial cities and expensive marinas. We have had mostly light winds, but we have been trying to avoid heavier weather while the boys get used to sailing.
Sea sickness has not been a problem (yet), the boys go to sleep when it gets rough, below is a typical cockpit scene.
On calmer days, we do Silas's schoolwork.
Or they do "artwork", this usually means cutting up paper into little bits, lego or playdough - its a real mess afterwards, but it keeps them quiet. We can't stick around downstairs for more than a few minutes without feeling queezy, but they spend hours down there. If we are really heeled over, they also enjoy sliding downhill along the floorboards.
This area has some pretty strong tidal flows, you have to get the calculations correct otherwise you go backwards, even though you are sailing flat out. The 'Raz de Sein' and 'Chanal du Four' are two notable headlands with fearsome reputations for overfalls (horizontal waterfalls) and numerous reefs. Below is the chart..
The reality was very pleasant, we planned to sail overnight directly from Brest to Guernsey in the Channel Islands. However later we got hammered by a energetic front with lightening squalls. Making poor progress sailing into 30 knots, we diverted into L'Aber-Wrac'h with its nasty rock strewn entrance. Under patchy visibility and squalls, the boys woke up and started to argue over the magic fleecy blanket...
The children are used to warm climates, but being in Northern Europe in Spring has come as a shock to us, except Amos who does not appear to feel the cold.
Next stop good old Blighty (England) we hope... Check back here next month.
