KATIE'S BLOG - THE CROSSING OF THE ‘BAY OF BISCAY’

We have officially crossed the “Bay of Biscay” and I suggest that you don’t do it!! The forecast is probably nearly always wrong, the sea is rough and the wind is surprisingly strong, our trip had all those.

We set off from Audierne and there was hardly any swell, me and Reuben stood at the bows of the boat and within about fifteen minutes a pod of four dolphins were jumping underneath us – a good start to our trip.

 Before lunchtime mist came in around us, and during the afternoon it thickened (we only had around one mile visibility but we now have AIS so we knew if any ships or fishing boats were around us.)

 At 4:10 we spotted dolphins off the port side and followed them up the boat, they stayed with us for forty minutes or so before wavering off into the distance. Reuben was down below watching ‘Hook’ so he missed them but me and mum were on the bowsprit enjoying the company.

That night I was up from 10:15 till 12:30 on a night watch and woke up to start the day at seven thirty. 

At twenty past eight the sun still hadn’t come up (we had made bets on it) and to show my disappointment I vomited over the stern, Reuben sat up on his knees to watch me out of the window but mum came to my aid with a bottle of warm water. Luckily the mist had cleared but the swell and wind picked up and although the sun was out, it was a surprisingly cold day on the ocean.

Again I had done a couple of night watches so I was quite tired and when my brother who was full of energy started eating Cheerios I threw my guts up again but this time it was bright green acidy liquid after being forced to drink gallons of water! I have had pink sick – after drinking fruit tea, orange sick, yellow sick and now even neon green sick so next time I’m planning for it to be blue (beforehand I’m going to eat blueberry bon-bons!)

Overnight the wind picked up again and although the forecast had said a force 3-4 it proved wrong and we spent the next day in a force 7-8. Not nice at all I can tell you. 

  

                                               THE VIEW FROM MY PORTHOLE

The last two days of the crossing we saw no wildlife except two sea gulls, three gannets, a storm petrel and five Portuguese men of war. I spent the whole last day staring at the clock – I’ve never known time from 7:52AM until 6:34PM go so typically slowly!!!!!!!! We got to Ares (where we are now,) and launched the dinghy, Dad rowed us ashore to the slip way and we met two Spanish men who asked us about the boat and where we had come from. We had a delicious meal out in a restaurant and came home to bed- we were all shattered!

But now we are finally here and enjoying the sun shine. 

WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!