France or America?

Vasco confident he can find America by contacting the spirit word, we keep telling him we only want France.





Monday
0300
No sleep at all! So got up at 0300 and made a lot of noise. Disturbed creatures started to emerge from their lairs










0330
Steady motor to The Needles in the dark.

0430
Wind building to 20 knots from the North West, Cold

0530
Seas building, Jim cooking bacon and sausages. Bacon roll good but Jim passed on the sausages.

0930
Started reefing sails, eventually, as third reef not in on luff, dropped main, lost Genoa sheet. Jim talked to the fishes,

1130
Received text from Grandma that we have two baby goldfish and I am a Grandfather.
Felt very proud and protective.

Managed to cross both shipping lanes without too many scares.

1230
Wind building to 24knots, 2 metre waves, uncomfortable but Nemo is taking it in her stride.

1530
Entered Cherbourg. Too tired to go into town for tea bags, so beer and Marys cake on board. Ian has done a Paul and prepared meal. Jim's sausages found in oven.











Not entirely certain what delicacy Ian "Jamie Oliver" Copely" has prepared for our delectation but reassured that Celia would have supervised preparation.









Excellent meal; Smoked meat (Forgotten name?) Coc au vin and Tart with custard with a very fine wine from the box! A toast was drank to the Chef, Celia and my Aqua Grand Children. Thoughts; Is P.J. going to be jealous, will it be spatulas at dawn or pork pies at sunset................
Worked out with Vasgo course to steer to Braye Harbour Aldernay, aware that we could get a 6+ knot tide trying to drag us south between Aldernay and the French coast.
Course to steer 296C for 12nm then 268C for 10nm. Vasco will be navigating so have every faith we should hit somewhere.

Surprisingly we all went to bed early, heartened by the knowledge that it would be a late start due to tide.