48 22.669N 004 29.212W
Brest

We had some entente cordiale and some discordiale this morning. We were in Audierne, planning to leave at 0630 to take the Raz de Sein at the time recommended in Reeds, when a reasonably amiable piece of French tupperware rafted up outside us. We explained that we were leaving at 0630, but they assured us that they were also taking the Raz and that the right time to leave was 0730, HW+4, which seemed to us to leave too little water in the channel out.

So instead of insisting on our time, I agreed, fretted all night about going aground, and then started making leaving noises at 0700. They were great, slipped their lines, led us out with 1m under our keel, and we were off. Goosewinged Genoa lollop to the point, (beating the French easily because they didn't have a pole and had to gybe down) flopped round the point with hardly any tidal effects, avoiding all of the 5 enormous lighthouses, and we'd sailed round, just.

At that point the wind turned cold, the skies clouded over, and the whole scene assumed that milky grey haze which is so frequent in North Brittany. As if to bring home to us that the sunny south was a memory, and we should break out the sweaters and foulies which we haven't touched for a month. Don't want to go north.

The pic is of dawn this morning in Audierne. Lovely place, which I've now been to often enough to be on first name terms with the moustachioed proprietor of the internet café. I suppose we are quite good if occasional customers.

In Brest with us qre Fawn of Chichester, a Welsh boat that was in the Gulf with us, and 2 of the Vendee Globe boats. Difficult for a fair weather bimbler like me to imagine how such a vast beast can be handled by one person.