Yacht Aditi

Biscay Battered Day 2

It doesn’t matter what the wind is doing this patch of sea is totally unpredictable and quite mad. The waves have no pattern or shape to them and it can be relatively calm for 30 minutes and then turn wild again within a few hundred yards. All in 15 to 25kn of wind. It is almost spring tide so the currents are running. Now I know how it feels to be a battered cod. What am I talking about? I have no idea but after being Biscay Battered for 48 hours with almost no sleep because conditions are changing that

Biscay Madness

And the rough night turned to a rougher day. How can waves that size develop on the back of 20kn wind? It was getting big in the afternoon and we were already facing being unable to make Brest simply because we were unable, and unwilling, to climb the wave faces. But at around 6pm the wind dropped to 10kn, the waves mellowed, the tide turned and life has been OK since then. The wind bounced back to 20kn, backed to WNW, and now we are on easy street fro a run to Brest with about 140nm to go. Fingers crossed

Biscay Badness Day 1

Nobody wanted to leave La Coruna and we had to force ourselves to let go the lines; what an amazing city in August. And I can vouch for the medical facilities and staff as well. Up until about 40nm offshore everyone wanted to U-turn but there is a point far enough from the shoreline that breaks the tie. We held onto our Caribbean experience and put a reef in the main as we left the marina. Within 500 yards the wind dropped from 15 knots to not much. As everyone else raced around under full sail we found it hard

The edge of La Coruna

A wonderful park leading up to the Torre de Hercules Roman lighthouse. Lunch was found in the University cafe which is open to the public, just north east of the marina. Menu of the day £6.00 for 3 courses and wine but we settled for small tapas. The coast is dramatic in the dark sky as a small front passes through – looking out to sea that’s where we are headed next for about 350 miles on the back of the storm Bertha which is rolling across Biscay tonight/tomorrow. Eventually this lead to rain so we had to hide out

Out in La Coruna

Every day in August there are movies, music, folk this, rock that….and like the museums everything is for nothing, nada, nicht…totally free entertainment. Not only that; it is all masterfully staged with the latest technology and relayed on screens throughout the crowd. No police, no security beyond a couple of guys around the lead singer when he went into the crowd. The stage is set on the beach. The pictures are of Misterioso Viaje a Holanda, Delafe y Las Flores Azules (they were great and the front man/rapper was brilliant), and Love of Lesbian (seems to be a bit of