After a refreshing three-week break in the Colorado mountains, we returned to Moxie. We needed to cross the notorious Bay of Biscay and make our way to the UK to ‘pause’ the “Schengen clock” and save time for Norway and beyond. Have a look at the video and/or the highlights below.
The original plan was a straight 350-nautical-mile shot to Falmouth. However, the Bay of Biscay is famous for being unpredictable, and the North-Easterly winds were contrary to our itinerary. So we decided to break the trip into two segments, heading first to the coast of Brittany.
The crossing started off with sunny motor-sailing, but the Bay eventually lived up to its reputation. We spent 12 hours “beating” into 15-20 knot winds – which means hull slamming and sea spray—and we were more than happy to reach the lee of the French coast.
We stopped in Concarneau, where our berth was just a stone’s throw om a medieval castle. It was the perfect place to walk around a bit before tackling the waters of Brittany.
Brittany is the training ground for the world’s elite single-handed racers, and for good reason—the tides can swing by over 20 feet, creating currents that reach a staggering 6 knots. We also had a fantastic stopover in Brest with great restaurants and loaner bikes
On May 23rd, we cleared customs (stopping that Schengen clock!) and set our sights on England. Crossing the English Channel is like playing a very slow game of leapfrog with massive cargo ships, as we navigated the busy East-bound and West-bound shipping lanes. Eventually, we were safely tied up at Port Pendennis Marina in Falmouth and greeted by “typical” British weather—cold and rain.
We spent a week in Falmouth waiting for the next weather window. Between the rain showers, we managed to explore Pendennis Castle, hike a portion of the South West Coast Path near St. Mawes, and take a train to Truro to see the Cathedral.
With the boat reprovisioned and the “to-do” list tackled, we began watching the clouds to prepare for the next stage: rounding Land’s End and heading north into the Irish Sea toward Troon.
Next Stop: Scotland!