All hopes of visiting the Isles of Scilly were abandoned due to a continuous westerly wind and two storms hitting the UK from the Atlantic and so we agreed, let’s head straight to France …
We set off from Plymouth at midday and headed out through the Sound. Four hours later the last sight of Devon dipped below the horizon. A steady 14 knots of breeze gave us 7 knots of boat speed on a flat calm sea with the added bonus that we were actually heading directly at Roscoff! The Eddystone Lighthouse was the last part of the UK we were to see as we became surrounded by dolphins leading the way. A glorious sunset saw the daylight fade as we prepared ourselves for our first full night crossing with just Nina and I as crew.
We were blessed with a ‘Super Moon’ which was so bright that it seemed that we were engulfed in an eerie grey light whilst sailing on a sparkling sea. Silhouettes of Cargo ships crossed our bows and six hours later the sunrise warmed our faces and lit the marina entrance.
With sails stowed, we landed on our pontoon at 6am, some 17 hours and 100 miles after leaving Plymouth, and promptly collapsed into bed. New rules now require us to attend the Douanes Office (Customs) to check into Europe when arriving from the UK. Having emailed Roscoff to warn them of our pending arrival, we dutifully presented ourselves with papers at the ready at the prescribed time of 9.30am. A very cheerful man in a smart uniform and holstered side arm asked for our passports and papers. Who was I to argue standing there in my shorts and deck shoes! He wished us a very enjoyable stay in France and with a firm thump of the entrance stamp, our arrival was almost complete. Our final task was to take our first café stop for fresh coffee and croissants on the way back to bed.
Having never visited Roscoff before, I incorrectly assumed that this was an industrial port but I was grossly incorrect. This charming town has retained a quintessential charm and with the Ile de Batz nearby, I’m still questioning why we had never been here before.
In the few days to recover from our channel crossing we took the dinghy to small beaches, took the tourist ferry to Île de Batz, drank chilled Savy’ B in kerbside bars and took in the sun.
13th June 2022
Trip Mileage 102 miles
Mileage Completed 2818 miles