Looking for a weather window

Our next goal is to cross the Bay of Biscay (Golfe de Gascogne) to reach the Atlantic coast of Spain. From there, we will make our way south for the winter. Meanwhile, we spent a rainy and windy week in Brest taking care of boat projects and looking at the evolution of the weather.

Convenient starting point (Brest)

Arriving in Brest had a familiar feeling as we had already sailed in this area of Brittany. Brest is a port city with an important naval base and university. Heavily damaged during WW2, the center of the town was completely rebuilt. The marina is located just next to the ramparts of the castle.

Sun reflectors for our windows

In anticipation of next summer in the Med, we created blinds for our windows. Made of sun reflecting material, we will also use them for privacy in marinas and if someone sleeps on the square created by the table and surrounding seats.

Choosing a weather window

The Bay of Biscay has a reputation of being a tough crossing because of the regular gale force winds (Atlantic depressions) and the waves that form in this area, especially in fall and winter. While the situation this week looked too windy and bumpy for us, Bubbles, another Boréal 47.2 with an experienced crew, crossed sucessfully from Plymouth (UK) to La Coruna (Spain). They reported constant wind of 25 to 40 knots and waves of 2 to 3.5 meters. Our plan is to leave next week with lighter winds for a smoother crossing. For this passage, we will welcome Bryan (owner of Willow, NZ) aboard Fabule. We are looking forward to this opportunity to share the experience and to learn from another sailor.