North Brittany

We had replaced the inadequate shackle to the main halyard in Cherbourg. When we hoisted the main in the Inner Rade the main fell down and the halyard disappeared down through the mast!! Fortunately the wind was on the nose all the way to St Peter Port and would have made sailing tedious particularly in a very lumpy sea off Cap La Hague.
Neal went up the mast on the genoa halyard in St Peter Port and fed a messenger down weighted with five of Miggy's Morrocan beads! We had wanted to splice the halyard to the shackle but the rope turned out to be Spectra and Miggy can't do that; As the only rigger on the Island was on holiday for ten days we tied a bowline and stitched the tail to the standing part. We saw our first Swallows flying north on passage.

St Peter Port does not change and, as usual, we had an excellent welcome at the Guernsey Yacht Club.

It was of course Easter and we were able to provision at the market and before the shops shut for the holiday; We had an excellent sea bass for supper aboard on Good Friday. Saturday saw our wedding anniversary and Miggy gave Neal a great CD of Andrea Bocelli and we opened cards from UK.

We set sail for Perros Guirec despite a forecast of strong winds and fog which never arrived. We saw Arctic Terns flying south and had little birds rest on the boat with us. It rained most of the day; We arrived as the sill gate opened and switched to European Summer Time.

Easter Sunday we had Lindt chocolate rabbits brought from UK by Miggy and found shops open ashore. Perros was not as we remember it some twelve years ago and has gone up market. We climbed the hill to the town and a quaint church which, being Sunday, was not open to the public only those attending mass at 1030!

Perros is a little glitzy for us so we decided to leave after a day there and with the forecast of settled weather. On leaving Perros we anchored in the approches for breakfast of English bacon then sailed slowly west between the Granite Rose coast and Les Sept Iles. Yes the granite really is pink!

We anchored in the approaches to Trebeurden for a late lunch taken in the cockpit!! Miggy has not caught a single fish yet! Trebeurden appears a lazy place off season and there are no shops at Le Port. We have to walk to the village up the hill for bread and on to the town for this Cybercafe. There are beautiful walks and breathtaking views of keel swallowing rocks all around! Spring flowers and bird song abound and it is 16°C.