We left Blankenberge early morning on our way to France. We planned to sail to Boulogne sur Mer and then to Cherbourg but would stop in these places only to rest since we have already sailed there a few times before. In Boulogne, I also wanted to buy some French food in cans like Coq au Vin and Cassoulet which we would need for the ocean passage. Erwin asked if we had space on the boat to put these cans and I said sure I know where to put it (I hope he didn’t see my nose grow when I said that).
It was a windy day and the sea was rough when we left Boulogne to head for Cherbourg. There was a mega motor yacht that left just before us but turned back when they saw how rough the sea was. (Don’t worry, a sail boat is much more stable than a motor boat) Because the wind was coming from the wrong direction we decided to take a detour and stop in Dieppe for the night to get a good nights rest.
When sailing long distances you often have to sail the whole day and night non-stop. That means taking turns keeping watch at night while the other one goes to sleep. From the experience of others who have done this before, a 3 hour shift seems to work best. Since Erwin does not need much sleep and he knows how much I love sleeping long hours, he said that he will probably let me sleep a little longer. 😊
Sailing non-stop through the night is certainly something we will be doing quite a lot in the future especially when we cross the oceans. Erwin sailed 24 hours non-stop a few times with some friends to England but this is something I have not yet experienced myself.
The day we sailed to Cherbourg would have been the first non-stop experience for me. It was quite windy and the journey was bumpy. I agreed to take the first shift, so before it became dark Erwin went to bed to try to get some sleep. As I sat there alone the wind suddenly strengthened to 25-30 knots. Erwin also heard the howling of the wind from below because before he could doze off to sleep, he was back on his feet and with me in the cockpit. He did not want to leave me alone in this weather condition so he suggested that he stay up and that I go to sleep. I was awoken several hours later by the sound of the engine as we approached the port of Cherbourg.
Two days later we sailed from Cherbourg to Camaret sur Mer (Brest). The distance was about 200 nautical miles which meant that this trip would (again) be my first experience of non-stop sailing. The wind was fair and and the ride was smooth and fast. The moon was bright and the sea was calm so Erwin went without worrying to bed early that evening while I took the first shift. Since I was afraid that I would fall asleep on my shift I thought of ways to keep me awake like singing songs. Erwin told me after that he could hear me singing from below which gave him a safe feeling that I was still there. Unfortunately, the wind died down after an hour and the sails began to clap which woke Erwin up, so he was back again in the cockpit to trim the sails. Since it was useless for us to be awake at the same time, I went to bed instead and was awoken by the break of daylight the next morning.
Hmmm… if this is how it is to take turns watching then I’m not complaining. This will most certainly change in the future but until now I’m very happy with this arrangement. 😜
The 2-day sailing to Cameret sur Mer was a long and boring wait because we motored the second half of the way but at the end of the day we had a special treat when we were lucky to be entertained by about ten dolphins that escorted us part of the way. 😄😄😄