THE FIRST CROSSING
The voyage has begun… Laurent, Bérengère and their children have cast off, and together aboard their sailboat, Zanzibar, they are crossing the Bay of Biscay, which will take three days and two nights, headed for A Coruña. But how will they occupy their young children during long hours of cruising?
HEADED DUE SOUTH
After having spent several calm, restful days in Belle-Ile, we took advantage of the favourable winds to plan our first crossing aboard our Sun Shine 36.
We leave tomorrow morning for what should be three days and two nights of sailing, headed for A Coruña, Spain.
THE FIRST DAY: CLEMENT WEATHER
So, the next day at 10:30 AM, we raised the main sail and unfurled the genoa. The weather was on our side: with a blue sky above us, an easterly/north-easterly wind propelled us forward at about 7 knots, on average.
A beautiful first day unfolded without a hitch: the children occupied themselves by playing with little cars and modelling clay, and the sun was shining. Only the chilly wind reminded us that we were still in the month of April.
Blanche looked on with wonder at her first sunset, while Gabin slept peacefully in my arms, rocked by the waves.
THE SECOND DAY: SOME IMAGINATION TO OCCUPY THE KIDS
On the morning of the second day, the children stayed in their pajamas and played inside. For them, one night at sea would have sufficed to get their sea legs.
After lunch, the weather changed. The big swells and cold wind forced us to stretch our imaginations to occupy our children, who could no longer play on the interior of the boat.
We organized ball games, the goal being to pass the ball around the cockpit without sending it into the water, and we played with bubbles, though with the strong winds, blowing wasn’t necessary. To pass the time, we watched the birds, the famous northern gannets, and I mustn’t leave out that we also ate some candy.
While we were busy using our imaginations, dozens of dolphins suddenly arrived and were jumping all around the boat. In the blink of an eye, our fatigue, chill and seasickness gave way to wonder at the magic of the moment… the children were in heaven, and they rushed to the sides of the boat to caress with their eyes the fins of these dolphins, creatures of their dreams.
THE THIRD DAY: LAND IN SIGHT
At dawn on the third day, as we were approaching the tip of Spain, the wind died, and we motored the last few nautical miles that separated us from A Coruña.
As we approached the coast, we were met with a strong pine scent. A myriad of sensations welled up in me, of memories associated with this scent: the pine trees, the scrub, the cicadas, the sun, the heat, THE SOUTH!! But the pleasure was short-lived, because drizzle and fog soon made an appearance.
It was not until around 3:00PM that we arrived at the estuary of A Coruña, passing by the Tower of Hercules lighthouse that guides sailors to A Coruña.
It was under a driving rain that we anchored in Spanish waters. Finally, Galicia is not so different from Brittany!!
Upon our arrival, returning to the playgrounds was a pleasure for our little ones… and for us big kids, too.
