North Brittany

North Brittany. A truly beautiful coastline with many well protected bays. At low tide, rocks are everywhere. They form barriers that block or hide the route to the beaches. Navigationally confusing. The marked channels to get inside are welcome finds.

The currents - further out - tear east, then west, with a half-hour period of indecision in between. There's little point attempting to sail against them if the wind is light.

Wind mostly out of the west, upwind, in the face. Hat helps to mute the howl. Board being pushed hard, daggerboard creaking, slot flusher hanging on - just.

Rest of the gear, doing as well as can be expected.

Help? Everywhere. So much help. Kind people are all around.

450 nautical miles of La Manche coast now sailed. The signs of autumn - conkers, days pulling in - lending urgency to the westward push. Glances back to the North Sea - painted red with wind on internet forecasts - a reminder to not take sailable conditions for granted, but to push on. Not quite there yet - some big headlands coming up - but progress towards a milder winter within reach.