Carentec

This morning (another fine morning but cool with a breeze) we needed to sort out the sail. Bob did a good breakfast (sausages, scrambled eggs and bagels) and we set to work.

The sail come down easily with a few pulls and we tied it along the guard rail. There was a piece of webbing sewn into the tack of the sail forming a loop that was held to the top of the furler with a shackel. Needless to say that the webbing had given way and detached itself from the shackel. We thought that with a bit of sewing we could re-assemble it. It would not be as strong, but if we nursed it, and perhaps left one turn around the furler it would be OK. The only other option was to go to Roscoff and find a sailmaker - but being France, it would inevitably be a whole load of nonsense and would probably be shut anyway. Anyway, this is what sailing is all about,

Bob was chief sewer. His days with Tilman aboard Sea Breeze fixing sails eminently qualified him for this position. He did a fine job of course and we re-assembled the shackel and hoisted the sail in no time at all. It would be strong enough, handled carefully, to get us home.

Bob had not visited Carentec, which David and I knew well from the previous year. So we deployed the rib and suitably attired for what was expected to be a wet trip we set sail. Those of you who remember the blog from last year will recall it was some distance to town and that we tried an alternative route resulting in much mud squelching. We were not to be caught out this time taking the main route to the beach and jetty in Carentec. It was however very wet indeed and we arrived with David and I having very wet bottoms; miraculously Bob got off scot free. We sloshed up the hill into town. Lo and behold it was shut so we came back down the hill to the cafes on the beach. The best they could offer was Heineken, but the crepes were very nice. Bob chose haricots de mer (seaweed) but understandably left most of it.

The return trip was much better; we had put some more air in the rib and this seemed to help.

Much of the afternoon sitting around on deck doing very little. Drinks at about 5 and then dinner at 7 (a pasta tuna and pesto bake - thanks to the ship's cook - Bob).