We sail and motor a bit south to the French Medoc area. Medoc means amid the waters, the Atlantic and the river Gironde which leads to Bordeaux. Who is not thinking of red wine now? We call the capitainarie of the harbour called Port Medoc and know that we have a berth to stay in.…
Dolphins keep us company every day, sometimes very close, but mostly far in the distance. We sail about 50 NM south to Ile d´Yeu a relaxed and beautiful island with the most delicious galettes (salty crepes). The guest harbour is surprisingly big, but still busy due to the upcoming holiday on the 15th of August.…
A day at sea, feeling free when the boat carries you over the blue surface and letting the horizon form the future. Quiberon is a beautiful peninsula, full of life on land, in the harbour and at sea. The very competent harbour master met us by boat and showed us a perfect place to stay.…
Sometimes words cannot describe the severe beauty of nature. When dolphins move so gentle and graciosos in the water, surprisingly synchronising and swiftly dance away with the waves, words melt like candy in water. Deep happiness is the gift they bring. Monday morning mist follows us on the way out of Rade de Brest and…
Leaving Cherbourg at noon on Friday the 8th of August 2020, we were entirely surrounded by light blue soft sky and smooth water. It was a treat to the soul and an inject of patience after a long night, when the peace had been chopped into pieces by sailors drinking and singing “Le captain de…
Ydalir silently slipps swift as silvery fish through the slapping gurgle of sea-waves from the harbour of Dieppe at 3AM on Wednesday morning with the full moon as a bright light guiding us. With a broad reach and force 5, we sailed away, leaving the necklace of colourful lights behind. The sea is calm and…
We could sail quite well on beam reach on the starboard tack, but sometimes had to push a little with our “iron Genua” (=nanny engine) against the side tide. The 50NM distance took us 8 hours, from 8-16, a normal working day. It may be that the name Dieppe origins from the Norse language. It…
Luckily everything went well with the repair. The shipyard, Grand Soleil, worked hard and replaced the bearing of the propeller shaft and we took the advantage of lifting Ydalir and repaired the ditches in the gelcoat. Now she is beautiful again and on Friday at noon she went back to her real element and we…
It is complicated to make plans, while sailing and obeying the forces of wind and weather and accidents. We had plans to meet friends in Belgium and Breskens, had to postpone them and then see that it was possible. We got the advice that Breskens is a good harbour for repair at Grand Soleil. In…
Two calm days in the harbour of Scheveningen was exactly what we needed and we took the chance to see Den Haag and went to “Escher in het Paleis”, a beautiful museum with the graphic artist M.C. Escher, who is famous for his impossible constructions and transformation prints. An extraordinary work of art. Early Monday…