Jolie Brise

It is time to leave Honfleur’s embrace and to put to sea.

A fair wind, force four to five out of the north east, is forecast for tomorrow. A 'jolie brise,' to be savoured - before the arrival of a spell of light airs, over the coming days.

I set about restoring Stargazer's harbour fuddled decks to passage making order.

First I fill the water tanks. Doing so, I fall into conversation with the skipper of our gaff cutter neighbour. A Dutchman, whose last port was Le Havre (as reported). He has sailed solo from Hellevoetsluis - in the Freisland. The northern Netherlands. (A correction). 'Recipe' is a twenty five foot Norfolk Smuggler, stoutly built in the east of England, for shoal water cruising. She draws only point eight of a metre, with her centre plate raised. We debate whether it is possible to make St Vaast la Hougue in one hop, from Honfleur. I believe that Stargazer can do it, without being stopped in her tracks by the fierce tides of the Cotentin, and whilst achieving the necessary high water arrival time. (St Vaast’s rocky approach channel dries to one point eight metres above sea level). Recipe may not have Stargazer's speed, but she draws over a metre less - so has a wider tidal window for entry, I hint.

Whilst calculations are being run, aboard Recipe, I plunge into the, now familiar, warren of cobbled streets to secure fresh provisions.

Soon they are aboard and I am lunching, on a crusty fresh baguette - strewing Stargazer's cockpit with the crispy crumbs. Sparrows, habituated to pavement cafe life, dart to devour them.

I spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, listening to the music drifting across the harbour (traditional French ballads today) and polishing our passage plan.

Tomorrow we sail, from the shelter of Honfleur's historic, slate hung, man made, cliffs. To navigate the enchantingly raw, rock girt, tide swept, shores of the Cotentin Peninsula. With a jolie brise, forecast, on our beam.