Ad Lib 137

 

Barely a breeze stirs beneath the high wooded banks of Treguier. Ten nautical miles inland from the granite toothed mouth of the river Jaudy.

Here, the low autumn sun bursts ready risen from the tree tops. Long after daybreak. With a bright-eyed stare. Skipping the soft honey tones of dawn, in its hurry to regain time lost to its lie in.

It casts long shadows as it bolts down a breakfast of dew drops. Which lie scattered across Stargazer's deck, until beyond mid morning. A reminder of the season's march.

Off the coast of Peru, 'the strongest ever recorded El Niño' event has been triggered, by elevated temperatures. Come to colour our weather now and for the next year. Sparking much speculation, in the press, and some consternation amongst seafarers on passage.

Memories of last August’s storm-bound ten day stay in Cherbourg . . . . .

. . . . .quickly followed by an enforced fortnight’s sojourn, in Le Havre, during September, spring to the forefront of Stargazer's skipper's mind.

With the wind in the east, for the weekend, our immediate navigational choices are limited. Particularly with its strength forecast to be on the high side.

Both the Baie de St Malo ports (red route) and the Channel Islands (green route) lie to Stargazer's east. (Stargazer is the blue dot, arrowed in yellow.)

Stargazer's routing decision is a question of watching and waiting. To see how the breeze settles, after the blow is over. Then, of assessing tide timings, relative to daylight hours, at that point. With a wary eye kept on how the long range forecasts are shaping.

Picture Credits

El Nino screenshot; courtesy of BBC News

Baie de Saint Malo basemap; courtesy of Google Maps