Wind very light first thing. Good thing we made some distance yesterday - we would have felt frustrated if we had stayed in Paimpol yestarday and then had no wind today. Eventually got under way and sailed rather slowly. Forecast is for light wind all day with maybe a bit more tomorrow. Trying to get to L'Aber Wrac'h but may only have time to get to Ile de Batz as don't want to do lots of motoring. Pam did some fishing and eventually caught one small mackerel. The others fell off the hooks, she said.
Found a ferry anchored just outside the E entrance to the Chenal de l'Ile de Batz - must be waiting to get into Roscoff ferry terminal, which confusingly is called Bloscon on the chart, not to be mixed up with Roscoff which dries out.
Picked our way past the first few of the marks - channel is quite narrow and tide pushing us along - fortunately wind is light. We then started the engine and started motoring towards the little harbour Porz Kernoc. OK for a while and then something got stuck round the prop and the engine stalled. This is not a good place for such a thing. Turned the propshaft from inside and it turns both ways. Started the engine again and tried astern, then forwards - stopped again. Now seem to be stuck in gear and I can't turn the shaft.
We put out the Genoa again and start sailing and soon find a nice sandy area to anchor on. Unfortunately it is too deep for us to dry out this tide but is a good place to stop and think. After a while the tide is almost slack and Pam (she's the one with the wet suit) checks the prop. Just a big bundle of weed which she soon pulls off. No need for the knives and scissors which I have helpfully lined up..
After a breather and a cup of tea we go ashore to explore the island and check out the harbour with a view to moving there when the tide comes up a bit. When evemntually back on the boat we decide that we may as well stay put rather than mess about finding space in the drying harbour.
Weather note:
We seem to have a high in the nearby part of the Atlantic and low(s)to the E, giving a NE airflow for quite a while. Great for getting down the channel except when it's too strong and we were stuch in Paimpol, or tooo strong and too wet and were were in Cherbourg. The Low over France turned very nasty a few days ago and caused massive storms in parts of the South. We have not understood all the details yet from the radio, but sounds very nasty
