Plymouth to Camaret
4^th July
We’d set Independence Day as the date for our departure on our two month summer cruise to Ayamonte on the Costa de Luz, Spain.  Given that Leighton is American, it seemed an auspicious day to begin our third attempt to get to Spain.  Working towards this deadline all winter, Makarma is as ready as she ever will be, and our neighbours, Marion and Brian Edwards are coming as crew to help us across the Bay. They’ve booked flights back from Lisbon in three weeks’ time.  The 4^th July turns out to be a grey day with little wind. 

Camaret to Audierne
6^th July
The ignition light had been glowing faintly when underway across the channel. Leaving Leighton and Brian to fix it by tightening the belt on the alternator, Marion and I go ashore to check out the weather forecast and stock up on some French food.  Our weatherweb forecaster had advised to get south as soon as possible to avoid the coming southwesterlies, but from here it looks like we’re already too late as we can’t see much in the way of a favourable wind for the next few days.  So we decide to hang around in Brittany in the hope we don’t have to wait too long for a good forecast.

We leave Camaret in drizzle, but once through the Toulinguet channel the sun comes out and we can hoist the sails (at last!) and are closehauled almost all the way to the Raz. It doesn’t last long, and we're motoring again through the Raz and on to Audierne where we pick up one of the tight-pack moorings in the bay overnight.

Audierne to Loctudy
7^th July
We always say the sun comes out when you go past Penmarc’h but today is the exception that proves the rule. The day is dreary with fitful wind. So it’s another short sail followed by more motoring. We have a moment’s alarm when we hear a noise from the engine which sounds like the kettle rattling on the stove.  It turns out a nut had fallen off the alternator bracket allowing the bolt to work loose. Leighton fishes the nut out from the bottom of the bilge and with it back in place we motor on to Loctudy. We like Loctudy – it’s a delightful river lined with picturebook chateaux and you can buy heavenly fish from the wholesalers on the quay. Brian cooks squid in ginger and chilli and since the weather is warming up nicely, we eat supper in the cockpit for the first time. 

Loctudy to Sainte Marine
8^th July  
In the morning we ride to the SuperU on marina bicycles to stock up on food for Biscay. It looks like we should be able to go by the weekend.  A nice sea breeze has set in after lunch, so we decide on a change of scenery, leaving it to Brian and Marion to decide if it was to be Benodet or Sainte Marine.  We have a great downwind sail in calm sheltered water, but as it’s only 5 miles to the Odet it doesn’t last long.  We find some space alongside the pontoon at Sainte Marine to discover the village is ‘en fete’ and preparing for an open-air concert this evening.   We watch the locals dancing to bagpipes from Quimper, and consuming large quantities of moules frites.  It reminds us of the sea-shanty evening we went to in L’Aberwrach last summer.

Still in Ste Marine
9^th July
It seems like we’ve been in Brittany for weeks, as the time passes slowly waiting for a weather window.  Actually it’s no more than four days. Now we’ve decided to go in the morning, we’ve stopped mulling over the ‘what ifs’ and ‘what thens’ when trying to make sense of the synoptics.  As it’s a damp day, we do a circular walk up to the Pont de Cornouaille, across the Odet and down the other bank to Benodet.  By the time we get there, the weather has cleared enough for us to have a beer and eat a picnic outside. From where we sit we reckon we’d be hard pressed to find a harbour in Spain or Portugal as attractive as the Odet.  In the evening we squeeze into a bar and perched on chairs at the back watch the World Cup final between France and Italy. Gasps of disbelief ripple around the bar when Zinedine Zidane headbuts his opponent and is sent off.  The French know they’ve blown it, but as we watch the supporters leave they just shrug good humouredly and go home.