Gale winds in The Biscay

A grey morning, the last of the calm seas. I wash the cockpit, Ørnulf cooks porridge. Full sails and we're weaving in and out of bulk carriers as the shipping lane crosses us.

By 4:30pm we have two reefs and a rolled in genoa. Today's highlights are French toast and rashers for dinner, and a little flying fish we find on deck and then throw back in. This little fishy seems to be a cross between a sardine, mackerel and swordfish, with emphasis on sardine (20 cm).

With sails well "tucked in" for the night we're ready for the winds and seas ahead. Slowly we climb up the Beaufort scale, winds increasing through the 20's and into the upper 30's during the night. The seas are rough, but "Lille-Per" takes all watches in stride and "Babette" has no problems riding the waves. We're on our last leg towards La Coruña.

During the night we are alerted, over ch.16, to a serious situation for another sailboat. Heavy weather, a novice and seasick crew are tiring out a little English sailboat. They have backed their sails, but are still drifting, too quickly, towards a lee shore. In fact there are two sailboats out in The Biscay with various difficulties. Fishing line in propellers is another problem in the shallow Biscay Bay.

But "Babette" is bounding along. Taking the waves in stride.