Tuesday the 27th was set for departure towards Sweden. Two friends had signed up for the trip, Erik to Vlissingen in Holland and Kai, who wanted to come all the way to Sweden. Kai is a professional sailor with 18 Atlantic crossings. His schedule was tight so he wanted to go more or less nonstop and Erik also had a deadline for a doctors appointment at home, there was no room for delays along the road. Monday evening the boat was all set for departure next morning, I just had to do the engine check - and discovered that the diesel pump was leaking. Maybe the gaskets were finished, maybe the pump was too old, but Lombardini parts are difficult to find in France, it's mostly Yanmar, Perkins and Penta. So I took no chance, I called the agent in La Rochelle first thing Tuesday morning and they promised me a new pump before Wednesday. Which arrived as promised, and Erik, who is a mechanic, helped me to sort it out after I had some initial problems.

But departure on Thursday was now too late for both Erik and Kai, given the weather forecast for the nearest days - strong easterlies for several days. Going marina hopping was not an option for neither Erik or Kai, so I was on my own again. The forecasts just got worse on Thursday morning, very strong easterly the whole week to come. I was considering giving it up and go south again like last year. But the forecasts in the evening looked better, it seemed I could get at least four days of good winds.

So Friday morning I took off on my own, but still not knowing how far I will come, German ports are closed because of Covid and Dutch port I am not sure of. But I will deal with this problems as they come, worst case scenario is I have to turn back to France.

But at least the weather was fine. Not much wind to start with, but when I was out of Morlaix bay a northeasterly started to build. I motorsailed for three hours in feeble winds. Around noon the wind piped up and I could switch off the engine. Not much speed though, the current was strong against me and should stay like that most of the afternoon, but I was aware of that with such a high tidal coeffecient and I was in no hurry, Treguier marina is very exposed to strong currents in the river, they run right through the marina so arrivals and departures are strongly recommended only at slack tide, which on Friday was 22:15. I was making good speed through the water, but speed over ground was between two and three knots. But I could enjoy myself, I knew I would catch up with the east going tide in the afternoon.

The wind got stronger and so did the current, soon I was doing six knots, and it just got better, at mid tide I was over nine knots at times in about ten knots of wind, gusting a bit more. Very nice sailing!

I was at the marina before eight, so I tied up to a waiting pontoon and had good time for making dinner before I moored in the marina in the last minutes of daylight after ten.