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Matakana Blue - Day Two - Matakana blue



Day two passage to Cherbourg . Is it possible to sail to Cherbourg  in your pyjamas? Yes it is, the children did it! 

A bumpy start meant we all headed on deck as we left Haslar at 5.30 and hunkered down for the day ahead.  The pre prepared bacon rolls were left untouched by most of the crew as we 'enjoyed' a day best described as 'perfect for passage making'.  

It was a game of three thirds as the light grey mist and wind over tide that stirred our souls as we made swift passage southwards from the island gave way to reefs being shaken out in mid channel sunshine sailing confirming the east going tide was now working in harmony with the solid Westerly breeze.  Progress had been swift so far and the half way stage arrived surprisingly early, pleasingly so as the first "Are we nearly there yet" came only 20 miles into the passage (Harriet, age 11)!

 Curiously crossing the line into French waters was accompanied by a floating boot - symbolic perhaps of progress with Brexit negotiations and was followed by increasingly large patches of weed.   The Cherbourg peninsula appeared low on horizon just after lunch but so did the clouds and the final third was one of increasing breeze, and returning wind over tide. Over the day we had winds between 10 and 25 knots, AWA 55 and 65 degrees, boat speed never less than 6.5knots, a few moments at 9.5knots and good average in the 7's.  Wet, bouncy yet rapid progress ahead of our passage plan had us tucked up in Cherbourg by 17.30BST- children still in their pyjamas.  The warm welcome, drinks reception and fine steak frites at L'Equipage pealed away the salt and any remnants of Mal de Mer revealing the joy of the achievement of our first cross channel passage. The children pleasingly dressed for dinner! 



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