Nomad 2024

Leaving Hondarribia. The lighthouse at Cabo Higher. Arriving at San Sebastian. The Isla de Santa Clara. A passing local warned me of a coming storm this evening, not on my usual forecast. I found it elsewhere and with no room in the marina and all mooring buoys taken I took to sea. I wish I'd taken a video or photo. It was quite something.

I have fuel, water and food, no need for a marina. I've anchored at the end of the runway of Santander airport.

On the other side of the river from Hendaye in France is Hondarrabia in Spain which I had also never heard of. Another big marina and popular holiday spot for the Spanish. I've booked in for 3 nights.

Goodbye St Jean de Luz. Nice but full of tourists. For a place that I had never heard of before, Hendaye has a big marina and busy airport. It is on the border of France and Spain and is Basque. I think I've got it covered with the flags. First impressions are very good. Apart from my first visit to Bilbao (where the Harbour master knew my sister), this is the only place I've been to where I haven't been asked for my passport, insurance and boat registration. Strange.

Leaving the the Bassin d'Arcachon. 7am. Tuesday. Arrived St Jean at 2am Wednesday. Bad swell in the harbour so booked into the marina for 3 nights. St Jean de Luz from the bay.

Getting ready for an early start in the morning, one hour before high water to leave the Bassin at 05.40, headed for St Jean de Luz.  I needed a blanket last night, first time in a long time, summer is coming to an end :(

Or more specifically, Margaux's grandparents live there and that's where she spends her holidays. Margaux's grandad has managed to get me a spot in the locals only marina here at Betey. Local knowledge needed, I couldn't manage it with my French.

Nobody has come to claim their mooring so we're still here and have been ashore to explore. Swimming off the boat. and reading.

No marinas near here, after a brief walk around town and an ice cream with Margaux yesterday I anchored well offshore. Very responsibly wearing a lifejacket. Sunrise at anchor. Collected Margaux in the dinghy and we're off for a two day cruise around the Bassin. The whole of the shore is completely taken up with boats and moorings and nowhere to safely anchor, we've taken a free mooring but now have to stay with the boat in case the owner returns. Its a lovely spot. Today is a holiday in France and it looks like they're setting up a fireworks display from a nearby boat.

10am. Entering the channel to the Bassin. Great clouds over the sand dunes. The dune de Pyla. Over 300m and the highest sand dunes in Europe. Those specks on the top are people. Cap Ferret lighthouse. I was aiming to get amongst those boats that you can hardly see but only got within 200m of them before running out of water. This is my home for the night, the twin keels are proving useful again. Nomad didn't settle well. and walking ashore was a mud nightmare.

Nothing to report. I didn't get my additional 2 free days at Santurtzi, they were fully booked. I'm just waiting for fair winds on Monday to cross to France. It was 28 degrees today, its going to be 40 degrees in Bilbao on Sunday. Yikes!

The Santurtzi tourist office offer 2 free nights in the marina for visiting boats but then I have to leave, but then I can come back after a day and get another 2 nights free! Then that's it, no more. Still, what a generous thing to do. I think the people in the boat next to me are Russians, at first I thought they were just unfriendly, ignoring my waves and not catching my eye, unsociable boaters. But now I think that maybe they don't want to get into a conversation with anyone and they don't fly their flag in case the subject of Ukraine comes up. I don't know if I should feel sorry for them or maybe that's what Russians are like.

Anchored in Santander. The two marinas here don't have great reviews so I'll move straight on to Bilbao tomorrow.  The Cabo Mayor lighthouse at the entrance to Santander.