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Sailing in France: From the Golfe du Morbihan to Brest: Part 2 | DrakeParagon Sailing
January 10, 2026 · 31 min · 2K views · Brittany, France
What this video covers
Drake and Monique depart the Golfe du Morbihan aboard their Westsail 42, Paragon, bound for Brest on a roughly 100-nautical-mile coastal passage along the Brittany coast of France. Forecast winds from the north-northeast fail to materialize; instead, 10–15 knots from the west-northwest put the boat hard on the nose from the start, forcing a motorsail on a southerly deviation that adds 20–25 miles to the rhumb line.0:08 A large, slow-moving ship — possibly a fishing or oil-rig service vessel — hails Paragon on VHF channel 16, requests a starboard-to-starboard pass with at least one nautical mile CPA, and Drake adjusts course 30 degrees to comply, confirming the maneuver on the chartplotter.4:06 Around 1947 hours the wind finally clocks to allow the jib out; boat speed climbs to 6+ knots on a beam reach and the engine shuts down.5:48 Drake then engages the Hydrovane wind vane for the first time at sea, working through the procedure — removing locking pins, setting the vane in irons, and trimming with cockpit control lines — to hold a steady 295–300-degree course at 6 knots without electricity.16:26 Approaching sunset, he takes a first reef to reduce heel and rig pressure before dark.26:11 A month without marina access has depleted freshwater and accumulated laundry; docking in Brest will allow pressure-washing, laundry, and trash disposal.13:04
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