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We were promised an adventure and how true! The Bay of Biscay displayed all her moods, majestic and splendid. We were buffeted and becalmed but Thursday was the pinnacle for us! The small window to travel the last 40 miles to Bayona soon closed and we were straight into 30 knot headwinds but still making way when it all began. Our trusty engine stopped, just when we were between the shore and a rocky outcrop. Quick action to hoist the genoa, vastly overpowering the boat but getting us away from the shore. Then a quick tack to miss the rocky shoal. Then…snap, the genoa sheet broke. Another quick tack, substituting the only available line, a smaller preventer line. Greg went down below to work out the engine problem as the tank still showed, correctly so, half full. As he was doing so, the leech on the genoa started to shred, flying up into the furler and jamming it. We were in serious trouble! Greg discovered a dry fuel line. Lucky we were carrying 2 spare jerry cans of fuel. Greg filled the tank, bled the line and the engine started. Whew! But with now 30 knot winds in our face, we turned into Portosin, luckily abeam of us. The issue now was that we could not completely furl in the jammed genoa, and had a lovely little storm sail carrying us along at 6.5 knots. A worry for entering the blustery marina. More tense moments ensued but turning into the break wall, there was Fleur and Roger (Waterval) waiting, pointing us to a berth and helping us in. Wonderful people! That night we celebrated dinner with Waterval and Porcellum. Subsequent investigations showed that the fuel intake is located right up the front of a shallow tank and with the rough conditions, pitching and rolling, bled dry. Something to look out for in the future. A potentially lethal situation well avoided by a crew who pulled together admirably. I salute the Bay of Biscay!

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