Voyage overview
- Year: 2017
- Destination: Brittany & Cotês de Megaliths, France
- Boat: Iona’s Pearl
- Vessel type: Beneteau 45
- Distance sailed: 199 nautical miles
- Skipper: Mark Daniel
- Crew: Chris Robson (“AiCeé”), Simon Tyler (“DuCeé”), Warren Creates (“Wargarçon”), Boris Ulehla (“Borittany”), David Ashfield (“Dashiér”), Andrew Wagstaff (“GrandeWag”)
- Notes: Mark D’s return to the bridge
Logbook notes
Brittany welcomed the Phat Buoys with rugged coastlines, stone circle after stone circle, megalithic mysteries, and the long-awaited return of Skipper Mark Daniel after several years ashore.
The Côte des Mégalithes offered excellent sailing conditions — enough wind to keep the deck alive but not enough to spoil the wine. The coastline demanded focus: strong tidal flows, intricate navigation, and dramatic ancient stone formations standing sentinel above the cliffs.
Great merch items this year, the Helly Hansen Gilet (brilliantly branded) and white polo. True to form Dashiér ordered his gilet a size too small so could never zip it up!
A day ashore exploring on bicycles added laughter and bruises to the logbook, while evenings ashore brought seafood, music, and an unmistakable sense that the old magic had returned to the crew.
