Hello from St. Malo

We've spent the past few days in an anchorage in Dinard, across from St. Malo. I was planning to write an illustrated update about the old town, but sadly I've hardly had time to go on shore, and have only spent a few hours wandering around the old fort. It is a monument to the allied efforts to crack Hitler's Festung Europa, bearing the scars of battle where armour piercing rounds have impacted the old pill boxes. Now it makes a stark contrast to the quaint town across the bay with its (to me) exotic trees and haphazard French architecture.

In a bout of generosity, José bought us a lightweight dinghy to play with. It is a Suzumar FIB (Floppy Inflatable Boat) with a 9.9 Suzuki on the back, and it makes a fine combination for riding two up. Most of my free time has been spent sightseeing by dinghy, a delightful pastime, cruising around the rugged cliffs and the old forts guarding the harbour approach.

Meanwhile, I've been well and truly busy in the engine room. It is a fact of life that when you're operating a fifty year old ship, surprises will happen. Meanwhile, the deck hand I recruited in Oostende has had his contract confirmed by José, as he makes a fine addition to the crew. It is a great relief not to worry about keeping the decks clear when I have to deal with miscellaneous engineering concerns.