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24 June Arzal to Royan The Bay of Biscay was relatively calm with wind W 4-5 and after a morning of gentle sailing we calculated we would reach the mouth of the Gironde next afternoon. At 12:30 the boat hook fell overboard. We recovered it in 7 minutes under sail. A cord was tied to the boat hook to keep it on board. By midnight the wind veered to NW 5 and we were scooting along. We sailed through the night with the aid of the marvelous French lights and charts.
25 June 08:55 We sighted the lighthouse in the mouth of the Gironde and set course for Royan passing over a rough shallow patch in the process. At 11:00 Sufiana entered the harbour. As Ruth was asleep below I tidied up and set out the warps and fenders. The entry was spectacular. I saw a nice berth alongside but as I was going too fast I decided to reverse past it to try again. Sufiana reversed perfectly into the berth. All I had to do was step ashore and tie up. A spectator on the quay applauded. Here it cost 200 francs to lower the mast.
26 June Royan to Cadillac Against the last of the ebb we motored up the Gironde passing Bordeaux at 16:15. We kept the flood till we reached Cadillac where we tied up for the night.
27 June I decided to set off early without waking Ruth against the ebb and covered 11 km to Langon in 85 minutes and thence to the first lock on the Lateral canal, Castets where Ruth came on deck.
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