21st to L'Aber Wrac'h (The valley of the Fairies in the local Bretagne language

Left Trebeurden at 8.45 to push a little weak tide  across the Baie de Morlaix so we would have the strong tide with us all the rest of the way.Fine ans sunny with not much wind but a short chop to begin which was bad for getting in fenders etc. We decided that the outside of the Isle de Batz was a better idea than the inside track and we had quite a rough sea on the corner. Lots of big rolling swell and Stressbreaker behind us kept disappearing completely from view but wind still light so motor sailing with main up and genoa out. Suddenly Phil shouted 'Dolphins!' and within seconds we were surrounded by 6 or 7 dolphins that jumped and danced and played all around the boat for some little while. Me trying hard to watch and photograph but boat was really up and down. Eventually they went. The next part of the journey to the next mark seemed to take quite a while. (Are we nearly there yet) and we could see the lighthouse at the end of the river hours before we got here. I slept for about an hour in the warm. The first day without all our heavy clothing. Then the sun went in , the wind got up, 16 -20 on the nose so we took genoa in (it worked) and I groaned as the sea also go up as wind against tide which is OKish at 9 Knots but not nice at that wind speed. Astonishingly we saw a man in a very small fishing boat standing up fishing. (Mad the French)Then I went below to make another drink and there was a funny smell. I looked everywhere but didn't mention to Phil. Next time I went down it was worse. Opened door in to front cabin and it was vile ,bad egg gas. I shouted to Phil who said to look under the bed as it sounded like a battery over heating. Took the mattress off the bed (bouncing along as you do ). The battery compartment was red hot. These batteries are the only ones we had not replaced and they are connected to the bow thruster which we hardly ever use. They are completely sealed so no maintenance but had been checked as best we could before we left. We are heading for the Libenter buoy the sea is now very rough and has already head to wind we took the main down as when we rounded the Libenter we did not know what sea room we would have. I wondered whether to throw a fire blanket over the battery. In the end we ignored it as best we could and concentrated on getting in to port!!!!It was Saturday afternoon and although very rough and now no sun, so murky and everyone and his uncle was sailing in the river. Small boats, wind surfers, canoes and channel not that wide. We concentrated very hard on looking for the channel markers.