Brian's wife popped in to meet us today and deliver him some kit, a day before his birthday. After planning the extensive passage to Whitby, I had a few minutes to explore the sea front. We fuelled up and left the Royal Suffolk & Norfolk Yacht Club at 1330.
We'd enjoyed the historic yacht club's hospitality after arriving from our 80 mile motor across the Thames Estuary.
Heading north past Great Yarmouth some seals were playful around us; from a colony we could see under the new uncharted Scroby Bank wind farm.
Navigating between shallows we left the Norfolk coast without enough wind to sail. Had banked on SW to see us up the East coast and here we were sailing towards increasing cold northerlies from a depression forming over the North Sea. Leaving the 12 mile limit of coastal waters we headed on through our waypoints, dodging shipping out of the Humber and gas rigs and a wind farm under construction. These farms are so new that they don't appear on the charts.
Picture of mooring in front of Royal Suffolk and Norfolk Yacht Club before leaving.
Night embraced us in the hug of strengthening wind, hoisted the sails and engine went off at 0200. Returned to watch at 0600 to find it difficult to make headway north against shifting northerlies. Amazing full on sailing, two hours zigzagging around the Westermost Rough gas platforms, biggest mark I've ever gone about. Off watch at 0900 and engine went on.
Pressed on through watches, snacks and naps. Waves grew to be formally Rough and some Very Rough patches with F5 and F6 winds; fantastic, awesome and beautiful. Uncomfortable in our boat which has a big slamming flat bottom as opposed to a classic British long keel which would have been in it's element.
No comments:
Post a Comment