Marica goes clockwise

Vessel Name: Marica
16 December 2017 | Slipper Sailing Club
08 November 2017 | South coast
07 November 2017 | Newhaven
06 November 2017 | Beachy Head
05 November 2017 | Rye
04 November 2017 | Rye
03 November 2017 | Rye
02 November 2017 | South Coast
01 November 2017 | Thames Estuary
31 October 2017 | Harwich
30 October 2017 | Southwold
27 October 2017 | North Sea
25 October 2017 | Lincolnshire Coast
18 October 2017 | Yorkshire Coast
17 October 2017 | Bridlington
16 October 2017 | Flamborough Head
15 October 2017 | Whitby
12 October 2017 | Yorkshire coast
10 October 2017 | Geordieland
09 October 2017 | England!
Recent Blog Posts
16 December 2017 | Slipper Sailing Club

Epiblog

I met fellow Westerly Centaur owner Tom Bedford in Milford Haven. As it turns out we also share a fondness for real ale and the band Steely Dan. Tom is a freelance journalist and when I got back to Emsworth he suggested writing an article about my trip. I agreed without too much reticence and he sent [...]

08 November 2017 | South coast

From Shoreham

I checked the live wind at Chichester Bar this morning on the Chimet web site. Force 4 northerly. Hey! we could go somewhere, Little Hampton (LA) or even further. I might just make it for the 9 o'clock lock out. I called them and they said I would be going out of the smaller Prince George lock. I had [...]

07 November 2017 | Newhaven

From Newhaven

On Tuesday morning we wake to a southerly force 6. The sea state was expected to be 'moderate' and waves were crashing over the harbour breakwater. George and I had porridge and reviewed the situation. He decided caution was the better part of valour and I walked him to the train station.

06 November 2017 | Beachy Head

From Rye

My dad joined me on a frosty Monday morning for our leg from Rye. His name is George so he is the original George according to my sister, or he is George V for this trip. I thought Eastbourne would be a suitable port to make for, and could be completed in daylight hours. Dad had suggested Newhaven so [...]

05 November 2017 | Rye

More water problems

I started the engine this morning, whilst Marica was afloat, to check the repair on the throttle linkage. It was fine but there was no cooling water flowing through the engine. I assumed that mud was stuck in the inlet pipe. All the boats settle in this soft smelly stuff to the top of their keels. So [...]

04 November 2017 | Rye

Bailing Out

This morning (Saturday) I found the cutlery drawer full of water. It's just underneath the cooker. I was wondering where the water had come in last night. The boat had obviously been heeled over at a bigger angle at the top of the tide. There had been water in the washing up bowl, that I had not tested [...]

From the Tyne

12 October 2017 | Yorkshire coast
Force 5 S/W backing South.
I had a good night's sleep on Tuesday. I heard halyards on other boats banging against masts in the strong breeze, but Marica was quiet from that incessant thumping due to both ends of the main halyard being tied to the guard rails. Super!

I spent Wednesday sorting out various boat tasks. No sign of my VHF radio and I checked Mark hadn't picked it up. I can only think I may have untied it from by life jacket and left it just clipped on rather than put it in the cockpit. Untying or tying up must have dislodged it and I failed to notice the splash. It must have dropped overboard in the 50m or so from the waiting pontoon to the lock. Bummer! I looked at replacements on line and found a reasonable offer in Newcastle. They don't keep them at the shop and wouldn't match another on line offer I'd seen but can deliver next day when I have a berth for a day or two in a row.

Wednesday night's drink was Diet Coke. £2.00 for barely a half and 0%. Rather sickly sweet coloured water and not really a session drink. I had felt a bit rubbish in the morning and it was not a pleasant potty stop. Maybe a dodgy peanut the night before?

Thursday's forecast looked like the best weather was in the middle of the day. I left the marina at 10 am, the optimum time for the 25 mile trip to Hartlepool. The harbour dries so I wanted to arrive after low tide. The lock at Royal Quays marina has a floating pontoon that gets rid of the need to lengthen and shorten mooring lines as the lock drains and fills. What a good idea.

Emerging from the mouth of the Tyne and heading South again I was pleased to see a distinct lack of lobster pots. The sea was slight to start with, and the wind from a lovely South Westerly direction. I looked at the option to get to Whitby. I'd left a bit late and there were strong wind warnings that would probably come in around 5pm, and the wind was due to back to South. The tides were not playing ball either and would be against until late afternoon.

Around noon conditions looked fairly stable so I backed two horses. I set a course for Whitby directly across the bay. This would have Marica about 7 miles off the coast from Hartlepool if conditions changed, but gave the realistic prospect of Whitby on Thursday. Friday looked rubbish and I was happy not to spend an extra day in port with the monkey hangers.

By 3 pm we were mostly committed to Whitby. It had started to get as lumpy as my porridge and George was struggling to cope. We wouldn't be able to get into the marina until 8pm as the swing bridge only opens 2 hours either side of high water. At quarter past three George started making screeching noises and wouldn't steer. So back to a combination of Marshall helming and lashing the tiller to go below, take down sails, and rig fenders and lines.

Coming into Whitby there are some great views of an old ruined Abbey on a prominent hill. No answer from the harbour master or marina. I could tie up at the Fish Pier pontoon, but I thought I'd also have a look at the yacht club pontoon that may have some spaces. It did, but someone on the other side of the river Esk pointed at the Fish Pier, so we went for that. The problem with this pontoon is that you are not supposed to leave your boat while waiting for the bridge in case a fishing boat or other vessel needs to use it. I took a chance and strode through the cobbled streets up to the marina to see where we could berth. Not much room for this time of year and the pontoons need a fob to get back on. Perhaps I'd have to use the rub-a-dub.

Back on the boat I tried calling a few numbers for advice. No answer from the harbour master, marina or yacht club. I could move on to the yacht club pontoon, but that is not attached to the shore so would also need the dinghy there. I called the bridge just before first opening and asked if was OK to stay on the pontoon overnight. Aye, no problem. Super, now off to explore the town. Tomorrow has strong winds so I'll move in to the marina and stay for another day.

The photo is of the sunset as we arrived at Whitby, that's another 45 miles under the belt.
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