skip sunny and gusty
22/09/2011, Royal Harwich Yacht Club; 3nm traveller

Hi all,

Well it is strange to be back here with Emerald. My first two boats came from this very place, and my sailing life began here. The photo is the very spot where I slaved over 'Possum' my Halcyon 27 for a year to get her seaworthy more than 14 years ago. I even found the spot where I knocked over a pot of green epoxy barrier coat on the hard standing. It is still there 14 years later, so Possum's hull should be sound still!

Today was a day of procrastination. We intended to go to Walton Backwaters, but the tides weren't great, either an early start (really early) or arriving in the dark, which is something we plan to not do if we can at all help it. We then decided to pick up a 'free' mooring further up the river, but we had a marginal forecast, so have stayed put.

Tomorrow we are going to go anchor off Osea island in the river Blackwater but we'd also talked ourselves out of that today, but have reflected on it and will go for it tomorrow as the wind is forecast to ease. If necessary we can pick up a mooring off the Marconi Sailing Club, or anchor behind Stone Point should the main anchorage be too exposed because of the wind direction.

Then it will be across to the River Roach for a final few days before we head up river Crouch in time for a big spring tide to get us onto our winter mud berth at Brandy Hole Yacht Station.

slainte skip

2011: Around the UK

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Nichola / mostly sun
20/09/2011, Lowestoft to River Orwell;48nm travelled

Photo: Emerald in the River Orwell

Monday 19th September
We had a pretty good sail most of the way from Lowestoft to Harwich with good weather and occasional warm sun. Leaving Lowestoft just before 8am which turned out to be the same time that the windfarm maintenance fast cats all happened to be leaving too. They showed no consideration for their wash despite being in shallow water and there seemed to be hundreds of the things buzzing past us!

With all the catermerans and their wakes gone we were able to get the sails up and had a brisk sail with mostly westerly F5 gusting F6 which was great and we made good speed. The wind started to back southerly a little, making us more close hauled so we stayed further out at sea going down the Shipway rather than the shorter distance Sledway. But it soon came time to turn into Harwich and the wind was now on the nose, so on with Victor. A couple of hours of motoring and we picked up a buoy in the River Orwell for the night. There were lots more yachts out sailing today than we'd seen for a long time.

2011: Around the UK

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Nichola / sun & showers
18/09/2011, Lowestoft

Sunday 18th September
Having been to or passed close by all points south, west, north and centre of Britain we can now tick off east. Lowestoft is Britain's most easterly town.

Close by the most easterly point is a wind generator called Gulliver which is the tallest wind generator in the UK. Colin now wants one that big for the back deck!!! Read more about Gulliver


Photo: Colin and Gulliver

Tomorrow we aim to head on closer to our winter home up the River Crouch, planning to visit the Orwell for a couple of days. Grimsby to Lowestoft was our last over-night trip, just a couple more day sails should get us there.

2011: Around the UK

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Nichola / Sunny with thunder shower
18/09/2011, Southwold

Saturday 17th September
We had considered sailing to Southwold but the entrance put us off, so we decided to go by bus instead. The sun was shining but as we walked around the harbour area a thunder cloud rapidly approached and we took shelter in a handily placed pub and had a delayed celebration pint of Adnams for Ireland beating Australia in the rugby.

By the time we'd finished the sun had reappeared and we took a look at the narrow harbour entrance - there was a swell and breaking waves which just looked far too scary for us!

Southwold is a lovely village with colourful beach huts, attractive houses and soooooooo many pubs mostly all serving the local beer, Adnams, which is brewed in the village. Unfortunately the last bus back to Lowestoft didn't leave us much time to visit them all so we loaded ourselves up with some bottles from the brewery shop and clanked all the way home.


Photo: Just one of the many Adnams pubs in Southwold

2011: Around the UK

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