Sunday - sailing to Brightlingsea

Written 9-55 am: Brightlingsea. Short passage following the coast to Brightlingsea. No wind, so I needed the engine - but I got the tide right and made good time past Walton-on-the-Naze, Frinton and Clacton, passing wonderful accumulations of beach huts all the way and two piers (Walton and Clacton).

Saturday: I find an obscure mooring up a creek

Written 9-46am in Brightlingsea:

On Saturday I did find a wonderful place to anchor up a creek in peace and obscurity - about two miles from mass-anchoring for the weekend. No anchor-dragging - no going aground - perfect.

Walton Backwaters and anchoring

10-00: I left the comfort of the marina yesterday and I am now anchored a few miles up Hamford Water. The tide has turned (to go out) and the boat has swung round until the tide turns again - or the wind gets up.

I tried to anchor further up the creek at low water yesterday - but it took two goes to get the anchor to bite. Hung out in the sun for a few hours but just as I was thinking of making supper the anchor dragged - indeed it did not merely drag - the boat behaved as if it did not have an anchor out at all. And it would not re-set. And I was being pushed onto a mud bank and dragged upstream rather fast (at least it was not rocks).

Much fiddling with the anchor and much churning of brain cells to figure out how to escape, as I could not bring the anchor in whilst I was more or less aground. In the end I motored to deeper water dragging the anchor - and was then able to pull it in - not easy.

I came back down river and anchored near some other yachts where the holding is said to be better. I am not sure whether to explore another creek when I have the energy to pull up the anchor - or whether to stay put.

Am I mad - why anchor when there are nice comfortable marinas around? Good question - the answer is that there is something magical about being at anchor - especially in a river or estuary. It has some problems - the need to have good batteries and be self-sufficient for a start. I have never had problems with anchors dragging as it did yesterday - so it normally seems very secure although it may not appear so. I quite like picking up a mooring but often miss - getting hot and bothered - and moorings are less wild and peaceful.

I cycle to Walton-on-the-Naze: another place - another beach.

18-30: Yep - another beach and another East coast resort. This is the posh end of the beach with extraordinary beach huts in serried ranks up the cliff. Very attractive - busy with lots of small children digging holes and paddling - with their mummies - rather old-fashioned in some sense but nice. And a complete contrast to the other end of the beach - around the pier. The wrong end of the beach is an old fashioned 'chips and kiss-me-quick' zone - but also crawling with infants-school children - wonderfully supervised by their teachers and having fun.

The town has a run down feel - some really run-down (but very nice 19th century) houses on the sea front led me to wonder why no-one has taken them over and done them up. The usual empty shops in the high street but also a good bread shop and butchers - lots of tea shops. A surprisingly endearing place.

Titchmarsh - and weather

18-10: The weather as I entered Walton backwaters yesterday - showing a mist forming over the beach. Why do I write so much about the weather? Need I say - I am totally reliant on it for fun - for comfort and for safety. This makes me much closer to weather than when living in a house and travelling on buses and trains.

Today I notice that most of the country is roasting in 30 degrees plus - whereas at Titchmarsh the temperature is a pleasant 22 degrees. This is due to sea mist, which is not a full-blown 'fret', with associated ultra-poor visibility and low temperature.

Pleasant day at Titchmarsh marina - cleaned the engine (to reward it having stopped) and cycled to the shops - now heading out to the local carvery for supper.

I go to Titchmarsh marina instead of an anchorage

20-15: But why?
I dedicate the answer to Andy Miller of Miller Marine - http://millermarine.co.uk

The answer is that the engine would not stop - yes - stop: most people have engines that don't start - today mine did not stop.

The day started with fog - but it cleared. I headed off with the tide to go a few miles to the Walton backwaters - pure pleasure - captured in the picture of a barge and the entrance to the Harwich channel before the nasties hit. It continued good with a nice reach into the Walton river - and upstream to the shallow part of Hamford water - saw a few seals and lots of birds. Found a nice anchorage - - and then - - I tried to turn off the engine - - .

It would not turn off - - and I did not have any idea how to turn it off other than with the key - - . Mild panic - moderated by the idea of ringing someone - I tried Andy Miller who answered the phone although he was sailing past Ratray Head at the time. He identified the solenoid - I had instructions about how to frighten it into working (after taking all the junk out of the quarter berth to get to the back of the engine). The wire fell off the solenoid, so it was not going to work - at which point I rang Andy again and learnt how to stop the engine with a 17mm spanner.

At which point - common sense kicked in and I decided to keep the engine going and go to Titchmarsh - about an hour's chugging away. What luck to be so near a marina with an engineer to hand!

So here I am - the good news is that the solenoid connections were reconnected by a very pleasant engineer and I am good to go again. It is foggy again tho'. Typical of sailing - with things going wrong and then other things working out - like Andy answering the phone and there being an engineer in a near-by marina.

Fog - and tides

19-10: The view across the Stour this morning at the time I was going to leave with the right tide. I am probably more afraid of fog than other weather - although I cannot claim to like high wind and ferocious surf! As I have decided to be prudent - I stayed put for a while and only chugged downstream (with no wind and 2 knots of tide against me) when the visibility improved. Anchored off another nice bit of shore, as I was going too slowly. I am glad I did as there seems to have been a sea-fog over the Walton Backwaters - which is where I am heading next. At least it is still shorts and t-shirt weather and no heavy rain here (forecast for Eastern England in places). I am starting to like the no-rush approach to (eventually) getting somewhere.

I did a bit of reading and planning - but not an awful lot else all day - apart from eating and drinking. I do seem to be managing the batteries more successfully than in Blakeney - I have been at anchor for three days and still have plenty of power left: I have not run the fridge all the time - just a few hours a day which seems to do the trick.

River Stour

19-50: anchored in the bay in the picture.
Spent the day sailing - no engine apart from keeping the nose to the wind to get the main sail up.
The weather is how it should be - sunshine - about 12 knots of breeze from the right direction - suitable for wearing shorts and t-shirts.

Sailing up the Stour

18-20: Sailing again at last: the picture is of the sails set to goose-wing up the River Stour with a decent breeze - a bit of reefing - even the tide was with me. I am now anchored off the shore - just out of sight to the left of the picture. Nice views - warm and sunny.

A tiring day - getting out of the marina was harder than usual - the boat was a mess for sailing and took ages to clear up - I needed to get fuel - and managed to spill a lot on the back of the boat - much running about getting the warps sorted out.

Intend a bit more exploration and then going off to the next river - the Walton backwaters.

I am back at Shotley

20-50: I have been away from the boat for a couple of days.
I went to my aunt Pauline's funeral in Bury St Edmunds - talked to my numerous cousins and my uncle. I then went to London to see my children and got back here this afternoon - suffering from lack of sleep - London heat - and culture shock. So I have done nothing all day except lie around on the deck in the sun.

Dovercourt - another beach

10-00 am: I added another beach to the collection yesterday (Saturday). From Harwich, I cycled along the coastal path and came to Dovercourt, complete with sand and beach huts. Like Harwich, this beach was unusually empty - the picture does not have a single person in it. The usual urban buildings behind it - mostly older houses - and a block back from the front - unusually run-down properties.

I go to Harwich for the day by ferry

9-45 am: Yesterday - Saturday - I got the ferry to Harwich with my bike. Fun ferry - passing the channel bouys and getting views of Felixtow container port. Harwich is - um - strange; a lot of twee cottages in the old town, but with an interesting heritage trail; it was virtually deserted - not at all like a Saturday morning. A lot of run-down looking 19th century housing reminded me of 1950s' Southsea. I eventually managed to find a shop and buy a loaf of bread! It then rained so I came back.

Most of the places I have visited on the East coast have had a 1950s' air about them in places - I am sure there is a story here - - .

Settled in Shotley marina for a while

20-30: View from the cockpit in Shotley this morning - different from industrial Lowestoft and the wonderful anchorages in North Norfolk last week.

This looks as if it will be a good and safe place to leave the boat for a few days. I spent the day doing boaty-things, including moving to another pontoon, scubbing the deck (a bit) and getting various bus and ferry timetables. The cappuchino in the on-site bar is the best I have had outside London - so plenty of potential - - .

I go from Lowestoft to Shotley

Thursday - 20-50: now in Shotley marina. Picture is of Orford Ness on the way.

Very tiring passage - left at 10-30 - tied up here by 19-45 - too long! It was hard work because there were wind shifts through 30 degrees - sometimes a fetch - sometimes directly into the wind. Getting over the shipping lanes was fine but exhausting because it needed a lot of navigation and concentration. I managed to get in through the lock without problems and am tied up nicely.

Another day another beach - Lowestoft

Wednesday 17th June: (I lost connection yesterday so upload this Thursday evening). grr.

A strong southerly wind today, so I have cycled around Lowestoft - watched the waves - ate a very large lunch - visited Orton Broad - filled the water tank - planned the passage to Shotley - and so on. I even went out to the most Easterly bit of England - which is a bit of an industrial wasteland apart from the wind turbine. Lowestoft is very urban - even the beach is urban.

The wind is due to go round to the west tomorrow and I am hoping to catch the tide southwards and get to Shotley (38 miles or so) in reasonable time. The Plan is to stay there until after Pauline's funeral - for which I am able to get bus and train to Bury St Edmunds - and expect to stay over Monday night in Bury. After that I shall continue on southwards - and can then visit the places I have missed (especially the Deben) on the way back north.

in memory of auntie Pauline

9-50 am:
I dedicate this entry to the memory of auntie Pauline, died June 2009; I think she was 85. Pauline was my mother's (much) younger sister and was a teenager when I was born. She nurtured me as a child and gave me meals and love when I got older.

I had hoped to see her this summer - as it is I shall attend her funeral next week in Bury St Edmunds. This explains why I am going directly to Shotley and then Ipswich (only an hour from Bury). I will see my cousins and my uncle John - my mother's youngest brother.

I do not have a picture of her with me - but the mascot to my boat is a teddy she gave to my son 30 years ago - so I put it on the blog in memory.

in Lowestoft

9-20 am: This is the view from my cockpit. A difference from my previous views, but the marina is fine with the best showers I have used. Lowestoft is an interesting place to be - if only for the contrasts between the slightly run down air of the town centre, useful shops and the sea front. Today - I am going to get out my bike and cycle around - rain permitting - and also figure out how to get to Shotley.

I go to Lowestoft

20-23:
The picture is looking back to Cromer, but is also of the sea.

In Lowestoft - the new pontoons in the outer harbour. I left the mooring at 8-30 and just had enough depth to get clear. Unusually - for the rest of the day there was a favourable wind from the NW and a favourable tide (up to 2 knots) all the way here. So (apart from getting clear of Blakeney harbour) I went at about 7.5 knots. Tied up to a pontoon by 16-20. 47 miles. The sun shone - but the sea was, as usual, lumpy.

Will be here for a couple of days - recharging the ships batteries and avoiding rain. I am then heading for another long passage - to Shotley Marina and then to Ipswich - for reasons I will explain in a later blog.

Mooring in Blakeney harbour

Saturday: 20-50:
Today - very peaceful. I have watched boats come out from Morston and then the tides. Tried to figure out how to make the house batteries last longer (switch off the fridge basically). This is a very good place to stay - especially when the sun shines. The picture is towards Blakeney. Tomorrow - Lowestoft - - with (I hope) decent winds and tides.

A mooring - the Pit at Blakeney

19-20: Friday:
I moved from the anchorage as it was up on a sandbank. I found and managed to pick up a mooring in the 'Pit' and have spent the day doing nothing except sit in the sun - and watching the tides - and various sailing when the tide was in - many local boats with red sails.

I am planning to move on to Lowestoft tomorrow - catching the tide at 7-30 - because the wind is forecast from the West (more or less). I will leave Norfolk with great reluctance - and intend to return - - .
(Ran out of battery - charged overnight - seems OK)
7-10 am Saturday
I am changing my mind about leaving because the forecast for tomorrow is better than for today - and there is fog around (apparently) today.

Blakeney at anchor

14-30pm:
I have at last managed to find suitable tides and weather to sail five miles along the coast to anchor in Blakeney harbour. Amazing anchorage - it had water when I came in - with sunshine, followed by a heavy rain storm - - .

The sea outside the harbours is still very lumpy, as it gets when there have been northerly winds for a while. The entrance to Blakeney was perfectly clearly marked, which was just as well because there was impressive surf on either side of the channel.

Plan to leave when the wind comes round a bit more to help me southwards - probably Sunday.

Question: is retirement harder for feminists?

9-50 am:
I have been retired now for nearly two years. I still don't like it, even tho' I have done a fair amount of contract work in that time. I do not like the loss of challenge, the loss of status, the loss of income, the loss of feeling part of the 'real' world.

But - you may say - you have surely gained. If you were not retired - you could not sail around and sit in harbours, pondering blogs, eating and drinking. This is true - and I would reply that I would rather have my working life back, especially how it was before the partial destruction of the University system c. 1994. I would exchange what I did then for even the good things about the now.

Question:- Is it harder for feminists to take to retirement than other people? Did we have to fight to get a career and thus find it hard to give up what was long fought for?

Branchester (by bus)

Tuesday: 10-50:
Monday was sunny (eventually) and I got the bus to Branchester - walked a bit more coastal path; impressed with the large sailing club and dinghy park there with (apparently - it being low tide) no water. An old Hunter Liberty 23 - like my first boat - ashore in the boat park - I was tougher then - I went to St Andrews in it without an autohelm. It rained then too!

Today - I got my bike out of the locker and went to look at the channel (again). But it rained heavily and I have retreated to do some writing and indoors-stuff.

Wells - plus wind and rain

Looking over Wells beach to the channel - walk in the woods Sunday morning:
8-30 am: Monday:
It looks as if I will be here for a while yet - a re-run of what happens every year - but this time in Wells - rather than Eyemouth or St Andrews on the East coast of Scotland! I am waiting for a suitable wind for going East and a reduction in the surf over the bar - but the tides are good from tomorrow onwards for about a week.

The danger - apart from going nuts - is setting off too soon and finishing up in rough seas with wind from the wrong direction.

So here I am - - yet it is hard - I can amuse myself doing things like emails, blogging, reading, planning, cleaning, clearing up, eating - not to mention various expeditions by (free) bus up and down the coast. I study the weather forecasts and choose the best to believe - but even that does not stop the rain or cause the wind to come from the right direction. I am managing to ward off hysteria at the prospect of being here for days and days - - .

To add to the problems - the internet connection is fine in the morning but goes dead in the evening so I cannot even surf the web.

Nice anchorage - pity about the wind

8-45pm:
Friday: A frustrating day. I thought the surf had gone down - I even walked out to the channel buoy to check it out. I decided to move on to Blakeney and when I got back to the boat I re-positioned the anchor (which was not actually a good idea but it seemed good at the time) and prepared to go when the tide came in.

However - - before I was afloat - the wind came up from the East - the surf came back and the boat was not in a sheltered place any more.

After a bit of umming and argghing (why is it so difficult - even upsetting - to make the right decision when circumstances change - or maybe it was the wrong decision to think of leaving as the wind continues in the North and East - ) I decided to return to the comfort of the pontoons to sit out the forecast rain and wind. I had a big fight to get the anchor up - largely because I had moved it and had too much rope out as part of moving the anchor - and was pulling against the wind and tide.

So here I am - back in view of the webcam at Wells until the surf goes down and the wind changes.

Nice anchorage - pity about the surf

19-30 pm:
At anchor behind the LifeBoat Station.

Watched the tide go out and in and out again - wandered around at low tide and took advice on the surf from the Beach Watch staff. Put in waypoints and studied the charts for the leg to Lowestoft - but otherwise have done nothing apart from eat and drink. Very cold - no sun. The weather forecast no better and I need to be self-disciplined to stay and not risk it over the surf - how wise - - .

Another day - another place to have to anchor

20-20 pm:
The weather and surf has kept me in Wells. I tried to leave at 14-00 (two hours before high tide) - made my way down the channel and then saw the surf on the bar. I decided to anchor instead of going back - and try again tomorrow. I noticed a small area behind a spit of shingle - opposite the Lifeboat House - so there I am - with better reception on the Net than in harbour.

The weather looks much the same for tomorrow - I will probably investigate and stay at anchor; there have been northerlies for some days - so I suspect the bar will not improve until the wind really drops.

Sigh - at least I have moved.

Another day - another beach - and birds

8-45 am:
Monday - bus to Moreston - exploration of the creeks and boats and a walk along part of the coastal path.

Tuesday - bus to Cley - walked along another bit of coastal path to the beach - a gravel bank stretching miles along the coast. The picture shows East towards Cromer - the view behind me goes all the way to Blakeney point.

The coastal path passes through top birding territory - not quite my scene but saw many avocets, one wren, one egret and a heron, not to mention oyster catchers, gulls, geese and many that I could not recognise. Came back dusty and hot - to clear up ready for a short sail on Wednesday unless the weather does bad things.

Sea side holiday in Wells

8-30PM: Sunday - sea side holiday: train to the beach reminding me of a smaller one that ran in Southsea in the 1950s - yea - I was a child then. Walked along the beach and through the woods, which reminded me of the beaches in Fife - Tentsmuir forest and beach - in the 1970s and '80s. Walked back watching the tide go out and the surf over the bar. Very sunny: very windy: very cold. Grossed out in the cockpit for the rest of the day - and said goodbye to various people I have met here. Wells is now very empty - with the end of the school holiday - but the sun shines - -

I continue to feel strangely uneasy at staying so long - guilt at it being so pleasant and sunny - and safe. I have sheets of tidal calculations suggesting that I cannot get easily on the tide to Lowestoft until the end of the week. The weather forecast is for strong NE winds - which will be hard work - so maybe this is the calm before an effort.

Watching the tide - in Wells

20-57 pm: My view from the cockpit - I have spent hours watching the water here. I have not gone mad - I have rather found it fascinating because the tides behave quite differently here - and have a greater importance than they have in the other places I have sailed - mostly the North East of England and Scotland. I watch the tide come in - hard to convey in one picture. This one is taken about two hours after I expected the tide to come in - and here it has just turned and in half an hour the sand banks are covered, the pontoons float and high water activity begins, except that the flood is so strong that most boats can make no progress against it for a while. What drama.

The influx up the channel is accompanied (on the evening tide) by the local shell-fish fishing boats who feel their way up the channel with the tide.

I am still in Wells-Next-the-Sea

20-20 pm: I am still here for a number of reasons - it is a nice place and I have not felt like moving on. There is the tide to watch and the coming and going of boats at high tide - as the Toppers going out to sail at high tide to the mouth of the harbour - returning before the flood.

I have also been off colour - mild flu-like symptoms - where lying around not doing much seems the best cure. I got some sore-tummy medicine from the chemists - which did some good - probably placebo effect.

And - the wind has been from the East - it is hard enough to get to Lowestoft with the contrary tides without a wind on the nose for the first part. I was going to wait for a Westerly - but there are no Westerlies forecast in the next couple of weeks.

I feel strangely guilty and apologetic staying for so long - but why not, as I have reasons and plenty of time.

Blakeney

9-10 am BST: Yesterday - to Blakeney - by bus (free with bus pass). I walked out as far as I could to view the marshes. Blakeney Point was so far away I could hardly see it. The channel up the quay is very shallow, even at high water.

I am going to go into the outer channel (called 'the pit') on my way south.

Spent the evening watching the tide come in at Wells - very interesting and worthy of an essay in its own right.

The domestic economy of the boat

9-40am: It might look as if one just hangs out in a harbour - and it is true that there is an element of laziness in it. But the boat systems have to be looked after, not to mention the shopping and cooking and clearing up and washing - and cleaning the decks - shaking out the bedding. The boat is a little world of its own - with gas, electricity and water - just like at home except I have to maintain the supply. I am plugged into mains power just now - which means the batteries are topped up and all my electrical kit (phone, laptop some nav gear) can be charged.

In contrast with a house,there is also propulsion to deal with - sails and engine. My main sail is old and needs to be replaced, but I cannot decide whether to get boom roller-reefing (which I cannot afford!) or just a standard new sail with lazy-jacks. At the moment handling the main is a pain - reefing is a pain and getting the sail down is a pain. The lines do not lead back to the cockpit - I think previous owners - like myself - have not figured out how best to do it. It is not clear how to get the lines from the mast to the back; nor is it clear how to bolt the fittings without destroying the internal lining inside the boat. But I do have a lot of new lines which run freely through blocks. The engine is behaving - not overheating as last year - so I speak nicely to it.

And one has to plan the next passage, look at endless weather forecasts and crack the local tides.

So when in harbour I am supposed to look after the ship's systems - not shimmy off to local attractions. Today I am going to get the bus to Blakeney - in order to look at the layout incase I go there on the way south - that is my story anyway.

Wells beach and boat maintenance

21-30: I am beginning to forget which day of the week it is. This is part of the point of the expedition. I do like being in a really nice harbour.

Today - essential maintenance things - like doing the washing and trying to buy a cleat. After lunch I had a ride on a wee train that takes people out to the beach - I did not stay long because it was getting late and I did not want to miss the last train.


Note the channel bouy on the sand - warning to come up and down the channel with care. It is over a mile out to the sea - fun - and I will be back.

There are plans here to dredge the outer reaches of the channel and build pontoons by the LifeBoat station - to facilitate servicing wind farms. This to the benefit of the town and the harbour - but has annoyed the owners of second homes and expensive flats!

Wells-next-the-Sea - the pontoon

http://www.wellsharbour.co.uk/cam/

The pontoon - here I am and here I stay until the weather improves and I feel like moving on.

Spurn Head to Wells

12-45: Left at 8-30 in bright sun and no wind - but amazing amounts of current out round Spurn Head. It took about an hour to get across the traffic lanes on the approved route - but there was no traffic. There was very little wind all day - so we picked our way down the coast and across the Wash (with a vaste wind farm always in sight) with the engine running in order to get into Wells at high tide. In the late afternoon the wind got up (from almost directly ahead of course) and we had a bit of a sail.

Getting into Wells was like going into another world. The sun was bright and warm. The channel twists and winds its way in and we kept to it although it was high tide. It was Bank holiday Sunday - there were races across the channel, yachts sailing up the channel in an erratic way and a lot of small motor boats - good job I know most of the collision regs: including the one that says to keep out of trouble! And when we get to the quay - yachts were rafting up three deep - so manouvres to find a place.

Brid to Spurn Head anchorage

12-30: Left Brid at 5-30 - not my idea of a nice time to be around. There was no wind - but the weather was bright and sunny. Progress was slow - I think the engine does not push the boat along as well as it should (Andy - if you read this - you are right) - I don't know why. There was some tide against us all the way - around 1 knot. Speed was not enough to make sensible progress on such a long passage and by 9-30 it was obvious that we would not make Wells in daylight and that we were already quite tired. So we changed plan to go into Spurn Head and anchor overnight.

From 11-30 Aidan helmed with reefed sails and we tacked down the coast towards Spurn Head - knowing we could best get into the Humber up to 16-00 hours. Tides here are phenomonal - after the tide turned - we were doing 7 to 8 knots over the ground.

Anchored at 15-45. A very lumpy night as the wind got up and the boat lay at rightangles to the waves - but the anchor held.

Plan to get to Wells from Bridlington

The original plan was to sail as directly as possible from Bridlington to Wells - about 80 miles with some contrary tides and the need to cross the outer parts of the traffic separation schemes off the Humber estuary. I had been warned that going into the Humber would be a - I think the right term is - 'nightmare', with massive tides and disturbed seas bound to get us. So the direct route had attractions and I spent a lot of time with the charts and GPS defining what seemed the best course - in the event the wind and the tides dictated otherwise - good job I had plan B written out as well.

Plan B was to anchor behind Spurn Head.

to Bridlington from Scarborough

12-10am: We departed suitably late to catch the tide around Flamborough Head - so early on the rising tide that we had only a narrow channel to get out - even with the keel up - touched the bottom - of course. Lots of wind and full sails - with gusts as well - but a good sail without any motoring for most of the way.

Finding a place to moor in Bridlington was difficult and we messed around trying to find somewhere before rafting up next to a Parker 31 - which also has a lifting keel. The downside was that the Parker wanted to go at 5-30am on the next day - on the falling tide. We thought we should try to go at the same time - so we turned in early and actually managed to get going in plenty of time. I did not like Bridlington - but I was tired and feelings influenced by the 5-00am alarm.

to Scarborough from Runswick Bay

11-45 am: Pulled up the anchor in Runswick Bay at 7-30 ( which felt very early) - going to Scarborough in time to meet Aidan. Very little wind to start with but it increased with sqalls and showers. Tied up at the pontoons - overlooked by the castle - by 12-30. Joined by crew an hour or so later and we spent the rest of the day filling up with food and reviewing the course, waypoints, the weather and tides for the next day. The harbour would have been very uncomfortable without the pontoons.

Tyne to Runswick Bay

I left in strong winds, without appreciating how strong the wind would be. I had a problem getting the main up - so decided to do without it. I had a rough reach half way across to Runswick, with genoa and engine. Then the wind dropped a bit so I could get the sails up properly. This was the first of many days when the wind strength was wrongly predicted on all the best weather sites.

The anchorage was excellent and there I stayed over night until I set off early to Scarborough.

20-14: Scarborough - very nice new pontoons in the inner harbour. Yesterday - windy passage to Runswick bay where I anchored. Early passge here today in gusty wind and sun. Aidan arrived after lunch. Very glad to be on my way - more to come - - - and pictures. Tomorrow Bridlington.

A tern and a day at work.

19-45: Yes - there is one common tern here on the skyline with the stone wall of the marina. There are many more terns around - beautiful stunt flyers over the marina - and will be vigorous defenders of their patch when they have chicks, making this a hard-hat marina.

Spent the day at work - avoiding the wind and rain - and importing new data into a database about mammal taxonomy.

I really am going tomorrow - - - .

Prudence strikes back

16.44: Am now planning to leave on Wednesday - the forecast is for this very windy and uncomfortable weather to continue tomorrow. At least the marina is sunny and I have a few hours work to do tomorrow.

Deciding not to go surprisingly hard - but I note that the fishermen have not been out for some days - which is telling me something.

This evening's task is to take a picture of the common tern colony that has developed here in the last few years.

Weather still unfavourable

19-30 hrs: Have put off leaving until Tuesday - the tides, wind direction and sea state look as if they will be better by then. I have spent the day fitting a Dorade and fiddling around with various things to be done - including figuring out passage plans for later legs and entering waypoints to the GPS. Good job boats always need nurture or it would be boring.

Staying until Monday

Slave to the weather forecast - which suggests better wind and sea conditions than Sunday. I have vowed to be more careful and prudent this year - I am not supposed to be in a hurry. I am at the marina and intend to do very little on Sunday - maybe fix my reefing lines and go a cycle ride - hooray for folding bikes.

It is strange to be on board and to be in the process of leaving a lot of my life behind. There was a time when I would have found it exhilarating - age brings prudence - and fear perhaps. I would rather be exhilarated.

Shall I stay or shall I go?

This is the beach at Tynemouth and the North pier in mist. The sea conditions nasty - making the decision about whether to go on Sunday more difficult than if there were a nice gentle wind and flat sea.

On my way - but not quite

I had no idea that sorting my life out to go away would be so much work. OK - I have done my tax and filed my papers; put stuff away that has littered the house for a year; chased my bills and tenants; and done a lot of things left undone for a long time - but even so - - . My hallway is now piled high with the last things to take to the boat before my car (newly insured but not cleaned) is put into a cosy garage for the summer.

So I am moving towards leaving - except - have you seen the weather forcasts? Lots of easterly winds - cold - rain. And the waves outside my living room crashing onto the rocks and rain lashing the windows - um - this is not what I signed up for! I am going to move onto the boat tomorrow and see what the weather does. I may even do the short hop to Hartlepool - and then to Whitby (which I call plan C because I would rather miss Hartlepool.)

I am VERY nervous about the whole thing - and wondering why I don't live a normal life - -

Not left yet - but on my way

Last week was one of doing things put off for - in some cases - years. My accounts and tax have gone to the accountants: my garden has been nurtured; my papers are filed - books picked up off the floor. So I am on track to leave next weekend. The tides and weather are not ideal - but the plan is to get away or I shall fester in the marina forever.

I am finding it hard to let go of what I might call 'normal' life.

Plan is to go to Whitby (or Runswick bay if the wind is suitable) and then on to Scarborough. I plan to hang out in Scarborough for a few days and be joined there by Aidan. Then on to Bridlington and the long jump to Wells-Next-the-Sea with a crew to keep lookout and eat my food. Weather permitting. This is a way to avoid the tides and traffic of the Humber - and the tides and sand banks of the Wash. Lines all entered on the charts and waypoints identified.

I have not left yet

I am still at home. This is mainly because I have had quite a lot of work to do in the last few weeks. But also - I have yet to sort out my life - like my accounts and tax. And then there is the weather - white caps on the waves outside my window - and a cold wind blowing. Current plan is to try to leave at the end of next week - around 15th May - assuming decent weather.

I hope the weather, the work and the life is not just an excuse. I do find the prospect of crossing the Humber, the Wash and the Thames intimidating now that I have filled the boat with food and water - and the dream starts to get nearer - - . I have not sailed south from here before, although I went to the Shetlands two years ago - but that looks somehow easier. Or was I younger and more optimistic?