Woodbridge to Felixstowe Ferry: Monday July 19th

18-20 hrs: Moorings at Felixstowe Ferry

The tides control sailing here in a way I am still getting used to. High water at 19-00 means that the best time to leave is at 18-30 - or at 9-00 in the morning. The idea is to catch the ebbing tide down river to the mouth of the Deben - about 9 N miles.

I leave at 18-00 - getting bored waiting. I put the sails up on a mooring and chug downstream against the wind and, for an hour, the tide; variable speed depending on the direction of the channel and the tide.

I pick up a mooring at Felixstowe Ferry - with some difficulty because the tide was strong and I tried to do it without taking the sails down. Too much for my strength, even when I did get a rope round the loop. Dropped sail and did it under engine - - . It felt a bit of an adventure rather than a misjudgement.