Friday 24 July 2015

End of term shake-down cruise, 21-23 July

It's always good to begin a school holiday with a quick cruise.  As soon as the kids had cleared the school gates, the coast beckoned. Three hours later, provisions purchased, I was casting off from the mooring.
Tuesday 21st July
Conditions were SW but rather gusty, and I wasn't brave enough to venture out to sea, content with a few legs up and down the Orwell. Eventually, I retired to the mooring for evening victuals and a reasonably early night.
A disorganised cockpit!
Wednesday 22nd July
Surfacing at dawn, I sailed with the ebb downstream to a choppy Harwich Harbour.  Cutting the corner round Landguard point, I sailed up the coast.
Morning sunshine off Felixstowe
 At Woodbridge Haven I negotiated the entrance without resorting to the engine - possibly a first for me, but then conditions were perfect!  This video was taken once safely past the various shoals.

I then spent the day sailing up to Woodbridge and then returning to an anchorage just south of Falkenham Creek.  As the day progressed, conditions became more gusty, my newly acquired wind speed instrument featuring several F6 blasts as the lugger Moondance graced its way downstream to its mooring at Felixstowe Ferry.  The skipper is braver than I; these sorts of winds don't agree with me - I'd rather watch!
Lugger Moondance on the Deben, under full sail, heeling over during F6 gusts.  Interestingly, nearly every other boat was well reefed.
Later that evening, post-supper, conditions abated slightly, and I set off downstream, bound for a late evening jaunt to the Walton Backwaters.  This leg was the only part of the trip where I made serious use of the engine.  As I approach the shipping channel off Harwich, three ships decided to depart and one container ship arrived.  It is quite incredible how quickly the container ship was travelling.  Adopting the cautious approach, I hove to whilst these ships passed before proceeding, arriving in Hamford Water by 10pm.
Dusk off Harwich, bound for the Walton Backwaters
Wednesday, July 23rd
I didn't trouble the engine on the return to Harwich.  Winds were very light SW at first, predictably becoming stronger as I cleared the breakwater into Harwich Harbour.  Several ships were in port but none were in motion and the sail into the Orwell passed by without incident and under full sail.
Huntingford helm impeder complete
Here's what the local birds managed in 24 hours of my absence...

21st July, 6.0nm
22nd July, 36.4nm
23rd July, 10nm

Total track: 52.4nm



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