All Safe

Drove to Marconi sailing club this morning, with Julian and Alex, hoping we would find Worm and Robinetta safe in their temporary homes. Worm was certainly there, but we could not see Robinetta! Luckily the vice-commodore of Marconi was there on hand, and said she was still afloat. He got the Marconi boatman to give us a lift out to Robinetta with Worm in tow.

Everything was fine on board, all though she was pitching quite a bit in the swell. The pump started up almost as soon as the Marconi launch left us. With three of us in the cockpit it had taken a couple of minutes for the water to run back to lift the float switch. That makes me think that Robinetta is letting water in at the bows, not the stern.

The engine started up fine, and we cast off the buoy at 1115 to go look for our anchor. The sea state was a bit rough, with wind over tide, and there were white horses on the wave crests. Not the best conditions for finding a small white fender! We had no luck, so headed back to Marconi, where Julian dropped me off on the pontoon at about 1230 to collect the car and drive round to West Mersea.

Julian and Alex headed back down river in Robinetta, and almost motored over the fender! They got it, and all the chain and the anchor on board, then continued on to Mersea and put Robinetta back on her nice sheltered mooring up the Ray.

They were ashore on the West Mersea pontoon by 1530. Julian told me it was the first time he'd ever rowed Worm with two people in her!