Pin Mill

Wind W2-4 Ideal for Pin Mill. We get into the Orwell and its shifted north and we beat up river.

We gybe round at Pin Mill and run back down. We get back to Levington and past Suffolk Yacht haven then the wind shifts more than can be accounted for by the river's curve and we are headed. Some of the boats are managing to beat through it but we're pretty tired and she's proving quite hard to control.

We find that if you tack and haul in tightly on the jib, that it can be hard to stop her going further round the turn. Lose off the jib a little and de-power it and all is well. Once she has forward motion on the new course the jib can be sheeted in.

We give up and motor back round to Shotley.

Felixstowe Ferry

Decided to go to Felixstowe Ferry for lunch. Obviously we would have the tide against us in both directions because the Deben bar is best taken at slack water and the Suffolk tides flow in from the North Sea.

Wind NW2 so expected to beam reach on port tack on the way up and starboard tack on the way back. Crossed the shipping lane ok and then the wind dropped and came back from SSW. Starboard tack - thought about the topsail but didn't raise it.

Got into the Deben perfectly and picked up a mooring. Had our lunch and then went back out on the start of the ebb. Piece of cake.

Totally headed now by the wind, with the tide against us too. Motoring along quite happily and then spotted white smoke from the exhaust. Turned the engine off, raised sail and beat back along the coast. Doing quite well on the port tack but losing ground on the starboard tack.

Gently try the engine occasionally. Very slow progress.

Cross the shipping lane in the gloaming. Follow the first few bouys and then its pretty dark. Ease our way in and find the Harwich shelf on the echo sounder and turn towards Felixstowe to avoid. Find the shipping lane again and hug the western edge all the way to Shotley.

Alison is sure she can see the posts marking the seaward end of the dredged channel. I go below to call the marina on the VHF, when I come back up I find Alison has taken us the wrong side of that weird 3 masted motor to sail conversion thats continuously anchored off Shotley. Before I know it we are aground on Shotley Spit, within a 100m of the lock.

Now we are really embarrassed. The only good thing is that its taken us so long to get back that we are now on a rising tide.

We wait an hour and she floats off and we get back OK.

We get an engineer to check the engine, and they tell us that the thermostatic valve got stuck, which was why the engine was emitting steam, (not smoke as we thought).  We got the engine serviced, and the thermostatic valve replaced.

New Year

Took Ben up to Wrabness and picked a buoy up for lunch. Rain shower. Raised sail on the buoy and sailed off. Wind got up and headed us by Erwarton cardinal. Dropped sail and motored back.

Aground again ?

Thought we'd head up past Felixstowe. Saw a plastic bermudan having trouble but our brains obviously not in gear. Got close and saw the lifeboat had a line to her. Went the wrong side to avoid it and got stuck on Harwich shelf ourselves.

Honestly, Robinetta is not a pelagic fish.

Lifeboat tried towing us off, but nasty noises down below. Moved the towrope to the mast and that worked.

Tired and demoralised, we messed about a bit in the harbour and went home.

not always fun

WSW2-3 Tried to go up the Stour but making no head way. Turned round and headed up the Stour. Got as far as Fagbury and turned round and went home. Don't think the crew was upto much today.

more wind

SSW4-5

Motored up to Parkeston Quay. Raised sail with one roll round the boom on the main, stay sail and no jib.

Sailed back.

Getting the habit

Our normal jaunt up the Stour to Wrabness and turn round.

The hole in the bulwark for the bowsprit needs some attention