Sailing in the Sun!

Well it's been a good few days at the coast. Unfortunately due to circumstances out of their control the regular gang couldn't make this week so alternative crew volunteered (press ganged). Wednesday it was off for one a 'tide run' with a 6.6m tide and some day light left, we whizzed out for a quick jaunt off along Wainfleet Roads. Having arrived in good time the tide was a little slow making an appearance but managed an hour or so out of the channel. Julie volunteered for this one, well the Pimms anyway. Good weather, a little wind and Sammy the Seal putting in an appearance. Julie on the Pimms On the way back in, having just managed to get in with the last of the daylight. Having driven back to Nottingham on Wednesday night it was back to Skeg, for 07.00am. A high tide of 7.1m meant that in theory there was quite a lot of scope in getting out of the creek. The weather was forecast as being ideal, so a passage plan was made for a trip up the coast. The only trouble with a 7m+ tide is that at stages you struggle to get to the boat and the surrounding wetland is under water. The forecast was for a F3-F4 from the NE. So out we went, up the coast towards Skeg. and the Centrica Windfarm. They are currently in the process of laying cables from the beach, but luckily not that day, as there is a 1mile exclusion zone around the working barge UR101. Caught inside this perimeter and it's a royal bollocking and a fine! Up past the Windfarm the wind hit a F4, so I reefed the Genoa just to keep the boat under control, well making it easier for 'Dave to helm anyway'.

Dave at the Helm!

No point reefing the main as it's a little like a sieve and lets more wind through it than it catches. I made 4knts going windward whilst at the helm, Dave only managed 3.7knts. By 1300 we'd made Mablethorpe where Ian Martin was surveying. It was a spin around and back down the coast, with a target of being at the Fairway 2hr prior to high water. The wind was variable and had veered to the SE, before picking up to a very steady F3. a great tight reach topping 4knts again. Approaching Skeg just after low water it's quite remarkable how steep the shoreline is. No wonder the currents are so strong. Sneaking back along the roads it was time to anchor of the Swatchway. No easy job on your own with a 2.5knt tide running. I'd already dropped the Main and furled the Genny along with prepping the Anchor just in case I touched bottom in the Roads. I put the engine in to tickover heading in to tide and dropped the pick. Boy did it grab. Once secure and having checked the GPS/transit for any dragging it was time for a little grub and finish packing the boat up. Whilst waiting for the tide to surge in to the creak the Sunset was cracking. Having made our way back in to the creak a slight technical issue occured with a tree becoming stuck between the outboard and rudder, meaning Aretia was shooting past the mooring. So having removed the offending 'Beech' it was time for a handbrake turn, otherwise known as ramming the bow in to the bank to spin the boat. Finally having strapped the ship to the mooring it was off to the pub. With all the rain recently and the high tide the jetty has taken a bit of a battering. In fact the new section added this year was now not supported as the mud had all been washed away. A job for the morning. Friday. A great start to the day, fixing the jetty then out for a quick spin prior to returning to the mooring. Hopefully a few more trips still possible before we bring the boat back to Nottingham via Boston, the Witham, Lincoln and the Trent.