The wind finally dropped around 1am, so it was back to diesel spinnaker, with no moon and clear sky we could vividly see the stars, something that is quite spectacular offshore without the normal city light pollution!

During the night the sea was like a millpond, the AIS & crew working hard to avoid all the cargo traffic around the NE point of East Anglia, but at daybreak it was a bit chilly although sunny under the clear sky.

Still motoring and making good progress towards Blyth we dodged through various massive offshore wind farms …… Sheringham Shoal & Dudgeon to name but two and many gas rigs as we then left the Wash area towards the Humber Estuary.

Late morning Al Beck decided the weather was so good he would put his shorts on …….. 30mins later this resulted in the temperature dropping and the sun disappeared behind building clouds. The wind increased sufficiently to start sailing by mid afternoon, but a bit later saw the first drops of rain and everyone by now were wearing full foulies as the temperature plummeted….. not that Alan’s nobbly knees exposure had anything to do with this sudden change !

Approaching Flamborough Head

at dinner time we currently estimate to get safely to Blyth for breakfast tomorrow, as we’ve averaged around 7kts for the trip thus far and with plenty of breeze hope this continues !

After a quiet night in Ramsgate ….. we went to the sailing club after dinner just as the bar was closing ….. took a walk and met some interesting ‘locals’ who had obviously been in the ‘sauce’ all afternoon! Anyway we refuelled and cast off on our journey north to Blyth at 09.30hrs, successfully negotiating the channel out, without touching the bottom this time, unlike another unfortunate crew we espied first thing who were firmly stuck in the mud having gone the wrong side of the stbd channel marker!

Once outside we set the spinnaker but a couple of hours later and only making 3kts it was diesel time again, around 3pm the breeze filled in and since then we’ve been gybing downwind, having passed the ‘magic roundabout’ traffic separation scheme and Sizewell Nuclear Power Station;

After a beef chilli dinner we’re now getting sorted for our first night passage, but progress until midnight will be slow as we fight the southbound tide! Apart from that everyone is in good spirits and appear to be enjoying themselves?!

After yesterday’s exertions we had a quiet night in Eastbourne, well once the mooring lines were sorted to stop the squeaking! We started to move shortly after 6 and then got the 07.30 lock out of the marina, the tide was very low ……. and no channel markers, a slight distraction and we touched the muddy bottom just near the entrance …… no damaged or hurt apart from Barry’s pride!

We unfurled the sails and tried our best to sail, however, the wind was quite flukey, so it was again another extended diesel spinnaker day, we saw plenty of other yachts sailing both east and west, went past Dungeness nuclear power station:

and also had to slow down as we passed Dover ….. ‘white cliffs’?

to give us more clearance from the Pride of Burgundy a cross channel ferry, less the 0.3nm on the AIS was just a little too close for comfort.

As we then rounded South Foreland, the wind picked up and we had a lovely broad reach for nearly 2hrs up to Ramsgate, a real pleasure after so long under engine, now safely moored in the marina ……… a bit hairy coming alongside with 20+kts of gusting wind on the beam, and dinner of mash, sausages in gravy and veg.

Tomorrow we’re heading across for fuel just after 9am, before girding our loins for the long hike to Blyth, so probably no blog tomorrow, but a longer one on Tues/Wed!

So the day to set off was finally upon us, after nearly 2 weeks of shopping and squirrelling provisions away on board, the crew (Al Beckhelling, Mike Bradley & Alan Owen) arrived yesterday. An afternoon getting acquainted on the boat and it was off to a local hostelry for a few libations and a meal, Ruth then departed home whilst the ‘boys’ visited one of Barry’s favourite establishments for some Old Speckled Hen. After a very good night’s sleep ( despite all apparently being snorers, the separate cabins obviously worked!), we had a leisurely breakfast, rigged the spinnaker

and as there was little wind we decided to leave ahead of schedule.

Ruth was on hand to do a quick photo shoot of the crew;

and then we cast off at the start of our adventure:

The excitement got a bit much for Al Beck, who had to take a mid afternoon break;

After spag bol for dinner, we’ve at last managed to start sailing and turn the engine off, but with only 12nm to Eastbourne, this will be short-lived and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for sailing, without the diesel spinnaker!

After 15mths on the hard and 6mths of work, crossing things off Barry’s ‘to do’ list Summer Wine has been relaunched at Northney Marina, our friends Al & Jill visited to help us get things back on board and the new sails fitted, culminating in a sail around Chichester Harbour earlier today as a quick ‘shake down’, before we depart northwards in 2 weeks time!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton