At the Shipwreck

The bar in Harwich actually - the first port of call on this summer's voyage. We left Burnham this morning at 06:05 (five minutes late) to catch the tide and were swept down the Crouch as the tide receded. The wind was from the South West, almost dead astern at a fresh 18 kn. (Regular readers will realize the wind instrumentation has been restored to the mast head).  The main was reefed and we charged on a tide assisted 7.5 knots.  

Visibility was excellent - wind farms loomed on the horizon ahead.  I was counting the bouys and watching the . At last we reached the Spit buoy, it was time to turn north and feel our way across the sand bar between the Crouch and the Swillet. The water got resolutely shallower. 3.2, 3.0, 2.8, 2.8. It was a good thing we were running a bit ahead of our plan, it meant that the tide had not gone down quite so much. Without it, the centre board would now be in the sand. After several minutes, the depth increased and we   were through, able to turn NNE and then North towards Harwich.

We inadvertently joined the down wind leg of a Sunday race in the approaches to Harwich. Vagabond was still carrying the reef, and the fleet slowly went past us. I took copious photos for the blog, only to discover that I haven't the right bits of wire, so you'll have to wait for them.  

Looking aloft, I was horrified to see that the radio aerial was dangling by its wire. The mast will have to come down to fix it. And so we reached Harwich, found our way in to the Shotley marina, moored up and went to bed, at three thirty in the afternoon. There are real baths here, I must go and find them - I ache all over!

  Sorry about the photos.