Leg 2: Lowerstoft - Shotley (Harwich)

Have an update from David - here goes:

11/4/12

This was planned to be a simple leg for the first one on my own and it proved to be just that. 

After a couple of days storm bound (F0rce 5-6 – a bit high for my first!) I set out in bright sunlight into a mirror sea.  There was absolutely no wind and so it continued for the rest of the trip.

George performed immaculately and I spent several hours watching ships come and go on the chart plotter, reading a book and making coffee, lunch snacks etc. until it was time to enter the lock into the marina.  Surprisingly I managed successfully and I felt I needed a well-earned pint which I duly had in restaurant/bar in the marina.

The original plan was for me to leave next day but the weather forecast was not favourable so I ended up staying an extra couple of days fixing a number of little things that I had either broken (the lee cloth guide on the saloon bunk) or things Stuart just did not have time to fix. The marina Boat repair workshop was very helpful; they let me have me have bits and bobs free. 

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David wrote me an email on Saturday night  and thought it 'd be fun to share it with you all.  (Arrived in Ramsgate) Fiona...........

Hi there..

I think that today was a lot better than I expected  The weather was very sunny even though it was very cold earlier on and there was little or no wind

I set out at 8 and motored out of Harwich  and as soon as I switched the engine off the speed dropped of to2 knots.  So I motored on until I got through all the wind farms (least 2 very large ones, one of which hard a guard ship to keep people away and decided that I looked very suspicious and came and had a chat with me)and sand banks.  The last couple of hours was straight forward, the wind got up and I managed a proper sail.

It was a lot like playing at fly half – dodging and jinking around all these obstructions but slower and over a greater distance.

 Anyway I am safely here but very tired and all my joints ache.  Tomorrow I will stay here and get diesel both for the engine and heater  I also need some food!!!

As  most of it has gone (except the veg – we got tons of that...)

I am now going to cook an omelette and go to bed

Give the kids a hug from me x