Sailing at last!

Since moving the boat up to Saltfleet, for one reason or another, I've not been able to get out on the water at all. Having a sailing friend over from Sweden for a week gave me the excuse to drop everything and go sailing!

Jens lives in Stockholm and sails a Hurley Alacrity in some very different waters to mine, no tides but lots of islands. He wanted a taste of tidal sailing.

The plan was to have been a trip to Wells-Next-The-Sea and back, unfortunately the weather had other ideas - when the forecast mentions "possible F8" and "very rough" it's time to think again.

Plan "B" was slightly less ambitious, go out as soon as there was enough water, sail around a bit to give Jens an idea of how the junk rig works, then get back in before the water has all gone.

We met at Saltfleet the evening before the planned trip, Jens having been subterfugically visiting York the previous day.

On seeing the angle the boat sat in the mud, the decision was made to sleep on the clubhouse floor!

A meal and a couple of pints later, we decided to change pubs before the excitement of the bingo overcame us!

The following morning was mainly filled with waiting, the tide seemed to be having a lazy day in the sun, with no hint of urgency in it to help us on our way...

Eventually we pushed the boat off the mud into the deep(er) channel and we were off.

Lovely blue sky and a nice breeze, but the previous week's northwesterlies had produced an impressive swell which crashed onto the bar each side of the channel entrance, although passing between the sandbanks was relatively calm.

Seals swimming everywhere were a novelty for Jens, he's heard rumours of them in the Swedish Archipelago, but never seen one in the wild. Donna Nook has them, lots of them!

We spent an hour or so tacking north against a northerly wind, with a 2 knot south-going tide under us - we did make way north, but very slowly!

Jens took the helm for a while, thus becoming a proper North Sea sailor, then it was time to head back in. With the nose pointed at the channel marker buoys we were being pushed so far south that we would probably have ended up on the beach at Mablethorpe! Aiming about 30 degrees north of our destination put us back on course.

We sailed in over the bar, with surfing waves each side of us, then decided to forgo the engine altogether and see if we could sail all the way upriver onto the mooring, during the final part of the creek we were being overtaken by last night's bingo players, but we didn't care.

With the sail almost completely reefed, we edged up to the mooring gently, anyone watching would have thought us well-practised experts. Of course, nobody was watching....

A short trip, but as far as I'm concerned a great success. Perfect weather, great company, and no problems - what more could you ask for?

Maybe a longer trip.... Watch this space, Jens is coming back soon.