Southwold 2008

Wix and Wrabness Yacht Club

Dove Cottage Oakley Road Wix Nr. Manningtree Essex. CO11 2SE

Tel 01255 870777

Normal service was resumed. The weather was determined to throw up a new challenge every day.

Saturday was a write off with forecast gales from the north, so it was a good job it was a Bank Holiday weekend, allowing us to try again on Sunday. Musical boats was the order of the day, with Jenny jumping ship from Levanter to Full Circle and John Lennard signing on as crew in Levanter. Irela was absent, Mike having volunteered to stand in the rain watching bikes go past raising money for the RNLI.

However, the weather wasn't finished with us yet. No sooner had we slipped from the pontoon than the wind went to the East (guess which way we were trying to get to), which made it wind and tide against once more. However, that didn't matter too much as we couldn't see where we were going anyway. The fog was so thick we could hardly see the bows.

Electronic eyes became the order of the day (on Levanter anyway), if only we could interpret them!!! AIS is great until it switches itself off just before you reach the shipping lanes. RADAR is wonderful too, but not so great if it means you have to hide down below looking at screens when you should be up top looking for the dredger anchored off Felixstowe.

One close up later, we were past it and continued on beyond Orford Ness when the fog lifted temporarily and we could take advantage of the now south easterly breeze, allowing us to shale out the cruising chute. The fog returned off Sizewell bringing 25 knots of wind on the nose. A warning call from Full Circle allowed a hasty Cruising Chute drop, but no sooner had we done so than the fog lifted and a Force 4 from the East came along...... together with the sun!!!

A reach up to Southwold found us there too early to go in so a quick foray up to the pier and back allowing the tide to flood sufficiently to let us get in.

A Dutch 3 master seemed to be recreating the battle of Sole Bay blockading the entrance with volleys of gunfire eminating from landward. However, it turned out to be bird scarers onshore.

In with no further excitement, we sampled the customary fare of fish and chips, (excellent), Adnams (surprisingly poor) and a new one to all of us (and not something we are keen to see again), a fair on the Green.

Homeward on Monday. Tide against at Orford Ness and barely 3 knots over the ground under engine (sack the cruising commodore).

Useful Links: Royal Yachting Association. The Met Office. Weather Online. UK Hydrographic Office Easy tide.

Deben Entrance. Orford Entrance. www.marinas.com Stour Sailing Club. Windfinder.com