Scherendijke, Holland

Champagne with Kees, the broker, while we complete the paperwork to buy Right Turn (she’s called “For Sail” at this point!) Her opening log reads 527.10. The weather is overcast so we played, shopped and slept. We are jury-rigged with 2 forks, 2 knives, a frying pan and 2 sleeping bags to our name, having travelled there by plane and train. Sails up for the first time at 3.15pm.

Champagne in plastic glasses and freezing!

We left Bruinsee with rain and the “wrong type of wind”. First lock I had ever encountered and I manage to drive into the concrete wall! No damage to the boat, thank goodness! Also, luckily no damage when Mike managed to do the same thing on the next wall! After that, the locks got easier, on the basis that they couldn’t get more difficult! At Flushing, no mooring space so we decided to cross to Breskens where we finally tied up  having notched up loads of experience.

        Yet another bloody freezing lock

Forecast of 4 increasing 5-7 SW but finally anchored at Ostend to be greeted with yet another lock. Pizza, red wine and a fair!

Storm bound in Ostend, so moved to be stern-to on another berth. Shopping – what else is there to do? Oh yes, Sudoku puzzles! Waiting for rain to stop so did a steep learning curve on our GPS. Pasta and more red wine passes the time – our first meal on board.

Still storm-bound in Ostend, so we take ourselves off to the library to get some Internet access and get lost. Splashed out by spending €2 on 5 little plaice for dinner. The forecast says the weather should change by early tomorrow so we’re hoping to leave first thing.

Around 2am I wake to hear Mike confronting a Kosovan who has decided to sleep in our cockpit overnight by lying on the mat and covering himself in the ensign! “What do you think you’re doing, matey?” accompanied by a couple of slaps was sufficient to elicit a stammered apology before he scuttled off! Actually being confronted by irate, nude yachtie was probably enough to scare him off without the verbal abuse! Underway, around noon, saw our first pair of dolphins out in the channel. After that things deteriorated by having a close encounter with a container ship. As Mike was operating about 14 ropes and steering, I kept an eye on him. Mike didn’t have time to turn around to look, he asked “What’s he doing now?” Erm, he’s still trying to kill us! However, we survived and finally reached Dover harbour, getting on the VHF to ask permission to enter, was gratified by the response – “ Please wait for 2 ferries to leave and proceed to enter at your best speed, Ma’am” My day was complete, I’d been called Ma’am!

The intention was to leave for Cowes tomorrow via Brighton  but, having been to Lynne’s for showers and laundry and been ferried about by Hannah, we landed up in Cullin’s Yard and the weather was so good we decided to leave in the afternoon and try to get to Cowes in one hit. Hannah gets the guided tour and lunch, and Glynn visiting for a while.

After 111nms we arrive in Cowes. An interesting initiation into night sailing for me, as I spent 2 hours in total ignorant bliss of the dangers racing past us while Mike catnapped. Finally, near the beginning of my 2^nd watch, the GPS went blank and I considered crying. Happily, Mike was instantly awake, pressed all the buttons I’d been too frightened to touch and it sprang back into life. Then I slept for hours while Mike, single-handedly, negotiated hazards like the Master Mariner that he is! Word of advice to all would-be yachties, never leave port without your own personal MM!

RT stayed in Shepherd’s Wharf while we stripped her down and had her lifted for the winter at Medina Yard. Lots of work will go on from now on to prepare her for going back in the water in April.

We head off to Provence and Phil, Charlotte and Alan join us there for Christmas, returning on 28^th December to start work on RT

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

St Tropez Boxing Day