On the home straight

Summer 2022
John Andrews
Tue 1 Aug 2017 20:03
49:17.6N 006:51.05W

The nearest land is only 50 miles away now. We have another two nights at sea, hoping to catch the early morning tide on Thursday through the Needles channel. Strong winds are still forecast, but today we have had a gentle S Westerly wafting us on our way. In fact we are trying to slow down now, and have shortened sail - we don’t want to hit the Needles channel against the tide. The seas are suddenly busy, both with wild life and with shipping. We currently have 8 AIS ship targets on the chart plotter, so being on watch has become rather more challenging, making sure none of them turn into potential collisions. Last night, we had several visits from dolphins, and all around, although at some distance, there were plumes of whales shooting into the air - it was almost like a firework display. We are now seeing fulmars and gannets for the first time this season - we have entered Northern waters.