Lowestoft to Whitby 3/4th May
Bliss
Mon 7 May 2018 10:58
Today we left Lowestoft just after 12 noon to repeat that passage up to North Yorkshire, a journey that I hated, it being my one and only night sail, feeling so small and vulnerable out there in the vast expanses of the Humber Estuary. So, I can't believe that we're doing it again, and more to the point, it was MY idea, this time it's just Chris and I.
We motored as far as Flamborough Head, the tide whisking us along for the first six hours, making eight knots, a little bit roly poly, we felt a little bit queasy. A bitterly cold tail wind meant we were layered up despite the sunshine.
The spray-hood down, no sails and calm sea, we had perfect visibility to cross the Wash and the Humbar estuary, these are busy places and you have to keep a sharp lookout and your wits about you, using AIS and radar helps enormously, but there's still those blasted lobster pot buoys to catch you out. Chris was a star, he kept watch for the majority of the night, which was calm and clear, first we had a wonderful display of stars and planets and then the moon appeared, providing a little light, which was comforting.
At about 8am, as we reached Flamborough Head, the wind had picked up sufficiently to shake out the sails and switch off the engine. The last 30 miles were a lovely reach, hugging the coast to enjoy the spectacular views of the Yorkshire coast and it's quaint villages . We made such swift progress that we arrived in Whitby five hours early, which meant we had wait to be let through the town swing bridge and into the marina., (only opens two hours either side of high tide). We made good use of the time; tied alongside another yacht at the "waiting pontoon", climbed the 20 feet vertical ladder onto dry land and sought beer, and fish and chips.
It was sweltering in Whitby, we had started our passage the day before wearing a moderate amount of clothes, as the night drew in we added layers and layers until we were both waddling about like Michelin men! Bouncing off each other and getting stuck in doorways! Suddenly we were sweltering and Chris was threatening to jump in the water to cool off.
Night sail across Humber Estuary
Robin Hood's Bay