We are relieved to have arrived in the Dutch Frisian Island of Vlieland after a 36 hour crossing of the North Sea.

A gale warning from the Dutch coastguard at 1700 hours persuaded us to divert to Vlieland rather than stick to our original plan to Norderney along a coast we don’t know in the dark and rain.

Our arrival in Force 6 winds and 2+ metre waves was quite different from our departure on a calm Thursday morning, with light winds obliging us to motor most of the day, albeit in quite a heavy NW swell. A following wind did get up in the evening so we were able to sail on our genoa through the night and by Friday morning were bombing along at 8-9 knots. We were surprised at just how much there is to see in the North Sea: windfarms, oil platforms, shipping lanes – hardly a dull moment.