Final Blog
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Sun 21 Jun 2009 19:56
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Final episode
50:45.4N
001:31.9W
Berth D24 Lymington
Marina
22nd June 2009
Leaving Dartmouth on the morning of the 18th we
motored in sunshine for an hour then enjoyed a lovely sail across Lyme Bay,
south of Portland Bill and its race and on past St Alban's Ledge, Anvil Point,
Swanage and finally we came to anchor in Studland Bay. For the last four
hours we had been crossing the land at over 9 knots with the tide and a brisk SW
wind blowing us along. Truly magic.
Two days of peaceful sorting anchored under the
white cliffs of Studland and the Old Harry Rocks and early on the
morning of the 21st we set off for home. Return the day before had been
delayed due to the Round the Island Race. The idea of coming in
through the Needles Channel and Hurst narrows against nearly two thousand
dedicated racers going the other way was not appealing.
A magical sail across from Studland to the Needles
was only held up because the rising wind made us go too fast and we knew that
Nick, Jenny plus George and Eliza were going to meet us at Hurst. We hove to for
twenty minutes. In the end we just laid the Needles Channel and
close-hauled in sunshine and with about twelve knots across the deck we were met
not just by family but by many friends in a variety of speeding
craft.
 Reception committee
 Nick and family joined the speedier boats at Hurst.
 Alongside the club pontoon our ropes were taken by Brian and
Anne
friends who we met first in the Caribbean and then in New
Zealand.
Most importantly Carol, my mother, was there to meet us.
Despite wishing we
were much nearer her than the other side of the world she has
given us nothing but
support over our eight years away.
  Scenes from the BBQ lunch given by David and Mel. Blog
readers may recognise many of
the faces from the birthday party in Bequia.
Altogether it was the perfect homecoming. A
lovely sail followed by the company of friends and all our near
family.
People keep asking us 'how will you settle down to
normal life?' Well we will see but we both feel happy at the
prospect. We find that long term cruisers are divided into three
groups. Those who rush round and tick boxes and stop after a couple of
years, often giving up sailing altogether. Those, and we class ourselves
in this group, who do it for between 5 and 10 years then stop being nomadic but
continue to sail. Those who cannot give up and enjoy being endlessly
nomadic. We know with certainty that we are not in this group. So we
have no fear of a change in life style and in many ways look forward to the
challenge of it. The company of family and close friends is also a strong
pull and will, we are sure, make the transition easier.
Thus nearly nine years of full time cruising
comes to an end. I will give a few facts.
Main figures are since we finally left Lymington in
autumn 2000. The figures in brackets are since my retirement in July of
that year.
48 (53) countries were visited.
I was going to list the number of
ports/anchorage visited but the task was beyond me.
53,450 (55,100) miles were logged
The engine did approx. 3000 hrs and has not let us
down in any major way.
Our original mainsail (Peter Sanders) was renewed
in South Africa after 55,000 miles use and our present genoa, also Sanders, has
done over 40,000 miles and is fit for many more.
Nordlys herself needed no structural repairs and is
running on the original rudder bearings and steering cables. Also the original
cutlass bearing although this needs renewing. May I end by saying that if we can help anyone who
is thinking of taking up this type of sailing then please get in touch through
MailaSail. Also if any of our sailing friends are reading this do please
remember that there will always be a welcome and a
steady bed with endless hot water at 2 Conference Place, Lymington SO41
0TQ. We will keep our present email address going for some
months.
Happy times and fair winds to all
readers
David and Annette
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