Goodbye Yorkshire, hello Norfolk

Our stay in Whitby made us some new friends, as well as meeting up with old ones. Debbie met a lady in the laundry and started chatting, would you believe because they were both wearing the same brand of glasses! Bill and Julie kept their 36 foot Westerly ketch in Walton Backwaters and had sailed to many of the East Coast ports. The meeting in the laundry developed into us going aboard their boat for tea and us revising our onward plans from Lowestoft to Wells next the Sea, a harbour we didn't think we could get into but Bill assured us we could, and a call to the Wells harbour master confirmed this. As it was about 45 miles nearer and more interesting than Lowestoft our plans were updated.

At lunchtime our friends Ali and Mark joined us with Woody and Cio. Ali was recovering well from major back and throat surgery, we were pleased to see her looking well, if a little frustrated at not being allowed to drive or return to work, these women have no patience!

Mark, Woody, Cio and Ali.

Our undoing was a late lunch of fish and chips with Ali and Mark, doing what most of the holiday makers in Whitby were doing. There must be more to Whitby than fish and chips and ice cream! After Ali and Mark left us Julie Bill and their friends Pete and Sharon, who were cruising in company with them, joined us for a pre dinner drink, in anticipation of us leaving first thing in the morning. In our case dinner was cancelled as Debbie came down with severe stomach pains, eventually being very sick. Fish and chips at an odd time of day did for her, our early start was cancelled in favour of a recovery day in Whitby.

An enforced stay had it's benefits. The tides and weather forecast were better a day later and we were able to walk to the East side of the river and around the ruined abbey and the quieter parts of the town. The final plus was an invite to dinner on board 'Romteskip' from Bill and Julie. Julie was not phased by producing dinner for 6 on board and we all had a pleasant evening. Bill, Julie, Sharon and Pete were going through the early bridge opening the next morning to catch the tide into Scarborough. We were going out through the last bridge opening for the longer passage to Wells as we would have to wait for the tide into Wells on Friday morning.

Whitby Abbey

 

Sharon, Pete, Bill, Julie and David enjoying a glass or two.

We left on Thursday morning at 10.45 with the expectation of a SW wind, strength force 3 to 4, which we eventually got off Filey. Before that the wind teased us, varying in direction and strength so we were furling and unfurling sails and stopping and starting the engine, at least the sun was shining and we didn't need waterproofs. When the breeze finally settled down we were sailing amongst scores of fishing pot markers, the sailors frustration around our coasts, not the thing to wrap around your rudder or propellor.

A sea of fishing floats.

Once the SW breeze kicked in we were making good speed under sail and, as the tide was now with us, we shot around Flamborough Head and kept the tide with us until we were off the mouth of the Humber.

Approaching Flamborough Head with a dramatic sky.

There was plenty to look out for as we headed South. With wind farms, gas platforms and shipping there were plenty of lights around us as it started to get dark. Most of the shipping was anchored, awaiting their call to dock in the Humber. We had one cargo ship underway who called us and said he was making an alteration of course to starboard and would we do the same so we could pass each other port to port. Under the collision regs we didn't have to, being a sailing vessel, but it seemed a logical thing to do.

After we rounded the Outer Sand buoy, marking the eastern extremity of the Humber large vessels anchorage, the wind started to drop and the tide started to turn so we furled the genoa and started the engine. As we had enjoyed 7 hours of fair tide and good breeze we were well ahead of our schedule and would be very early for the tide into Wells so we slowed down, only making 3 to 4 knots over the ground. We were approaching an area of sea where shallows existed a long way offshore, very different to sailing in Scotland when the depth was often too deep for the echo sounder to find the bottom. So it was strange to be looking for buoys that marked channels between shallow banks when we were 20 miles offshore.

Sunrise

For the last 10 miles of our passage, when the sun had come up, we stopped the engine and boomed out the genoa to run down to Wells at a peaceful 3 knots. Even so we were still an hour early and anchored off the Wells west cardinal. Wells harbour is well sorted with a camera, as well as AIS to pick up any boats approaching the entrance channel. When they called us to give us the all clear to enter they also sent out the beach rescue RIB to pilot us in as it was our first time into the port, something which we were grateful for as the channel is very winding and narrow in places with the deepest water closer to the port hand marks.

Our escort in.

Close to Holkham beach.

We did touch the bottom very gently a couple of times but the tide was still on the rise so were hardly stopped at all.

The last stretch before the quay.

Our escort guided us into a berth alongside a Westerly Oceanquest belonging to Dave and Anne, a very friendly couple who knew the area well. They told us that it was carnival weekend in Wells and things might get a little noisy. It might have done but on Friday night we were dead to the world and didn't hear anything!

Today we have sampled the delights of Wells, finding what must be the best green grocer we have come across on our trip. The Country Garden had a wonderful display of fresh fruit and vegetables, some of which we've sampled tonight. We also found a good butchers shop and a bakery, both run by a local family, Arthur Howell, well worth a visit. While we were in the town we both managed, at short notice, to get haircuts by Olly at Hair by Jenny. He managed to get both of us looking respectable again! Excellent value. Lunch of pancakes on the Dutch barge, Albatross, moored alongside the quay set us up for the afternoon carnival parade, we declined the funfair though! Choosing instead to walk out to Holkham Beach and have a look at the entrance channel at low water, a bit scary! Most of the channel marks were dry and you could wade across the channel in places.

Wells quay.

During the day 12 square metre sharpies have been racing . This is one of the few strongholds of this old Olympic class.

We will have to wait until early afternoon tomorrow for enough water to leave but we then head to Lowestoft and then to visit some of the East Coast rivers.

 

 

 

 

 

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