Day 50 - At Sea

Wednesday 22^nd July 2015 – At Sea – Day 50

Awake at 05.30, engine started at 06.00 out of the harbour ten minutes later and hoisted the main with two reefs in, shortly afterwards we passed buoy VS8, now known as Jack’s buoy, the one we had bounced off on the way in.

By 07.00 we were making good progress down the channel with the outgoing tide and wind in the west force 3 to 4 with a slight to moderate sea, at 08.00 we shook out the reefs from the main.

By 08.30 we were beginning to cross the main shipping separation zones, this is where the larger ships mostly on passage in and out of the Elbe follow this particular route, we are obliged to cross at ninety degrees to the lane and the oncoming traffic.  These lanes are three miles wide and separated by two miles.

The first lane we came to was the north bound lane, on this clear day it was easy to spot the ships coming towards you and with the AIS (automatic identification system) on the chart plotter, this gives you the information on the ships, name of vessel, speed and course, more importantly the closest point it will be when it passes and at what time.

'Heulan'

This invaluable information made us slow down and alter course for one ship, ‘Heulan’ until she was safely past.  I am a great believer in, when on a yacht, plastic gives way to steel.

At 10.30 after crossing both shipping lanes, in the southbound lane there was very little traffic, the engine was stopped, and we set course for Blyth, now 240 miles away.

We settled into our four hours on and eight hours off watches.  I took the 12 to 4, Jack the 4 to 8 and Dave the 8 to 12.

As the afternoon progressed the wind slowly began to ease until at 18.30 the engine was once more started and the headsail dropped.

Dave's night watch attire

Westward Bound

By 20.00 there was no wind at all, mainsail dropped, as we headed westward for the UK coast.

At 21.00 the navigation lights were switched on, as we began our night hours and take in the enchantment of being at sea, the motion of boat on a slightly rolling sea, the stars in the sky breaking out behind the clouds with the occasional light on the horizon of other ships passing by.