Day 52 - Whitby

Friday 24^th July 2015 – Whitby – Day 52

At 01.30 the wind died, as it slowly moved round to the nose, engine on and headsail dropped.

I enjoyed the show for the rest of the night watch; the northern sky never really darkened with a ribbon of light on it's horizon.  The sky was clear and the stars bright when the show began, a meteor shower, they were criss-crossing the sky, mostly in a south to north direction.  For a finale the sky was lit in the east by a huge shooting star with a very wide tail which stretched for miles, at the head of which this huge glowing white blob hurtling through the sky.  Eventually the head was snuffed out and the tail faded.  I have seen many meteor showers at sea but this one was the best and will always be remembered.

The morning weather forecast was not very good at all, with the wind supposedly to veer round to the north, north east and increase to force 5 to 6 occasionally 7.  This is not want you want to hear on a small boat in the North Sea.

The decision was made to head for Scarborough 46 miles away where you can find shelter in the bay behind the castle, if you cannot enter because of the tide, while Whitby was 47 miles away; it is a tricky entrance especially in a swell, if the sea builds up from the predicted direction.

In the afternoon, we sighted land, the Yorkshire coast.  An hour later we re-rigged the genoa with its sheets, reefs removed from the main and as the wind had not changed direction, sea conditions the same, we altered course for Whitby.  For us the facilities at Whitby are more favourable and nearer to our home port of Blyth.

I called the marina at 18.00 and they thankfully replied there would be berth available for us, though we would have to go to the waiting pontoon before the swing bridge would open.

The mainsail was dropped at 19.30 and ten minutes later we were passing the welcoming north cardinal mark at the entrance to Whitby.

Whitby North Cardinal Mark

   

West Pier

The entrance through the piers was not a problem with very little swell and very relieved to see the river open as you turn and the town opens out before you.

At 19.45 we were alongside the waiting pontoon.  The swing bridge opened at 20.30 and all secured in the marina by 20.45.

A half an hour later we were in the shower block which was great and all polished we set off for the nearest Weatherspoon’s, the ‘Angel Pub’ for a meal of fish and chips meal and two pints of beer, this was wonderful, as we had very little to eat on the way across and of course no beer while at sea.

Finished off the night in the nearby ‘Station Pub’, with gins and tonics; before arriving back on board for midnight; then straight to bed.

Happy to be back in Whitby, one of our favourite ports on the north east coast of England, after completing a not too pleasant crossing of the North Sea.