It did and we thundered southwards, urged on by a brisk offshore breeze for mile after mile.
No time to visit Staithes on this outing, the tide was all wrong anyway, maybe next year.
The wind was so good we just had to keep going, past Runswick bay, Whitby, Scarborough, Filey Bay and round Flamborough Head. Enough was enough and we dropped the hook off the South Landing on the southern side of the headland.
It was not easy here as the scend made its way round the headland and tickled Tutak so we picked up the hook and tucked ourselves right in the corner above the clamour of Bridlington and had a most peaceful night.
The morning brought us more wind and we again made all plain sail, racing southwards past the works off Bridlington beach.
More windmills were being planted off the Spurn Head.
The wind drove us southwards still, past the Humber.
Past the delights of Skegness until we reached.....
Gibraltar Point, as made famous by the shipping forecast, where we tucked in behind a sandbank for the night, well part of it anyway.
A four o'clock start had us crossing the Wash until the sun crept over the horizon off the Norfolk coast. The wind still doing its job, what joy.
Onward past Cromer and...
Norfolk's pretty cliffs, the white horses going eastwards with us. The tide had turned by this time but we had the genoa poled out and were still making 3.5 - 4 knots against it.
The wind came more and more ahead as we turned south into the Yarmouth Roads where, once more, we came across the Trinity House Vessel "Galitea".
On past Lowestoft with the wind still in our favour, through the night until the morning brought us off Harwich. A day or so anchored under the old HMS Ganges had us rested for the last thirty or so miles. The wind had forsaken us and the sun vaporised the early mist.
A strange scene as the ribbon of mist made its way down the river Orwell past the cranes of the Port of Felixstowe and the hidden Ultra Large container ships. The crane booms are only lowered if there is a ship underneath. I wonder if they had to suspend cargo handling?
The Northwest Knoll buoy just about had enough energy to nod its greeting to us as we started the engine for the last few miles with barely a ripple on the surface. But what a cracking sail, 360 miles from Perterhead and the wind chuffing all the way, fantastic.
A little under two months and a little over 1600 miles, and a great time was had by all. I wonder what delights 2014 will bring and where we will fetch up? I know one thing, I must leave earlier to get the best of the weather in the higher latitudes.
