Off we go, norf like, to Harwich harbour. There to anchor and get used to the boat moving around. Some may know but a nasty little bug ate most of my inner ear many years ago and my balance can be a little fussy at times. We passed the sailing barge Mimosa, least I think it was.
So with the wind still in the north but light instead of the unseasonable gales we has a happy time off the old HMS Ganges between the Shotley entrance and the east pier, but not a sail was set in anger.
The latest gadget to mitigate Tutak rolling at anchor was set. Now let's explain this proper like. It is a 6mm triangular aluminium plate with a bit of 10mm steel plate at one corner to make it sink fast on that side. Attached to eye bolts on each corner are ropes 2 metres long, shackled together at the loose end and a halyard made fast via the spinnaker pole as per the photos. The damper needs to be about two metres under water.
When the boat rolls towards the damper plate the weighted edge sinks quickly until the boat rolls the other way and snaps the ropes taught and the plate damps the roll as it is pulled up flat.
Oh what joy! Sleeping at some anchorages needs self latching digits similar to what birds have when roosting me thinks. Anyway we stays put for a couple of nights and then puts out to sea bound north for Great Yarmouth. Out past the new container ship berth at Felixstowe.
With the yachts out for a race.
Out past the Hitler war remnants on the Landguard Point and out into the Northsea again.
The wind is northerly and we were making most of its ten knots, so we settle down to listen to the Bukh for a few hours.
Yarmouth roads was nice and calm and the roll damper would take care of the rest so we headed in towards Britannia Pier to drop the hook. Sweat broke out upon my brow as this is the spot we got locked out last year. I made doubly sure we had the wheelhouse door open this time!
We stayed a couple of days, hoping the wind would blow from the south but it never came. Indeed it looked like we may get another blow from the north so it was time to make a move. The plan was to head straight for the Tyne and miss out the North Norfolk coast and the Humber. We set off with a fair tide and a little foul wind but a least the sun was out. It didn't stay out and we navigated most of the day in a fog bank.
I used the "listen back" function on the fog horn and heard answering wails through the swirling wraith like tendrils of mist. I had the Standard Horizon plotter as the main screen with AIS and the Xperia waterproof tablet with the SeaClear UK chart package on it. That gives me two totally separate electronic charts with the laptop as a backup and the paper charts for the big picture.
The answering fog signal turned out to be the Sheringham Shoal wind farm! The turbine towers appeared out the mist and then disappeared.
The fog closed in again after the wind farm, maybe the blades of doom blew the fog away a bit? The next thing to hit was the Amethyst production platform (gas). I only saw the bottom bits of it before it too was swallowed up.
Shipping was light and the anchorages were not too populated with ships waiting for their turn up the Humber.
Flamborough head was reached at dawn and a filthy sunrise was our reward but at least it stayed fair and sunny all day, well, mostly.
The sun lit up the cliffs of Flamborough Head rather prettily after the murk of the past 24 hours.
We passed Scarborough and Whitby, both placed sent out their siren call to my tired head but we resisted.
The North Cheek, followed by Whitby High (light).
And on and on.....
Did I tell you the Bidata failed just off the Norfolk coast. So that is no depth and no speed, OK I can do without speed but..... Spent the day trying various fixes but it is scrap. I tried to order a new head unit to fit the original transducers but the faithful thr33 dongle won't talk to Windows 10. I just upgraded, magic.
We had to resort to good old fashioned semaphore, well, mobile phone a least. I got a text to a friend who was at sea, fishing, he phoned another friend and got him on the Internet. Eventually he phoned direct and I searched the Internet by proxy. The signal is a bit iffy a few miles offshore. Anyway I'm rambling, the upshot is the new head unit will be waiting for me in Newcastle.
You can see the state of the sea as we crossed the bay of tears. Oily leftover swell, hardly a ripple to be seen.
A few puffs came and went but not enough to get a fat girl like dear Tutak going.
We eventually made the Tyne breakwaters 36 hours after leaving Great Yarmouth. Even allowing myself shuteye for six minutes at a time instead of four I was still shot to bits. What with the rather poor vis and trying to sort out the sounder I didn't get a lot of rest. Trying to keep alert in fog is hard, it's easy to switch off with potential unpleasant consequences.
We dropped the hook off the Haven beach inside the encompassing breakwaters of the Tyne, set the roll damper and had a rest.
There we stayed, moving from the south anchorage to the north depending on the wind and swell for a day or four.
It poppled up a bit for a day or so and I thought it was drizzling all day but it turned out to be the waves bursting on the north breakwater and covering me in a fine mist of spray.
There was a fair bit of shipping in and out, car carriers of course, a jack leg barge, cruise ships to name a few.
A couple were even brave enough to have some pictures taken on the breakwater.
I even started on the mast steps, mizzen first. I cut and bent them out of 5mm ally and used ally rivits with stainless mandrells made safe with copious amounts of Duralac.
On the way up we passed the Disney Magic, not my idea of a cruise ship but it must appeal to plenty.
I had to hang around on the waiting pontoon outside in the river. No big deal, we listened to the music, sounded like "T in the Park", booming from the Gateshead side. Once the tide had made a bit we were able to get the bridge lifted and cross the sill.
We tied up OK and all went well until I went ashore. The land kept moving as it had been eleven days since I had last set foot on it. I think the staff thought a drunk was avisiting, not yet matey.
I took Shank's pony into town to see the sites and meet the passenger.
Upon our return we took Tutak out to the river pontoon to save getting up too early the next day for the trip downriver. Then it was off to China town for a meal and a wee drink before having a nightcap at the pub overlooking the marina.
