We saw out first puffin of the trip, they are quite difficult to capture as by the time the camera is ready they have gone, dived or flapped away in horror.
The is a song from my youth about fog on the Tyne by a band called Lindisfarne. Wasn't the bass drum hit with a rubber fish on TOTPs? So we turned in between the Tyne's massive breakwaters and up river past the fish quay and the Tyne ferry berth, calling the Royal Quays as we did, informing them of our need of bunkers. Calling from the ferry berth means they have time to prepare for the long walk from the marina office to the fuel berth in the river.
A very pleasant chap from Royal Quays came to give Tutak a drink and we had a lovely chat, especially as he used to drive the crane at the marina. They have a travel hoist now but we talked cranes, you know how it is. Tutak had been quite careful with her fuel and the fair winds had helped I guess as we had managed a fair bit of un-motor sailing.
The Marina is set in the old Albert Edward dock has that feel about it with the cruise terminal alongside. The best thing about the fuel berth is that it is 24hrs, but beware the nozzle is large and it dumps it in pretty quick and you need to be switched on not nattering about cranes.
We went back downriver past the ferry on the other side now. Doesn't she look sweet, I reckon I want one to make into a rather nice home. Past the red tower, so distinctive, marking the start of the narrows.
Swell and wind direction dictated that we anchor on the North Shields side this time, but I don't think it made that much difference. It was a bit rolly but mainly from the wash of small vessels.
The Nautica made her departure as the sun set over our anchorage under the ruins of the old priory.
The morning had us hauling the chain in and making sail before breakfast. We had to dodge a couple of salmon nets off Coquet island but this year the fishermen were very polite and we all got on fine.
Bringing the lighthouse on the inner Farne abeam we laid a course for the entrance to Lindisfarne harbour instead of our normal dogleg out to sea. This was our first time to Holy Island and I was looking forward to it, it's good to try new places. There are a couple of sets of leading marks to bring you in. You alter course from one to the other as they line up, sweet. One set are these monolith like structures.
The anchorage is superb and was very settled. In strong winds from some directions it can get a bit bumpy but that night was truly magical. With the brilliant sunset and the fairytale castle gave it a certain something.
I was going to stay there for a day or so but the weather window said now so we went. We took the Mouse Hole exit underneath the castle and past the old lime kilns, laying a course for St. Abb's head. On the way back with no deadline I would like to stay and have a proper look round like I did on the Farnes a couple of years ago.
Eyemouth we passed and then St. Abb's.
Where we altered course a wee bit for the crossing of the firth of Forth for Anstruthers.
Bass rock lined up with another monster on the mainland. We had a cracking if boisterous sail across the firth but it dawned on be that this was going to be a lee shore and the swell had built steadily during the day with wind from the southeast. The entrance was a little awkward as the waves tried to surf you sideways as you aim for a wee gap in the harbour wall perpendicular to the wave direction. Of course I should have set the camera up for filming but......
Perfect shelter once inside we tied up to a fishing boat in the outer harbour to investigate the inner. Local information had it that there had been some dredging and I was OK for us to voyage into the inner sanctum and alongside the pontoon. This harbour does dry and I woke in the morning sleeping on the side of the boat. Soft bottom mind. We left at seven the following morning as the forecast said the strong winds were going to be south of Montrose later. Later we should be well north of Montrose so off we went scraping the bottom. I was told there were plenty of pots to look out for, yeah I know, no he said, I mean there are a lot. He was right, we are used to plenty of pot markers but this looked like someone had emptied a children's ball pit into the sea.
We past these houses on Fife Ness as we rounded as close inshore as I dared as the tide should be covering any hard sticky up things called rocks and set a course for Peterhead 78nm away. Our course was North East and the wind was from the North East. The wind at this point was light so with just the main up we motored into the sea, no worries. Then it got misty and then it got foggy and then I put the fog horn on and it wailed for a few hours. Bell rock came and went but we never caught glimpse. By Scurdie Ness the wind had filled in and blown the fog bank south and another boat that had left Arbroath earlier reported that they were heading back in due to the fog. We were struggling now and were motor tacking with the main and mizzen at 20 degrees apparent. This is good as it takes some of the sting out of the waves and allows the sails to stabilise the boat and give another half a knot. By Stonehaven it was 22 knots apparent and I put the seat belt on and adjusted the suspension settings on my seat. By Aberdeen it had reached 40 knots....... no it had started to settle down for the night and not long after the sails came down along with the sea state and we were able to motor straight into it. We made Peterhead at 4 in the morning having left at seven the previous morning, all that tacking had put an extra 14nm on the bill. I love Peterhead, a port of refuge for the tired sailor with a safe entrance a calm berth.
Well isn't Whitby rather nice although folk don't say hello when you walk by. Maybe it's because it's a seaside town with lots and lots of visitors and chippies. There is a Co-op close to the marina and I made a few trips. I had some of those melamine plates on Tutak that had seen better days so we went for some plain white crockery. Proper job.
Here is Tutak, quietly snuggled up against the pontoon with a slight list to starboard, the new crockery is quite heavy.
There was a bit of dredging going on in the harbour with a super bit of kit. A built in 360 excavator on a pontoon with spud legs. The operator scooped up the spoil and dumped it into a hopper barge with two big outboards on the back. I say outboards but not as we know it. They are big blue boxes with engines it,s bolted on the stern deck of the barge with outdrive legs reaching into the water. Brilliant idea.
Monday came and I walked the few hundred metres to the boatyard just upriver. The book says they are riggers and northern agents for one of the mast people so. True enough but they were short staffed and couldn't get down to see me today. I explained I was keen not to spend too long as I had a friend to catch...... but if I could get the track off the mast he might be able to sort something out. So I returned to the boat and got the hacksaw out. The blade wend behind the track as it was so loose and only two of the six rivets were actually holding it on.
Taking the track back to see Stephen again at the yard we decided to go up a size on the rivets as the old ones had worked in the mast and made the holes oversize. In a few ticks I had the correct rivets in my paw and a rather nice riveting tool by Gesipa. It pulls up the rivet super easily and doesn't jar when the head breaks off. I left a hefty deposit for the loan of this tool and I don't blame him. I would have still been in pocket had I run off with it. It only took a few minutes to drill out the holes and get the track back on, what joy.
Stephen, Coates marine's owner, didn't ask any money apart from the rivets and was most helpful. Naturally I left a little something to say a big thank you anyway.
So after another trip to the supermaket we made ready for the mornings tide in the morning and took the ten o'clock bridge swing.
The double breakwaters at Whitby seem to work well and dissipates the surge nicely with very little working its way up river. I suppose northerly gale things might be different.....
So once outside we turned left and headed across the Tees bay for the Tyne. Ships aplenty at anchor waiting their turn to feed the fires of hell or whatever they do on the River Tees.
You can see that the sea had that oily leftover swell. Not a lot of wind but sloppy and we banged about all day and were glad to reach the Tyne.
Where were we, oh yes, just left Harwich heading norf. Sails went up, well actually the log said we sailed off the anchor with just the genoa rolled out. The main went up after we had cleared a bit of the mess up. The wind headed us mid afternoon and we had to motorsail for a while. I did think about going into Lowestoft for a few hours kip but the sea was such that dropping the hook in Yarmouth Roads seemed a likely proposition. The wind eventually came round to the east and there was going to be nice shelter behind the Scroby sands so we prepared to drop the hook just north of Great Yarmouth pier close inshore. For some reason I decided to take the route via the forehatch with the anchor winch handle. I took the cover off and dropped it behind me and freed off the chain and dropped the handle into the slot. Doing this with the previously dirtyed chain meant that my hands were now muddy so I closed the hatch and made my way back to the stern via the deck. Upon reaching the cockpit I washed my hands over the low stern section of the hull and went for the old towel hanging up in the wheelhouse. The door was locked, bugger.
I had somehow managed to lock myself out of the boat with the autopilot taking us up the beach in about ten minutes. I had no tools, nothing to take a hatch off or a window out. I doubt I could have done it in the time anyway. Luckily I had cut the speed to slow ahead so the eventual crunch would be lessened. I thought that if I smashed the stern window I would be able to reach the bolt holding the (now strengthened) door shut. What to use, ah the heavy steel bar that is the anchor winch handle. I went forward to retrieve it from the foredeck making sure that I held onto it tightly. I turned my face away and bashed the glass. The bar just bounced off. I tried again and again but nothing happened. I used the pointed end, but it would not break. I used two hands and clubbed it, I knew it was toughened but this was ridiculous. By this time the beach was getting pretty close.
It was obvious that I was not going to get in this way so I tried to use the steel bar as a jemmy and prise the door open. I smashed and scraped the teak door frame and got the lever in and applied some force and some more and the door gave a little. Repositioning the lever gave me some extra purchase and I managed to get a gap large enough for me to knock the engine control into neutral. By this time the beach was imminent and we were fortunate that there were no groynes in this section. I reached for my "ready" pliers and pulled the bolt back and opened the door fully, we then made a hasty turn into some deeper water.
I was shaken, quite badly. I have used the fore hatch to access the foredeck on many occasions. Was this the fist time the door had been bolted, I doubt it. The door has to be bolted open or shut or it slides as the boat rolls, and we all know Tutak rolls! The strengthened frame actually helped in the end as it gave me a strong point to jemmy the door against.
The door has lost some of its top veneer any way but this just looks like someone has broken in, oh, they did, sorry.
The white blurs just to the top and right of the bollard are the only evidence of me trying to break the glass. I has bruised the surface right enough. I had an exhausted sleep and woke quite refreshed in the morning. We left Yarmouth Roads at half after seven and goose winged our way round the corner of Norfolk past this little boat shed at Caister I think.
Would it be an inshore lifeboat perhaps? On and on past Sea Palling. I once anchored behind the rock breakwaters there a few years ago but not now. The sand has built up behind, which is what they were put there for I guess? After Bacton and the gas terminal we started to pull away from the shore heading for the south race buoy.
Guess who we bumped into? I don't know when the Patricia overtook us but there she was, heading in the opposite direction.
I was considering Grimsby but the weather was good as was the wind so we carried on outside of the outersand buoy and the big ship anchorage east of the mouth of the Humber. Darkness making it easier to spot the ships' headings along with the AIS of course. Oh I forgot to tell you that as I was trying to smash the window I noticed the chart plotter had gone off. I was a bit worried about this as it is like having another crew member along with Samantha the autopilot. I eventually traced the fault to a blown fuse in the negative side. I remember seeing a packet of those fuses in my workshop back home and wondering what they were for. Luckily I had one spare! Dawn broke and the tide was against us for Flamborough Head so we headed for a few hours rest anchored near the South Landing. Not a good place with the wind direction and I had to cling onto my berth. At least I could shut my eyes for a couple of hours. I have last years almanacs and being a cheapskate I decided to work all my tides from Dover to avoid buying updated books. Bad move I think, especially when you are short handed. You need to be able to look up tides quickly when plans change. So just after ten in the morning we gathered in the anchor chain, nice and clean this time and headed for the head. It was a bit lumpy and got lumpier. First time this year that I had experienced a "bit of swell". I was a bit unnerved by it to tell the truth but as I settled down I reached for the camera and took a quick vid. Sadly the worst was over but there you go.
Round the headland and past Filey Brigg, Scarborough and onto Runswick bay to anchor. That was until I heard the forecast and Whitby was the sound choice. Never been in before. Checked it out on the way back last year in the dark and was pleased with the well lit approach. And so we duly went round the offing buoy and headed for the outer breakwaters with the strong cross tide. It always seems a bit strange to be heading somewhere completely different from where you want to go. At five in the afternoon they swung the bridge for me and Ian from the marina took my lines.
We managed 158Nm from Yarmouth roads to Whitby. I was due for a rest. I slept solid for ten hours and stopped in bed the rest of the day more or less and watched the Canadian grand prix practises' and qualifying. Whitby has a large super market just by the marina and a steam train tooting takes one back to far away times, quaint.
After a few days on the boat, land felt like there was an earthquake, 5 on the Richter scale, going on. But jobs have to be done, I noticed that the spinnaker pole track on the mast was working loose. It needed to come off and be re-riveted with some proper rivets. As luck will have it there is a riggers a few metres up the river. I will see if they can do it on Monday.
Here are a few shots of Whitby.
Looking back to the inner breakwaters.
Looking up river to the swing bridge, from the waiting pontoon at the fish pier. The marina beyond.
A couple of boats waiting for the bridge, outbound.
Starting to swing.
One section swung open now. Larger vessels will have the other side opened too. Sometimes, when it is busy there is two way traffic with both sections open.
View from the marina up the hill on the east side.
Well that is a first for a while, off on the correct tide and money in the bank to last me the rest of my life, as long as I die tomorrow. Who said that? I love watching peoples faces, the look of unhappiness turns to a big grin.
The old boat is looking old but she is sound I think, if rather tatty round the edges. The strengthening of the wheelhouse door went well, now it "sounds just like a Golf". Fitting the new sliding track made the door very movable. From experience this means that if you get it wrong when opening the door in a seaway the frame takes a battering when the door takes over and smashes into the surround. I glued and bolted three blocks, not pretty but real solid like.
The engine mounts replacement was fairly straight forward using my hydraulic porta power to lift the engine just enough to slip the old rusting manky mounts out. Bukh mounts have no stud, they use a bolt instead so it is much easier to change the mounts in situ without lifting the engine out altogether.
However the height adjustment is done with shims rather than nuts. It does mean the weight is kept really low to the mount so the shear is kept down, especially with the monster Bukh. I have seen mounts torn to bits when the engine has been perched on the top of a long stud.
So the good ship Tutak left the berth at a little after midday on the first of June bound norf. Passing the Colne we spied the Pioneer out of Brightlingsea. She over took us off the Naze.
Just past Clacton pier excitement played out before us as the helicopter HS 125 played conkers with the boats below and the Freeway was snorting something in or out of her bow tube.
The wind was sufficient for us to sail into Harwich harbour whereupon the wind, now approaching 20 knots, came on the nose. The engine took us the rest of the way to Copperas bay. The hook was dropped and there we stayed while the gale blew itself out. Tucked up in the lee I registered 29 knots, not a day to be out I do believe.
After a day at anchor we dragged up the filthy chain and made a right mess. I bought a washdown pump off ebay but it's still in the locker. I was going to use it via a deck plug rather that make it permanent.
Passing down the Stour we saw that Trinity House's Patricia was along side gathering buoys for her next jolly, with a lightship on the mooring opposite.
This is the famous double ramp that allows the Stena Britannica and Hollandica to unload two decks at the same time. Yawn, OK well I think it's great!
The Navy yard was busy unloading a RoRo that I haven't seen before and the harbour ferry was back in service. It was cancelled the day before due to the wind I suppose.
An oil or gas carrier passed us on it's way to Parkstone's oil berth.
Ships aplenty
in the harbour with the extension to the Felixstowe end going well.
Will that make 10 spaces for simultaneous unloading of those massive
container ships? I think Trinity has seven and Felixstowe 3 maybe. This one was swinging to reverse up the Orwell to a berth on Trinity wharf.
And that was Harwich for this time. Love it, always something going on and remember that your underpants pass through here, along with most things we use these days.
Pretty pictures indeed but I will admit to being a bit biased.
This is my first forray into editing video, ok it's only a bunch of photos with music but it's all mine, well apart from the music which came from utube's featured tracks.
Yes it is that time of year again. The blood it warming and that means Tutak can be got ready for the off. A date of the 1st June has been set for leaving Tollesbury but a fair bit of work has to be done before that.
Last year's hurricane season found leaks where before none had been. I think this was due to permanently washed decks rather than anything seriously amiss.
The main problem was water coming down the chain pipe.
Don't forget to put the cover back on the winch.
Make sure the water that does come in does not drench the crew's bed!
This is an inside view of my added large capacity chain locker with the white pipe within which the chain runs.
It wouldn't take the full 60 metres of 8mm chain so it all came apart and the bulkhead was reinforced and cut out to allow the chain to fall into the space under the water tank.
There is now an up stand under the winch and any water that does make its way below is directed down the white pipe and into the chain locker, under which is a bilge pump in the forward well.
You may remember the sad demise of the original new water tank. A fine example of Air Cushion's work, it fitted like a glove in the awkward space under the raised front bunks. I failed the pressure test when I used the commercial water hose and filled the boat with water. I didn't know is was fresh at the time and I thought we were going down fast. I couldn't get anyone to make a replacement so I made do with a smaller flexible tank from Plastimo. That really needs a flat floor so I fitted one and this is what allows the chain to fall under in the enlarged locker.
Just waiting on the new hose. The old ones had gone really hard. Yes I will be sticking something on the hull sides to stop the tank chaffing on the exposed glass fiber. While I was in the front the rest of the foam backed vinyl fell of the hull sides. You know what it's like, the foam starts to crumble and the whole lot just falls off. Try and stick it back on and it just falls off again after an hour or two. So the old glue was stripped off using a wire brush on a grinder. A wipe over with some toluene and we have a fair finish for some more glue. This is what it looked like before attacking it.
I bought some sidelining from Kayospruce, with the high heat adhesive they reccomend for it. This is what it looks like on the port side.
The top has not been stuck yet as I thought I had enough to do just getting the bottom bit stuck. I would recommend using the liquid glue in a tin for the hull sides. For the overhead and fiddly bits one can use a paint brush. However the ribbed sidelining is more effectively treated with glue from the spray can. You can get a more even spread and an overall better job I reckon. I took the bulkhead trims off so the lining goes behind for a neat finish.
Another job that has been waiting since I first got the boat is the wheelhouse door. It sticks and jambs, sometimes at very inconvenient moments, like the time I tried to ditch a fire extinguisher that was going off. I had mended and adjusted the old sliding door track but the wheels had given up. Many years ago I bought a galvanised ball bearing track for a heavy door to replace the ailing track. I never got round to fitting it and it has been moved many times but I knew off its whereabouts and here it is in all its glory.
I would like to say it is brilliant but it is so easy to move now that I smashed the jamb and now I will have to reinforce the frame to take the new loading. Never mind, at least I can open and shut the door. Of course there is still the starboard lining to do, and the engine mounts, and the new heater to fit, oh and........
