Ready for the off and Harwich.

We seem to have spent a fourtune on charts ready for the trip this summer. There is a rough plan of where we want to go and when but as you all know in sailing nothing is certain.

Finally we got to the boat on the Saturday and on Sunday were pleased to see our friends Carol and Chris from Seaduction. We went for lunch at Valentinos in Ipswich and would highly recommend it to others. An excellent afternoon was had by all and we wished Carol and Chris farewell as we most probably won't see them again until September. When I am sure more wine will be drunk and more food eaten.

Monday was a day of spending yet more money as our flares were out of date and needed replacing. So we are now okay until Dec 2020. I could get John a new pack of flares for his sixty birthday that month!

Our plan for this week was not to do our normal stop off at Harwich but to sail to Ramsgate in one go. Our day for setting off was the Tuesday. So on Monday the charts were out and the route planned. This was all new sailing ground for us as we have never gone down the South Coast before. The first big decision was whether to go on the inner or our route. We plumped for the inner route, as this takes you through and round sand banks. We woke to torrential rain, which in itself is not a problem but as we checked the weather forecast on Tuesday morning we saw fog patches in the Thames estuary, not what we wanted so a decision was made to stay put. By midday  the weather had improved somewhat and we decided to take Rascal down the river to Harwich.

We shared the lock with Victor, a Thames sailing barge, complete with a motley crew of pirates and a human sized parrot. I think this must have been a bit of a shock to the 'normal' tourists going down the river on the barge.

Why is it when you moor perfectly some where there is not a soul to see you but when you make a total pigs ear of it the world and his wife are there to witness it. This was a day of perfect mooring. When in Harwich you have to eat at the Alma and it doesn't disappoint.



Sailing Information.
The coat of a night at Harwich has gone up, it is now £20 a night. The harbour masters are as helpful as ever and there is a shower.