We intended to leave at high tide (7.30) and head straight up to Walton backwaters. But we both woke at 6 and to hear heavy rain and howling wind, so we turned off the alarm and went back to sleep! After our lazy breakfast, the rain had stopped, so we set off for Pyefleet Creek. It was still damp and misty, the wind was in the wrong direction so we had to tack, but it felt great to be underway. We saw a tern - the first this year, on one of the buoys. After tacking through Burnham, the wind died and we motored for a bit, but then it came back and we continued tacking to the Spitway. We both tried taking sights with the sextant - my calculations put us only about 60 miles from our correct position - more practice required. We saw a porpoise. At the Spitway we could raise the drifter and we had a lovely sail right into Pyefleet where we anchored in our usual place just beyond the moorings.
Left at HW. Sailed off anchor and had an easy and fast sail to Walton backwaters. Saw another porpoise off Frinton. Had to tack inshore to avoid a fishing net but otherwise uneventful. Anchored near E cardinal buoy marking channel to explosives factory. No one else in Hamford water.
We prepared to cross to Ijmuiden in the morning, given a reasonably favourable forecast.
Very heavy rain and high winds kept us awake for much of the night. The anchor held perfectly but we pitched and rattled, and the wind howled.
Thursday 3 May
Because of the broken night and the wind still howling out of the NE, the way we want to go, we wimped out of the crossing and went into Titchmarsh marina instead, in order to do some food shopping. After showers and a few coffees, we felt a bit better. We took out the folding bikes and rode to Walton - all worked beautifully - they are super bikes!
Friday 4 May
We left Titchmarsh well before HW to give us lots of time to get up to Lowestoft with a favourable tide. The wind was consistently on the nose, though, so we motor-sailed almost all the way except for about half an hour of proper sailing. Apart from another two porpoise sightings, the trip was rather dull, with some choppy water on the final approach.
Several other boats appeared after us who had done the same trip. All were on their way around the UK.
Saturday 5 May
We stayed the day in Lowestoft - a bit of shopping in the morning and a 25 mile bike ride to Beccles and back in the afternoon. Well signposted cycle routes, mainly on roads and quiet lanes. Surprised by how much relatively new housing has been built in this area.
The wind is still strong and from the NE, but is forecast to die down a bit tonight, so we plan to cross the North Sea tomorrow - leaving very early in the morning, arriving in the latish evening.
Sunday 6 May
We set off at 4am, aiming to cross during the day. The wind was consistently above 20kts and mostly north east, so we were close hauled, heeled at about 20 degrees. The waves were one or two metres, and we slammed into them quite a bit. It was exhausting to do anything, but we were able to sit in the saloon in relative comfort and maintain a watch visually and using AIS. We kept going with a few tacks to try to maintain the right course. We arrived in IJmuiden at 2am, moored up to the long pontoon on the canal side, surprising a heron who was fishing, and went straight to bed.
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