MoodySabre
Well-Known Member
Something I won\'t do again
More of the fabulous Ostend weekend elsewhere but....
We needed to get back to Bradwell on a tide so opted for leaving Ostend at 0900 with a return estimated at at 0200. In the event we left as planned and after I switched the engine off at Bradwell I looked at my watch and it was EXACTLY 0200 /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
BUT......
We opted to come down the East Swin from Longsand Head in a building Northeasterly (unlike the prudent Mr Full Circle). It was a huge surfing safari and it was a very very dark night. By the time we got to the Swin Spitway it was 1130 (one hour after low water) with 27 knots and a fair sea running. Those lights are spooky. Well we turned 90degrees across wind and tide, water all over the boat, and plugged at the Spitway - down to a metre /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Coastguard gave a warning about the prolific use of the F word heard off the East coast /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) and we were through /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
This was not clever but a poor choice of route in the conditions and plain scary - oh for The Wallet!
After that it just got windy! Off the Colne with 32 knots over the deck from behind us and we were doing 6 knots - so that's a force never-before-and-no-thanks. Going into Bradwell is very very very dark on a cloudy night even when you know it and have a big torch.
0200 - beers opened - collapse was imminent.
More of the fabulous Ostend weekend elsewhere but....
We needed to get back to Bradwell on a tide so opted for leaving Ostend at 0900 with a return estimated at at 0200. In the event we left as planned and after I switched the engine off at Bradwell I looked at my watch and it was EXACTLY 0200 /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
BUT......
We opted to come down the East Swin from Longsand Head in a building Northeasterly (unlike the prudent Mr Full Circle). It was a huge surfing safari and it was a very very dark night. By the time we got to the Swin Spitway it was 1130 (one hour after low water) with 27 knots and a fair sea running. Those lights are spooky. Well we turned 90degrees across wind and tide, water all over the boat, and plugged at the Spitway - down to a metre /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Coastguard gave a warning about the prolific use of the F word heard off the East coast /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) and we were through /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
This was not clever but a poor choice of route in the conditions and plain scary - oh for The Wallet!
After that it just got windy! Off the Colne with 32 knots over the deck from behind us and we were doing 6 knots - so that's a force never-before-and-no-thanks. Going into Bradwell is very very very dark on a cloudy night even when you know it and have a big torch.
0200 - beers opened - collapse was imminent.
