22nd May onwards

22nd May 2007

Somewhere in the north sea, United Kingdom - We think we prefer horizontal water!

So much for weather forecasts! 5ft swell, force 4 or 5 and no bolt holes. Haven't eaten today yet. Both feeling the worse for wear. Never mind we wanted to go on a diet anyway. Catch u later....

23rd May 2007

Whitby, United Kingdom - Phew

In the words of Chandler from friends:

"Oh my God!"

What a baptism of fire!
How many things can happen in 48 hours?

- 6 hours sleep in 2 days
- a night ride from hell
- 18 cruising/engine hours
- 72 nautical miles covered
- a third of a packet of ant sickness tablets gone
- a bump on Phil's head
- our first sight of seals and porpoises.... wow....
- incorrect weather forecast
- a faulty alternator
- and 66 fantastic photos lying 4 meters down on the bottom of the river Esk. Doh and double doh and treble doh!!!!!

and lots more............

23rd May 2007

Spurn Head, United Kingdom - Day 5 continued...................

So, winding back the clock.

BIT OF A SWELL!

This beautiful, tranquil spot turned on us at high water. You see what the guides don't say is that this spot suffers from the wake of passing ships! So approaching high water the Humber became the M25 for boats and we ended up with beam on (side on) 4 to 5 foot waves coming at us every time a ship passed.
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Sorry for the break, scubaman's just been and hurray, we've got the camera back. We're going to dry out the memorycard and hope for the best.
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So, these waves. During the course of the evening Conny got more and more queasy and then finally one set of waves hit that had Conny falling from one side of the boat to the other and I nearly fell off the toilet. It was at this point that I, in my infinite wisdom, decided that it would be better if we set off rather than staying put. BIG MISTAKE. If things were bad on the anchorage, they were much worse in the channel. 15 mins. out and we were being tossed about like a 28 foot boat in an overfall (OH - that's what we were!) An overfall by the way is where two tidal streams collide, this one wasn't charted!. Bare in mind it was now about 1am and totally dark. We were lurching up and down waves that we reckon must have been 2 meters high. Suddenly the anchorage seemed quite nice in comparison and we returned to a very uncomfortable night there.
Conny's thanks to Matt and Michelle for the anti-sickness tabs :-)