From: Lydia at sea [mailto:lydiaatsea@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 13 August 2011 17:05
Subject: FW: Log Report 4 - Sent Sat 13/8/11

 

Lydia – Alan & Jess - Summer 2011 – Log Report 4 – Sent Saturday 13th August 2011

Hi everyone,

We’ve now been in Holland for more than a month.  Apart from some atrocious weather, we’ve had a lovely relaxing time.  We think we have sussed out how to manage the locks without tears.  Don’t go in when it is too windy or too busy.  Use a boathook to put ropes over the lock wall bollards. Stay calm – Don’t panic!

Stay calm – Don’t panic!

We had a super surprise as we entered Gouda marina.  There was “Samphire of Rame”.  Great excitement for us – first sight of friends from home.  We had a get together that afternoon and ate lunch out on the Saturday.   Gouda town was pleasant, but the mosquitoes in the marina – We were eaten alive!

“Caprice in Haarlem”

Ian & Dense (Caprice) were waiting for us in Haarlem with a lovely warm welcome.  Mosquito Cruising flags flew that day.  A canalside resident enquired about our flags as mosquito was the nickname for Haarlem citizens, during the Dutch War of Independence, who fought fiercely to resist Spanish rule.  We spent some time with Ian and Denise, including a train visit to Amsterdam.  In all we spent 2 weeks in Haarlem, including 2 days at anchor in a small lake just to the north 

We have seen some interesting vessels on our travels from the smallest motor boats and yachts to huge working canal barges.  The most amazing though, was a Noah’s Ark. (see picture)

Noah’s Ark

In addition to visiting pretty ports such as Zierikzee and Goes, which we found to be popular and therefore busy, we spent some quiet relaxing time at anchor on the inland seas.  Unfortunately, our keel was too deep for most of the island pontoons, so we chose our own spots to anchor.  Jess even went swimming one day.

What we came to see

As we send this we are back in Middelburg on our homeward journey.  We hope to sail to Belgium on Monday, weather permitting! 

 

Regards Alan & Jess.    

 

From: Lydia at sea [mailto:lydiaatsea@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 07 July 2011 09:55
Subject: Log Report 3 – Sent Thursday 7th July 2011

Lydia – Alan & Jess - Summer 2011 – Log Report 3 – Sent Thursday 7th July 2011


Hi everyone,

Last report, had us in Dunkerque.

At 06:00, in the pouring rain but not windy, the yacht on the inside said he did not mind a bit of rain and wanted to leave. Without detaching the ETAP 28 on our outside, and a long line from my bow to the pontoon around the leaving yacht’s stern, and with a little bowthruster assistance, the manoeuvre was done and we went back to bed. It dried up midmorning to explore. We discovered that the yacht tour of France was to start today but that day’s racing was cancelled due to 40 knot winds. On our way into town we heard very noisy motorbikes. Our arrival at the big church coincided with the bride on a three-wheeler. Later we saw her leave the church on the same bike but with the groom and, of course, her bike escort.



The next day we decided to move on. The ETAP was planning to return to Harwich and was concerned about fog, not having AIS or radar. Internet and Captainerie said clear day. 09:00, time to leave, could not see the harbour mouth. We left at 09:30 and motored in mist/fog and no wind to Oostende, our first and only Belgium port. Locked up and was given a very nice large berth. The finger pontoon was longer than the yacht. The sun came out and it got very hot. On our short tour of the city, and a beer or two at a square side bar, we found this to be more different to France than we expected. That evening, Poirot the pigeon first came to visit us by standing on the stern rope of the boat across the pontoon. He then decided that Lydia’s back step was worth a visit. He did not mind having his picture taken. He was still around when we retired for the evening.



We decided to take advantage of favourable weather and moved on the next day. Poirot had gone too. We will stay longer on our return as Oostende looked beautiful. We took the 09:00 lock down, but we were delayed exit due to commercial traffic in the harbour entrance. Nice day – a little sailing and a lot of motoring. I took a route which crossed the busy shipping lanes early to arrive at Vlissigen on the north side of the channel. I think we were lucky with the traffic. We went through the sea lock to start the Dutch canal system. We spent a very pleasant evening travelling up a deserted canal. Once we got through the first bridge the other 2 followed in sequence. We arrived in Middelburg after the harbour master had gone home for the day, and so we tied up on a waiting pontoon. The next day, glorious sunshine, the harbour master told us to pick any box through the bridge which he would open at 09:15. Our first “box”. No problem, I reversed in. I suspect the audience realised we were amateurs at this. I learned a trick or two watching the regulars and some of the mistakes to avoid too. This was day 36 and port 14. That day, despite all our efforts to keep the boat cool, temperature got to 34 deg. Cool beers and cold showers were taken at regular intervals. The next day had a cooling breeze to take the edge off the heat. We stayed 3 nights. Middelburg is a lovely quaint Dutch town. On the last night we ate in the Yacht club and met up with two guys from Grimsby. The skipper’s girlfriend was from Torpoint and was joining him in a few days.



We left Middelburg by getting through bridge at 09:15, and headed north. No problems with the lock to enter the Veere Meer. In very light winds in glorious sunshine we meandered through the islands. We found it odd that no-one was anchoring in such an idyllic place. In hind-sight we should have stopped. At the end of the Veere Meer we went through the large lock at the end to enter the Ousterschelde which is an inland sea. Brisk NW wind nearly on the nose and an adverse tide made travelling north slow going. As time was getting on we decided to take a side finger called Krabbenkreek. Outside a marina called St. Annaland, there was 6 mooring bouys; the last one we picked up. With a brisk NW wind and a 3 metre tide, every 6 hours the yacht kept wanting to pass the buoy and consequentially resulted in hull knocking. I solved the problem by transferring the buoy to the stern. With the inflowing tide and accompanying wind, the yacht took the full force on the stern. With an outflowing tide and opposing wind, the yacht lay broadside to both currents with the bouy right-angle to the yacht. Seem to work. Stayed and chilled out for 2 nights.

Saturday 2/7/11 (Day 40) we left our mooring at 10:00. We decided not to visit Grevelingenmeer due to continuing brisk NW winds. We therefore arrived at the Krammersluizen lock. When the lock opened there were more craft than it could take. English queuing does not apply! On leaving the holding pontoon to try and keep our place, I accidentally switched off the bowthruster with my sleeve at the vital point and left a brown mark on Lydia’s hull and scowl on Jess’s face. On entering the lock, compensating for the wind from the port; caught the back draft and we headed for the lock wall. Only much astern and bowthruster averted major damage. Jess was on her knees, on the foredeck with her head buried in her hands. Despite arriving at the lock second we were the third last in. The lock was slightly bigger than two craft wide. The lockkeeper insisted that we put our bow between the two craft in front in an attempt to squeeze more in. Having obliged his request no further craft entered. I am thankful to the skipper of the yacht in front of us who, as well as holding Lydia’s bow for the whole process, seeing Jess’s distress, talked to her until the lock opened. This only delayed the floods of tears once we were out of the lock. We both learned a lot about busy locks that day. We travelled along the next meer on motor only. At the end we both knew the we had had our fill of locks, certain for that day so we anchored to the side before the cut for the lock entrance. A lovely spot, just far enough away from the motorway, lock and meer traffic the be peaceful. Yachts came and went anchoring near and we stayed 2 nights.



We decided the first lock after 08:30 on a Monday morning should be quieter. The lock is 16 metres wide and 145 metres long. We went through with one other craft being a 20ft motor boat. We had space. We came out of the lock round the corner and into Willemstad. Because of our early arrival we found a space on quayside against 2 large wooden posts. Other boats were still leaving. The harbour is not large bordered by restaurants and the chandler on 2 sides with a working windmill dated 1734 used as a house in the corner. We fell in love with the tree covered walkways down the centre of the two main streets. Willemstad is a fortified town, the marina being part of the moat that surrounds the town in a star shape. Well worth a Google Earth search. By the balmy evening the harbour was near full and we had 4 yachts out from us.



The next morning, yachts 2,3, and 4 left and the 5th joined us along side. Being a British yacht we started chatting and they invited us for coffee at one of the cafes. The yacht was from Levington on the River Orwell. The skipper was an elderly gentleman call Jock and was born in Pennan, near Fraserburgh. The previous year he had completed his circumnavigation of Britain, anti-clockwise. After coffee, they managed to arrange a box in the marina and left. We left for a long walk around the walls, then along the shore road to see the large commercial barges entering their lock. The yachts use separate locks to the big vessels. On our return, a Moody 376 from Portsmouth was alongside. One of the 4 senior men on board told me, on hearing where we were from, that he was at HMS Fisgard, Torpoint, in 1940, the day of the first bombing of Plymouth. He said that he was due to leave the camp but was delayed by 3 days because a stray bomb had hit the railway line at St. Germans. Another of the crew said he recently been to Plymouth as he was an RYA official for some nationals competition. Needless to say the yacht had a blue ensign. That night we only had 3 yachts alongside.



Yesterday, Day 44, we left Willemstad once all the others had gone at 10:00. We tried to look for an anchorage but could not find a sheltered spot. We sailed up the side of the Hollandsdiep, a wide channel. The commercial barges travel in the channel and the small craft keep to either side. A bit like sailing from Torpoint to the Yealm with Frigates and Destroyers passing in both directions at 15 knots every 5 minutes. At the end of this section, we turned left into the canal travelling north. What an experience. With the canal being only slightly wider than the narrows, we had to keep to right as mega tonnes of barges were overtaking to our port. Before Dordrecht, there is a bridge. The road bridge opens like London Bridge, but the railway bridges, one for each track, rise vertically. As recommended by the gentlemen from Portsmouth, we used the Nieuwe Haven marina. Plan to have a look around today.



Regards Alan & Jess.

 

---

From: Lydia at sea [mailto:lydiaatsea@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 24 June 2011 18:38
To: website@tmsc.org.uk
Subject: FW: Lydia Log Report 2

Lydia – Alan & Jess - Summer 2011 – Log Report 2 – Sent 24^th June 2011

Hi everyone,

Last report, had us arrived for a week’s visit in Caen.

Caen was the required tonic.  Nice weather, restaurants, shops, sites and all within minutes of the marina.  A plus was a brassiere opposite the marina with free Wi-Fi.  Further along the road, on our 3^rd day a new Lidl opened.  We stocked up.  We set aside a day visit to the Memoriale De Caen, being a museum of history of the region mainly of WW2, but included the run up to the war and after including the cold war.  We were there for 6 hours.  It was very interesting but humbling.  Audio sets are worth the extra cost; offset by discount entrance voucher from the tourist office in town.

After our week, we returned to moor up at Pegasus Bridge to visit the museum there.  It is also worth a visit.  We were cheeky by spending the night there, with the camper vans on the quay.

The next day we returned to Ouistreham, our most expensive port so far.  Explored the town, a seaside resort, Brittany ferry port and saw a kite display team practise on the beach.  We took the 08:00 lock to head east.  Out of 3 possible port choices, we arrived at Honfleur off the Seine estuary.  Honfleur is a picturesque, old town.  There are restaurants everywhere.  There is a pretty inner harbour, if you do not mind being surrounded by cafes, restaurants and tourists.  We moored on the outer pontoon.

The next day we pressed on in reported F2 to F4 winds to Fecamp.  Wind assistance to the engine all the way.  Fecamp marina can be rocky and rolly in NW winds. We arrived after the captainerie was closed and left to match with tides before it was due to open.

Again, 3 ports were the option for today.  The forecast for today was F4 to F5. We had up to 2.5 knots of favourable tide to use.  Left at 07:30 and had 6 hours before change of tide.  The first port, St Valery was pasted at 09:30.  At Dieppe, with over 6 knots over water plus tide we got to the Dieppe waypoint at 12:30.  As we were going well, we decided for Le Treport.  One hour further on, the winds increased.  As the winds were SW from our stern, we had been motoring and sailing with the jib only.  Alan had set a small main, close-hauled to reduced roll.  As the winds and sea state increased, Alan was alarmed to spot up to 7 knots through the water and 9 knots SOG.  He reduced jib.  The auto pilot was not coping so Alan took over the wheel.  Alan asked Jess to take all loose items in the cockpit below and put in the lower washboard.  Alan did not want to miss the enrtance so 30 minutes from port; we downed sails and increased motor power.  Alan was running with the wind so was further out to sea than the track to port.  Alan had to manipulate Lydia between the waves which now were over 2 meters high.  He had to have Lydia stern to the waves, yet motor to starboard towards the port.  He used the info from the binnacle, COG, BTW, DTW, backed up by info from Jess to keep reasonably on track.  Alan was alarmed to see, to him, the bow of Lydia anything up to 40% below him as each wave came through and then throw the yacht broadside to starboard.  He had to sharply turn to port before the next wave was due to come through. Alan thought that this must have been like what Ian and Ray experienced for days on the way to the Azores on Caprice.  Alan was amazed to notice while struggling to control the boat, taking spume for the tops of the waves on his back, that Jess was reading her book.  Alan was eventually relieved, to make out the harbour entrance light marker. He then was further concerned as he remembered that the most dangerous time in bad weather is getting close to land.  He then spotted a fishing boat, to port, on a closing track also heading for sanctuary.  Luckily, with a slight reduction on engine power, we followed him in.  Safe.  Alan then advised  Jess that while travelling at about 9 knots down wind that the wind instrument was recording 40 knots.  We locked up with 2 fishing boats and another smaller yacht.  While in the lock we were advised to go onto pontoon “C”.  Pontoon “C” had 6 berths, 3 on each side, and we reversed into the only vacant one.  Jess was concerned that ropes had been left attached to the cleats.  Once settled, a yacht arrived and rafted to another yacht and advise us that we were in his berth.  After consulting with the captainerie, I found out that we needed to raft outside the third yacht and that the inner berth we were using was his.  All this was upsetting Jess and we moved.  An hour later, another yacht, which had sailed from Boulogne, told us that he had been catch in F8 too, not forecast.  He tied up where the home port yacht had first rafted.  We hoped that no more yachts would turn up as space was at a premium.  None did.

Le Treport is a seaside resort with a historical funicular, originally a railway, then a cable car, and from 2006 an inclined lift system connecting the top of the cliff with the beach.  Gradient is 63%. In 1907, it took 2 months work with men using just pickaxes to excavate the two tunnels, 55 meters through the cliff.

On the second night in port, between rain downpours, we decided to go out to dinner.  We walking along the front and selected a restaurant.  Being a mainly fishing port, all restaurants here are geared towards seafood for obvious reasons.  Alan’s starter was a ham and cheese pancake wrap.  Good start.  Jess chose filet de poisson in a white sauce, which turned out to be fishy, served with rice.  Good choice.  Alan surprised Jess by saying he had ordered fish and chips.  Then it came – hundreds of fried wee fish complete with beady eyes; and  chips.  Alan’s face was a picture!  Jess was very proud of Alan’s perseverance.  For pud, Jess chose apple pie.  Alan chose fromage blanc, which wasn’t cheese after all.  Fromage frais!  We swapped puds.  Poor Alan... and he’d already hurt a tooth on the bread!  During the sweet, the heavens opened and we were soaked through getting back to the boat.  The joys of in port life.

During our stay in Le Treport, we meet and socialised with 2 very nice Dutch couples on their yachts.  On the day we left port they continued west and we push on east, having exchanged info on port both expect to visit.

Our next port was Boulogne, a very fishy port. Smelly or what.

Today, we, with half of the visitor yachts, left port and most are now with us in Dunkerque. A very small window of weather. We left in F5 winds.  These reduced until the engine was needed.  During the last hour the wind were increasing to the point of memories of previous port arrivals.  Forecast for tomorrow are 6's and 7's again. This will give us time to explore Dunkerque and hopefully move on on Sunday.

Love to all at home,

Jess and Alan

S.V. Lydia

Regards

Alan & Jess
S.V.Lydia
 

From: Lydia at sea [mailto:lydiaatsea@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 24 June 2011 18:09
To: website@tmsc.org.uk
Subject: FW: Lydia - Log Report 1

Into the lock and Jess was keeping Lydia safe by rushing around altering fenders, keeping her centre of gravity very low to avoid going overboard.  Bum on deck!  Despite much apprehension, we coped with locking up.  We moored in the first available berth in Ouistreham marina.  As the first rope went on the heavens opened and Alan was drenched. His all-in-one suit kept him dry, but shoes soaked through.  03:00 retired again.

Sunday 5^th June, Alan rose at 07:00, leaving Jess in bed, left the berth and slowly motored up the canal to the Pegasus Bridge and moored.  That night, 5^th June 1944, and the early hours of the next day, 67 years previously, British troops parachuted, and arrived in gliders, to capture that bridge as part of the D-Day landings.  By 11:00 we were berthed in Caen, a beautiful historic city, and well worth a prolonged visit.

On the first day, we did the “petit train tour” to get a feel of the city.  Brill!  Chilling out nicely!         
Regards Alan and Jess
Yacht Lydia