Dry Day Onboard
Dry day onboard
We arrived to Bude to late and because of the low tides we could not enter the harbor so we spent a night on the anchor. A peaceful evening with even better night forecast turned into a rough,bumpy night, third one in the roll. Anyway, the sky and the scenery were amazing. So many stars that you could hardly see the sky in between them. The resting hours shortened but we woke up into a sunny morning, first one after long time. There was a light NW wind, ideal to go to Ilfracombe.
Soutien De Famille - Bread Winner or how we called it, Bear Winner does not like to sail. Maybe a little bit with the wind from the back or half back -half side. In to the wind she goes only 90 degrees. She has no keel.
And when she finally sails her back is kicking like a camel.
After the English Channel we have divided the road from 35 up to maximum 45 miles per day. 12-15 hours a day and possibly no night driving any more. Normally we wake up at 4 or 5 am and start the road with the lowest tides. Like this the currant is with us and gives us a push of a mile or two per hour. The first one that climbs out of the cabin makes the coffee. Black. Because of no refrigerator on board milk would anyhow not survive.
Mornings are cold, humidity everywhere. When you open your eyes, there is still darkness. Led lamp above my head illuminates our two saints, Elvis on my side and Freddy on Maxs side. Three layers of waterproof clothes, wool, hats, scarfs, double socks, rubber boots. The sea is normally calm in the morning. The stars and the moon are still on. Quietly the boat slides trough the water and darkness. The light on the horizon comes very slowly, if you wish for it it comes even slower. One by one all the elements around you start to get the contour, later on comes the shape and the colors.
Normally we do not eat in the morning, to stay more focused and prepared. When we stop we make fist. There is not a lot that we can prepare on our alcohol cooker and with our small collection of dishes, but a lot of ham and eggs with tons of salt and pepper and bread that was sinked in the salty water for the hole day, makes your heart skip a beat. No more fish since our fishing equipment flew into the water at the Lizard point. Two beer on the top of that and you are hammered.
Bed time is at seven, sometimes even six p.m. If there is still daylight we close the door of our little cabin, curse the ever wet and moisty bed, wrap ourselves in the only dry onboard thing-sleeping bag and drown into the dreamland.
Dry, for the first time, we arrived in Ilfracombe in the afterrnoon, welcomed with a magnificent sculpture of Damien Hirst.