And last night on an anchor outside Saint Vaast it was rock and roll all night long and I certainly did not like it. Cupboards were stuffed with towels to stop tins, pans etc. from banging but then other things decided to join the choir and the rolling went on and on and on ... Sleep was not on the menu.
We had to anchor as we can only get through the lock here at high tide and then we have to await the next daytime tide to enter the river at Carentan 2 hours before high tide - even though the entrance is only 11 miles away. Anyway this morning Scruff bag got some fine blisters on his hand hauling up 45 metres of chain and off we set. It was always a close call as the winds had been blowing quite strongly from the north all week and the pilot book advice is not to enter the river in onshore winds above force 5 due to the swell. The forecast today had been force 4 but as we pounded through the big waves and watched the pointer on wind instrument climb to over 20 knots - with gusts of 25 we began to consider. that old adage "If in doubt abort the mission"
When Scruffbag pointed out that if we turned back we would be able to catch the open lock at Saint Vaast but if we carried on and then found the entrance untenable we would have to spend another night at anchor that was it.
Mission aborted - back in Saint Vaast - can't go again till next weekend as we need springish tides to get enough water in the river.
Hi Mark and Anne, just catching up with the blog. It seems you are being hampered by strong winds so it seems a good call to abort the mission. This may seem like a strange question but why do you want to go on a river? Hope you are both well and enjoying the adventure. We will keep following your travels.
ReplyDeleteps The blisters sound painful!
Geraldine & Gordon