Day 25 – Broadstairs to Frinton on Sea – 14th June – 31.6 nm
Set out from Joss Bay (Broadstairs) into a gloomy morning.
It had blown hard, with heavy rain, during the night – but things had settled
now. The forecast, once again, was for the wind to pick up as the tide changed
later. This made it a little difficult to dress for the conditions; I didn't
want to sweat my way across nor to freeze my bits off for the last couple of
hours. I also didn't want to make a tit of myself as I fell in, 7 miles off-shore, while pulling a
cag over my head during the knackered stages – sweaty it would be I guess.
Reasonable progress was made initially, aiming off for the
tide and following a route of buoys like a giant slalom through the sandbanks. As
per 2012, it was an interesting opportunity to try out some good old compass
nav, I was enjoying myself, though I'm convinced some of the buoys must have
moved a bit. Or perhaps the chart was wrong?
Anyway, later as I closed on the Gunfleet Sand windfarm the
forecast wind arrived, stiff, cold and northerly – it brought a chilly rain and
lowering skies too. From there it was a tedious slog for the last couple of
hours, lightened by the passing of a long-way-from-home tug from Holyhead. As I neared the coast the VHF came to life, it was clear that the Team Manager had managed to beat me across, bugger, 1-0 now - but all was not lost there was still the Wash to come! I
headed in to a grateful landing on the gloomy beach at Frinton on Sea.
Dragging the boat up I smiled as I realised I had now completed the Thames Crossing
in both directions.
