Netherlands/Berlin Trip - Tollesbury      8th August:

    I couldn't sleep well, the boat was a floating roller-coaster, and I stirred myself around 02:30 and sent Rex below to get some well-earned rest.
    The sky was clear and the Milky Way very distinct. A slight chill in the air penetrated my clothing to the skin. A half-moon cast an eerie light over the expanse of sea, and phosphorescence due to the emission of light by bioluminescent plankton betrayed our wake to the world, an enchanting sight to behold.
    A few large ships passed us through the night with a couple of yachts to add variety. However, the most curious thing was a ship that crept towards us on the exact course we were taking. It was moving at 6.5 knots, and slowly but surely it was moving directly towards us. What was even more curious, the vessel turned out to be the Elke W again, the ship that seemed to be stalking us for hours earlier, and it was now coming at us from the opposite direction. It passed our starboard about 300m off, and then amazingly did a U-turn just after it passed. I was not panicked by this and saw no reason to stir Rex out of his slumbers, just exceedingly curious. Elke W then took an age to pass us on our port side before it slid into the murky darkness far ahead.

Spectacular Sunrise in the North Sea

    We skirted the northern flank of the Hinder Wind Farm just as the eastern sky was shifting through shades of grey to a dark blue with a pink tinge on the horizon. The whole sky gradually lightened, and the pink band grew bolder and redder, until eventually the crimson red sun took a peep over the horizon, and deciding all was well, lifted itself up and began its slow climb to the heavens. I adore that special moment when the sun rises out of the sea; it is moments like that when I feel at one with the universe.
    Rex arose as we passed through an anchorage crammed with tankers and container ships. By this time I was shattered, and took to my bunk where I fell asleep almost immediately.
    When I awoke we were skirting Clacton in bright sunshine. Time for a hearty breakfast I thought. Once in the Blackwater Estuary, it was low tide, which meant we had six hours to kill before we could sail Duonita into her berth. There was nothing further we could do about the situation, the laws of nature rule, so we dropped anchor off the shore near Bradwell and caught up on some rest.

Barge on the Blackwater

    An hour before we could reach our berth, Rex called up Doug, the salting's manager, to advise him to "boot out" anybody squatting in the berth, tongue in cheek of course. He didn't get a response from Doug, but he did get a reply from Billy who was just sailing past Jaywick, an hour or so away from us. By amazing coincidence, Billy, who had been sailing solo for a couple of months up past the northern reaches of Scotland, was arriving back at the saltings on the same tide as us.
    We later heard Billy and Doug chatting over the air waves, Doug confused over why he could not reach Rex. Hmmm.. Rex's VHF tuned to the wrong channel may be the reason for this, but I shan't tell Doug.
    After the umpteenth cup of tea, we finally weighed anchor and made our way up the shallow creek to the berth. Meryl and Doug were already there waiting for us, Meryl frantically waving. Amusingly, the water was not quite deep enough, and it took several charges at the muddy berth to actually slide in over the mud bed, much to Rex's embarrassment. Then it was handshakes, hugs, pats on backs, laughs and gossip before squeezing all our gear into waiting wheelbarrows, and ferrying it across boardwalks back to the car park.
    We passed by Billy on the way, who was securing his boat to shore-based lines. He had experienced much inclement weather, and even had to buy winter clothing on the way. He beamed as he told us of his detour up the Humber estuary on the way, as far as Goole. "An excellent place to motor up at 14 knots without the engine on," he commented, indicating the very strong tidal currents up the estuary.
    Doug was delirious to have his mates back, Rex, Billy and Barry, who besides having spent time on Duonita in Hoorn, had also spent a lot of time over in New Zealand due to his father's passing.
    After a shower and change of clothing at Rex and Meryl's house, we all shared an excellent meat free meal (most welcome after Holland's heavily carnivorous diets), and a beer or two before sleep overtook us. I think we all had mixed feelings; sad to leave a land we had grown to love, but glad to be back in Blighty, catching up with family and friends and a life of normality.