I took over the watch at 02:00 UK time. Rex informed me he had witnessed lightning flashes over in the Vlissingen direction. By now we were already getting tangled up with ship traffic to and from the large gyratory off Felixstowe. We swung around in a gentle arc as we altered course for the Sunk VTS.
Sunrise Greeting us from Holland
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The sky transformed ever so slowly as it woke up over an age and painted broad layers of colour: steely grey, shades of pink, cerulean blue. The piece de resistance was the glowing red ball of the sun breaking out over the horizon with a golden crown at 04:35. To me this is always a magical moment; something worthy of a Monet impressionist painting.
North Essex Coastline
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Drifting Under the Genoa
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Eventually the far off Felixstowe and north Essex coastline floated onto the horizon. We drifted at 3.4 knots in a light wind using the genoa, keeping well clear of the coast and scatterings of lobster pots. Now we could make out a few sailing vessels nearer the coast. A large, orange, triangular inflatable, apparently anchored to the sea bed a distance off Jaywick had us guessing. An orange RIB came up to it, and the disappeared. Perhaps it had been set up for a Search and Rescue exercise; we'll never know. Rex spotted a porpoise, the only one on this return journey.
The twin megaliths of Bradwell Power Station came into view. However, we would not be able to berth
Duonita for a few hours yet until there was deeper water in the saltings. Rather than pick up a buoy in the South Channel, we continued sailing for a while up the River Blackwater towards Maldon; a delightful sail and gentle wind down from the North Sea crossing.
When we thought we could get away with it, we turned about and headed to the saltings. Rex brought the good ship
Duonita into her berth perfectly. No sooner had we tied up, Jeremy strode over to welcome us back, and complain that we spent too much time in Amsterdam. He had been avidly tracking our course over the trip through AIS. Ian also popped over to greet us; he had just returned from a sail himself.
Then Meryl appeared, complete with wheelbarrow of course for my big bag of dirty clothes. It was great to see her again, and a sweet reunion for Rex and Meryl, her man was back safe and sound.
