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| Owner:
squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2882 |
29th May 2022 Windsurfing: Wrabness Wind Direction: N Wind Stength: 0/20 Surf / Sea State: flat Air Temperature: 13 Sea Temperature: Weather: Cloudy with blustery showers Max Speed: 15.40 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 14.75 mile (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Sunday 29th May - Windsurf *** - River Stour at Wrabness – cloudy with squally showers. Longboard Fin – 15.40 knot max, 11.77 knot ave., 3.89 knot hour, 11.47 knot mile, 23.74 km., 0.00 knot alpha. Fanatic Cat with Tushingham Lightning 9.4m and 39 fin. It was always a marginal forecast today, a northerly of around 14 knots but dropping during the day with rain showers, not ideal but I was keen to have a longboard session on the Stour before the new foil gear arrives and the old longboard is once again consigned once again to gather dust in my garage:( I have now sailed the Fanatic cat 7 times this month having had loads of fun on the River Deben, Orwell and now the Stour as well as some good runs along the coast at Felixstowe, just love that old board! With high water around 12.30 I did not make up my mind to go until around eight this morning as the breeze seemed to be filling in and it was not raining. Mag packed breakfast and lunch and we headed over to Wrabness, parking easily in the tight lane being the only vehicle there just as we got a video call from the Grandson who was celebrating his 5th Birthday, where did those years go! There was loads of water and a good breeze blowing across the river with some mean looking dark clouds, lovely to be back on the Stour as I haven’t sailed here since 6th March! Had my Weetabix as I put my wetsuit on and set sail around ten into a nice breeze heading first down river towards Felixstowe. I sailed through the moorings at Wrabness but the wind did go lighter the further I sailed but still enough to make good progress against the tide but not pleasant as raining now:(. Past the old wooden boat moored and a stopped by the ferry mooring near Parkstone quay for some photos. Then back to the old wood boat for more pics as the wind got less and less, in fact it dropped to next to nothing with the river turning into a mill pool, at this point I was getting worried being 2.50 miles from Wrabness, if the tide turned now, I would be in big trouble! After what seemed an age, some rain bearing clouds slowly approached and luckily the wind with it, worry over and I whizzed back to Wrabness and with the wind up I decided to continue towards Manningtree down the middle of the river. I passed Bradfield where there were 7/8 foilers out not going great in the light winds that were very up and down. With the wind once again going very light I stopped at Mistley quay for more pics before starting the slow beat back! I was asked by a small motor boat out with a laser if I was OK and said yes although at this point, I didn’t think I would make it back but then I was once again saved by another squally rain cloud that arrived with gusts to nearly 20 knots for a short time, I had trouble sheeting in the big sail! The water was super flat but it was tipping it down with rain and I just wanted to get back as not overly warm! I made it back OK and was pleased that was over, took the board back to the van, quickly got out of the wetsuit in the heavy rain and warmed up in the van with the diesel heater going full blast. Had lunch with Mag who told me about her day, she had had a nice walk around the Nature Reserve and back by the beach bungalows before going to see the many sand martins once again nesting in the small cliff. The rain continued for a while so dozed off for awhile before braving packing up, there were puddles everywhere as it had rained pretty hard! It was then the nice trip home taking a small detour past Alton Water, Holbrook and the Strand by the River Orwell. We were going to visit an aunt in Ipswich but she was out so headed home instead. So, an interesting day becalmed twice but luckily got away with it both times, been an OK month with 9 sessions on the fin, fingers crossed the foil arrives soon as I am forgetting how to sail one! Looking like no wind for a week so its time to get the bikes out again :) Photo Album here |
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