Stephen Squirrell (34966km):
2537 days ago 1 categories The wind was in the North when I checked this morning and cold only 7 degrees so after breakfast took a chance heading over to the River Stour at Bradfield. I didn't fancy an open sea session at Felixstowe probably by myself that’s if the wind did turn to a sailable NE later. I arrived at Bradfield at about midday and was impressed with the recently tarmaced road:) The tide was still a long way out but with the wind onshore it looked flat, a better option would have been Wrabness with the wind more side shore and a shorter walk to deeper water. Still I was here now so rigged 7.8 on the 133 hoping that would be enough. I had my full winter wetsuit but with no one to do the back-shoulder zip up I couldn't use it:( It was a long walk out through deep mud to deep water and the wind had gone lighter, it did fill in a little and I manged to beat away from the shore. You could sail long runs to Wrabness a beat with a reach back, the water was very lumpy and the wind very gusty but I did manage to plan for over a mile on one run when I used the gusts and ran down the back of the swell to keep going. The main plus about sailing here today was you were rarely out of your depth a real bonus as it was cold especially on the hands. After a couple of hours, I headed back to the van for a sandwich just as Keith from Point Clear and the sailor in the Brazilian VW camper (sorry I don't know your name) arrived. The wind seemed to have dropped they rigged 8.4 and 7m, I had another try but failed to get going so called it a day with the other two only planning in patches:( On arriving back at The Dip the wind had turned NE so could have sailed but there was no one out:(
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