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Sunday 24th September – windsurfing **** The Dip to Horsey Island, Essex – sunny

13.21 kt. max, 12.06 kt. ave., 7.82 kt. hr., 10.48 kt. mile, 31.70 km., 5.60 kt. alpha. Out 4.5 hrs :)

Today was always going to be marginal but with wall to wall sunshine and a SE 12 kts onshore it was time for some longboard exploring:) I was down at The Dip for 9.30 and was rigged and ready to go at 10. There was a get together of the local lifesaving group with loads of people turning up but sadly no more windsurfers in sight:( I took my rucksack with a snack, drink and camera plus the usual GPS and rescue beacon in case of emergencies. Getting off the beach proved interesting in the light onshore wind which had lumped up the sea. I was hoping to get to Horsey Island in Essex but it was dependant on the wind strength. I started off sailing towards Bawdsey to get away from the beach where a group of Marshall Arts people dressed in white were going through their paces in the shallow water! I then tacked and beat towards the River Orwell, the wind was a fraction light but I got in the harness and was sailing just into double figures. At The Manor I passed Al Wiz. Then at the Orwell the tide had chopped it up but I managed to get across the shipping channel just in front of the Stenna Ferry! When safely across I stopped to take some pics of the Ferry and the Harbour Master came across to see if I was OK, which I was:) With loads of yachts streaming out I continued past Dovercourt ending up stopping by the line of old sunken barges on Horsey Island for another photo opportunity:) I have sailed around the island before and was hoping there would be enough water? It is lovely here with fingers of water going off in all directions with loads of bird life too. I soon came to the left turning which takes you around the island. The tide was still fairly low but there was just enough water in the marked channel:) It was a windy beat passing several seals which I scared into the water, on one tack they were right under my board and they keep popping their heads up to check where I was:) Then as I approached Island Lane, the causeway to the Island, I ran out of water so stopped for a snack. The mud is way too deep to walk and I sank up to my knees so had to wait for the tide to come in a little. After a while it was just deep enough to float the board and I could sail slowly while dragging the fin in the mud. At the Causeway I had to get off but a small sailing dinghy was heading my way so I knew there was some deeper water:) I found the deeper water but then had to beat past Titchmarsh Marina which was slow going with the tide running hard against me! The beat ended just past the marina then it was a run to the sea where the wind had dropped a fraction and I was against the tide on the way back. There was just enough wind to hook into the harness and headed for the dock radar mast, luckily a huge container ship had left port well before I got there! I got across the channel with no problems and then only had the 5 mile beat back to The Dip. I avoided the many lobster pots at The Fludgers and managed to find a small piece of beach at The Dip to land absolutely knackered after being out over 4.5 hours covering over 20 miles. This is a top sail just needed a fraction more wind and Mag had been down leaving me a sandwich as I was starving – great day:)

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