Bang!

After a couple of great days in Oostende, boats were leaving, and we were doing the same.

The forecast looked a lot like we'd be motoroing the whole way up the coast towards our next planned destination of either Middelburg or through into the Veersemeer, with 6kts max forecast, and right on the nose.

So, at 10:30, we slipped our lines and set off...

The engine noises of the previous trip had proved to be nothing too serious... it was low on oil, and needed a good top up... it does however, seem to be smoking quite a lot, so I need to keep a careful eye on it, as the smoke is most definitely oil smoke, and not unburnt fuel or vapour... perhaps the rings are getting tired.

We exited Oostende, just in time... 1 minute after we left, the traffic lights came on to indicate shipping movements, and the boats following shortly behind us had to wait 20 minutes...

Leaving the piers behind, I was some what surprised to find 12 to 15kts of wind.... quite tight on the bow, but just off enough that we could sail close hauled.... so up went everything, and off we shot... the sun was shining, and things were looking up!

And the wind built..... and it built.... and it built.... I don't know where the 6kt forecast had gone, but we now had 35kts over the deck!

With a good number of reefs in, we plugged on, until, just off Zeebrugge, there was an almighty bang, and the clew exploded....

The three webbing tapes that hold the pulley on the sail, are all exposed to the sun and rain 365 days a year, and it had taken its toll..... SWMBO grabbed the helm, and I started to furl it in..... taking great care not to over do it, and furl the whole sail in to the mast!!!!

A large wave washed over the boat, soaking SWMBO at the helm, and she looked distinctly unamused!!!!

It wasn't, in the end, that big a drama.... in mast made it easy, and with the engine back on, we motored the remaining 15nm, getting into the lock at Vlissingen without any major incident.. its not an easy lock, as there are bollards to tie off too.... and they are set for larger vessels than us, so they are a long way apart.... but we got there....

And then we had a tense (ish) motor through the bridges up to Middelburg... only tense, as they stop opening at 19:00, and it was getting quite tight on time... so it was with relief that we passed through the 5th and final bridge at 18:45, and tied up quickly on the holding pontoon.... where we stayed the night....

The final act of vengance by the weather gods, was to leave me just enough time to nip to the yacht club with the crew of another boat for a quick drink, while SWMBO got herself sorted to join us in a few mins, when the heavens opened.... the sky went black as coal, and we had hailstones the size of marbles for 10 mins.... and then rain so heavy it was unreal..... it was accompained by intense lightning, and by the time it had abated, i'd been in the yacht club for half an hour.....

SWMBO, yet again, wasn't amused!

But all OK in the end... other than the lightning continued sporadically throughout the night.... long pauses, and then 10 minutes of really intense storms.... so sleep was a little disturbed.... glad we stopped in Middelburg though rather than head for the Veersemeer..... reports of 40 to 50kt gusts came in afterwards!

Miles logged 33nm
Miles this trip 109nm
Miles this season 181nm
Miles since this blog started 4,078nm