Well, Well, Wells...and beyond

Wells Harbour

We left Lowestoft after several rolly nights in the RN&SYC. It was good to be back at sea and feel like we were making progress, heading north. It was flat calm, similar to the passage up to Lowestoft from Harwich. It was a blessing after several days of strong north-easterly winds churning up the north sea and bringing a chill to the air.

The journey to Wells was 54 miles around the Norfolk coast - a possible seven hour trip, and may be eight if we needed to wait for sufficient tide to allow us entry to the port, which is at the end of a long, shallow channel. We left at 8am, aiming to be at Wells an hour before high tide. The journey was uneventful - there is little to see when you are 3 miles offshore - save for wind farms and its associated traffic. However, vigilance was important, particularly as we closed on the Cromer coast, as there were crab pots everywhere. We picked our way through carefully, so as not to snag one on our propellers. We gradually caught our friends aboard their beautiful sailing yacht, a Moody, named Wind Dancer. Matt & Sarah are circumnavigating the UK, with their dog Basil. We sailed in tandem, past Blakeney and headed for the marker buoy for Wells. A few chats on the radio with the harbour office, and we were soon picking our way down the meandering fairway, in to the port, which is in heart of this thriving and picturesque town.

Wind Dancer passing Blakeney

We berthed on the pontoon adjacent to the harbour office. The staff were friendly and helpful. We thought we would be in Blakeney for 3 days, before heading North. However, the weather gods had other ideas, and due to incessant north easterly winds, we were stuck in port. We filled our time with walks to Stiffkey, and Cley Next The Sea. We shopped for fresh dressed crabs, and walked the pine trees and sand dunes at the end of the beach road.

We had surprise visits from friends from Oundle, with three sets dropping by over the days we were in port. We had a lovely day with Carole, Age and Helena, with a lunch in the pub to celebrate Carole's birthday. I had a Oundle RFC engagement at the club on the Saturday, and Sally arranged to meet her brother and mother in Stamford. So on Friday 17th we took the bus from Wells to King's Lynn and then the train to Peterborough so we could fulfil our engagements. Sally's brother, Alan, drive us back to Nell on the Sunday, and stayed with us for a couple of nights. We walked and talked and ate, too.

Nell passing the beach huts as we finally leave Wells.

By now we had been in port over a week and were getting twitchy. As nice as Wells is, we were conscious of needing to get further north. Finally, after 10 days, on Thursday 23rd April, we managed to slip our lines and head for Grimsby. This was a test for Sally and Diesel, as the sea was still unpleasant after a week of strong winds. Nell rolled and pitched as we left the safety of the harbour and pushed out across the Wash, towards Grimsby. Again, there is little to see in the Wash and that part of the North Sea. However, on entering the Humber, a pod of Harbour porpoises came to greet us. We anchored off Spurn Head to wait an hour for the tide to lift, so that we could enter Grimsby marina. With hindsight we should have stayed at anchor, as the lock operators kept us waiting over an hour and they let the commercial traffic in and out ahead of us. Finally we entered the marina at 8.20pm to find there had been a huge diesel spill. The stench in the air, added to the miserable atmosphere. The marina is set in a decaying fish dock, with derelict and part-dismantled building around it. A sad sight when one considers that Grimsby had the larged fishing fleet in Europe at one stage. Needless to say, we stayed one night and then pushed north again, this time to Scarborough. We saw a couple of seals en route, but not much else.

Nell, in centre, berthed against the wall in Scarborough- a 9ft climb up a ladder to get the dog ashore !

Scarborough was clearly a prosperous town once - apparently Yorkshire's first seaside holiday spot. The huge hotel overlooking the water was built in Victorian times in the shape of a V, to honour the monarch. Allegedly, Hitler told the Luftwaffe to avoid bombing it, as he was going to have the hotel as his HQ when he invaded. We had a drink aboard a Little Ship and had fish pie and fish chowder in one of the many establishments that line the seafront. With Nell against a piled wall, I had little sleep as I was worried about her snagging and getting damaged as she rose and fell with the tide.

The next day started beautifully. The sun shone brightly, under an almost cloudless sky. The wind had dropped and the forecast looked good with a F3 to 4 forecast. We set off on the falling tide, rounding the headland which is crowned by Scarborough Castle. As we progressed north, the wind rose dramatically, gusting to 26 kts, which is Force 6 - a far cry from the forecast F3 to 4. The sea rose and rolled towards us, bashing Nell's nose with 1.2m waves - fortunately, Nell has a fishing boat heritage and was built for exactly this type of sea state. She shouldered her way through the onslaught, without evening dropping a single knot of speed. Sally coped well and even Diesel seemed to appreciate Nell's ability and seaworthiness.

Whale bone arch

Two hours later the Whitby lighthouse came into view, followed by the Abbey, which stands atop the cliff. We motored into the harbour, had a ten minute wait for the swing bridge and then pottered through to a berth in the marina. The dredger had been busy, spraying mud all over the pontoons.

We had a lovely view of the town and the abbey. Moored ahead was Wind Dancer.

A brunch in a greasy spoon set us up for a walk around the town. It was cold and grey. However, the town was full of Goths, who added to the quirkiness of this ancient port.

Whitby Abbey

A bus ride to Staithes the next day, with a walk from halfway back, was well worthwhile. Sally made a fabulous curry aboard. The following day we aimed to go to Robin Hoods Bay - after a 20 minute wait for the bus, we were told the bus would not be going there due to a fallen tree. So we took the town tour instead, on the open topper. We had a fish and chip lunch overlooking the sea.

We teamed up with Matt & Sarah, and took the dogs on a scenic bus route to Goathland, better known by some as Aidensfield, the village where the TV police drama Heartbeat, was set. We walked for three miles to take in the Mallyan Spout waterfall, which was very pretty. A cream tea, completed a fun day out.

Mallyan Spout waterfall, Yorkshire Moors.

Wednesday morning was spent prepping for the run to Hartlepool, our next scheduled stop. We left Whitby on the first opening of the bridge at 13.30 hrs. We headed down through the town with Wind Dancer ahead. The sea was uncomfortable, pushing Nell from behind, creating a corkscrewing motion. However, we made good speed, and the rollercoaster ride lasted not much more than 3 hours. By 5pm we were in the lock being lifted into the marina at Hartlepool. Wind Dancer made it in an hour later, having had flukey wind with which to try and sail.