Over breakfast on Friday we had taken a casual look at the long range weather forecast and with strong winds on the horizon we made an impromptu decision to grab our chance. We packed a few clothes, some food and the laptop and were away by noon, collecting the boat at Brundall, where the Broom's yard had not yet returned from the Christmas holidays. We had already checked that Reedham swing bridge would be able to open, and arranged with Yarmouth for a Haven Bridge lift at 1530. For once we would be able to leave Norfolk without lowering the mast and canopy - what a treat! It was a chilly cruise down the Yare and by the time we were mooring up in the dark at Hall Quay I felt like Ellen Macarthur in the Southern Ocean. I now realise why people don't go boating in January!

With the temperature dropping below freezing and a constant slapping and whining from the tide and ropes it was a restless night. We were actually relieved at 0530 when the alarm went off and we could get up. Half an hour's analysis of contradictory weather forecasts before deciding that the worst case scenario would be force 5 winds and it would get better as we went south. So it was "batten down the hatches" and the 2004 cruising season was officially underway.

With moderate winds and slight seas the conditions were no worse than many summer passages, but with cockpit temperatures down to 5°C it was a challenge to keep in touch with our toes, despite misguidedly running the cabin heating all day. We took an offshore route south as far as the Sunk precautionary area, crossing the Harwich Approach Channel just as VTS radioed to warn of the imminent departure of the high speed ferry. The cross channel catamaran travels at 40 knots, so we calculated it would take 8 minutes from seeing it on our radar to the point of impact! We never did catch sight of it, and turned into the Thames estuary via the Kings Channel and Barrow Deep without incident.

We had planned an overnight stop at the Queenborough barge, a concrete lighter close to the mouth of the Medway. This would require only a small detour from our route and leave us in a good position to carry the flood tide up the river in the morning. There is no shore access (a water taxi is advertised although presumably it operates in summer only) so we had to make do with a quiet night in, only able to look across longingly at the bright lights of the Queenborough Yacht Club.

Cruising Statistics

Distance: 89 nm

Total to date: 89 nm

Avg Speed: 15 knots

Duration: 6 hours

Diesel: 430 litres

Mooring: Free

Electricity: N/A

Charts

AC1536

AC1543

SC5606

SC5607

AC2052