The longest day! but not quite the longest run

Day 10 Newcastle to Suffolk Yacht Club  about 240 miles

Andrew Bell provided the fleet with fantastic briefing notes especially about the difficult entrance into Suffolk.  The fleet planned to leave at 0830 and was out of the lock by 0900.  Bluewater Raven as was custom slipped out a bit earlier as she has a slower average crusing speed that the main fleet.

Trinity had Patrick Hugenholtz on board from Quickflash, with the idea of meeting up with Quickflash of Sunderland, where Dominic would be waiting with the boat and he was, eventually.

The weather was sunny with light winds but the sea still had a big swell running but it was generally calm and the fleet set off for a glorious day in the sun.  The radio was live with chat.  Seahound stopped regularly to take pictures and send them back to the High Commander at BIBOA central control for processing on to his blog  --  see the BIBOA web site.

The boats meet up with each other south of Spurn head where the swell had all but disappeared and in flat water had lunch, except for one or two who would not stop, but powered on hoping for once to get into the fuel dock first.  The day consisted of the boats continually changing position with each other.  The main fleet arrived into Suffolk between 1430 and 1730.  Here we are greeted by Cool Runnings repaired and back in the water, they had come up from Southampton to join the last few days, well done, we now are a fleet of 9 boats.

There is a different mood in the camp, we are approaching the end.  For many we are coming into home waters and the run to Brighton is only 110 miles, where we will be in a large town.  Out here in the Suffolk countryside we had our last taste of freedom before we return to our normal lives, - we sat on our boats on our moorings, in the evening sun and opened a few cans. There is a sense of less urgency, the challenges of the final two days look easy now after the fantastic experience of the last 10 days.  Memories of Baltimore, Aran Islands even the Orkneys seem to be far away.  Trinity held a small impromptu party and even opened a bottle of its Highland whisky purchased and carefully transported from Mull.

All merged onto the lightship restaurant in the marina and there was a strong feeling that this was going to be a long night.  Some of the sensible ones grabbed taxis and head for hotels at about 2130 just as the Mike Doyle Band off Skellig were turning up.  -  I am not sure what I will find when I get back to the marina this morning.  

But we still have two days to go and we have learnt never to be to complacent

The Redbays will slip away between 0800 and 0900 the rest plan to follow at about 1030.