The Final Blog Entry

Calviere II is now back on her mooring at Queenborough Harbour.

And have I had a wonderful time! There are so many people that I’m grateful to:-

• UKPN – thank you for giving me the time and resources. Sailing round the British Isles had been a long held ambition for me, partly inspired by Libby Purves’ book, ‘One Summers Grace’. One of those things for ‘when I retire’ which may not have happened were it not for UKPN. I may have needed to continue working into my sixties. With a state pension age of 66, I may have got there and been too old to consider the perceived hardships. I was lucky that I was chosen for redundancy whilst still relatively young.

• My wife, Chrissy, has supported and encouraged me. Without her collaboration the adventure would have been impossible. As my Mum often remarks, ‘Chrissy doesn't deserve you!’

• All the various crews who have joined in along the way:-

•                 David H, who endured the two coldest legs, taking the first leg of each year with the worst of the weather. David had to carry me back to the boat when I sprained my ankle at Mallaig.
•                 John N, my brother in law. He managed to find some spectacularly good restaurants on the two legs he completed.
•                 Peter H, who did three legs, and travelled the greatest distance. I feel guilty about inflicting so much pain in the form of seasickness on Peter. Fortunately, our last leg home was fine and settled all the way. We have enjoyed some really excellent sailing together. Peter also helped to prepare Calviere II for the trip.
•                 Eddie, who cooked some amazing shepherds’ pies on board and rounded Lands End.
•                 Colin, who joined me at short notice for the difficult and challenging passages across the Seven Estuary and the Irish Sea.
•                 Dorril, who, whilst not a sailor, tackled every challenge and carried on smiling. The dolphins that joined us to celebrate her birthday will miss her. The scallops around the Isle of Man are hoping she never returns.
•                 John D was greatly in tune with my way of thinking. Snooze in the afternoon, Archers in the Evening. Dinner helped down by a small single malt.
•                 John E, another crew member press ganged at the last minute and took on the most daunting of the legs, from Stornoway, round Cape Wrath, out to the Orkneys, round Duncansby Head and into the Moray Firth.

I need to thank the spouses of all the crew members for helping me on my way. Tina, Sharmon, Glynis, Ann, Mrs Drewer, Irene and Jenifer.

Thank you to Bob & Pat for coming up to Oban to assist with the antifoul etc. 

Thank you to all the harbour masters & marina staff who went out off their way to assist and advise.

Thank you to the fellow sailors & yacht club members, who drove me about, arranged laundry, provided meals, helped with mooring lines, guided tours of lifeboat stations, and allowed me to crew for them in races etc.

Thank you for the RNLI. Without the reassurance of knowing that they were available should they be needed, I don’t think I would have set out.

Libby Purves sailed round Britain in the 1980 and much has changed for the small boat sailor since then. Nearly everywhere I stopped, I was alongside a marina pontoon. I was always in contact with home via my mobile phone and the GPS plotter has made navigation very simple. I was able to have good, reliable weather forecasts delivered direct to my phone, without ringing the met office. I reread her book during my voyage and counted my blessings that I didn't have two small children on board, and I had a far more leisurely pace.

I also grieved for Libby & Paul’s son, Nicholas, who should have become a fine young man, but took his own life, suffering from depression. I had been taking anti depressants for the last ten years and have finally come off them during my voyage. Hopefully that dark period of my life is behind me. I have often thought that there is a relationship between depression and miles travelled on the M25. I now have a similar theory that depression is inversely proportional to miles travelled in a small boat. It is a well known premise that days spent afloat aren't included in our ‘three score and ten’. Physically, I have never felt better.

I think the journey has changed me for the good. I feel very content with my life. I have learnt that I have some wonderful and supportive friends and family. Distances don’t seem so great, when measured in hours.

I have saved my final big thank you for Calviere II. She is a small ship, with a big ship heart. She has tackled some wet & wild passages and carried on, even when her crew could barely hold on. She has kept us secure, dry and snug, although if I go round again, I'm going to fit a heater first.

I give thanks for the fine weather, a green and pleasant island to sail round, and thank God for making me an Englishman with a love of the sea.

Shotley Point Marina to Queenborough

It hasn't been my intention to head for home so early as we had planned to call in at Brightlingsea. Whilst the weather forecast for today was favourable for a trip to Brightlingsea, the forecast for the following couple of days was not looking too good. On Thursday the wind was going to be force four or five from the South west and the winds and waves were going to increase in size. We revised our plan and headed for Queenborough.

Shortly after leaving Harwich  harbour, we had a call on the radio. Colin Drewer on Mindy had seen me approaching from the opposite direction. He had stayed overnight at Bradwell, and was making his way up the Orwell to Ipswich. He  congratulated me on my circumnavigation.
In bright sunshine and with a little wind, we made our way down the Essex coast and then crossed the Thames estuary.
As the tide was rising, I make my way to the inner harbour and put Calviere Two on the scrubbing off berth.
Eddie very kindly ran Peter and I home for the night.
So the great adventure is complete. I'll write another blog entry later in the week with my thanks and overall experiences.

Lowestoft to Shotley Point

We had an exceptionally early start when the Dutch boat inside of us on the pontoon left at 05:00. We were up to rearrange the mooring lines and then straight back into bed for another three hours.

We set off from Lowestoft shortly after 09:30, passing wind farms and Sizewell Nuclear Power Station. We had a fast broad reach all the way to Aldeburgh, and then close hauled to Woodbridge Haven buoy. When the tide finally turned against us we turned the engine on for the final hour and the crossing of the Harwich Shipping Approach routes. 

The lock at Shotley Point Marina was open ready for us and we made our way through the large marina to our berth. 

We ate in the Marina pub/restaurant watching the large container ships, tugs and ferries  at work around the harbour. One of the container ships was Cosco Excellence, she ca carry 9000 shipping containers. Calviere II would fit into a shipping container!

Wells-next-the-Sea to Lowestoft

We were poised, ready to leave, but we needed the tide to come and lift us. Shortly before 08:00 we lifted off the sand, and by 08:15 we were heading down the narrow passage out to sea, accompanied by other visiting yachts and local fishing boats. We gave the guys in the National Coast Watch lookout a wave as we passed. 

There was quite a stiff breeze, but from dead astern. Rather then have the genoa blanketed by the main sail, we only used the genoa, poled out. As we had a long way to go and needed to keep our average speed up, over five knots, we kept the engine on, just gently helping us along. 

We past two large wind farms on route. During the passage south towards Lowestoft we passed the most easterly point of my Round Britain journey.  

As the tide turned the speed dropped to under four knots, but by 18:30, we were moored alongside another vessel on the pontoon at the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club. 

We walked across the road, between showers, to a Chinese Restaurant and had an enjoyable meal.  

Sunday in Wells

Peter and I walked out to the lifeboat station and beach. We stopped a while in the National Coastwatch lookout hut to chat to the guys there, but we couldn't distract them. 

We walked past the beach huts. One is up for sale in the estate agents in town for £65,000. Very smart, but as I said to Peter, 'you could buy a really nice boat for £65,000'. 

Once again, on our return, Calviere II was high and dry. We had slackened the mooring lines as they had been too tight. Now Calviere II is about two foot out and about four foot up, not easy to climb aboard. We managed by pushing up the first, and then tugging the second aboard. 

We clambered down for the short walk up to The Globe for our roast Sunday lunch. A large dinner, followed by a selection of cheese & biscuits, accompanied by a bottle of wine. 

Unsurprisingly, we napped most of the afternoon. 

In the evening, shortly before sunset, we walked along the East Quay. On our return we stopped at the Dutch sailing barge, Albatross, which is moored on the quay. We sat on the upper deck, watching the terns diving into the incoming tide and tucked into Dutch style pancakes. Peter had the Apple & cinnamon and I had stem ginger with maple syrup. 

Saturday in Wells next the Sea

We loaded the washing machine in the harbour laundry and sorted out the shower block access card. The laundry took most of the morning, but whilst it was underway, Peter and I went into the town for some provisions. We called into the Tourist Information after ideas and found that the local theatre had a one night visiting professional group production of Oscar Wilde's 'Lady Windermere's Fan', so we bought two tickets. 

After lunch onboard, we took the narrow gauge railway from Wells to Walsingham. An idyllic ride, with lots of wild flowers and butterflies. We stopped long enough in Walsingham for a walk round and a pint. 

For a pre-theatre supper we ate fish and chips sitting on the quay watching the tide come in. For most of the day Calviere II has been high and dry, alongside the pontoon, making climbing on and off difficult. 

The production of Lady Windermere's Fan was highly amusing. The members of the group playing multiple parts and working very hard with quick costume changes. Lots of memorable lines and quotations. 

Grimsby - Wells next the Sea

We were up early for a shower in the Humber Cruising Association clubhouse. Keith returned to help us leave, and to operate the fuel pump. 

After the lock was on free flow, we left. Just out from the dock we hoisted the sails, and after clearing the Humber, we furled the genoa and set the cruising chute. This we flew until the wind picked up and we needed to reduce the amount of sail we were carrying. 

We passed numerous wind farms, onshore and offshore, and today they were all generating. 

Crossing the Wash, the wind was more behind us, causing the sails to flap. We tried goose winging the sails, and tried broad reaching & gyping, but neither was comfortable as we were rolling. After a while we put the engine back on as it was far steadier. 

We arrived at the Wells next the Sea outer buoy shortly after 19:30. I'm really grateful that Hillary had given me their copy of the Wells Harbour year book, which included details of the route in. It would have been very difficult without the book to guide us and would have been impossible after dark. 

As directed by the harbour staff, we moored another yacht on the pontoon and walked into town for dinner. A most excellent crab salad.