On Saturday evening we enjoyed the pontoon party and our dinner at the Loch & Quay, in Woolverstone. We had decided to leave at 05:00 the next morning, which would give us the right swoosh and also allow enough water to get out of the marina without getting stuck on the mudbank. The idea was to ride the ebb tide from the marina to Harwich and the catch the flood to propel us down the Medusa Channel into West Mersea, so we turned in early because we knew we had a critical departure window the next morning.
I heard the first alarm clock go off at about 0415 from another cabin and I knew mine would be going in a few seconds. After dragging on sailing kit I looked out and saw four pairs of eyes looking accusingly at me. The unspoken comment seemed to be, “Whose idea was this?”
Anne made tea all round and we went out on deck to get ready to go. We looked at the boat on our starboard side and I thought, “Well bang goes our timing for today,” because they were in darkness and not a soul seemed to be stirring there.
As we prepared for sea we made rather a lot of noise and soon Geoff appeared in the cockpit followed by Joy who was desperately trying to live up to her name.
We all greeted each other as cheerfully as we could and as we started the engine and switched on the steaming lights I noticed that the echo sounder was reading 0.2m which meant we had about 10cm under the keel. I briefed the crew that we would spring out and then go hard astern to get clear of the pontoon and into the channel before the ebb could push us back.
BANGOES slips and leaves, and as the echo sounder reading drops to 0.1m I call, “Let go aft.”
Chris slips the aft line, “All clear aft.”
Helm hard to port and engine ahead. The stern starts to swing away from the pontoon. Anna and Anne doing great things with fenders and headrope on the foredeck.
Stop engine, wheel amidships, “Let go forward.” Hold my breath as we start to drift back.
“All clear forward.” I hear the cry from Anne and put the engine hard astern and we shoot back from the quay and as we clear the pontoon and pass the Marina PHM to starboard, I see the welcome depth reading of 3.7m.
Stop engine, line up with the channel and go ahead just as the collection of lines, fenders and crew all return to the cockpit and gear is stowed away.
We look at each other – job well done. “Coffee” at least three of us say together and the tension disappears as we look around and see the lights of PIM, BANGOES and AVENTURA which we also identify on AIS.
An hour later we see the sun rise over the cranes of Felixstowe and we have just completed the only hour of night sailing on the rally.