Well at least we tried!

50’55.7N 001’37.1W course 090′ speed 2kn
Ach what can I say, our routine has been disturbed with our anchorage in Rye Bay. We had a nice evening at anchor, celebrated our crossing of the Greenwich Meridian and had a good sleep until 03:00 this morning. We got up early, hoping to catch the tide North, but the tide North was not running… after days of Northerly winds, it sees the tide can hardly move the water.. Waves and wind and no help of any current kept our speed at 2,5 knots… we decided it was not safe to stay in the traffic separation scheme and headed to the inshore traffic zone, here we could freely tack and make some speed on other courses then the one of the TSS.
A traffic separation scheme or TSS is a sort of highway for ships, making sure that one lane is going one way and one lane is going the other way. And there is no deviating of these courses too much, as you should be heading in the same direction.. that should have been a course of 035′ over the ground.. But when big Mearsk ships of 244 meters long pass you by with 17,5 knots.. 2,5 does not seem very safe in between them! So we crossed the lane and got out of the TSS.

While the non existing current should have headed North, we made tacks, doing 5,5 knots under engine, forestaysail and mizzen. Wind was still fairly strong and we really tried to squeeze as much North out of the course as we could.. and then the tide turned… and that current is definitely present! And while we set mainsail and jib with the idea, well if we aren’t going any where, we might as well do it under sail.. The wind died out to a forse 2 and we were going South with the tide running South.. So engine back on.. and motor sail.

We have taken down the jib and will take down the mainsail and possibly the mizzen at watch hand over.. see what we can do without sails, now that the wind has gone..

Well at least we tried!

All is well on board, Jet