Somehow all the stuff fitted in the boat somewhere and we don’t seem to have left anything important behind.
We said we should leave at 8:15, but eventually left at 9:20 with the forecast offering SW5-6 decreasing 3-4 later. Made good time down the river in a gusty wind. At the Landguard buoy we decided that conditions and forecast were OK to go (remember it’s a long way to come back upwind if we have a change of heart). We had some fast sailing with 2 reefs in the main and matching genoa. We took an offshore route so did not have any close view of Orford Ness, Aldeburgh etc. Not long before Southwold we took the main down as the wind had become stronger, 6-7 I think. However we still made 6-7 knots with the reefed genoa alone.
Moored on the RNSYC visitors pontoon, rafted alongside Bow de Sear, also from the Orwell. They are leaving at 06:00 tomorrow so I had better go to bed….
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