Summer Cruise - July 2006

Apollo fully reefed in strong winds

Bryan and I set off to Whitby on Monday. It was a brilliant sunny day, with absolutely no wind! So we motored.

Martin met us at Whitby, and we had dinner at an Indian.

On Tuesday, we had a sausage and bacon breakfast on Apollo, and set off Northwards. The wind grew. The weather forecast told us there were no strong wind warnings, but the Coastguard, when asked for a forecast, was asking us what the conditions were like!

As we looked across the bay, we could see a bank of mist on its way towards us.

We anchored at Runswick Bay to see how mist settled down. We watched as it passed veryt quickly some way from shore. There was a lot of wind and so we fully reefed and used the smallest sail.

With the wind behind us, we soon reached Staithes and decided to sail on to Skinningrove, as there was not enough water to enter Staithes. We then turned round and closehauled back to Staithes. By this time the wind was at least a 5, and a local fisherman reckoned it had got up to a 7 - but then they always exaggerate, don't they?

We entered the harbour, and after a bit of difficulty when we found it was not as sheltered as expected, we were taken by a fisherman to a berth that does not dry out at the harbour entrance. We had dinner at a local pub, and ended up in joining in a quizz.

On Wednesday we had another sausage and bacon breakfast, and set off back to Scarborough. There was only a very light breeze, but that was enough to keep us going at about 4 knots close hauled, and we managed about three quarters of the journey under sail, before the wind finally dropped altogether and we had to use the motor. I estimated we would have taken six hours under motor: in the event we did the whole passage in six and a half hours.

We had dinner on board. It's surprising how well one can cook with tins and a steamer on a single burner! We ate beef stew or curry with rice, peas and carrots.

We had intended to sail to Filey Brigg and back on Thursday, but there was no wind at all, and we spent most of the day drifting round Scarborough Bay, before picking up a friend and his son for a an evening yacht ride. The only matters of interest to report are the full meal we had on board as we drifted, and the moment we were buzzed by an RAF helicopter, who may have been thinking of doing a practise landing on Apollo.

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