Got a report in from MRZAZPCAT - who is now making good progress on the return to England:
DUNBAR TO WHITBY 21/07/2009
Phill has been flat out fixing things on the boats and getting them ready for a rough trip down to Whitby, after repairing wiring and cables, boats were fuelled up and ready to go. We were getting our kit on and checking radios before leaving the tide was on its way in and the wind getting up so it was defiantly going to be another hard one.
THE EASY RIDE IN BEHIND THE RNLI BOAT THE BEST 12 MILES OF THE DAY
This was a late start and 125 miles to get to Whitby and the possibility of it all been hard. Sure enough as we headed out it was swell with chop into the wind the only option was flat out when at all possible skimming the tops and keeping the nose down as with 140ltr of fuel it was possible, we were making good time until we hit the headland and the �overflows� these are where the water is pushed around the headlands and is always worse when the tide is running strong the water is very unpredictable and ramps up in all directions, in this case the waves were over 10ft and in any direction, this slowed us down, and put us at a standstill at times as we battled our way over and through the waves, the water pressure hitting the helmets was knocking our heads back and giving me a very sore neck, pushing on we were back in to the bumpy chop, we needed to make Whitby for the evening as Typhoon were expecting us for a repair on my suit i have damaged the leg on the tiller arm and it was now starting to leak water, at the end of the day my foot was dead with the cold i had to consciously remember to keep wiggling my toes to keep the blood circulating.
WELCOME SMILES FROM ALL THE CREW
Sat nav says 45miles to go to the next but last turn after a hour and a half we can see the headland about 25 miles away as the fog had lifted we were hugging the coast line as this gave us a smoother ride and more speed, just of Sunderland we came across a large Pod of Dolphins moving south there had to be over 25 of them, a quick stop to watch and then it was a good run in to Whitby with the wind now dropping a little, we arrived in the harbour called into Humber Coast guard to get instructions from the land crew as to where to pull up to the Coast Guard as always was on top of everything and gave us some precise instructions, Phill was on the Jetty directing us in, a welcome sight as always with a big smile on his face, i had stopped at the RNLI to radio the coast guard at this point i noticed i had made a major mistake when leaving Dunbar we had just completed 125 + miles in bad conditions �without any LIFE JACKETS� there is no excuse for this it was my fault it sent a cold shiver up my spine, the jackets were not as usually put with the suits and kit they were by the RNLI Rib and to top it all Gary had reminded me that they were there, it is becoming obvious that i am possibly becoming mentally fatigued, something that cannot happen so with a good bed and a trip in the morning to Typhoon to see Nigel and get things sorted out it will give me time to get my head back in to gear as there is no way i can afford to make those kind of mistakes and the rest of the crew are possibly feeling the same as none of us picked up on the fact. A mistake never to happen again.
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