Christmas message 2019

It's been a busy and rather exciting year, with a few sad moments. Apologies if this is a longer post than usual but there's lots to report!

One of the biggest thrills has been seeing the first year of life of our granddaughter Ivy, born on December 20 2018. She's crawling, starting to make noises that could soon be words, and is just dying to stand and walk. She is without doubt the most beautiful baby in Britain, and probably the world, as you can see.

 

 

Ivy on her first birthday, December 20

Ivy is the first member of the next generation of Herrmanns, so has also been the first great-grandchild for my mother Patricia, now 92 and still doing very well, and the first niece, great-niece or first cousin once removed for other members of the family.

Guy finally resigned as the Orfordness boatman at the end of the 2019 season after crossing the River Ore at least a million times, and is now working for Harbour Marine, the boatyard at Southwold. Kai went back to work at Framlingham Castle late in 2019. We are incredibly proud of all three of them.

Front & back of Guy's leaving present from the National Trust

Not to be left out, Ben and Anne announced their engagement during a trip to Singapore in November.

Anne's lovely star sapphire

In February our new kitchen was finally finished with tiling in place. Finding the right tiles proved astonishingly difficult but in the end the result was lovely. And the kitchen is still pretty tidy, one year on!

It's been a busy year for travel, too. In March and April Camilla and Sam embarked on the trip of a lifetime – two weeks in Australia, followed by a two-week cruise from Melbourne to New Zealand and back. We had a lovely apartment in Crow's Nest, Sydney for a week, managed to catch up with an old friend Bev from the East Anglian Daily Times, and caught buses into the city (the buses are all accessible and the drivers very helpful) and taxis back. We did the ferries, the northern beaches, the zoo, the Opera House (with visit to the opera), Bondi Beach and plenty of wandering round. In spite of the hills, which are not ideal with a wheelchair, we both enjoyed Sydney hugely.

Fabulous view from the zoo

In Melbourne we had a waterside apartment in Docklands which we thought had a pretty good view...

Fabulous view from the Melbourne apartment

...until we visited my aunt's stepson and his partner, who live on the 66th floor of the Eureka Tower! During six days in Melbourne we also managed to catch up with a friend from Norwich Union days and attend the Cruising Association's Melbourne lunch party, so it was a pretty sociable time.

Then it was aboard Golden Princess and off for a trip around New Zealand. This was the last trip of the season and it was starting to rain after a very dry summer, which was great for the locals but slightly disappointing for us. It didn't make NZ any less beautiful (although it was sadly too windy for the ship to go into Fjordland on the South Island), and we had some glorious days including the least windy day of the year in Wellington.

Otago Harbour off Dunedin, where we saw a rare yellow-eyed penguin

Sam's two older sons urged that whatever we did we must not miss out on Hobbiton. So I contacted them directly to arrange a golf-cart tour of this most iconic film set. They were incredibly helpful and even liaised with Princess so we could travel on the coach with everyone else, then get our very own guide who drove us around. We'd spent the time at sea between Australia and New Zealand re-watching all of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, and in Camilla's case re-reading the books, so we we were well up to speed with the details and were able to ask intelligent questions. Around 40% of visitors to Hobbiton have never even seen any of the films.

Sam coped remarkably well with the long flights. On the way back we took the Qantas Dreamliner which is 17.5 hours non-stop from Perth to London. It has an extra inch of legroom compared with the Airbus via Singapore on the way out, which made a big difference to him.

Camilla in a hobbit-house...

...and Sam in the Green Dragon

While we were away our engineer had been installing a new engine in Kalessin. After extensive dithering (by us) he recommended another Volvo Penta because replacing like with like needs much less labour than installing a different brand. All new engines turn in the opposite direction from our old Volvo 2002, but astonishingly the feathering prop could just be removed, sent to Darglow who pulled out the middle and flipped it around, all for around £200 which is vastly less than the cost of a new prop. The new engine is a Penta D1-30 delivering 27hp, which is more than 50% up on the previous one. See our previous post for details.

We've managed to make pretty good use of the engine, and indeed the rest of the boat, with trips to London in May with HPYC and Simon, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and Dieppe with the Westerly Owners and Bob & Elaine in June, Southwold and Lowestoft at the end of August with Alex & David followed by two weeks in the Netherlands in September with Ben & Anne. We like being in the non-tidal Netherlands so much we're thinking of spending the whole season there in 2020 and maybe even overwintering there as well.

Saint-Valery's glorious estuary

Down a steep hill at low tide to our berth in Dieppe

After 30 years of living in Suffolk we finally sailed into Southwold!

Hoorn was just one of the lovely Dutch ports we visited

Some of you may know that Camilla has sung for many years with a small a capella group called Rough at the Edges. In February we lost our oldest member, Barny. He had been suffering from dementia for some time but is still much missed. In May came the shocking news of the death of our founder, Tim Brook. Tim was 64, only a year older than Camilla. He suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm and died during the emergency operation. We cut short our trip to France so that Sam and I, and Bob and Elaine, could attend his funeral.

Tim (left) and Barny at Sally's wedding in 2009

In the interest of staying healthy, this has been the year in which Camilla started running. In January she embarked on the Couch to 5k programme which is highly recommended. Many people comment that they haven't run since schooldays; in Camilla's case she didn't even run at school, so this was a bit of a shock to the system! The initial aim was to complete the 5k Resolution Run in aid of the Stroke association in February. She did that with a bit of walking, then went on to the very tiny Stradbroke Triathlon (160m swim, 17k cycle ride, 3k run) and then the Adnams 10k at Southwold in November.

Resolution Run, Stradbroke Tri, Adnams 10k

Next up is the 2020 Resolution Run, this time aiming for 10k at Gorleston. We already have a JustGiving page - do make a donation if you can.

In between coming nearly last in these events, Camilla has run in Hoxne, Bury St Edmunds, Sydney, Melbourne, on board Golden Princess, London, Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Southwold, Lowestoft, Amsterdam, Hoorn and Whaley Bridge alongside the Peak Forest Canal. How very extraordinary this all is.

Meanwhile Sam carries on much as before, perhaps a little slower, a little harder to understand and a little more tired each year. As long as we plan recovery days when he can spend the morning in bed he can cope with most outings and activities. He regularly attends two stroke clubs, spends one day a week at the Street Forge workshops and swims at the lovely Stradbroke pool.

Camilla is still editing the quarterly magazine, monthly email newsletter and Yearbook for the Cruising Association. At the beginning of the year she was awarded the CA's President's Plate for Outstanding Service to The Cruising Association, which normally goes only to volunteers. To say she was gobsmacked is putting it mildly.

Camilla with CA Patron Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. You don't get to keep the plate but you do get a nice cut-glass goblet.

One final bit of good news. When we agreed to get married in 1988, Sam bought Camilla a lovely star sapphire ring. Sometime in the last couple of years it went missing. Camilla was convinced it was in a safe place, but just couldn't track it down. In September, by chance, she found a receipt from Albrow the jeweller in Norwich. Surely she couldn't have taken it there and forgotten? Anyway she popped in there, saying very hesitantly "Hi, this is probably a really stupid question... I have found this receipt but it's probably for something else... any chance?" The chap found the receipt stub, said it's for a single stone ring (good news) which had never been collected (blimey) but fortunately they keep repairs forever (hooray), he'd look in the safe ... and there it was. Apparently Camilla took it in for a repair during April 2017, they phoned and left a message in early May, and the message never got through.

Found at last: Camilla's star sapphire - bluer and paler than Anne's

This has been an epic update but it has been a very busy year. Next year is likely to be quieter, although we do plan a transatlantic cruise with P&O and as mentioned, hopefully some sailing in the Netherlands. It's been great to ctach up with some of you during the year and hopefully we'll see even more of you in 2020. In the meantime, have a wonderful Christmas.

Home and aground

Often when you're planing a passage home you keep an eye on the longer-term forecast for the days you hope to travel and watch in despair as the forecast changes from (say) NE3 with sunshine and flat seas to SW6-7 with rain, rough seas and poor visibility. Not this time. From the moment when it first appeared on the GFS 10-day forecast until the time that it happened, the wind was forecast to go N during Friday, drop in the afternoon and go a bit NE overnight, with seas moderating from just over a metre at midday Friday to about 0.3m by Saturday afternoon.


Thursday was a bit of a push to windward across the Markermeer. If we'd had more time or less far to go we could have sailed more. The wind was SW3-ish, just where we were going. We could have sailed almost to Lelystad, tacked and gone into the Ij, but instead it was on with Mr Volvo and Mr Tillerpilot once again with the crew generally dozing. We got back to Amsterdam Marina in the middle of the afternoon, and this time moored in the east basin, which is definitely choppier (and in fact a bit uncomfortable when there's a lot of barge traffic, although we were almost at the back of the basin) but has a better view. You also get more of the smells from the steak restaurant which was a mixed blessing as we weren't planning to go there. However, I did get another bath.

On Friday morning we had plenty of time for me to have a run past these rather nice houses, make a lasagne for Friday night and a big soup for Saturday, before heading off down the Nordzee Kanaal. The wind was showing no sign at all of going north and was on the nose most of the way, but very light. I suspect it's funnelled down the canal and most of it was apparent anyway. After a long wait at the lock, and then in the lock, we got to IJmuiden about 2pm and found the fuel berth, which I got us into extremely neatly as the space between the two moored ribs was only marginally longer than Kalessin. Then we tried to get fuel. The machine rejected my smile debit card (normally rejected by fuel dispensers), my Santander business debit card (which usually works) and my Smile credit card. Oh bugger. Then Anne tried her Monzo debit card, which is Mastercard rather than Visa (generally better news in the Netherlands) and it worked. It transpired from the warning texts I received that the system precharges a stonking €1250 which seems to trigger numerous fraud sensors. Anyway thank you Anne! (and Monzo).

Departure around 1830 saw the wind in the N as promised and the sea still a bit lumpier than I would have liked, which had a rather negative effect on Ben, unfortunately, especially as we were sailing for the first hour or so. We all had some lasagne and then everyone except me went to bed and the engine went on by about 8pm. I took the first watch until 2300. Fortunately our route this time was south of the anchored tankers which got in the way so much on the way out, and S of the Luchterduinen windfarm which was a very handy seamark. The air was remarkably warm and the sea continued to moderate. The moon came up over the Dutch coast, soaring up like a vast orange hot-air balloon.

Ben did the 2300 to 0200 watch, still feeling distinctly queasy, I did 0200 to 0500, Ben got dawn and breakfast and then slept almost to midday. Sam had refused to be wedged behind the saloon table in the port bunk, so we got him half-sitting, half-lying sideways across the bunk, propped on a folded duvet, which meant he could lie back to sleep and sit up to eat or take notice. It worked quite well on starboard tack but might not haven been so good if he had been tipped the other way. It also meant there was a vacant area of port bunk next to him just big enough for me to curl up in like a dormouse, and to my surprise I slept soundly for at least two hours on each of my off watches, although I woke with cramp from being curled up. After my second dormouse effort the elastic of my thermal leggings was digging in so ferociously that I clipped it with a pair of scissors. Time for a new pair of leggings...

The sea got calmer and bluer until it was positively hot. We had chosen the calmest possible day for our crossing but I did feel I should explain to Anne that the North Sea is not normally like this.

New EA1 windfarm under construction

Finally it was time to turn into both wind and tide to turn down the Sledway. On previous crossings we have been lucky to get both wind and tide right for a gallop down the Sledway. This time the tide was against us and as we passed north of the Greater Gabbard windfarm we were down to less than 4kt over the ground, despite boosting the engine revs to 2300, so I expected a painful crawl home. But in fact the wind direction and strength were perfect to make the most of motorsailing, where we were filling the sails with our own apparent wind, and we managed a respectable 5 to 5.5kt down to what used to be Wadgate Ledge, and just now seems to be Ledge beacon.

By the time we reached SYH it was LW. As it was a day before springs and the lowest water was forecast as 0.5m above chart datum I expected the channel to be narrow, but water levels to be ok. In fact we touched bottom on the approach to the safe water mark, and as we turned into the marina we saw a yacht clearly aground in the fairway. I thought I could creep round him on the inside, but oh no, there is definitely a bump there. We got off, crept into a handy spare berth, and had a dinner of reheated lasagne and soup which fortunately was all ready to go. We did enjoy a gorgeous sunset and with the very very last of the light finally got into our home berth around 2030. Time for that well-earned drink.

The yacht behind us draws 6ft and was well and truly aground

Wet and dry

 

Sam and I were last in Enkhuizen in 2011, when we left the boat in the Buyshaven for a few weeks while Ben did his A-levels. Before that we were here with Ben in 2009 when we visited the Zuider Zee museum. We thought it was time for another visit to the museum especially as it is completely new to Anne, so opted to moor in the Compagnieshaven which is a vast marina next to the museum. 

We had a very gentle passage from Hoorn with Anne helming for the first time as we sailed very slowly and then motored a bit faster. Coming into the marina was a bit confusing as there is a sign for a welcome pontoon, but once tied to it we could see it said “Welcome pontoon in 400m”. Fortunately as we arrived at the actual welcome pontoon we were met by someone who helpfully directed us to berth F1 which has an alongside jetty. We got in neatly, tied up and then realised we were in F27, ie the other side of the jetty from where we should have been. Oh well, third time lucky. 

Fortunately I asked the harbour master about accessible showers, as there is one but it has its own entrance with a keycard, and it turned out to be locked anyway. In the late afternoon we got Sam in and all was well, other than the fact that the floor was covered in dead insects - perhaps not cleaned that often. (Or indeed used that often).

In the evening I walked around the many moorings of Enkhuizen feeling guilty that we’d gone for the huge and slightly soulless marina. The town moorings (below) were rafted three deep and the Buyshaven had almost no moorings alongside a jetty, so I felt better about our choice. 

On Tuesday, a day with occasional drizzle and almost no wind, we headed off to the museum at the crack of 11am, and I think we all had a rather splendid time enjoying the reconstructed buildings and authentic crafts. 

Camilla as an apothecary “gaper”

Lovely baskets

The lime kilns were in use in their original location until 1976

Ben enjoying the privies in 2009

Not much has changed 10 years later

Wednesday saw winds up to F6 and pretty much non-stop rain so we have had a day of catching up, supermarket shopping etc. Why doesn’t Albert Heijn take normal UK debit cards? We had mussels on board which at least means we have kept up with our tradition of what we eat in the Netherlands. (Ben had chicken).

If all goes to plan it will be back to Amsterdam tomorrow (Thursday) night, and on Friday a pootle to IJmuiden to fill up with fuel and make an early evening departure across the North Sea. 

Golden Hoorn

Our original plan for this trip was to pootle gently around the IJsselmeer. Plan B was to take the standing mast route south through Haarlem and make a shorter North Sea crossing from the Roompot or Breskens. During the windy few days we were in Amsterdam I changed my mind on which was better several times a day. But by Saturday the weather was looking better, and the long-term forecast for the following weekend was giving northerlies, in which case a crossing from further north would be better. 

So it looked like Plan A at last, and with all the delightful ports of the Markermeer and IJsselmeer to choose from, we decided on Hoorn, HQ of the Dutch East Indies Company in the Golden Age, which we had visited briefly in 2009. We picked our way through rain showers and out through the Oranjesluisen, sailing briefly before turning into the wind as we headed to Hoorn. We forgot to look out for enormous mats of floating weed, which are a menace in this part of the Markermeer, but didn’t encounter any. 

Normally we avoid town quays where you tend to raft three deep, but I had a good feeling about this one so we headed for the Binnenhaven. And indeed there was the perfect mooring under the trees, really easy to get Sam on and off, with electricity and even water, once we’d joined two hoses together. No need to raft either. 

Admittedly the bathroom facilities were limited with no accessible showers, but we did have a pretty good view. 

On Saturday evening we enjoyed kibbeling and chips from the little cafe at the end of the quay, on Sunday morning I went for a very nice run, and on Sunday afternoon Sam and I enjoyed the craft market, Dutch hippie guitarists and people walking the greasy pole.

More Amsterdam

I woke up on Wednesday determined to check the VHF connections before calling in the professionals. Fortunately Ben insisted on taking over before I got too far. In due course we phoned Phil Munslow, who has installed our AIS and many other electrical items over the years, who made a number of useful suggestions, and Ollie Ballum of Seapower who did the electrical work on the engine and (I thought) installed the tiller pilot, who told us he had never seen the AIS splitter and was rather unhelpful. 

In due course we found the AIS splitter right next to the tiller pilot actuation unit. There was a coaxial plug plugged into it but the cable had completely parted company with the plug. Surely not a complete coincidence that the cable fell out just when another item was installed three inches away. Ollie assured me that (a) a different engineer had installed the actuator unit and he was normally very careful, and (b) the cable must have been loose to fall out. That may be true but coax connections notoriously degrade over time and I think it should have been checked. 

Ben, Anne and I went for a walk to a DIY store to buy a soldering iron. On the way back we passed a promising-looking outdoor goods store, and as we went in Ben said “I’ve been here before.” Indeed he had, the store was Rien de Wolf and we walked there from the Sixhaven in 2009 to buy a waterproof jacket for Ben and a Wateralmanak. This time we found a better soldering iron, a continental to UK adaptor so we could plug it into our 240v system, a cable for Ben’s camera battery charger and a spare VHF coax connector. Brilliant. 

It took most of the rest of the day to finish and check the repairs, and get the headlining back in place to Ben’s satisfaction. I took Sam for a shower in the impressive accessible facilities via our equally impressive wide pontoon. . 

Friday looked just as windy as Thursday had been (F6-7) so we hired an Uber to take us to the Rijksmuseum where we spent four hours or so. Not a cheap day out - €60 admission for three of us (Sam was free), plus €40 for a soup and sandwich lunch - but a fantastic immersion in culture. My favourite picture was the portrait of Sir Thomas Gresham by Anthonis Mor, court painter to the king of Spain. 

We walked back to the boat, which was knackering but worthwhile, and after supper I enjoyed the very best feature offered by Marina Amsterdam, something I have longed for but never found in any other marina:

...yes, a bath, with a view over Amsterdam and a window which can be made opaque at the push of a button. Fabulous. 

Marina Amsterdam

On previous stays in Amsterdam we have been to the Sixhaven. I believe it’s not quite as jam packed as it used to be but suspected it might not be very accessible for Sam. So we chose the relatively new Marina Amsterdam who have done us proud, with a berth alongside a huge pontoon which is also not the main walkway. 

We spent a day in  IJmuiden recovering from the crossing, which was probably sensible although apart from the beach there’s not much on offer. On Tuesday we left in a relatively relaxed way as even at the age of 26 Ben is not keen on early rising. The Kleine Sluis was fine but slow. 

Then we sailed slowly up the Nordzee kanal in pleasant sunshine, arriving at the marina in time to get the ferry to Centraal Station, walk gently westward through the city enjoying the canals and the appelgebaak,calling at a supermarket to stock up with basics, and then getting the other ferry back to NDSM. Sam was thrilled to spend time in the city, the sun shone and it all worked very well.

Sadly today has been less lovely with rain starting around 10am and continuing most of the day. I had a good 5km jog before it started but otherwise spent the day getting the laundry done, trying to work out what’s wrong with the VHF and catching up with this blog. 

Tomorrow’s forecast looks windy and wet again although it was a lovely peaceful evening. Our incredibly helpful HLR has suggested some options for people who could look at the VHF so tomorrow we need to contact them, reappraise the weather and decide what to do next.