England here we come !

And then we were three on the sinking ship, or as Benny says, on the plastic fantastic

Amsterdam for a day with the boys, well excluding Dave that had to fly home. Manged flower- market, coffee-shop, red-light district, got through a shopping mal and we had beer, walked along the bridges and found our selves in the middle of a Hare Krishna festival at the plaza outside the royal palace.

 

The plan were to leave at noon, rescheduled due to the rough wind until 15.00, wait for the wind to lower out to southeast wind  but it took until around 19.30 before we took the decision to leave, with bearing in mind that if we were taking in too much water than what we could handle we could go in at the WTP and harbour of Rotterdam. We spoke to Paul, the owner of the boat and according to the weather forecast the wind should go around to south east and then we would have a good angle (up-wind) to go across the channel.

 

It was all but that when we left. This time I geared up properly with boots on from the beginning, went to the toilet and were prepared mentally. Benny steered along the coast of Holland into a beautiful sunset, the whole sky were shifting and as taken form a Disney movie.

 

We did 6 buckets the first three hours. A rib-tour for three hours then we reached Rotterdam, where it was so busy of ships that you could almost not see the navigation chart, all going in different directions. I thought it more looked like a Tivoli with all the ships bright colourful lights on in the night. As predicted the wind were softening as we went along. I went off first shift at 01.00 then we just made one bucket of water the last hour inside the boat, next time I woke up it the sun were on its way up, and the sea was calm. Benny Told me I could go back to sleep when I popped my head up on deck, he said he would wake us up at 06.00, I didn’t argue. Next time I woke up the jib was up and Giles had turned the engine off. We were actually sailing. 

 

Pancake breakfast in the morning and then change of spinnaker and a herbalife-shake to regain some vitamins after schnitzel and deep fried …. In Germany and Holland. Smooth sailing and when I in the afternoon took up my book to read, Benny interrupted me and said “ there are dolphins “ I looked up and it was : )

 

By 17.30 we steered into Ramsgate. I am in England. 

Giles left us as soon as we were tied up, to go for a race in Sardinia, and then we were two ...