Lowestoft to Felixstowe
Peter, our skipper, turned out to be a jovial, experienced trainer from the East Anglian Sea School. We discussed the passage plan. I was to helm the boat; he would only intervene in an emergency.
We left the marina at 10.00. Fuel tanks full, water tanks half full, three persons on board. The plan assumed a cruising speed of 15 knots, which is what Broom had advised. If it didn’t we would have to overnight in Felixstowe.
Sunny with a slight mist, a force 3 blowing from the SE, and visibility around two miles, we settled into a cruising speed of 14 knots. After about fifteen minutes, I noticed that we had forgotten to lift the fenders. Peter crept forward carefully on the side deck, crouched and picked up port, then starboard fenders, while Lucy picked up the fenders at the stern.
With everyone back on deck safely I looked at the GPS. We were doing 15 knots! The dragging fenders had taken a full knot off our speed! We checked our position regularly to ensure we were on course. We were about 2 miles offshore and land was only just visible through the mist. Then the GPS failed to register. It kept telling us there was a weak signal. We tried everything before Peter brought his handheld one out of his bag. “This one has never let me down” he said confidently. Sod got to work again. Nothing would make his GPS register! Weak signal.
We cruised using traditional navigation methods. Each shipping buoy came up reassuringly exactly on cue on the bow. We approached Felixstowe, navigating past the numerous lobster pots, a myriad of motorised and sailing craft, and into the harbour area. A large container vessel lazily pouring water out of orifices in its side gleamed red oxide and grey in the early afternoon sun. The GPS sprang back into operation!