Update from Auriga – Day 1 and 2

Day 1 – Monday 11^th August

Departure day has finally arrived! Alarms set at the sunrise, we get the boat ready in the first lights of a beautiful sunny morning. The forecast still predicts SW 6-8 but up the Orwell it’s not too windy. Igor and Matt slip the mooring lines at 7 am, and Elaine, Rob and I wave goodbye from the pontoon. We then run to the spit to see Auriga disappear down the Orwell, picking up speed quickly with the sails up. 

Ready to go!

Filling the fuel tank... magics of the jiggle pipe!

The guys planned to get to North Foreland by 4 pm, to catch the tide running down the coast of Kent. They make very good progress in the morning, crossing all the sand banks safely and arriving a few miles north of Margate by 3 pm. The weather is quite rough though, and after damaging the #3 they decide to stop in Ramsgate for the night. Hot food, dry clothes and some sleep are needed!

Leaving Fox's, Auriga's friendly home for the past 6 months

Auriga sailing under the Orwell Bridge

Day 2 – Tuesday 12^th August

Another early start, and another day of heavy weather with gale force winds. By 1 pm Auriga sails past Dungeness. However, the next position sent by the yellowbrick three hours later gives them 5 nm NE of the previous position. They are going backwards. This gets me (and probably anyone else following the tracker) quite worried for a couple hours, till I receive a text from Matt. The main is torn, but they are safe and the boat is under control. With a full F8 still blowing they decided to run back to Dover, sailing downwind under two storm jibs at 7 kn! Despite two torn sails in two days, "the sense of adventure is keeping the spirits high” Matt says in his text. They spent the night at anchor in Dover, fixed the main and set off again early this morning.