River Orwell

D and I have been waiting for several days for weather suitable to our trip down to the Orwell, and today it looked as good as it was likely to get for a while. Tomorrow is forecast to be worse. So we left Lowestoft in company with Lahloo, Susan J, Moon River and Indian Runner at about 5.45am. We had a wind a bit south of west mostly around force 6. We had hoped for a slightly better wind but we were close hauled all day. The wind came with a very lumpy sea that washed the decks thoroughly and did its best to slow the boat down. The tide took us down nearly as far as Harwich, and a bit of tedious motorsailing into the wind got us into the river. We eventually picked up a mooring near Pin Mill.

As always the Orwell is a lovely river, peaceful with wooded banks once you are past the hustle and bustle of the container port at Felixstowe. We saw several gaffers and other classic boats.

The picture shows the Swedish built motor yacht Lilian, seen heading up towards Ipswich today after being at the Swale race last weekend. She was built of steel in 1916, is in marvellous condition  and usually kept on the Thames at Richmond.