On Good Friday, 2023 we were all ready to depart the Tidemill once there was enough water over the sill.

HW Woodbridge Town, 1415 on Friday, 7 April found ‘Dolce Vita X’, ‘Tannhauser’ and ‘Cachalot’ ready to leave the Tidemill YH at 1330 heading downriver to pick up buoys at Felixstowe Ferry. Weather was fair, blue skies, sunshine but only a very light breeze. Harbourmaster John allocated us three buoys on the Felixstowe side – the very strong tide meant we could only make 0.5kn. motoring to pick up our buoy at 1600. Night #1 supper for nine aboard ‘Dolce Vita X’ was boeuf Bourguignon cooked by Bev and Steve yesterday in the campervan, finished off aboard ‘Cachalot’ and ferried across by Tim ‘the Butler’. The weather forecast was light winds for the weekend, with storms in Harwich Harbour on Monday so we decided to stay in the river . . .

HW Felixstowe Ferry, 1406 on Saturday, 8 April and the day dawned overcast and chilly with the forecast very light breeze. It had certainly been a chilly night, an excellent test for the efficiency of the new diesel heater on ‘Cachalot’ which kept the cabin lovely and warm. Tim joined us on ‘Cachalot’ for an enjoyable sail in the river. Dropping the buoy at 1235 it was short tacks for an hour with the incoming tide to keep out of the mud up to Ramsholt. The attempt to sail back against the tide was called off at 1340 after only ten minutes making no headway! ‘Tannhauser’ had also given up sailing, going ashore at Ramsholt. We took a buoy beside them and invited everyone aboard ‘Cachalot’ for lunch in the sunshine. Rather than return to Felixstowe Ferry, the consensus was a night at ‘The Rocks’. We had fun sailing upriver for an hour in very light airs with lots of gybing practise. Tonight’s supper venue was ‘Tannhauser’ with Ben’s excellent margueritas for aperitifs followed by Rick’s spahghetti Bolognese.

Easter Sunday dawned with beautiful sunshine but the river was calm as a mill pond. We all set off back to the Tidemill, under motor, creeping over the sill at 1330, without touching at 1.5m. Here’s to the next time, when hopefully there will be a bit more wind!