The morning started early at 6am with the local lifeboat leaving station at pace for a rescue a couple of miles down the coast. Though at least I did not had to get out of bed myself!

On the lifeboats return later in the morning I believed it was a boat that I recognised. On closer inspection it was clear that this was the old Sennen boat “The Four Boys”. She was replaced a few years ago due to being unsuitable for the conditions off Lands End.

After the long motor down from Eyemouth I was not looking forward to another long day under power. However, with the same light northwesterly winds forecast a trip to the petrol station was definitely needed.

Once we had fuel and food for the day we motored slowly out down the channel into what seemed like another windless day. On clearing the harbour it was a pleasant surprise to find a northwesterly force three blowing down the coast. After rounding Coquet Island we were making six knots under full sail down towards Blyth and Tynemouth.

It was a fast and pleasant passage past the wind farms of Blyth and down to the vast breakwaters of the Tyne Estuary twenty miles south. Just after dark we made our last approaches into the estuary slowly removing sails as we went. The jib was removed just before the pier heads and we motored at pace against the river past Tynemouth.

Much of the small fishing boats of the river were returning from their day’s work at this time. This made the river traffic busy up until the Fish Quay were they all turned into Starboard. Once past the fish quay it was a short passage up to Royal Quay Marina. Following a quick radio conversation we went straight through the locks and onto the visitor’s berth.

Dad was to travel up to join me in the next few days and after a call home the next days planned trip to Whitby was scrapped. He was to meet me on Thursday in Hartlepool, which gave me three days to move twenty miles down the coast. Royal Quays is not the worst place to be stuck for a few days and with time on my hands, Monday was a good day for a break. Although North Shields is a thirty-minute walk away it contains all the shops you could need, complimenting the marina facilities that are as good as they get. On meeting the marina manager on Monday afternoon he was very welcoming. He was in fact a friend of Mel Sharp who has been keeping his new boat on Silverwind’s mooring in Penzance this summer. Even more he had been on holiday in the Isles of Scilly at the end of July when we had been there with the PASAB fleet!