DAY TEN - GLASSON TO WHITEHAVEN

After a fun night catching up with friends and a very comfortable stay with Tizzy and Ivan Sedgwick at Kirby Londsdale, we tore ourselves away this morning after a fantastic "set you up for the day" breakfast.  Meeting us at Glasson Quay were Lucy and Dick Browning who are joining Simon for the next leg of Around Great Britain, and David Bertie, who is joining us on "ConTTentment".
The exit from the lock at Glasson all went to plan, with the lock gates opening promptly just after 2.00pm, and we made our way out into the Lune River, a little more confidently than on our arrival knowing we had a lot more water under our keel.
The wind was coming from the North West and the waters of Liverpool Bay were choppy and short, and made for a very uncomfortable couple of hours as we made our way up the coast.   This is the worst point of "sail", with the sea coming straight on the nose.  There is very little you can do to iron out the ride, and it is uncomfortable and frustratingly slow.  I felt for all our new passengers, whose first introduction to the trip was less than ideal.  The only consolation was the scenery to our right, with late afternoon sun on the Cumbrian hills, an enticing hint at what lay ahead. We are really looking forward to this next leg of the journey as we make our way towards what will hopefully be some of the most beautiful sections of our trip.
The extra manpower meant we could change shifts so that you were either on the throttle, on the helm or sitting it out in the rear seat every half hour.  It did add a little variety to what was a tedious couple of hours.  Fortunately, as we approached Bees Head, the seas flattened out slightly and we were able to  make up for lost time and travel at about 25 knots.  Just short of Whitehaven, down came the rain in stair rods, and we approached the harbour wall in a good downpour.
Anthony called up the Marina, and as we arrived in the outer harbour, the lock gate was retracted, and for a moment I really felt I was on the set of a James Bond movie!  Into the mouth of the lock we bobbed, feeling tiny in its cavernous interior.  We tied up alongside a floating pontoon, and the giant doors shut silently behind us.  I felt as if I had been swallowed!  A shout came from above us, and down on a rope came a plastic folder with our berthing instructions.  The sluice gate opened, and in flooded the water, and up we rose, like two corks!  It really was quite surreal.

Once inside the lock the giant gates silently shut behind us

The lock starts to fill....and up we go!

Once again we have been touched by people's kindness on our journey.  Not only did the Whitehaven Marina harbour master, Robin, drive Anthony and Simon to the nearest petrol station to fill up the jerry cans (there is only diesel alongside at Whitehaven), he tracked us down at our hotel later in the evening to inform us that the Marina are also donating our berthing fees.  The Marina couldn't have been more welcoming or helpful, and after a jolting day on the water, they certainly helped smooth out the edges at the end of the day, which is hugely appreciated.
A big planning night tonight, now we are on the cusp of entering into the Scottish islands.

Distance travelled:  56.2 miles
Time travelling: 3 hours 40 minutes
Average speed: 15.3 knots
Total miles to date:  709 nautical miles