DAY TWENTY-ONE - DUNBAR TO WHITBY

We only had a small window of opportunity to leave Dunbar this morning before low tide, and even as we pulled away from our quay-side mooring, the boats on the other side of the tiny harbour were going to ground.  It was a strange sight indeed to see a line of yachts lying on their sides on their moorings.  I was sorry to say farewell to Dunbar - it is definitely one of my favourite harbours on this trip - steeped in history, and so beautiful with the ruins of Dunbar Castle guarding its entrance and the ochre coloured rocks handsomely encompassing its beaches.  The Harbour Master was a delightful character, with his breton cap and his twinkly eyes, and he couldn't have been more helpful and welcoming, even coming down to the quay-side this morning to bid us good-bye.

Racing against the outgoing tide to leave Dunbar Harbour

We had a great run out of Dunbar, and made our way across Berwick Bay towards Lindisfarne in absolutely ideal conditions, managing 28-30 knots all the way.  The water looked like molten metal, and with the rising sun laying a sparkling road before us, it all made for idyllic boating conditions.  By the time we arrived at Lindisfarne, it was bang on low tide, and we crept into the harbour of St Cuthert's to drop an anchor.  I had to do a double take when 30 odd seals popped their heads up to greet us on our arrival.  It is a surreal moment while you try and work out exactly what it is you are looking at!

Lindisfarne Island

The beautiful coast alongside Lindisfarne

A cup of tea on a sunlit sea with the backdrop of Lindisfarne behind us was about as good as it gets, and we lingered for a good hour, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the wildlife.  Huge flocks of birds swooped overhead, and we always had the attentive presence of the seals - those bald headed gentlemen of the sea.  From our break at Lindisfarne our next port of call was the Farne Islands.  As forecast, the wind had picked up a bit by now and sadly we lost the ideal conditions we had experienced in the morning, being met again with the wind on the nose and a short choppy sea.

Dunstanborough Castle in the mist

The hot weather on the mainland greeted us with wafts of surprisingly warm air, but the downside of this unseasonal heat wave is that the mainland was shrouded in a secretive sea mist, and Bamburgh and Dunstonburgh Castles appeared only as eery history-laden silhouettes on the mainland.  A refuelling point had been pinpointed at the Royal Quays Marina, so we made the journey up the River Tyne to take advantage of the luxury of fuel available alongside.  A quick break for a late lunch at the Marina, and then back out into the North Sea to make our way towards our final destination of Whitby.   Making her way back out to sea, "Teal" was suddenly dwarfed by an incoming ship - a marine version of David and Goliath!

"Teal" dwarfed on the Tyne

The conditions from the River Tyne towards Whitby were one minute ideal and then the next minute unrelentingly choppy and on the nose, and I struggled to come to terms with the inescapable jolts and jarrs that these conditions entail.  I think the body is definitely calling for time out!

"Endeavour" makes her way into Whitby Harbour

 Just as we thought we would never reach the end, the final turn to Whitby came into view, and the spectacular entrance to Whitby Harbour was revealed in the afternoon sunlight, just the replica bark "Endeavour" was making her way back to harbour.  Tomorrow is another big day of mileage, and although faced with a headwind virtually all the way back into Southampton, the wind speed is forecast to be lessening so hopefully the adverse affects of this will be minimal.

"Teal" makes her entrance into Whitby at the end of a long day

Whitby in the late afternoon light

Distance travelled:  132 nautical miles
Time travelling:  7 hours 27 minutes
Average speed:  17.8 knots
Total trip: 1,593 nautical miles