Bumping our way home

Over the weekend it quickly became clear. Two more days of patience and the wind would veer from south to northwest. That’s a nice direction for heading due south. On Tuesday morning we get up at 6. Not long after, all the preparations are done and we can leave. This time we stowed everything for sea beforehand, because the corner of Norway we have to round is notorious for its rough seas: it’s only 20 metres deep there, while the waves come from an area that’s 200 to 400 metres deep. A drop like that always produces really nasty waves. And so it proves: it’s pretty lumpy, and unfortunately it doesn’t ease off as much in deeper water as I’d hoped. Ella isn’t feeling too great, and I’m also glad I don’t have to be down below with my head in a locker.

Fortunately we’re making good speed: the first half day we cover 120 miles in 12 hours. In the evening, while the skipper is ‘resting’ for a bit, the wind drops and we’re only doing 5 knots. That was in the forecast too: a small ridge of light wind passes through, after which the wind backs a little to the west again. I’d counted on that and had already been steering a bit to the southwest. After 3 hours of motoring the wind is back, and with the wind at 90 to 100 degrees once more we can sail south-southeast straight for Vlieland. Unfortunately the wind doesn’t stick to the forecast 100%, and we still end up a bit closer to the wind than planned. During the night there’s a little incident: I get called up by a Dutch fishing boat that had just been inspecting us with a searchlight. Good evening sir, could it be that I can’t see your navigation lights? Er, oops, yes. They’re automatic, but I’d switched them off to demonstrate them in the harbour and forgot to set them back to automatic. Quickly pressed the button! Luckily it was only properly dark there for 2 hours, and the AIS transponder was on, so they could see us on their navigation system anyway. A little later we sail from Norway via Denmark to Germany and on to the Netherlands, all within 2 hours. In the middle of the North Sea there’s a point where the economic zones of the five North Sea countries meet.

The next evening, around 23:30, we reach the approach to the Vliestroom. In the Netherlands it’s already dark by then – something we’d forgotten all about in Norway. The route is more winding than I remember, and with a fair bit of wind and therefore waves it’s not easy to make out the buoys of the channel. Especially since we’re heading into our second night and aren’t quite as sharp anymore. We don’t take any risks and drop the mainsail off Vlieland, then take the narrow little channel by Vlieland with the tide behind us. Just off the harbour we anchor in the Vlielanderbalg. At 1 a.m. the anchor goes down. No interest in any fuss, so 20 m of chain in 3 m of water. Fantastic how the calm returns and how well you sleep then!

The next day we’re fully recovered and can’t wait to get home. A nice shower and off we go! The Wadden Sea is familiar territory again in daylight, and we’re one of the few yachts making good speed. Quickly through the lock, where we still run into Tjalling on his Bornrif. And then quickly home!

As Marion texted:

Home is where your coat hangs where you dream of somewhere else where you want to get away from, that is home Home is that misery you always long to go back to when are we going when are we going home again