18 Aug, Sunderland to Hartlepool

Ba feeling better today so, making use of the afternoon tides thus allowing us a lie in, we headed off on a Chesapeake Bay Reef (just a headsail) sail down to Hartlepool. Trying to decide whether to listen to ‘Dead Goode’ or read ‘Ghost of a Chance’ while helming. Hmmm! Answers on a postcard. Authors Adrian Cousins and Jodi Taylor have been our constant companions since departing the Isle of Wight in April.
Cracking on, knocking the numbers off our latitude with attitude.
Arrived in Hartlepool Marina entrance channel at exactly 1630, as advised by the marina staff (phone call before leaving Sunderland) they told us there was 1.7 metres in the channel, effectively across a beach, and that we needed to follow the sectored light into the lock. Very accurate. One of our sounders is calibrated to read from the bottom of the keel (so 0.0m = aground) and our draught is 1.5 metres, so we were chuffed to observe 0.2m under the keel in the channel. Result!!!

A really lovely afternoon sail down the coast. This place has a nice feel to it. The people are friendly and helpful. We aim to stay tomorrow and visit HMS TRINCOMALEE and the RN Museum, both just across the marina from us.

We are moored next to a yacht called ‘Lionheart’ who looks like she has been T-boned at some stage. She also has a very odd looking sailing rig.Read more