The North Sea has spoken – and we are listening Adriana sails on Friday

By Ilse – North Sea Watch – Ipswich→ Netherlands

The sea, as any sailor knows, does not negotiate. We had Thursday evening circled, bags mentally packed, hearts already halfway across the Channel — and then we checked Windy.

The above picture was, shall we say, emphatic. A meaty purple-and-pink system sitting squarely over the southern North Sea on Thursday the 12th, all thrashing whitecaps and sideways rain. Even the weather map seemed to be laughing at us. We got the message.

One extra day on land is a small price to pay for a comfortable crossing. But small prices can still sting a little.

Thursday vs. Friday

The comparison, according to Windy, could hardly be clearer. Thursday evening: boisterous. Friday: a completely different story.

Weather data: Windy.com — our indispensable co-pilot for this crossing.

So the plan is adjusted: Adriana departs Ipswich on Friday the 13th and arrives in the Netherlands on Saturday the 14th. Twenty-four hours of extra waiting — but a crossing where the skipper and deckhand can actually enjoy, coffee in hand, not clinging to the grab rails.

The Countdown Begins

Everything is ready. The fuel filter is fitted, the generator runs, the autopilot is tested, the paperwork is signed. There is nothing left to do now except wait — and waiting, it turns out, is the hardest part of sailing.

Departure in approximately

Give or take a tide

Friday evening, Ipswich. Saturday morning, home

We are — and there is no more measured way to put this — absolutely buzzing. Every time we look at the updated forecast and see those calm, cooperative conditions for Friday, the impatience ratchets up another notch. She is so close to coming home.

Come and Have a Look

Once Adriana is safely berthed, friends and family are of course very welcome to come down, step aboard, and see her for yourselves. Fair warning: she has plenty of character — and plenty of work ahead of her too. The refit to make her truly ours is just beginning, and we’d love to show you where the adventure is heading next.

⚓  No formal open boat just yet — that will come later this year, once she’s had a chance to settle in. But the berth is open and the kettle is on. Come see what all those fuel filters and flights were really about.

⛵
One more sleep. One fair crossing. And then she’s home — for the refit.