Thyberon 21st June

Up at the laundry I found two machines with one being a washing and one a drying machine arranged under a card reader. On the card reader once I’d put the card in it said do you want machine one or two. I looked for numbers on the machines. Nothing. The number 1 was on the left the number two on the right. The washing machine was on the right so I chose No 2. Obviously now the dryer came alive. I then tried machine 1 and the washing machine  woke up. I put the clothes in and went to put in the washing up liquid that I’ve been using since the canary islands and thought - ‘ this seems a bit thin’  I carried on using it anyway, the label is all in Spanish, I asked mr google to translate it for me and it turns I’ve been using softener, whatever that is, to do my washing in, so I suppose I’d better buy some detergent soon.

Back on the boat I chatted to the chap astern of me in a Hanse 400 who was heading outside into the North Sea at about lunch time and got a recommendation for Anholt Island, the second one I’ve had as Rory also recommended it so  have noted that internally. Whilst we were chatting a blue and yellow stripy police pick up arrived and two gents and a lady got our and said that they were from border force, shook my hand and took my passport which I had in my pocket. I asked if they wanted anything else which they didn’t. I had been slightly concerned that they might want bits of paper like my radio licence which I haven’t brought. Anyway, whilst they were looking at my passport I put the forward bit of the sail cover on, which I’d neglected to do the previous evening and by that time they had finished, and gave me my passport back and hoped that I had a lovely time and off they went.

That all seemed quite refreshingly easy.

Wandering back to the facilities  I noticed that the drying machine was still alive so put the finished washing into that, pottering about at the facilities I went up the stairs that I’d noticed the previous evening and found a kitchen and sitting room all kitted up for passing sailors with balcony and  tables, chairs and sofas. All very nice. And clean. Back on the boat, passing a lively crowd about to go out on one of about half a dozen little open launches to see seals, whales  and porpoises, by the dozen if their promotional pictures  were to be believed, and I thought I had better do something about local data roaming because vodafone want about 3 quid a day for it. I’d been advised in the Carribbean by Martin to get an e sim for international data but at the time, with an old phone couldn’t do it as it required an e sim facility on the phone, I now have a less old phone and could, in theory, manage with the recommended solution. I asked Martin for the details again and got them. Followed the instructions and, wow, it appears to be working for about a third of the cost of vodafone, not only that but I have my vodafone sim still installed for calls etc. It’ll probably turn out that I’ve stuffed it up somehow but we’ll wait and see, it all seems to be good at the moment.

By now Katharine wasn’t too far away, about an hour to go so I had a sandwich for lunch and pottered off to the station to meet her. I was slightly early as I wanted to see where the

Sea War Museum was, which I found and then went on to the station, more like a tram stop in reality than a station but the train was slightly early and I was only just on time so Katharine was already there, we are pretty close and were delighted to see each other, well I think we were, I certainly was, and  went back up the mains street to the harbour, I showed her the loos and so on then we went back to Yemaya.

It was about 1600 by now and the museum closed at 1700 so we went straight back there and had a good look around. It was a collection of stuff, from the seabed, mostly from non survivors of the Battle of Jutland but with quite a lot of other bits and pieces as well. There was a bit read out by the Great grandson of Admiral Jellicoe and a short film and all very well done and interesting. I really enjoyed it, as did Katharine. One of my take aways being that it took the intestines of 250,000 cows to sew enough bags together to make a Zeppelin. (I’m guessing that hydrogen leaked from them all the time because I believe it is difficult, even now, to contain)  Also one of the first carrier strikes had been on the Zeppelin factory, I think by Sopwith Camels but I may have got that mixed up with another carrier strike.

A bell sounded at about 5 to 17 and we left by about 1700 and went to the dunes behind the museum where there are memoria to the sunken ships and lost lives from Jutland with a lump of granite to represent each ship and  figures representing dozens of lives. All quite poignant.

We wandered along the dunes and back aboard where we chatted over tea, then wine, then dinner and  finished by having a couple of games of backgammon with a backgammon set I’d bought in Zimbabwe, some moons ago, which rolls up into a little roll and I don’t think I’ve actually used before, but worked very well and brought back memories of the African bush.

Just before bed Katharine, who’d been a bit doubtful that I would make it in time decided that she really ought to contact the B and B she’d booked so as not to be stranded if I were still at sea or had elected, due to weather to go around the top (the entrance here is not advised in poor conditions) and so rang them to let them know she wasn’t coming and arranged to go there this morning to pay them.

Now it’s time for a cup of tea and breakfast.

Oh, and from the previous posts,Brough refers to Fraserburgh which locals refer to as ‘the brough’ or the Brock, apologies for any confusion to any ignorami.