Another Holiday Option

We briefly caught up with some friends over the weekend for a quick chat at the Pyewipe. They have just come back from a week long holiday at Wells next the Sea. On their return trip along with some old acquaintances they decided to stay out in the Wash estuary for a second tide, ordinarily we sprint across in the one tide. They spent the remainder of the first tide and the first part of the second tide anchoring in the shelter of the sand banks just outside the navigable channel beside the Charlie Buoy of the Boston Deep Channel.

The photographs they have shown us are quite simply amazing. Having crossed the Wash many times now we have still only really seen it over the high water period with the sand banks covered by the sea. To see the area at low water it looks completely different and a much more welcoming and inviting sight. At high water in gloomy conditions the Wash really does appear to be a very inhospitable environment.

The boat crews enjoyed a sunny afternoon of playing on the sand banks, seal watching, dinghy racing and simply relaxing onboard as the sun shone down on them. The pictures they have taken have really got us thinking about yet another holiday option for the end of this month.

We hadn’t expected a third salty water based holiday for this year but with favourable tide times for the week that we are away, it is now a choice high on our list of preferred cruising options.  This trip would give us a real mix of cruising, from the tame waters of the non tidal River Witham to the tidal river and the sea beyond also with the chance to spend some time at anchor thrown in for good measure. Plus as we would have the dinghy with us we can also take some time out and explore some of the many dykes and drainage ditches that run into the Witham along its route.

This is a completely unexpected holiday option, that wouldn’t see us travel far, yet it would be a whole set of firsts for us and Naughty-Cal. Who knows where we will end up now.