Gale-stuck in Lillesand.
Lillesand is a well-sheltered harbour, but the masts sang in a cacophany and halliards clacked like a drummer-chorus in the very strong winds which blasted us last night. It is still blowing in strong gusts and I’ve just seen 31 knots on the wind indicator, that’s close to gale force.
Many sailboats in the harbour taking shelter, and yesterday evening, all skippers and crew scuttling about with extra fenders and lines to protect their beauties. Me too, although we were one of the luckier ones in the lee of bigger boats. All lines doubled up and extra ones across the pontoon. Few fenders need for Josin as she would be blown away from the pontoon. Guy opposite must have dug deep in forgotten lockers to find all those extra fenders, as he would be blown onto.
And it rained. A deafening lot. Enough to hinder going out and checking, you wouldn’t have been able to see anything anyway. And I don’t think anybody slept comfortably, the motion was too much.
Today is very much Showers and Bright Periods. Nobody has left, if I saw 31 knots here in the sheltered harbour, it must be blowing more than a gale at sea, so not surprising.
This is a screen dump from Marine Traffic, which shows all vessels, All icons except one from last evening, are diamond-shaped, which says the vessel is at rest. No-one out, not even commercial. Never seen that before.
Forecast is for gradually reducing W or SW winds, which should be good for a fast sail NE up the coast, homeward, but I’m not so sure the waves will have reduced enough for delicate (!) me.
Stay here anyway another night.
All’s well,
Freshly-blastedJohn
Josin's 2025 cruise 