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We parked the van in Melton boatyard and asked again how so much stuff (and 3 people) could fit into one boat.

We barrowed about a thousand loads and spread stuff all around the saloon and wheelhouse. Eventually everything seemed to find a home and there was actually room to spare.

After a nights sleep and final checks we watched the tide in the River Deben rise until there was enough depth to float Olive into the channel.

The Deben is said to be well buoyed and mostly it is. There are however lengths with no buoys at all which cause some some consternation. The area of moorings around Felixstowe Ferry particularly seemed down to guesswork, but we worked our way to the sea reach.

The sea reach is a sort of horizontal waterfall and if you are late on the tide like we were its a bit of a torrent. Julie is adamant that we touched bottom near the red buoy. But all turned out well and we headed South for Shotley Point to top up with Diesel and water. After a long and slightly traumatic day we decided to stay the night.

An early start and off we went headed for theRiver Tyne. A cuppa seemed a good idea so Julie headed for the galley while daughter Ann and I navigated across the Felixstowe channel. This is where the story really starts.

The water from the tank was rust coloured.

We did have some water in bottles and after a bit of a debate decided to head into Lowestoft for water. If you want a bit of a laugh try jumping into a taxi in Lowestoft and asking for somewhere that sells water containers! Eventually we found some 5 gallon containers at Argos of all places and again set off in a Northerly direction.

I set 1800 rpm on the dial and that gave us about 6.5 knots on the log. Darkness fell soon after leaving and we motored past the Scroby sands windfarm in the dark with the eerie sight of the huge mills looming to starboard and the distant lights of the Norfolk coast to port.

Navigation was from buoy to buoy to the Haisborough Sands, from there we were to go through the inner Dowsing channel and into Grimsby to refuel. Around Haisborough I started doing lots of hard sums about Diesel. I was becoming less and less confident of reaching Grimsby. After much consultation with the almanac and charts we decided to head for Wells next the Sea to refuel.

We arrived early on the tide and decided to have a bit of a drift for a couple of hours. Eventually the harbourmaster answered the VHF and led us into the harbour, which was just as well because there was not much water under the keel in places. Although we were only there for an hour or so we really liked Wells. The harbourmaster was helpful, the harbour pretty and the channel not quite as bad as it looked. In fact as we came out a large sailing vessel, the Albatros, came in.

After being rather alarmed at the fuel consumption I decided to slow down a bit and set the engine to 1200 rpm giving about 5.3 knots. By this time I was very tired and gave Ann and Julie a course for the inner Dowsing light and turned in for some sleep.

It was than that the Autohelm died.

I tried to mend it but it seemed determined to stay dead. Funnily enough I had the new autohelm on board but I didn't fancy fitting it in those conditions so it was hand steering from then on.

Ann wanted to go the Hull, Julie was keen on Bridlington so I compromised and said we would head for Grimsby.

As we approached the Humber we seemed to still have a full tank so I relented and re-routed to Bridlington. HW was still hours away at 0930 the following morning and as we still had almost a full tank of Diesel we changed our destination to home in the Tyne, with diversions into Whitby or Hartlepool if necessary.

As dawn broke we were approaching Whitby and still had lots of Diesel so set a course direct for the Tyne. I was steering and Julie and Ann were asleep below as I headed North West with the coast barely visible to port. With the clearing of the morning mist the familiar marks of the North East coast appeard; Seaham, Sunderland Flats and then the harbour and finally Souter Lighthouse before the piers for the river Tyne. A quick call to Tyne Harbour Radio and we are in and tied up on the waiting pontoon at Royal Quays Marina.

Done it we're home!