It is very simple to plan a passage from A to B whilst sitting at home in the Netherlands. However when you are actually in a harbour like Southwold and it starts blowing 8 to 9 Beaufort it is time to seriously start rethinking when it is sensible and safe to depart the safety of a harbour.

Storm at high water can easily mean that you need to put on your wellies to get to shore!

Ideally we want to sail directly from Southwold to Wells-next-the-sea, however due to tidal restrictions at both locations we decide to have a pit-stop in Lowestoft which is easy to arrive at and depart at any state of the tide.

So on Tuesday 1 may 2018 we waved goodbye to Southwold and sailed in a northerly direction to Lowestoft.

Lowestoft is of course not the most beautiful of harbours but it does offer a very welcome shelter to mariners who have to dodge bad weather - as was the case for us. After a day in Lowestoft we waved byebye again, at the start of a night sail in a northerly direction to Wells-next-the-sea.

It started as quite a choppy passage with a rough sea state after the force 8 wind that had been blowing all day.

However, when the sun came up again Roland decided it was time for a quick shut-eye on deck!

A couple of hours later, just before high water, we reached cardinal buoy outside the entrance to Wells-next-the-sea. There we were met by the harbour master in his motor launch, who was ready to guide us in through the treacherous channel lined with seals....