Rain stops play and tense times for the MBM team.
Rest day in Fecamp
Friday 29th June
Position 49° 45.72 N 000° 22.00 E
Fecamp Marina
It had been a rainy, bumpy and sleepless night for the fleet in Fecamp Harbour; a result of a strong westerly wind and large swell coming into the harbour mouth. The pontoons shuddered and creaked, the boats rocked and snatched on their lines throughout the night.
Heavy rain continued into the afternoon, imprisoning everyone on their boats. It has been a tense and frustrating day for the MBM team. Neale had been looking at the weather most of the day, and the team had discussed contingency plans for the fleet. Tomorrow will be critical to get the fleet home before the next weather system comes in. Will the sea and conditions be settled enough to get back to the UK?
The sun finally broke through the clouds late afternoon, and boat crews escaped into town to explore and pick up some last minute supplies.
At the briefing at 1830 hrs Neale addressed the fleet with his plan and thoughts for tomorrows move. Weather permitting the fleet will make for the UK tomorrow, but not for Brighton as in the itinerary. He advised all boats that the weather outlook was not looking good from Sunday onwards, and wherever possible crews should make for their home berths, otherwise they could be weather bound for as much as a week at Brighton. Time Flies will go out tomorrow morning at 0700 hrs to assess the conditions. If they are not suitable the team will continue to look for a window throughout the day. Many boats plan to break away after crossing the shipping lanes, some for the Solent and some for the east coast. If the fleet gets away, Calm Voyager and Time Flies will shepherd towards and into Brighton, and depending on the conditions, they will then make for their home berth in Portsmouth.
Photo captions:
Fecamp Abbey
Breaking waves at the entrance of Fecamp harbour
Calm Voyager, ready for the off
