Wednesday 18 September 2019 – Sagiada

Another lazy morning. We had considered staying for another night but we decided it was too dull and we would move on.  We had in mind this little port of Sagiada where we stayed last year and had an excellent meal and sojourn.  We set off in virtually no wind.  We hadn’t far to go.  A trip of about 9 miles only.  We motored all the way.

One little hiccup in the journey.  As we were approaching the port Richard had the overwhelming need to go to the toilet. Therefore he left me helming.  I was on autopilot and going nicely.  I knew that the approach to the port was through shallows so I was really relying on the plotter and autopilot.  The buzzer sounded for arrival at a waypoint and I went to press the button to move to the next direction when nothing happened. After pressing the button three times the boat suddenly turned to go back in the opposite direction!  If it hadn’t been for the shallows I could just have turned around, but I really didn’t know the safe route. I had to extract R from the heads to put the damn autopilot right!  We still don’t know why it ‘lost the plot’.

The harbour is small and has a wall on which you are supposed to set anchor forward and moor stern to.  When we first came here last year we read the pilot book which said holding was not good and suggested that instead of setting anchor and mooring stern to you could moor alongside at the far end.  We did that and were comfortable last year so we decided to do that again. That was particularly so because earlier this year we tried to anchor outside the harbour and dragged anchor dangerously.  We didn’t do a great job mooring, not helped by being blown off by a lightish wind. However, with the help of two other boat owners we finally tucked in at the end of the pier and were quite pleased with ourselves.  We also noted that they have now put in water towers all the way along the pier so we will be able to fill up.

We were having a pleasant afternoon until another English boat came in next to us.  He said that we weren’t allowed to moor alongside and the harbour master might come and insist we move to a stern to mooring.  That worried the life out of me.  But nothing has happened and there is no sign of a harbour master.  It is now dark and no one will come in.  There are at least 3-4 berths available.  We had no problem last year.  We shall see what happens tomorrow.

After two days of cooking finally ate out.  Weather forecast is for thunderstorms.  The sky seemed threatening just before sunset.  We shall see how we get on. Oh, the skipper on the neighbouring boat is in the CA.  Richard looked him up.  They were at school together in Felixstowe.  Small world.

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