whither the weather

after a month of sweltering in an office found myself driving through a rainstorm to get to the boat and iffy weather since. Had hoped to get to the Kiel Canal in one hit direct from the Swale, around 4 days sailing, but the grib files showed gales on thursday, so we came to Harwich instead with gale warnings filing the airwaves.

Had good sail, occasional sunshine, ever increasing winds, set off at 0630, tied up alongside at 2010. On a long empty pontoon having declined a starboard-side-to with-a-strong-tail-wind-at -the -end-of-a-long-aisle-of-boats invitation to an insurance claim.
Ttoday was a proper shakedown with various challenges along the way, including engine dying (rubbish in propellor? continued to idle in neutral, has seemed ok since); finding that I'd forgotten to put both sheets on the genoa (this as the engine died 50m to windward of sand banks with 2m under the keel, had also omitted to remove sailcover before leaving, breaking own rule), then finding the genoa sheet and putting on the cockpit coamings from where it slithered into the deep.
Later the topping lift detached itself from the boom as we took down the sail when it crashed to the deck, causing me to give it a mighty pull which sent it above the cross trees to get into a fine tangle. (leading to another trip up the mast using ascenders on a halyard, which are fine for going up...) Finally Simon hurt hand
when we were locking in, abraison blister after following my advice on how to hold the ropes, not a serious injury but.

so tomorrow is a chance to prepare more properly and do things right and set off with washing liquid and without fish juice in the bin.