Coastal Odyssey
After returning to English waters at around 4am on Friday morning, the team again experienced less than helpful wind conditions, forcing them inshore to hug the coastline as they continued south, passing the historically important site of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) with its recorded history dating back to 635 AD.
Soon after, Bamburgh Castle appeared, built on a crag of black volcanic dolerite, impressively dominating the coastline. Shortly after passing Bamburgh, the Farne Islands came into view, a group of 15 to 20 islands (depending on tidal height) forming an archipelago. These islands create an internationally important wildlife habitat for many seabirds. Close to the coastal town of Newton by the Sea, the team noticed some movement in the water close to their boat. Moments later, a Minke whale breached the surface, providing much joy and excitement! See video below...
As the winds dropped, Saturday morning brought calm but foggy conditions, which allowed the team to make impressive progress. Leaving the Northumberland coast behind, they quickly passed Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Hartlepool, and the busy port of Middlesbrough. On Sunday, the wind was back, slowing their progress towards Scarborough. As the tide turned and the wind dropped, they picked up speed and pushed on hard to round Flamborough Head, an 8-mile stretch of high chalk cliffs featuring a stack, an arch, and several caves. It also has a strong tidal current which initially wasn’t a problem. However, not long after passing the headland, the team experienced a stronger-than-expected headwind. As the tidal conditions became less favourable, they chose to move back around the headland into the shelter of Filey Bay and dropped anchor while they waited for the next tide and improved weather conditions.
Early this morning, they successfully rounded the headland for the second time and have now set a course heading southeast. Northwesterly winds are expected in the next 18 hours, which will help push them towards the northeastern edge of Norfolk.
Image above shows Patrick and Lia checking out the wildlife!
Previous updates:
19 July 2024
14 July 2024
08 July 2024
01 July 2024
27 June 2024
23 June 2024
18 June 2024
13 June 2024
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GB Row Challenge / Sea Change / Coastal Odyssey