To Zierikzee and Back, Always with the Wind, with the Tide,... and with the Rain

After a few days of summer weather, there are rumours of "some rain" during the weekend. But the tides and the wind forecasts are perfectly aligned for a trip to the Oosterschelde. The occasion is too good to miss; we're going hoping for the best.

Friday, 10 of June: Single handed to St.-Annaland
As soon as I could, I got on my motorbike and rode to Bruinisse. The fine weather of the previous days is holding, but there is very little wind, and about southwesterly. It is forecast to pick-up a bit and turn northerly in the early afternoon. Anyway, low water is around 2pm, so I am trying to time it such that I sail down the Keteen with the last of the ebb, get to the mouth of the Krabbenkreek at low water, and ride the flood tide to St.-Annaland. The rest of the morning was spent preparing Mekicevica and generally pottering about. At around noon, the flag start to flutter and the Windex was showing a nortwesrterly wind. Perfect timing. I dropped everything, and cast-off towards the Grevelingen lock. After the lock I hoisted the main and Big Genny, and let the weak wind, and the weak tide do their best to slowly push us on a southwesterly course down the Keteen. Progress was slow, but the sun was shinning, there were hardly any yachts or ships around, and it was getting nicely warm. It was so quiet I could even let Mekicevica sail herself while I went down to change into shorts and T-shirt.
I was incredibly lucky with the timing: as I was turning into the Krabbenkreek, I could see a boat gradually turning around the anchor, showing the turn of the tide. It was so quiet I could even hear the breathing of a pilot whale, although I could not spot him.
I arrived in St.-Annaland happy and relaxed, prepared for doing close to nothing for the rest of the afternoon until First-Mate joins for dinner.

Saturday, 11 of June: St.-Annaland to Zierikzee
On Saturday morning there was a light easterly, just as forecast. What was not forecast is that "some rain" turned-out to be continuous rain from middle of the night. We still decided to go ahead with our plan, and soon after high water we were riding the ebb and the light easterly breeze down the Krabbenkreek. In this less-than-perfect weather there were not many boats around, and the Oosterchelde was quiet as we rarely see it. After the Zeeland bridge the wind became even weaker and the final approach to the canal leading to Zierikzee was rather slow, but somehow we managed to sail all the way to the entrance before starting the motor to beat the tidal eddies.
In Zierikzee, we stayed at the yacht club, which does not have the charm of the historical centre but is quiet and you tie-up in boxes, rather than 8th boat in a raft, or so.
The rain finally stopped and we went for a stroll and in search of some fresh herring, since the season has just started.

In the Zierikzee Museum-Harbour, still smiling despite the rain.

After a dinner of a bucket of mussels washed with copious amounts of white wine we went early to bed, because the next day we need to start early.

Sunday, 12 of June: Wet, wet return to Bruinisse
High water was around 10am, and the wind forecast to be westerly to southwesterly and mostly weak. If we don't want to have to motor all the way back we'd better be past the Krabbenkreek not long after high water. So we planned to cast-off at 7am, but when I got-up just before 6am there was not the slightest puff of wind. So we slept until 6:40, when the flag finally become to flutter a bit. After a hasty departure we were soon drifting more than sailing up the Oosterschelde. It was flat and quiet, with only the slightest of ripples on the water and only the sounds of the birds. If we ignore the occasional noise of a car on the bridge, that is. It would be perfect if it wasn't for the occasional drizzle.
Turning into the Ketene, we went into a straight downwind run, and doused the main to allow Big Genny to pull us along in the slightly freshening wind. We made it past the Krabbenkreek not much after 10am, but then the wind weakened, and turned more westerly, so we hoisted the main again. And then the rain started coming in force. Soon we were completely soaked, moving at snail pace towards the red-green buoy in front of Bruinisse that did not seem to get any closer. We started the motor a bit earlier than we normally do, so we could be back in harbour and change into dry clothes.
In Bruinisse we even had a few glimpses of sunshine, before the rain returned to give me another soaking on the motorbike ride back home.