After the nice weather during my Haringvliet cruise, the Summer seems to have gone on holidays somewhere else. The weather forecast leaves hopes of some decent weather on Sunday. Instead of riding the motorbike to Bruinisse early on Friday, we drive together in the evening taking the bicycles with us.
Saturday 15th of August: Cycling in the rain
Grey, cold, windy, wet morning. Not sailing weather, so we fall onto plan B; go for a bike ride.
From Bruinisse we head for the next island to the North, Overflakkee, to visit some villages that are landlocked and therefore unaccessible to Mekicevica, plus some harbour towns that First-Mate did not see yet. Our route took us to Den Bommel, Stad wan 't Haringvliet, Dirksland, Nieuwe Tongue, Melisant, Herkingen and finally back to Bruinisse.
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| We didn't know how charming Nieuwe-Tongue is. |
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| "Praathuisje" in Stad aan 't Haringvliet. |
Spending the evening inside a 19 ft boat while outside is pouring down, was not very appealing, so we went out for dinner at the Vrienden van Bru.
Sunday 16th of August: Shaking the cobwebs off Mekicevica
Yes, the weather improved! Only some high cloud obscured the sun now and then, but still windy, northerly about 4 Bf, later becoming 5 Bf.
We changed the headsail, and out of the harbour we go. Soon we had to put a reef on the main and even reduce the already small jib.
With a few tacks we were in Stampersplaat where there is a mooring very sheltered from the northerlies. We rafted alongside another boat and had a light lunch. The return was on jib only and moving very fast.
After a period of sailing mostly in light winds, it was good to go out in windier conditions. It shakes out the cobwebs of Mekicevica and crew.
