Wednesday, 9th June

I’ve realised I’m on holiday, not on a marathon! ‘Ladybird’ is still at anchor off East Head, because I have set aside today for doing a few jobs and for trying the inflatable. I was expecting showers, but they did not materialize. Mostly it’s been sunny, and as I had no intention of putting to sea, I did not bother with applying sun cream, which was a mistake. Fortunately, my face and my nose did not get too badly burnt.


After breakfast I inflated the dinghy and found it could be done with ease on the cabin top. The plan had been to hoist her up the mast where she would be out of the way, but that was not necessary. In practice getting ashore went well. The WavEco is so small she can be carried without any great effort.


I took my time to observe all manner of things while walking around the perimeter of East Head. The sand dunes, which are covered with scrub grass, are an animal habitat. Most noticeable were the skylarks and the black-headed terns. I loved watching the latter dive into the clear water for fish, but I was not keen on their constant harsh warning calls. One tern in particular was most aggressive, defending his territory. I noted that the sandy beach is very popular with dog owners. A road leads to the seaward side of East Head; hence the dog walkers can gain access to the area for exercising their dogs.


As I arrived back at the yacht, six dinghies from the CYE Activities Centre anchored their Wayfarers nearby. The children were obviously enjoying their time on the water and later they had fun and games on the beach before having picnic lunches. The experiences these youngsters have while being involved in such outdoor pursuits will always be remembered by them, and the lessons learned will be useful in later life.