Fog and No Papers - Saturday

The papers did not arrive on the island today. The reason given - the fog across. It seems the Ben My Chree was turned back from Heysham last night, having approached the harbour, and waited for the fog to lift. Instead of lifting the fog worsened, so the Ben returned to her home port, Douglas (without papers, I guess).

We've had a truly beautiful day here, with clouds hovering along the horizon and over the mountains. Without the papers to distract, it has been lovely to be able to potter, get on with things and to think and pray.


Update ~ Sunday arrived and so did two lots of papers. Hubby almost swamped by newsprint!



http://www.shipsofmann.org.uk/Ben-My-Chree%20VI%20First%20Ten%20Years.htm

Shorebased Yachtmaster

While we were being battered by the storms, while our sisters and brothers were being deluged and washed away in Cumbria, the Yachtmaster class were doing shorebased training.


Land based teaching, training and examining of the aspirant yachtmasters, takes place in the Hamble at the School.

A tour of Peel Harbour over the weekend confirmed the terrible sea conditions. All the fishing boats were safely moored in the harbour - out of harms way.

Those who are living through terrible times in Cumbria are in my prayers, so too are those who work on the sea:

Here's a Sailor's Psalm:

Others went out to sea in ships
and did their business on the great oceans.
They saw what the Lord could do,
the miracles he did in the deep oceans.
He spoke, and a storm came up,
which blew up high waves.
The ships were tossed as high as the sky
and fell low to the depths.
The storm was so bad that they lost their courage.
They stumbled and fell like people who were drunk
They did not know what to do.
In their misery they cried out to the Lord,
and he saved them from their troubles.
He stilled the storm
and calmed the waves.
Then were they glad because of the calm,
and God guided them to the harbour they wanted.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his love
and the miracles he does for people.
from Psalm 107

Life's journey will always be through storms, as well as calm. Sometimes we can avoid distressing storms, as the fishing boats have done throughout the last week here on the island. There will be times when the only thing to do is to hove to, metaphorically or literally, and face out the tossing of the storm, knowing that we're never without hope.

A Prayer ~
Rescue us, Lord
from the storms.
Still our fears,
calm our minds
and bring us
safely into harbour.
Amen

These charts, pictured, were my father's - in the bottom left hand corner is written:
Based upon British Admiralty Charts, with permission of the Controller of HM Stationery Office, and the Hydrographer of the Navy Apl. 1954 - 424. Corrected to 1955.

What a difference a day makes

It's been a beautiful day, a good to be alive November day which makes me want to sing! It's hard to imagine that vicious storms were assaulting our shores a day or so ago. Looking out across the beach, instead of sand, there's tons of seaweed. Sadly we don't have a garden as it would make an excellent fertilizer.

Singing seems the right response to such a lovely day. Hymn singing was a part of daily assembly, for me and many of my age, which gave us a foundation few of us recognised at the time. It set me to thinking which particular hymn I would chose for today. Could it be All creatures of our God and King ... perhaps, it does celebrate creation and Creator?

Yet it was just 36 hours ago the storm raged. John Newton's hymn, based on Isaiah 33: Glorious things of thee are spoken. Line on line and verse on verse, it's brimming with assurance.

As I researched this hymn, I came upon the site that I've posted at the bottom of this post. I had no idea of Newton's history. His father was a sea-captain, and took his young son to sea. On these journeys, the young Newton was schooled in the harsh realities of life. He remained at sea after his father retired, and over the next few years experienced many kinds of terrible situation. At one point he even fell into the hands of a slave trader.

Finally Newton was reading Thomas à Kempis and ...

... the fearful experiences of a storm at sea in which his ship was almost lost, his deliverance from a severe fever in Africa, — these, and other experiences, at last awoke in the sinful man the memories of the religion his mother had taught him, and he turned from his sins with true repentance.

Reading his history, it's possible to see that the terrible journey that eventually brought Newton to faith informs his writing. I include just one verse, this is my song for today, but go and look at the others.

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose word cannot be broken,
Form'd thee for His own abode:
On the Rock of ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
Thou may'st smile at all thy foes.

http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bnewton8.html

Drying out

Leaving the shelter of the harbour wall in Alderney the company of Inspiration of Boss headed for Cherbourg's marina. It was a damp crossing, so once safely moored, the single heater was put on in order to dry out the waterproofs.

The journey from Cherbourg to St Helier, began at 9.15 am Saturday and was an even wetter thrash. They were tacking into a force 8 all the way with gusts of 9 as they headed through squalls. Rain, hail and the sea drenched them to the skin and their porridge, on Saturday morning, had to sustain them through into the night.

Once in sight of Jersey, they turned to follow the coast. Here it became more hairy as now, on a run in heavy seas, they were close to broaching. Every time they met a wave the end of the boom was submerged. They arrived, 16 hours later, at the entrance to St Helier at 1.15 am, within 15 minutes of their entrance being made impossible, by the well known bar.

When Gordon contacted me they were drying out. They were all so very cold and wet that they were thankful to be safely in port. He was not sure that the heater would be efficient or sufficient enough to dry everything, so they were hoping to find somewhere to dry their wetweather gear and they were going to find a 'greasy spoon' for a good feed. Also on board are Gareth, George, Nick and Skipper/Examiner Rich.

http://www.jersey-harbours.com/elizebeth.html