Day 14 - Southend-on-sea to Harwich then Kings Lynn to C&A Superbikes

 

Up, quick shower, pack the bikes, no oil leaks - all good. Said or farewells and his the road for a short hope up to Harwich and a local charity run project to build a full sailing replica of the Mayflower. The ship that took the pilgrims across from Boston, Lincolnshire to the US.

Harwich is a place much like Stranrear, being forgotten about by the economy with hardly any job prospect for the younger generation growing up there. The project is designed to bring back a skills base of Engineering from wood working to fibreglass and steel fabrication with recognised qualifications at the end of their apprentices to carry them on into the industry and good jobs. The government have set them a 16% pass target but so far they have been exceeding this and hitting 60% which is an incredible achievement for the dedication and enthusiasm of the founders and team involved. For the investors, a fare few from America and understandable so. By 2015 they will have a visual reward in the Mayflower which will tour using the trade winds from Britain’s through the Azores to America and then back again every 15 months much like the original did, though less crowded and with no cases of scurvy or worse hopefully. It will also tour up the coast of Britain in short hops. As someone who has sailed on 40 footers I've put my name forward, I would love to experience a real raw sailing ship.

Will put up some photos that the project said they will provide for us as at the moment they are in the process of stocking up on raw materials such Oak which will be used in its construction. At the moment they are putting the final design touches. As there is no existing designs they have had to be almost designed from scratch with a few amendments to the hull shape to make it more stable and streamlined as the original was described as a barrel with a bowsprit, not pretty but functional.

After Harwich we drove up the Norfolk coastline which, to be fare is pretty. Following the coast to Cromer, Sheringham and lovely little village called Wells next to the sea. The sun was starting to set at this time which made riding into it very entertaining.

We arrived in Hunstanton 'sunny hunny' to watch the sun kiss the ocean, adding a natural finality to our journey.

Our final run to C&A Superbikes was really quick as Paul had yet another 50 miles to cover to get home, so we took some quick photos, shook hands and parted to re-join in the morning to ride up to the BMF and Peterborough showground.