This blog is dedicated to Jon from Sidney, British Columbia, Canada, for an act of kindness … Jon sails the waters ‘over there’ but they tend to be a little rockier around the shores…
We spent a few days in Faversham at the Iron Wharf yard enjoying the town and its surrounds. We certainly didn’t enjoy the heat and would have been better off ‘out’… Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time.
Sailing into Faversham is always an exhilarating experience in respect to the change seen from a sea environment being left behind to floating in a rural idyll. On the way sea lavender was seen in bloom across areas of saltings. Cattle munched along the wall edges and bird life lifted and floated along the tide edge hunting for food. To cap it all, we managed to sail most of the way in, resorting to engine only on the last leg – helmed by my good wife, Whimbrel’s good mate.
But having arrived, we had to leave too…
Leaving Faversham astern…
Again, after the first leg, we were able to set the sails and sail out. And the wind was strong enough to make good headway – a sea breeze had set in during the early afternoon. Walkers stood and gazed, perhaps taking a breather, or…
Going down past Nagden Cottages..
The last leg, the creek’s entrance reach, had to be done with a few tacks. A motoring boat came out of Oare Creek astern of us … ‘he’ hung on our port quarter … I indicated to him to go by … he frowned and went onto the other quarter before doing a ‘loop the loop’. Eventually after we’d completed our first tack he went by. Hmm, nothing so strange as folks – probably thought I was a ‘nutter’ sailing out…
Out in the Swale barges, smacks, traditional gaffers and various yacht types were gathering. This continued during the afternoon. A big exodus followed the next morning: tides suited an early departure and return after the racing. During the evening after supper – poached salmon and lemon with a salad – I pottered off in the dinghy to ‘survey’ the assembled craft at closer quarters, saying a few words to known faces as well as those not…
Guess what … the wind died and I had to row some distance back to the mother ship, watched by the mate!
Phew, I reached home…
Sitting over a coffee, we watched as the sun set in a gloriously, silky chiffon pink, silhouetting the spritsail barge Orinoco and the steamer VIC96, I think!
Sunset in the East Swale.
Being the ‘designated light man’ I was pushed from the bunk and toddled of to fetch down our riding light. Boats were stirring all around the ‘harbour’. I put a kettle on … whilst enjoying our morning cuppa we were ‘mobbed’ by a friendly vessel – Ivy May, a Finesse 21 – a few quick fire questions and I found that the shindig was starting early … too late for a leisurely breakfast.
Ivy May…
We were soon washed, dressed and on our way … breakfast came later in the form of some fruit and cereal, but we’d a locker full of picnic goodies for a lunch later.
By the time we reached the start line at the Sand End buoy, the staysail class of barges were away. I believe two were classed as ‘coasters’, the others unrestricted staysail (means they can fly whatever…). This group consisted of Niagara, Reperter, and the Orinoco, Lady of the Lea and Pudge. The classing of barges today mystifies me … we were always in the rear and only ever came third from last at our best … today, that would probably have given us a trophy. Bah!!
Heading down towards the start were a number of spectator craft mixing with the barges, I gradually worked over to the north of the channel to hug the shallows and keep clear – not easy whilst trying not to interfere’ with maneuvering barges. There were three bowsprit spritsails – EDME, Marjorie and the Dawn, which I’d not seen sailing for two years. She looked splendid.
Dawn in Silhouette…
Dawn is unique among the large barges in the fleet today: she is tiller steered. The little Cygnet is too, but she is a half-size barge.
The tiller-steered Dawn goes by…
All of a sudden, it was the start. For once, the EDME did not have it all her way for Dawn stormed across some barge lengths ahead. It was to no avail though. We both watched, entranced, by the sheer power of the ‘little’ EDME as she cruised past, as if a runner passing a pedestrian walker… It was a subliminal moment!
The Dawn being overhauled…
Then it was time for the smacks followed by the gaffers and traditional yachts – the organisers have been trying to get me to enter with Whimbrel or the dinghy – more of the latter later!
Two ‘smacks’ (ex fishing craft) jousting closely before the start.
CK476 – needs a lecture…
This one ‘annoyed’ me: astern, I heard a shout. It came again with a gesticulation … ‘Get out f the … way…’ After looking around, I decided to move to starboard, a little. They were marginally faster than us, at the time. I glared as they passed … racing does not exonerate them from the rule of the road. Ahead was a rather larger yacht, not racing, I believe: I’d not noticed a ‘board’ as they went by us earlier. They were shouted at too … loudly. The yacht went one way, then the other, then back again. Another shout ensued with much crew gesticulation … and the smack went past. Hmm.
There follows a series of pictures of passing craft. We sailed out to close by the Ham Gat and turned back towards the inner waters, not intending to ‘do the course’.
A ‘new’ steel schooner is in this mix…
The Johanna, a ‘Dutch-man’…
The Albatros, a ‘dutch-barge’ – she has an official type name, but I’m not an expert…
What is lovely about this Kent sail Association event is the wide mix of vessel types that pitch up and are allowed to race in their own classes. Steam yachts have visited in the past too. The little ‘puffer’ went out after the fleet, chasing. And, in and around the anchorage were a number of dutch-barge yachts and floating homes out for a good weekend. It really does give flavour…
Reaching the inner end of the East Swale’s entrance off Harty ferry, we spotted the dinghy fleet in action sailing an in-shore course. We followed …
Toby, owner/skipper of the spritsail barge Ironsides with son Kit as crew, sailing the barge boat. Ironsides is their sailing home…
Alan Stalley of Faversham builders and yacht repairers at Chambers Wharf sailing a Faversham 9’6″ dinghy – the same as our Twitch…
Then, in the far distance, I spotted the triangle of a topsail over the land horizon … it was time to high-tail it back to the line, set at off Faversham spit. The EDME came in first in the bowsprit class by a very long way indeed. She was followed by the Niagara, some distance behind, but not massive, in the unrestricted staysail class flying a huge spinnaker. An ‘interloper’ was spotted … a barge cruising with a charter party was on her way in too.
EDME winning by a wide margin over her sisters…
EDME reducing sail before going to anchor…
The interloper was the delightful looking Edith May which operates from her berth in Lower Halstow old brick dock at the foot of Stangate Creek. She’s not raced much this year, sadly…
The Edith May ‘crosses’ the line … I’d have given her a gun!
The Dawn pips the Marjorie by a whisker…
These first few barges were soon followed by the fleeter footed smacks. I often wonder what long ago fishermen would think of ‘their’ craft rigged out as gentlemen’s yachts … but at lest they still sailing and people have the will and expertise to restore and sail them The same it should be said about the barge fleet – although a few of these have been helped greatly by the lottery heritage fund.
The first smack…
Splashes of colour abounded as boats came home flying an assorted mix of sail. Some even sported ‘water-sails’ rigged beneath the mainsail booms. What a spectacle.
A modern gaffer…
I just loved the name of this next one – Rosebud, It has certain connotations, surely!
A friend of mine, and of many surely, was sailing in the event – my mooring neighbour, Dick Durham aboard Betty II. I spotted the game little ship dating to 1922 approaching the line while stuffing a piece of bread and pate into my mouth … you didn’t need to know that, but hey!
Betty II crosses the line with her crew looking relaxed.
Owner, Dick Durham, gives an order – or did he spot a mermaid…
The Albatros finishing…
I didn’t await all finishers, I’d had my fun, as to had the mate, and her book … so we ‘retired’ to another anchorage off the Ferry Boat Inn at Harty to sit out the afternoon. And, at last my mate said, I finished the Conrad I have been reading – Chance. A strange novel…
‘We’ were even treated as the day wore on, in its sultry and hot manner, to a floor show by some of the Medway’s hovercraft fleet … strangely several of them got ‘stuck’ in the mud. Eventually freeing themselves by ‘rocking’ back and forth.
Hover bover…
Yes, this event organised so brilliantly by the Kent Sail Association is a worthwhile date for anyone’s calendar. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing vessels often seen, and most of all, the many not so often seen. Look out for it in the spring next year and write the date in your diary, smart phone, filo-fax or whatever you use…
One last word:
Brilliant!