A fellow owner of a Finesse contacted to say that, reluctantly, he had decided to put his Finesse 21, Ivy May, up for sale. He has owned her for a dozen years or so.

SORRY SHE’S SOLD!

When the chap bought Ivy May, he wasn’t even married, but now, with two growing boys who take up all the space, a larger boat was needed.

I have known, Tim, the owner of Ivy May for a number of years meeting here and there at rallies or just out. He is a keen, enthusiastic, almost ‘boyish’ sailor with guts and experience. He has made it to a rally ‘up the coast’ from the Lower Thames more than once in conditions that put others off. He trusts the boat. And that is something about a Finesse – she will look after you.

The boat was originally rigged as a Bermudian cutter and was in need of quite a major overhaul when Tim found her in 2004 at the Iron Wharf Boatyard in Faversham.

The refit took until the spring of 2006 to complete, and she looked stunning upon her re-launching.

It wasn’t long before Tim decided that a gaff rig was what he wanted and a new set of spars and sails were ordered.

As with most Finesse yachts that come on the market, there will be an inevitable job list, as with all boats. But, on a wooden wonder, your efforts will be duly rewarded.

What I would say to a prospective purchaser is go and take a look. This boat has been used for sailing, not sitting around. Some things that I know of need attention – Tim knows of these too, obviously!

In the main, some deck edges need attention: the decks and cabin tops are marine ply covered with glass cloth and epoxy. Sometimes an insert is needed, more often than not a simple epoxy repair will suffice and paint. The main cabin hatch needs a new top or complete renewal.

For details, see: https://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/finesse-21/636594

Go on, you know you’d love her at first sight … she sits in her berth at Oare Creek, near Faversham, ready for that magical test sail…

Contacts for Tim.

Email: mulcahy321@btinternet.com

Tel: 07944 208069

Information given is best that I am aware and prospective buyers are advised to make own judgement.

SORRY SOLD!

I have known Nancy Grey and her sister Dione for most of my life from around 11 years old. Both are barge-yachts, built by Shuttlewood of Paglesham on the River Roach. The build shed still exists, but little takes place there these days. The yard was being used to build/fit out house barges for the River Thames some years ago and one still sits awaiting completion.

The Dione is owned in Kent and is berthed in Shoregate Dock off Milfordhope Creek – one of the Medway’s many creeks. Her owner also has the Thames spritsail barge Ethel Maud, which is nearing a complete rebuild in the dock.

But this is about the Nancy Grey. Years ago I received an email from a chap sailing in the water around Thailand – he’d been a previous owner of ‘Nancy‘ – the chap had just finished reading one of my earlier books and wanted to say ‘thank you…’ That was Paul Lester, father of Toby, owner of the spritsail barge Ironsides and manager of the Iron Wharf Boatyard.

Some time after returning from his trip abroad, Paul Lester decided to buy Nancy Grey, a boat he’d owned before, from Nick Hann, a Leigh-on-Sea man. Nick had decided to go for a steel barge-yacht which had become available – the Calluna. She is roomier and has a shower in the toilet compartment which enticed Nick’s wife afloat more often!

Nick had owned Nancy Grey for many years and in his time the vessel received a bit of a make-over – something all of her owners have had to do to some extent or other.

During this particular refit Nick told me that he also built a new hatch which gave better ‘standing room’ or sort of, beneath! She’s a bit low below…

Some frames were renewed to… All spars were completely stripped and re-preserved.

Nick Hann raced Nancy grey to some noyable wins around the lower Thames and on the Swale. In his hands she became a bit of a flyer, however, these little ships were noted for their speed.

If you take a good look at many of today’s yachts, you’ll see hard chines and very flat bottoms. They’re so barge-like. The pedigree rests with these humble ditch-crawlers of a bygone age.

I heard from a fellow Finesse fiend, Tim Mulcahy, very recently telling me he was thinking of selling his Finesse 21, Ivy May, and purchase a larger vessel. His boys are growing … and Tim needs space for his new lady.

Shortly after this conversation, Tim messaged me, ‘…Breaking news, Nancy Grey has new owner and is staying in Faversham…’

Tim had jumped!

I shall bring news of Ivy May, a delightful gaff rigged Finesse 21 soon.

I wish Tim well. He has a lot to live up to in the care of this piece of yachting history…

One of the first things I did when ‘locked down’ was to collect the cockpit floor boards for repainting. I also fitted a new lifting latch to one of them.

If I was not going to be allowed to go sailing, I needed something other than the comforts of good wife, home, and walking to keep me sane!

Those finished, I fetched home the compass: the light had been a bit ‘dodgy’ for a season or more … time to look into it. I thought I had cracked it by finding a faulty connection inside the plug.

Upon visiting the boat to check moorings and bilges etc IAW guide lines, I tested the repair. No good. Back home I discovered that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the led light and its wires. By fiddling about light (as on boat) worked, but a touch and it went off.

A new plug and socket unit were sourced and one was found on Amazon for princely sum of £1.70 inc postage, cheaper than from actual supplier. Amazing!

I had to make a new wood socket housing…

I have to say, the internet and the ability to order just about anything needed has been an absolute boon during this time: I’ve had, as you’ll see, epoxy, one use brushes, a jig saw, paints and more…

Then the big one…

Some four years ago I bought what was stated to be a wood seat and lid for the loo on Whimbrel. It became apparent in a year that the ‘wood’ from which the parts were manufactured probably did originally grow as a tree or two but had morphed into compressed cardboard type stuff.

Great! The ‘damp’ soon found a way in. I did a epoxy and paint repair or two, but a return to a plastic lid seemed likely.

But, with loads of time on my hands and plenty of plywood of same thickness, I had a challenge!

I will tell the story in pictures…

At this point the good mate of Whimbrel beagan to take more interest in the project: she said, sanded, ‘they felt as smooth as a baby’s bottom.’

Yes, well!

On a visit to Whimbrel to check moorings and bilges, I dry assembled the parts to obtain pre-drilled hinge screw holes and I also drilled the holes for cleaned up seat buffers. Epoxy was brushed into these.

I used a ‘bathroom’ sealant to bed all the bits and pieces ensuring screw holes received some too.

On another boat visit … I fitted loo seat and lid.

All in all, the cost was the grand sum of £88. The effort was free of charge, time was of no essence, and to be frank, I’m quite proud of the finished product!

It looks good and as one of my regular crew said, ‘A throne fit for a king…’

The boat still sits awaiting the call of the sea…

Yes, it is hard to accept that sailing is a feature of my life that is on hold currently. Even Christobel has a hankering to just get out there and feel the soft breeze caressing her cheeks.

We know that along the tide lines, the saltings will be awash with an early greening. The first spikes of glasswort will be rising above the mud’s surface. Sea plantains and asters will be showing new leaf growth and the cord grass clumps will be sending forth their fresh shoots too…

Alas, whilst all of this is happening, Whimbrel rests in her berth waiting for her crew to board. The sounds of a sail bag being thrown up on deck, the hanking on, running of sheets, the removal of covers are becoming but a distant memory for her, as it is for us…

Around her, in the creek, Brent geese sally back and forth feasting on weed as tide allows. Waders feed, take off and alight again in their constant search for food. Familiar cries ring out. But I am reminded of the fact that for this year, I am unlikely to see the arrival of the first flush of common terns, or the departure in staggered drifts of the Brent that have kept us company for so many long autumn, winter and spring months. (I really question why they have to go!). Life goes on in this world. This is a world that knows not what the human inhabitant is suffering, the pain of many families before it will eventually come to an end…

But, as I say, life goes on.

Upon the boat being lifted back into the water I began a search for ‘plain’ galvanised mild steel bolts to replace the ones I last purchased. The bolt shown is a 4.6 MW which is a low carbon steel (standard bolt), whereas the 8.8 MW now often sold is a medium carbon steel and has around 3 x the proof strength – something not needed for a simple pivot. The carbon content, I believe is such in the higher tensile steel to cause fairly rapid degradation in sea water.

I emailed a well known marine fastenings supplier and they now only sell the ‘8.8s’ and when I sent a picture of each bolt all I got was a deafening silence. Thanks guys!

The search goes on…

With all the time in the world to do what little that can be done whilst ‘cocooned’ at home keeping off the streets and out of the way of other people, Christobel and I have extended the lengths of our ‘exercise’ period, on the one outing a day for this purpose as designated by the powers to be…

On domestic days, two for cleaning and shopping, we walk for an hour on a regular woodland route, but on the other days we have a route of anything between five to eight plus miles which has and continues to be enjoyed.

What has been noticeable is that the sky has become clear overhead of aircraft cruising towards London (Heathrow) or for destinations across the Atlantic, leaving a taste of a blueness before the time of aircraft!

We were on one of our longer strolls and were sitting on a convenient bench overlooking the moorings of the Benfleet Motor Boat Club, opposite the Benfleet Yacht Club, ruminating and sipping some cocoa whilst munching on a square of apple cake each.

Leaning back, my mind began to wander down the creek towards Whimbrel. The tide was at a point where I’d have been slipping into the mooring after a pleasant sail on the tide. There was a soft breeze. The sun was shinning and a fairly cloud free sky majestically surrounded us.

Apparently, I began babbling away to my good Mate, Christobel, reminiscing about a ‘trip’ for it wasn’t any one particular trip, but was surely a mix of many.

It was still early on the tide … the mud banks usually covered were still above the tide level. I remarked about ‘butting’ into one many years ago on a cold January day. I removed my life jacket, trousers and tops and ‘popped’ overboard and pushed the bow clear, clambering aboard as Christobel sailed clear, in the right direction along the channel … it can be seen mid/right in picture below. There were no saltings then!

I remembered too, sailing up here with a friend, a fellow prostate cancer sufferer , who had confessed to never having sailed up this stretch of water. It was his second outing of last autumn and only his third sail of the year for reasons unimportant to this tale. He was revelling in a comfortable sail westwards towards the Benfleet Creek Barrier.

The sun had shone that day, and later in the walk, the same sun was seen sparkling across the waters sailed that day with the friend aboard. My Mate and I both sighed. both feeling some pain, as we gazed for a little while, wishing…

Later after my friend and I had sailed back down Benfleet Creek and reached the regions of the entrance to our own creek, the sun was on the wain and rapidly heading into a clear early winter sky. It made for a spectacular sail in towards Whimbrel’s mooring.

I apparently reminisced too about an early morning sail with Christobel on a cold and almost frosty morning. Ah, what a girl she is…

I clearly remember, smell even, the waft of sizzling bacon … the bacon was under the grill before departure, ready by time we were sailing outward. Bliss!

‘Yes…’ Christobel piped as I awoke from my reverie, ‘the things I do for you…’

‘For you too…’ I added grinning at her!

The image below is one for the ‘for ever’ box. The boat is comfortable in her mooring, the sails are stowed, bagged and covered. The mugs have been washed and we’re walking slowly away as the tide quietly gurgles through the moorings on a gathering ebb, contented and full of sailing happiness … with added memories for ‘darker’ days…

Following on from my last post: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-and-mate-prepare-for-whimbrels-lift-out/ The plan to lift Whimbrel was put into operation some days before the Corona Virus (Covid 19) restrictions began to be applied. We had, however, been carrying out our own ‘isolating’ procedures for quite some time as certain people were deemed more vulnerable, however it transpired that my prostate cancer treatment is not a cause for concern in regard to any added risk. Which was welcome news.

So, on the appointed day the boat came ashore. The centre plate lift wire and its pin were renewed before Whimbrel was bedded down in a spot clear of other craft for the ‘slurry’ blast of her bottom.

I had agreed the job with Willpine Blasting Ltd, based on Canvey Island, many weeks previously.

See: https://www.facebook.com/pg/willpineblasting/posts/

The company specialises in marine work and have operated in my locality for a number of years. Background experience was gained with Blythe Boats, once based at the Dauntless Yard, Canvey Island.

A test patch was carried out in the first instance … with a water blast loaded with sand.

The work then got underway with the ‘crew’ taking turns each side … the woodwork has not seen the light of day since 1983!

Thank you to the two Willpine boys for your attention to our clinker-built vessel’s bottom.

The initial coatings went on in the autumn of 1983 – she has never been cleaned back to bare wood since then. The blast cleaned off the surface soft wood tissue to good clean timber.

As the boat was out and her bottom needed to be painted, for protection alone, we got on with it – having moved a 42nd wedding anniversary holiday to the autumn – weather and time seemed to be on our hands, or was it!

So, after leaving her to dry for two days with a warming sun and an easterly breeze coming across the saltings, she was ready for a prompt start.

First off, Christobel got beneath and checked along the lands for any paint left by ‘the blasters’ and then hard sanded to best of her ability – quite frankly, I just left her to get on with it: other things needed doing! In our elevated position above – the boat had dried quickly, but I was already beginning to worry though!

I spent the first day dealing with renewing the centre plate pivot pin which was found to be badly wasted – only two years old. I have been doing annually for some years, but moved to two. I have a feeling that my box of bolts purchased as ‘Mild Steel’ are probably builders High Tensile Bolts which are higher in carbon and a ‘label’ seems to indicate this. I remember specifically asking what sort of bolts the supplier had. A different supplier will be sought!

Part way into the job, restrictions on movement and work came in, and unless absolutely necessary ‘we’ were being advised not to do it. After a day off, we decided that the job needed to be finished at least: the boat was sitting in a temporary position. Our plan was to be back in the water within a week or so. I knew that being moved, at least, was going to be a priority for the boat’s safety, in the event of a complete lock-down situation.

The need to be moved was borne out by the requirement for her side chocks to be hardened each day during strong northerly and north-easterly winds over the weekend we were ready to go back in.

However, by the end of a long hard first day, Christobel had applied two coats to the bottom whilst I ‘prated’ around the topsides and transom making preps for full coatings. The topsides were hard sanded with a power sander. A number of fastener tops needed attention with cleaning off, sealing, priming and undercoating several times. With the weather the touch-up paint coats were drying in next to no time.

Note: The topsides were last fully painted in spring of 2016.

The next day, the day we had hoped to avoid, we had a day off … letting paint dry.

Back on the job, I ‘cut’ in the approximate top of the bottom red coat for Christobel to get weaving. Bless her, she carried out a check for any hollows in the primer coats and applied stripe coats where needed. Then onward with the antifouling. What a girl eh!

By the time I had stripe coated the ‘repaired’ areas around the topsides, the first coat of antifouling was nearing completion on the boat’s port side. Before long calls for more paint made me stand back and admire the Mate’s work…

In gloriously warmish sunshine the topsides were given a finer grade sand, wiped down and given a full coat. Whimbrel was looking better by the hour.

In the light of a peach of a spring sky, the sides glowed!

On the third day, Christobel was back underneath doing the last antifouling coat, before carrying out a check and stripe coating ‘hollows’…

Meanwhile, I varnished the transom and got on with sorting out the boot top coating. I’ve used a hard racing boot top coating rather than the ‘normal’ stuff which washes off too easily making a mess of the paint lines and look of the boat afloat.

It was with a sigh of relief that I reached the end of cutting in the boot top. Due to stripping back the upper part of this by hand scraping and hard sanding and blast removal below, the line was largely lost. We laughed about the re-appearance of the builder’s original scribe markings, long deemed of little use as Whimbrel has gained added weight with her cruising use! I must say though, it wasn’t so far out…

Two shots of the finished job.

Looking as pretty as she could be, Whimbrel awaited permission to go back afloat.

There are jobs around the decks that need doing. Relatively small sections of weather damaged varnish and a coat of fresh paint on cabin tops (after a hard sand), in the main.

But, alas, these will have to wait.

Info: Willpine Blasting Ltd, Canvey Isalnd, Essex. Tel: 07816 493063

Email: cj.marine@hotmail.co.uk

Notwithstanding the onset of the serious health problems associated with the Corvid 19 (Corona virus) that has spread from China to virtually every country around the world since being ‘admitted to’ during December 2019, the weather has conspired to limit the opportunities for sailing too.

Our Government (British) is systematically closing down ‘life’ as we have all known it. People over 70 years of age are advised to self-isolate. Ill people have to isolate for seven days and if another person or persons live in household, this is 14 days for them. Everyone else to quote, ‘maintain a level of social distancing…’ which is at least two metres – which I call the spittle distance – essentially avoid all contact…

This does not seem yet to limit activities around the waterfront, provided care is taken … so, as planned, Whimbrel should be lifted from the water this weekend for a bottom paint clean off ready for my good mate and the boat’s keen bottom manager to get at it.

I have the top sides to deal with…

Since Christobel and I enjoyed a sail on a lovely February day, I have enjoyed little sailing indeed. But, with my youngest brother crewing as temporary mate I enjoyed a magical window of opportunity when the wind died to a force 5 and less for two complete days.

We departed early on a Friday (two weeks ago now) and returned on the Saturday lunchtime tide. We enjoyed a sublime sail acroiss the river after departing a few minutes before high water. being ‘late’ I swung further east round the Grain Flats, but the wind was sufficient for a close reach deep into Blakstakes area along the shore of Deadman’s Island and just making Strangate.

Inside the River Medway, we encountered a pretty ferocious ebb even though the tides were neaps. As our overnight stop was planned for Queenborough we ended up enjoying a spin up Stangate and a tack back out – all helpful in keeping warm!

Thereafter we made ‘passage’ for Kingsferry Bridge approaches before working back to Queenborough. The temporary mate was soon away in Twitch for a spin round the harbour … would you believe it the wind died to such a low level he had to ship his oars and row home!

The bird-life both in Stangate and around the Swale were stupendous, a wonder. We also saw a seal basking along the Greenborough Marsh mud shore.

We had a fabulous thirty hours! And, in an opposite to Emma’s infamous act of stupidity in the clever Jane Austin novel, it was a trip well done, well done indeed … it was an amazing couple of days.

Over the last month or two, I have been collecting together the necessary paints and preparatory equipment such as sanding papers in readiness. The pile on our ‘shed’ floor has grown … new centre plate lifting wire pin is ready, wire is aboard and the ‘blast man’ is booked.

Roll on the weekend … hopefully I’ll get just a little sail before, but time is running out.

Let’s hope we’re not ultimately trapped ashore…

Hey ho!

We couldn’t make the last exhibition due to circumstances beyond our control, but this year when the invitation arrived it was ‘fixed’ into out diary!

The Wapping Group of maritime artists is a small select band of around thirty artists who are elected into the group as and when places become available – this has always been the case since the beginning when moves were made to form just before the outbreak of World War II, delayed until around 1948. They always have a waiting list, but these days there are a few what are termed ‘candidates’.

Karl Terry’s work caught my eye with a view across the moorings of the Belton Way Small Boat Club down by the cockle sheds in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, close to home. The boat in the bottom right is either a Finesse 21, or Lady Beatrice, a 21 foot gaff cutter once owned by Laurie Harbottell who designed and built her for his own use. The hull design became the forerunner of the Finesse 21 built by Alan Platt.

I continued to wend my way round, slowly, looking and drinking in the painted views. Many of the works were of familiar places.

Wandering on I passed a picture I really liked! Moving on, there were more views of interest and familiarity. The boat yard at Hoo popped up, wit the bow of the spritsail barge Marjorie and a concrete lighter!

I soon came across an artist we know well (he lives close by) and one of his works was a 40th wedding anniversary present from my dear mate…

We both love Alan’s works in watercolour – they are evocative and sometimes ‘hazy’ allowing the eye to wander and find those little details deftly captured…

Some of the works seemed to have a little too much ‘pink’, ‘yellow’ and ‘orange’ in them, but they seemed to be getting hard looks from many of the punters around.

And this was the picture that we took a fancy to … St Paul’s seems to float over Queenhithe on the other side of the river. The cranes adds a ‘time and place’ aspect: I believe this is part of the Thames Tunnel works currently ongoing…

All in all we enjoyed the experience. and it is always a joy to view the type of art one appreciates with understanding.

The pictures are on view at The Mall Gallery, just beyond Trafalgar Square until Sunday 15th March.

The winter this year seems to have dragged on and on with incessant winds that have reduced my ability to get afloat to just two occasions so far! Statistically, this is very unusual. Running my fingers back over the pages of Whimbrel’s logs I see that usually I get out at least four to six times during the each month of January and February.

Fortunately, in my area (south Essex) we haven’t had anywhere near the rainfall that has affected many other parts of the country. Sadly, many have been flooded out of their homes – but we won’t delve into the reasons why, lay blame or become political (boring): the weather has brought much devastation.

During dry times I have been busy aboard Whimbrel re-seating various components around her decks, stanchion bases, pushpit bases and the fuel filler cap. Two of the pulpits bases require like-treatment.

Christobel and I have been able to keep up our walking too – in fact the weather has only prevented us getting out once since the New Year! We have enjoyed some fantastic walks in wild windy weather, but dry…

But during January, I was becoming troubled … I had become aware of changes to my body. What wa happening? Was it a problem? Would it continue after treatment? Questions … worry. Loss of sleep. I had to do something.

When I last saw my oncologist, I told him about some soreness being experienced around my chest/breast. This is a well known side effect to the course of treatment I was placed on. For me though it took nearly 18 months to make itself felt.

For previous story runs, see: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawlers-year-afloat-with-family-and-friends-meeting-people-and-talking-about-prostate-cancer-get-tested-save-a-life/

Then, what I thought was just a ‘funny little thing’ became, to me, a noticeable lump.

Heck, I thought, I’m going through a sex change … I was worried. I told Christobel (we have no bars) and I then emailed my contact nurse practitioner at Southend Hospital. I was ‘sent’ towards my GP in the first instance with a note saying ‘you’ll probably need a uss…’ (Ultra sound scan)

I became dead scared…

I popped into our surgery and asked for an appointment – none for weeks. Come in first thing tomorrow and ask … I was also in for a blood pressure check. Disaster. Now been put on a 10 day monitoring regime to return next week!

So, on Friday, I was waiting outside the Doc’s at 0740 … saw a triage nurse and was booked in for 1030.

Christobel came with me to the surgery … I was feeling troubled indeed.

The doctor listened to what the problem was, checked my notes (I noticed he even had the paper file with prostate treatment letters from hospital open…) and did an inspection.

He said, ‘I think it is a gynaecomastia – a hardening of the male breast tissue…’ he explained. ‘But … its been found there’s a link between breast cancer and prostate cancer …’ Now I was really worried.

I was told that a letter of referral would ‘go off that day to Southend Hospital’s breast unit … be a maximum of two weeks, but should hear sometime next week … if two weeks comes round and no letter get back up to the surgery…’

On Saturday, after returning from enjoying ourselves on a club work party, a brown envelope lay beneath our letter box. I tore it open. An appointment for Tuesday following had been made! Christobel looked at me and grimaced…

My thoughts were racing out of control … a head-splitting fear of becoming a cross between Poseidon and Aphrodite was growing … a hermaphrodite … and with the doctor talking about more cancer possibilities … I’d reached a limit.

I have to admit, I had a few glasses over the weekend…

By noon on Monday, I was so tired, I was sent to bed, something I’d not had to do for some while. Monday night I was awake at 0215 … still awake at 0430, so got up and had some tea, laid the breakfast table and tried to read. When Christobel came to, I got a rocketing for not waking her!

Yesterday (appointment day) dragged … but after our morning walk I busied myself fitting the doors and finishing the roof to a new utility shed we’ve purchased.

Showered and refreshed, I had lunch ready for when my good mate returned from a chin-wag with friends. Then we were off … Christobel gently soothing me…

A little before my appointment time we wafted into, what the paperwork described aptly, as a ‘women centred clinic’ dealing with the female breast … yes, it was definitely a feminine place, in feel and looks! I was the only man and many heads turned as I stood at the admissions desk. My colour rose. A kindly lady looked at me asked for name, ‘ah yes…’ she said, shuffling a ‘pack’ of papers.

I was given a clipboard and a pen – another load of questions – and began filling the many boxes. A big chunk had been scored out: I was clearly a man and hadn’t dealt with childbirth…

Some while later I was called through and taken to a consulting room and asked to strip off, up top, and put on a gown – of a feminine pinkish colour … more bad feelings were rising within me! The nurse said the doctor would be through shortly. Christobel accompanied me, doing as told and looking at her, I grimaced.

The consultation was something most women are familiar with … it was clear he was satisfied that this wasn’t another cancer.

I had a heart racing moment for the chap didn’t seem to have taken on board my prostate treatment – I spoke up as Christobel chirped, ‘he’s on prostate cancer hormone therapy…’

The specialist said, ‘Yes, yes…’ but he wanted me to have a mammogram as well as an ultra sound scan for an internal look.

The consultant’s nurse turned before leaving the room and said, ‘Put the gown back on, or your shirt if you like…’ It was a relief: I wasn’t looking forward to wandering around in the fetchingly female hue…

I found out talking to the kindly desk ladies while waiting, for I was too pent up to read much (as Christobel was doing, until her book ran out of pages…), that apparently they’re seeing many men in the clinic … I didn’t ask the question, but thought, why not have some ‘manly’ or gender neutral gowns available…

The mammogram came first … the radiographer had some difficulty in getting enough to squeeze between the plates … the left was worse and she ‘grabbed’ and pulled ‘me’ in! Actually it was all done with gentleness … then came an additional squeeze as the machine did its stuff…

Then there was a long break before being called for my scan … it was during this the consultant asked questions about how long I’d been on the bicalutamide and tamoxifen medication and for how long it was to continue.

A ‘nod’ was the only response, other than the breast specialist would answer all questions…

We were soon on our way!

Interestingly, tamoxifen has been found to be an effective treatment for not only female breast cancer, its main use, but also for men who suffer from male breast tenderness or hard tissue. I have asked the question of my treatment team nurse practitioner if my once a week tamoxifen tablet is as a counter to the probable side effects of the daily bicalutamide… I await with interest any response! (See below)

See link below for hormone treatment side effects. Different ones will affect different people, and possibly, some could have all to contend with!

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/prostate-cancer/treatment/hormone-therapy/about-hormone-therapy

NHS Prostate treatment procedures and side effects: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/treatment/

It was a great relief to be told by the breast specialist I saw that the hard tissue will disperse over a period of time once the hormone treatment is finished…

As I shook his hand and turned to go, I almost quipped, ‘Don’t fancy being a cross between a Greek God and Goddess…’

Post Script: My contact nurse practitioner has since confirmed that the tamoxifen is indeed given purely to make it more difficult for the bicalutamide to try and make changes to the male body … and hoped that I was feeling more comfortable in myself … wonderful!

A friend made a post on Facebook and alerted me to the immanent launch of this new Falmouth Pilot Cutter which has been under construction for the past two years at the Rhoda Mary Shipyard in Truro. The project has been led by shipwright Luke Powell, who has an amazing team working around him.

I made a visit to the yard whilst Christobel and I were holidaying just outside Truro in the autumn of 2019 and have been following her progress since.

See: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-visits-the-rhoda-mary-shipyard-in-truro/

This is the yard to which one of the east coast’s larger smacks has gone to – the Stormy Petrel – as a yard project under the ownership of Luke’s partner. The Stormy Petrel is a much loved vessel loved, known by many an ‘east-coaster’. She is due to be fully restored.

See: https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/840/stormy-petrel

The vessel, the Pellew, is on the verge of her launching.

See: https://workingsail.co.uk/pellew

There isn’t much to say other than I wish her a successful launching and first season, which begins with her first sail programmed fro early May.

What next for the yard … the Rhoda Mary perhaps…

See: http://www.rhoda-mary.co.uk/

Whatever it is, one can only wish them all the very best…

The weather has been to put it mildly pretty dire since the New Year. Although in south Essex we haven’t had the wet rainy conditions ‘enjoyed’ by many across these fair isles, the wind at times has been ferocious. And there is more on its way with storm Ciara hitting the Thames area on Sunday!

So, we reorganised ourselves and did our ‘long’ walk of the week yesterday, enjoying the tranquillity of the Blackwater Valley, the river itself and the high country above Wickham Bishops (in Essex), thus clearing our ‘diaries’ for a sail this Thursday morning.

I was a little worried upon waking: there wasn’t a breath of wind…

Bacon and flat bread wraps packed, we hightailed it to our creek, passing the streams of ‘worker bees’ struggling to make their way off Canvey Island. It brought ‘sadistic’ smiles to our faces!

It was sublime down the creek, but a heavy frost encrusted walkway shouted for caution!.

Climbing aboard, I was exhorted to take care, watch what I was doing and … never mind ‘that’ camera … fat chance!

While my good mate got the bacon under the grill I carefully busied myself around the deck completing tasks as I went. Coming aft with one of the head sail sheets, a haze of sizzling bacon smells wafted from the hatchway – the ‘cook’ was hard at it reading whilst working. Hmmmmmmmmmmm!

Salivating over those sublime tastes to come, I slipped the boat out stern-wards and set Whimbrel on her course seawards, popping forward to hoist the mainsail.

As we cleared the creeks entrance beacons on the end of the club’s walkways, a gentle breeze slatted the mainsail and I swung it out to catch the wafts from astern.

Brent geese were swimming around the edges of the withered brown stalks of cord grass, dabbling for pickings in the food filled tide. A group, startled by a noise perhaps took of, honking in protest, only to alight a little further on.

As we finished our bacon in pita bread, the kettle sang and the first hot coffee was placed in my hands. Out in the main river a large cantainer ship was making her way seawards, as was a seemingly tiny little coaster ‘under’ her bow!

It was quiet … at that point not another small vessel could be seen on the move. We were alone. High above planes could be seen and several climbed away, above the Leigh shore. These were outbound planes from Southend Airport – engine ‘winding’ noises whirled across the water, then faded.

It was quiet. I went forward to tidy something … camera in pocket. Looking astern one would have thought I was alone … ah, but no, the mate was head down… Astern, the boat’s wake can be clearly seen as she curved round onto a broad reach.

The sky was so clear above. A deep blue. The water showed at the most a slight ruffling. Away to the west under the Hadleigh downs, a mist hung just above the land’s surface. Far beyond, the massed masts of ‘beached’ boats at the island’s other yacht club appeared as if poking from a gauze …

The boat’s course was right: these days during neaps, I take a curving loop round the Leigh Sands for it has become noticeably shallower over the past decade. Our centre plate grated as we sailed to the west of Leigh creek’s buoyed channel. I lifted it a turn or two, leaving a little for further warnings!

Along the front a group of school children were being walked in a crocodile chain herded by teachers and assistants. The mate chuckled, saying, someones let them out! (the current school curriculum makes such jaunts rarer than they used to be…)

Closing Leigh beach we turned and ran down past the Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club’s west dinghy rack. A group of canoeists were launching from the slip – we chatted to a few awaiting stragglers … we were sipping coffee. One asked for three teas, one with two sugars … and was the bar open. I laughed and sniffing my mug, I said, yes to the last question! The mate had livened our second coffees…

Nearing the Ray Channel, the wind dropped then died completely! It was just on high water by then, so the iron topsail was stated, left on tick-over we stemmed the first of the ebb as we headed towards our creek.

The first of the buoys ranged alongside. I was designated by the mate to deal with sail stowing … while she chased geese.

Strangely, the creek’s saltings were quiet. We’d seen whirls of tiny ballerinas swooping over the water earlier, but coming home there was a silence as the ebb began. Surely, later as the mud reappeared, the dunlin, knot, redshank and oyster catchers would be busy feeding and arguing. It was clearly too early for ‘our’ curlews too!

Yes, it was a quiet sail, but we both enjoyed it. Two hours only, but such serenity to be remembered. ‘It was beautiful…’ my mate said, as we walked away from the boat.

It was my good mate’s first for the year as she was otherwise engaged when I slipped out during mid January, I am so glad she had such an appreciation for it.

It is a reminder of the joys of keeping ones boat afloat during the ‘off season’ but spring is but a whisker around the corner now and we are aware of some graft ahead when Whimbrel comes ashore for a little while … but not yet!

Going back through Whimbrel’s log books clearly shows the parsimonious nature of her travels so far in 2020. I have usually had between four to six sails in January alone. It shows up the windier conditions we’ve been having. I’m not enough of an expert to blame ‘climate change’ but changes are afoot…