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…

It is the time of the year when boat’s already out of the water begin to be aware of the loving caress of their owners as they muster themselves with energetic thoughts. This year there have been too many dismal days during January with more than a bucketful of wind thrown in, but now the month approaches its end. Whimbrel, sadly, has had just a single day’s use…

Down in my club’s yard there has been a noticeable pick up of busy bees around ‘the hives’ and I too have booked for Whimbrel to be lifted out towards the end of March.

The centre plate lifting wire and its pin are due to be renewed, but there is more to this unusual activity.

When ‘we’ antifouled Whimbrel’s bottom last spring, the boat’s Bottom Manager – yes that’s the good mate – pointed out that she thought the bottom could do with stripping off. Heck!

That was quickly followed up with, ‘I can do it…’ so after discussing this ‘need’ I decided that it wasn’t a job for the faint hearted and began to think more about this during last summer and into the autumn.

She’s damned good Whimbrel’s mate is: she gets down to it. There are few boat wives in reality that actually do this and I greatly appreciate mine!

The antifoul paint has never been cleaned back to bare wood since her build in 1983/4. In some places, especially around the wind/waterline area down to her bilge stubs it has been flaking for a number of years. In general excess coating thickness has become quite thick up to 2 to 3 mm. (or more…)

Yes, it could be scraped off after a hard blast. Our pressure washer often takes away chunks of late … but I did not feel as if I have the stamina currently (prostate cancer medication – essentially ‘chemo’) to be of much use and just couldn’t see Christobel doing it largely alone. She disagreed!

So, the old girl is coming out. The top sides need some attention too. It’ll be hard sanded, touched up and fully over-coated while out as well.

I plan to chock Whimbrel a little higher than in the plate above, to make underneath work easier…

The bottom is going to cleaned off with a water/slurry blast by Willpine Blasting Ltd who are based at Dauntless Boat Yard. The company doesn’t have a web site: they use a facebook page to ‘spread the word’.

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

before ‘attacking’ Whimbrel’s bottom, Charlie is going to do a test patch to check on bottom surface. He is confident that apart from a little roughness the wood will remain undamaged. Subsequent sanding will not be a hardship…

Once cleaned off, we’re away for a land holiday during our 42nd wedding anniversary week, leaving our good ship in the open air to dry a little.

Yesterday, the Bottom Manager called into our local paint supplier for the necessaries. Oh, the Toplac urethane enamel and varnish are for me!

..

A little while before the end of last year I was contacted by a chap from Lower Halstow in Kent about his desire for a copy of one of my books. In conversation I discovered he ran a firm which ‘built’ proper tenders, rather than the rubber tube types so often seen flapping astern in a breeze…

I have not, as far as I am aware, seen one of these dinghies afloat, but the numbers of boats with ‘proper’ tenders does seem to be rising again. Anyone who knows me and what I get up to with my Faversham dinghy would testify to the level of enjoyment gained from the little thing (Twitch is her name…) by not only myself, but most of the people who have sailed aboard Whimbrel.

Let’s face it, when away cruising the east coast, sitting at ‘anchor’ is the most time-loaded occupation we do and there is a limit to the length one can chat or read etc…

The firm has the most unusual name for one which builds boats – Pond Life, for they make garden ornaments and ‘toys’ … don’t be fooled though!

See: https://www.pondlifeworkshop.co.uk/store/Rowing-boats-c26498377

There is an interesting range of tenders currently available, ranging from vessels of a little over 6′ to 10′, simulated clinker or ‘slab-sided’ hulls with flat bottoms.

The company moved to Suffolk at the end of 2019 and is now located not far from the Butley River at Capel St Andrew.

I raised the possibility of a sailing version of these dinghies. I was told that it is something being considered, so if interested ask for a price! The 10′ pram looks ideal for a use as a sturdy tender to give more pleasure than the function of getting to and from the boat.

The little ‘flatty’ version looks simple and functional.

The 10′ stem dinghy looks as if would tow well, but to my mind would benefit from a towing/painter point closer to the waterline.

The little 6′ pram is reminiscent of many little tenders that used to be available in past years. Most were clinker built too, although ‘flatty’ versions came along built from sheet ply. For someone cruising alone, this would make a grand follower astern…

The outfit of the Pond Life dinghy is quite lengthy with lots of extras to choose from (at a cost of course). Advertising says that layup is to Lloyds approved standards.

Since the picture of my Faversham dinghy was taken early last year, I have fitted an additional towing point (a u-bolt) through the stem onto a backing pad during last autumn. The as built eye is located just below the bow fender and has always been too high, in my opinion. It took me a quarter of a decade to rectify!

The dinghy, in light breezes when mother is ‘running slow’, has a tendency to slew, but not when a sailing in more of a breeze. So, it will be interesting to see how the lower painter point performs under tow.

Alan Staley will still build a Faversham dinghy, but to my mind these tenders from Pond Life deserve to be looked at.

I’d love to see a sailing version from Pond Life!

Credits: Pond Life pictures published with permission of proprietors.

This time last year I was in a very different place, worried sick about what the future held and of the approaching hospital operations and radiation treatment visits that are now done and dusted.

Looking back it was ‘easy’ for I was in good hands and all I had to do was lie back and ‘think of England’ and not fret … ‘easy’, I said. Actually, I was S-t scared!

See for the story:
http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-has-a-happy-autumn-prostate-test-is-good/

2019 began with a sail … which will not be a surprise to many!

We kept at our walking too, even when it became a challenge to hike more than six miles in one go. I well remember a walk out on the Dengie, starting and finishing in Southminster … on a leg back up from the St Peter’s Way, I faltered and ground to a halt. A handy hay bale was at hand for a seat – after a long rest we ‘marched’ on. Southminster doesn’t have a lot in way of services, but there is a cafe run by a youngish couple, there, we found cake and coffee!

And that was the way I decided that I would have to approach the year.

The previous year (2018) began with life on a high – Christobel and I celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary in March and family and friends were looking forward to time afloat aboard Whimbrel. One group, my sister, Theresa, friends Hannah and Steve had been promised a trip up to London – from mid June 2018, life fell in tatters around my feet.

So with a bucketful of positive thoughts for 2019, I knuckled down, got on with life and planned: surely a future full of brightness lay ahead…

Last May, a week after my final radiation session, Whimbrel was on the club hard for her annual bottom clean and anti-fouling treatment. Christobel did the grafting and even cleaned the propeller!

Soon after we had weekends away on the River Medway watching barges and over my birthday week we visited Conyer.

First to enjoy the boat were my youngest brother, Andrew, and our cousin, Roger – both good company and keen to have fun, love them both! We had a quiet sail over to Queenborough before setting of early on a Saturday morning – the 22nd of June – bound for Brightlingsea.

Christobel and I had a glorious week or so ‘bumbling’ around the Blackwater, Mersea Quarters and Colne with a night up at Colchester Hythe, before berthing in Brightlingsea for the eighth Finesse Rally. Some twelve craft attended with the owners and crew of several more coming by road.

Then it was the turn of my sister, Theresa, and friends Hannah & Steve. A good crew they are too! Steve is Welsh – well, in part, No English, he insists, just lives in England – love him and I’ve a Welsh flag for when he is aboard!

We enjoyed a romp around the coast from Bradwell. Taking in Lawling Creek, Maldon, Pin Mill, Brightlingsea and West Mersea before returning to Bradwell.

Then Christobel and I settled down to a summer of simple sailing, going with the weather and simply enjoying ourselves. At the end of July, I had a visit to my hospital. It was fantastic news: the treatment appeared to have been effective, my psa level had dropped to less than 1. (Told about in blog run)

We eventually arrived back in Bradwell where I had arranged to pick up New Zealander Paul Mullings. He and his lovely wife came aboard for coffee and chat before departing … as we did soon after.

We enjoyed a relatively benign week in which we covered a little under 170 nautical miles, taking in Bradwell, Brightlingsea, Butley river, Orford (via Iken Church and Aldeburgh), Pin Mill, Brightlingsea (planned for West Mersea), Queenborough and then home to my Canvey Island mooring. A great trip with a grand shipmate. A Yachting Monthly article is due out during 2020 about this trip.

During the autumn the three Finesse 24s at my club planned a heist to Conyer. One was still out of the water having new main decks fitted, so just two of us went.

We settled into autumn and enjoyed our regular walks, days out, sailing and a holiday based in Deal, Kent. A grand place to visit … we plan to have another dose next year!

As I’ve said to many people, who have all been aghast, I had just one letter of disapproval about going public with my health issues and my ‘prostate challenge’ to others.

Tragic really, especially in the light of recent history for I feel it a great pity some of the high profile men who have ‘come out’, e.g. Rod Stewart, didn’t do so at the beginning of their prostate journey’s. The BBC TV presenter Bill Turnbull, who has a serious case of prostate cancer, had a retrospective documentary on television about his journey from finding out, his subsequent treatments and the aftermath of living with an incurable case. Brave man.

Two sailing chaps I met recently in Leigh-on-Sea thanked me profusely for my stance, citing the fact that down in ‘their’ club’s foreshore headquarters men had actually sat and talked about it. And, more importantly, done something about it. Women do this all the time! We men all think it amusing, but they react … men, on the whole sit back and do nothing when something is blindingly wrong.

Don’t forget, my tale, there are those among us who don’t have those signs – hence the advertising campaign: the ‘Government’ too has noticed the rise and rise of prostate cancer deaths among us men.

Caught in time it can be fixed…

And now, driving along the streets of this fair land of ours, big posters can be seen at bus stops advising ‘you’ to save a life … your life.

During the mid part of the year Yachting Monthly published Dick Durham’s wonderful column about the need for men to talk and get tested. It was an inspiring piece which makes the point…

The editor of Yachting Monthly told me that he had one ‘ardent’ objection to Dick Durham’s article, a few notes of ‘what is this doing in a yacht mag and many more notes of approval. If you’re a yachting man, you can be afflicted too: there are no boundaries.

So, to all of you who came aboard, sailed and chatted. To those I met ashore in the many places visited during my afloat times over the last year. To those that contacted through this site from afar (Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada, picking out notable countries). And those of you who just had a few kind words to say when met ‘out and about’ local to home, like the two gentlemen mentioned who I met in Leigh-on-Sea this last week – both Finesse Men. To all of you, my and Christobel’s heart-felt thanks go out with our very best wishes for a healthy New Year.

This august and historic yacht insurance group has ground to a halt and, as I understand from local sailing friends, it is being wound up and therefore consigned to history.

See: http://mutualyachtinsurance.com/

There is currently no information about the demise on the web site.

The organisation was a little different to the ‘bog-standard’ insurance company most of us are used to. The ‘Mutual’ was more of a club. The club essentially took the risk from the funds held in reserve.

The Mutual was founded in 1897 and was intended for small sailing craft (no motor yachts – that remained to the end!) not exceeding 20 tons TM and a value of £500.00. Only 75% of the yachts value was insured: the premise was that you, the owner, accepted liability for the remaining 25% … thereby taking better care of your vessel. What a B- good idea, looking about today!

One of history’s stalwarts of the Mutual was Francis B. Cooke. He became its secretary in 1900 and remained in that post for decades…

Cooke sailed into great age and I believe (can’t find the reference) he enjoyed his last sail at the age of 101 – he died shortly afterwards. For a great number of years he was a member of the North Fambridge Yacht Station and remains a revered ex member. The club house sits on ‘stilts’ on the foreshore next to the modern floating jetty now situated at N. Fambridge.

The web site gives scant detail about how they operate, what comes across is the ‘club’ nature of the organisation, insular to some extent.

Up to recent times, members (risks) were still ‘carefully selected…’ with a maximum value of £80,000 and a vessel no more than 50 years old. This last seems counter to the very founding ethos: it was aimed at the ‘small man’ and his boat – times change: now women are equal in being able to own!

The main premise remained, quote: ‘… is a non profit making concern run entirely for the mutual benefit of its members.’ They were after new blood, I know from a conversation I had with a member, but they didn’t seem to really open up to my mind, and, quite frankly, for a similar boat I thought they were expensive. Hey Ho!

During this autumn and early winter, I have received a number of emails asking me where I insure my Finesse 24, Whimbrel. There have been verbal requests too: it seems some former Mutual members are finding it difficult to find an insurer.

For anyone’s information, I currently insure with Nautical Insurance Services of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

See: https://nautical-insurance.co.uk/

If you don’t have a recent survey, they will probably want one. They are local to my sailing grounds. They know where the boat is berthed, its safety and such. Sometimes, a local firm is best.

I have a quote on file from nearly a decade ago from a ‘responsible national insurer’ … it is still well above what i pay annually now, and that is for 12 months in use.

The reason for the high quote from 10 years ago was … ‘you have a wooden boat and wooden boats are difficult to get repaired.’

What Rot! Not within the greater Thames estuary shores they ain’t! Several places trip off the tongue without any thought. So, I told the insurance Co. to proverbially ‘get stuffed’…

If anyone has any further information on the closure, I’d be pleased to know…

Yachting has changed immensely over the past 100 years, and even more so over the past few decades, where a boat is ‘just another thing’ and many are treated in that manner, sitting out the year, unused and racking up expense.

The simple life can still be attained and nurtured…

Long ago, at the beginning of 1994, we decided that Whimbrel needed a new dinghy. After looking around we plumped for a neat looking 9′ 6″ glass fibre simulated clinker moulded dinghy with a lug sail rig. She was built by Alan Staley of Chambers Wharf, Faversham.

See: http://www.alanstaleyboatbuilders.co.uk/

She was launched in the autumn of 1994 and given a brief trial sail in the gathering gloom on a Saturday evening. Her name, thought up by my good ship-mate, is carved onto a name board – Twitch… The little thing is loved by all who have sailed aboard Whimbrel since that date giving huge pleasure. She has enabled me to potter into many inaccessible places too over the years when I have been busy investigating for my books.

Since 1994 the dinghy has been covered over with the original cover made by Wilkinson Sails (then of Conyer) of Faversham. Over the years the cover has been cleaned and treated with a proprietary canvas proofing treatment, and on a couple of occasions, repaired.

Gradually the old cover began to shrink! I thought about getting a section let in at the aft end, but my good ship-mate said, ‘get a new one…’ I didn’t need any further encouragement. Lets face it twenty-five years isn’t bad for a bit of canvas!

I measured up the dinghy and produced a drawing for a sail maker – choosing Wilkinson Sails. P.S. the dinghy, we discovered, is actually 9′ 3″ upon measuring!

So, on ‘passage’ to Deal (lovely town) for a land holiday earlier this autumn we stopped off for a night in Faversham (no hardship) to drop the drawing off and show the sail maker the old cover – useful: for questions arose!

See: https://www.wilkinsonsails.co.uk/

A few weeks ago, we popped over to Kent to collect the finished cover, but I’ve only just got round to fitting it.

I have to say, the new cover fits a treat. I was a little worried: I’d dispensed with a ‘bit of string’ in the fold back along the lower edge of the skirt.

I shall now sit back and see how it gets on over this winter. It doesn’t show signs of having any ‘droop’ – note cover on dinghy next door and its pool of water forward…

Happy Christmas Twitch, and too, to all at Wilkinson Sails…

Link to my story so far:

Ditch-crawler muses on prostate results whilst enjoying a windy day within the Walton Backwaters …

During last month I had a three monthly blood test and a visit to my oncologist … I can honestly say I was a little daunted by the hospital visit: I have little or no way of knowing how things are other than that I’ve had little in way of any reaction to the radio therapy treatment which ended in mid May.

Broad open skies near Bradwell

A week before my hospital visit we did just short of an eight mile walk taking in another section of St Peter’s Way … walking has kept me going as well as sailing, of course – my wife and family too, obviously! We generally walk anything up to twenty miles each week. I haven’t been able to reach the peak distances we were doing a little over a year ago: energy levels are still lower.

A happy skipper…

Walking on the southern side of Great Baddow near Chelmsford.

I heard with a little disbelief during the autumn about Rod Stewart’s ‘battle’ with prostate cancer. His wife announced that Rod had been given the ‘all clear’ from the disease. Few knew anything about this, but apparently Rod discovered that he’d got this problem some three to four years ago. The ‘all clear’ would tell me that he finished his treatment two years ago.

I would like to talk to him: it would have been good if he’d been open about it … his saying to men, ‘get tested’ is something many would take notice of for many of us have ‘grown up together’ through his music.

Then a BBC breakfast TV presenter (Bill Turnbull) came out with a documentary about how he is dealing with prostate cancer …

All of a sudden, all over the media and on adverts there are warnings to men, yet, still surgeries are not offering tests to men!

The waterfront down in Old Leigh by the Belton Way Boat Club … when on a autumn wander…

A family visit took us into the border lands between Kent and Surrey. On the way home we came back down the old A225, a very scenic road passing through pretty villages dotted along the Darent Valley floor. At Eynsford we stopped for a walk around and found a cafe serving a very tasty soup.

The ford and bridge beside a converted mill below Eynsford’s Saint Martin’s church.

My appointed day arrived and I trundled off to the hospital with my good mate in tow. Appointments were running an hour and a quarter late!

I was eventually called and in came my oncologist … towards the end of the meeting he asked about my ‘elections’ as Christobel began to ask what, I swung into action, realising what he’d meant in a slip of the tongue: my response (rubbing her knee and saying how good she was) caused Christobel much embarrassment and the poor ‘old’ doctor shook his head, whilst rubbing his brow.

It was a happy meeting. My PSA level has dropped to 0.06 and I have been placed on a six monthly testing regime. Other medication will continue for the planned duration into the middle of 2020.

So, with happy hearts we left the hospital feeling on top of the world.

It is important to keep a positive mind on these things. I’m sure the attitude I struck upon at the beginning has helped enormously. I’m thankful to for the dedication and shared trust with the treatment department too. It is a ‘no holds barred’ situation with NO secrets!

So it was onward with a lighter feeling into the autumn.

On a visit to Faversham to pick up a new dinghy cover I popped into Alan Staley’s shed for a natter…

The Edith May

On the way home we dropped into Lower Halstow to drop off a book … lunching at the convivial Three Tuns. I couldn’t resist a visit to the dock where the Edith May has been stripped for winter.

On a recent Sunday, with bad weather in the outlook forecasts, we skipped the last service before Advent and went off for an early morning sail and communed out there on the water…

Early morning reflections on the lower Thames…

It was a quiet sail, at first, then a breeze set in and we romped along, homeward bound…

During this period we have also completed the last section of the St Peter’s Way on the Dengie Peninsular. On part of the walk, we followed the higher ‘reaches’ of Asheldham Brook which eventually flows out onto the sandy wastes between the Crouch and Blackwater.

What passes for a raging torrent in Essex…

Then, as autumn came to a very damp end for many across our country, I said to Christobel that it was a good time for an ‘over-nighter’ to the River Medway. Times of tides made Queenborough reachable before dusk … she declined (!) so I went alone … she later regretted this!

Sailing in Twitch back to Whimbrel at sunset after paying my dues…

A pint (or two) in the Admiral’s Arm was enjoyed…

Next morning dawned foggy, I departed two hours after my planned time!

Outside Queenborough harbour the sun sparkled and in the Medway the fog bank was clear to see…

I enjoyed a cracking sail back across the Thames, dropping sail outside my creek and continuing straight into the mooring.

We’re now in the meteorological winter and to celebrate I offered a friend a sail … the ‘poor’ chap hasn’t had use of his own vessel this year and has now enjoyed his fourth sail this autumn. It is the least I could do.

Down the setting sun…

It was an enchanting late afternoon sail which came to an end as the evening drew in.

Ghosting home…

It is moments like these that drive home the blessings of the world around us and the sanctity of life and the need to preserve what we have…

A sublime moment…

Yes, the world is a better place at this end of 2019 than it was in the last one. I have much to be thankful for.

In my happy place…

Hi All, some of you out there may have followed ‘stuff’ on my facebook account as well as on here – I know of at least a few! Anyway, due to a suspicious activity, I have suspended my account. Sorry!

To compensate … here are a few pictures from an early morning sail from my mooring within Smallgains Creek.

We departed a little after 0800 … enjoying bacon sandwiches!

Wonderful light reflections…

It was so quiet … with gentle zephyrs.

Then the breeze set in, giving us a grand finale to our morning’s work!

Its a grand life…