In the autumn we took Whimbrel’s ‘new’ sails over to Faversham for Wilkinson Sailmakers to carry out some servicing – a guarantee refit. They’d looked at my Genoa last summer and did a little bit of work … I was ‘chastised’ for not bringing the sails in after the completion of the first year. ‘Sorry…’ I said, adding, ‘This autumn be okay?’ and that was that.

It was by then nearly two years since I had collected the new sails. In the intervening period they have moved to the industrial estate on the site of Pollards Shipyard, opposite Standard Wharf. Their old loft still sits empty awaiting a decision about its future – residential apartments, I believe. 

Wilkinson Sails, Faversham.

In the mean time Whimbrel has been dressed with her old mainsail and jib – we haven’t bothered about the Genoa during the last few months … not essential for winter short sails!

We had driven over to Faversham two days earlier having decided to enjoy a couple of days being cosseted at The Sun Inn – very it was enjoyable too. Time was spent bumbling around the local area looking at a couple of ancient churches and as far away as Reculver – the old church towers and Roman fort – and the River Wantsum’s northern end. All very interesting…

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wantsum_Channel

I jokingly said to Christobel the day before we picked up the sails, ‘Be funny if we get onto the M2 … halfway home and remembered the sails…’ But, we didn’t forget!

The Wilkinson loft floor and another sits to the right through a doorway.

Wilkinson will ‘attack’ any project. Cindy Parker, the proprietor, had a ‘Glamping’ tent under way – the ‘pile’… I shall have to be seriously thinking about a new cover for Whimbrel’s tender, Twitch, soon: it is now twenty-five years old. It has shrunk a little and needs renewal! I have already ordered a new mainsail cover for the day when one is needed (soon) … our new mainsail takes up more stowed volume than our old sail and the cover is tight. Hey ho.

Sails stowed in car…

The weather of late has been exceptionally windy cutting down the opportunities for a seasonal sail, so, as soon as a day came I hightailed to my creek. Only the Genoa was ‘aired’ on that occasion, the jib will be next. The main will probably not be fitted until spring has sprung. In the picture below, the colour differences can be seen. It was nice to have the Genoa aboard for the wind was light.

Whimbrel’s Genoa gets an airing…

During the past thirty-five years, I have always gone back to the same loft from whence the boat’s sails came – W-Sails of Leigh-on-Sea – but Peter Waghorn had gone into retirement, I thought from a conversation some time ago. It appears however that his staff are keeping the loft alive. I haven’t seen Peter for some time to ask what is happening. Anyway, what with the uncertainty, I went where I went… Shame: I’d never had a problem with Peter’s sails – all problems were readily resolved. This too applies to Wilkinson Sails, as I’ve found to my delight!

The jib gets an airing on an overcast winter’s afternoon…

So, just the mainsail to air now, but it’ll stay in its bag awhile yet.

If you need a friendly sail maker, repairs or new go and chat to Cindy, Alan or Sarah…

See: http://wilkinsonsails.co.uk/

The seemingly prolonged ‘saga’ of the bits and bobs, such as spars, rudder, floorboards and tiller, that needed attention during this winter has eventually come to an end. There will some varnishing of the dinghy’s gunnels and seats to do – preparatory work was begun on that back in October – in the spring.

See earlier news:

Ditch-crawler continues his dinghy maintenance whilst enjoying other thoughts…

Ditch-crawler does some ‘end of season’ dinghy maintenance…

So, now the last item, the mast, has had a few days to harden off properly, I thought it time to return it to the creek. Christobel was out, so the MG had to be the carrier … it was at least dry, but only around 2 deg C out … the little car’s heating takes nearly half the journey down to start pumping any real heat, but hey, I’m a rough, tough old coot (as me mate keeps telling me!).

The mast reaches the creek!

The sail has been bent back onto its spars, the halyard set up and foot tack – all is ready now for a sail!

Two views of the rig…

Whether or not the sides of the dinghy need a touch up, I’ll leave until the spring to decide.

Yesterday my good mate, Christobel, knuckled down and machined up a ‘sock’ to go over the end of the mast: when all is stowed and cove on, the top end of the mast has always poked out allowing a slow deterioration in preservation coatings. With a couple of eyes and a lashing all can be secured…

The sock…

The sock fitted …

Here is the builder’s own dinghy, a forerunner of mine. These are 9′ 6″ in length lug rigged on an un-stayed mast.

Alan Staley in the ‘dinghy match’ at the Swale Smack, barge and yacht regatta last August.

The dinghy, named Twitch by Christobel on being asked for a name by Alan Staley when it was nearing completion, is now in her 25th year. She was completed in 1994.

The hull was moulded by a grp specialist and Alan Staley’s yard finished her off and made the spars. The sail is the original from Wilkinson, then of Conyer, but now based in Faversham with a loft at the old shipyard industrial estate. (The cover too – but it needs renewing though!)

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

The dinghy was the finest £1200 I ever spent: she has given 25 seasons of joy. She’s able to carry four adults with ease under oar. She will sail with two aboard, as my youngest brother discovered when he and his partner were sailing aboard Whimbrel. Alone she is a dream. Under outboard power she is very able too.

See link for Wilkinson Sails: http://wilkinsonsails.co.uk/

The little boat has trotted along behind Whimbrel for around 900 nautical miles this past year, so, with her own forays with myself, Christobel rowing, and family members trotting around in her, she’s in all probability done in excess of 1000 miles. She was a bargain!

Had the tide been in, I’d have slipped out for a sail. I’d surely have had a cold bottom, but what the hell!

During 2017 I was awakened to an advert purporting to advertise our Whimbrel for sale … it turned out that a seller had utilised a picture of our boat to sell theirs!

The then owner made contact to apologise for using Whimbrel’s mug shot … however, the adverts wording showed knowing people all wasn’t so simple! The chap, a pleasant character, even attended the Finesse rally held in Brightlingsea that summer.

I later found the boat at a yard in Walton and took photographs.

When seen in 2017, her accommodation outfit had not been fully reinstated.

The boat, Tarantella, a sister Finesse 24 was purchased by an experienced sailor called Ron who had among much sailed aboard another Finesse 24 for a number of years whilst being boat-less. He was looking to get back into boat owning with a project and Taratella fitted the bill. Sadly, however, over the past 18 months personal well-being problems have forced Ron and his wife to admit that they’ve owned their last boat…

At the time her decks were open and stripped back ready to receive new sheets of ply …

Tarantella as seen in 2017.

The current owner has sent me the following details and pictures of Tarantella:

FOR SALE

Cutter Rigged Finesse 24 – Tarantella

Tarantella in 2011 as seen in Classic Boat magazine.

I have a Cutter Rigged Finesse 24, for sale, see photograph (taken in 2011 for Classic Boat), which has undergone an extensive rebuild last summer. But, due to deteriorating health I am unable to pursue the project so am looking to sell her.

The key elements of the refit, which has been undertaken professionally include;

• Replacement of rotten deck beams, addition of several strengthening beams, plus reinforcement of the gunnel/deck edge.
• New marine plywood Main deck and Cabin top.
• New Stern Tube, Propeller Shaft and Cutlass Bearing.
• New cockpit sole framework,
• New Main hatch runners and surround.
• Complete stripping a repainting of hull and superstructure.
• Engine overhauled.

Tarantella, re-decked and hull painted – initial coats varnish to cabin sides too … just needs finishing.

The mast with its rigging, full suit of sails, rudder, bowsprit, engine and internal furniture (removed while replacing several broken ribs, a split plank and “tightening up” the hull) are all in store. There is also enough glass matting and epoxy resin to sheath the deck and cabin top, if required.

Tarantella is current stored in Brightlingsea.

Ron is open to sensible offers.

For further details please call Ron on 07900 685320.

Update: 27th April 2019 – Now Sold!

Outside it is cold and bitter, although not freezing. A strong north-westerly has hit bring cold air down from the north. We had snow last week, but it didn’t feel cold and before that fell I’d enjoyed two lovely sails in bright (warm even) conditions – it was zero degrees on one day – and here I am, munching a cox’s apple from an Essex orchard, thinking about things…

After doing various jobs to Whimbrel’s tender, including re-painting the interior, I realised that with the passage of time, the mast too needed some work. Perhaps I’d not looked at carefully enough…

See earlier blog: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-does-some-end-of-season-dinghy-maintenance/

Doing dinghy maintenance – repainting the hull interior.

But before I get into this, it occurred to me that the month for an event, once the doyen of British Yachting, has passed all but passed by: The London Boat Show used to be held during the second week of January. It was held at Earl’s Court from 1957 to 2004 when it transferred to the Excel Exhibition Centre in 2004. The first was held at Olympia in 1956.

The London Boat Show has been under threat for a number of years with a falling attendance record! In 2002, there were around 152, 000 punters and in 2016 it dropped to around 90, 000. In 2018 it changed to a 5 day format from the original 10 – or long standing – and figures crashed to around 52, 000 people…

The 2019 show was to take place 9-13 January, but was cancelled.

Why? Well, yes indeed, why! My personal thoughts lay with a market saturated by pressure to secure orders for new craft – clearly manufacturers (builders??) need orders to survive. The whole business has moved so far away from a chap and his wife popping down to a local boat yard where they know ‘little’ cruisers are built for a reasonable price. Now it is all sleek marketing, factory runs and ‘hotel-like’ outfit where the thought of a muddy hand getting through the door (companionway) brings horror to some. P.S. where else does one wash their hands…

So, it is my view that with a saturated market and marinas up and down the coast stuffed with immobile craft, the peak has been reached. There are literally thousands of ‘2nd hand’ craft awaiting new or first owners. Many of these boats moulder and fester at the back of a yard or on a mooring, draining money from an owners pocket everywhere.

Some seasons ago, well before various magazines got onto the band-wagon, I did a feature about decent and usable second hand craft awaiting sales at a yard in Woodbridge – bargains galore sat ready for a buff up. For a ‘small’ amount of capital a prospective owner had a wide choice and with a little effort all or most would have ‘dazzled’ as she swung on a mooring, ready…

And then there is equipment … the world wide web has brought the shop counter to ones desk or lap and at a tap of a button that new set of charts or electronic equipment is whizzing to your delivery address, so why go to a show!

When was the last time I went – quite frankly, I can’t remember, but I think I’ve been to the London event twice in the last 25 years. If that is anything to go by, it clearly had little attraction for me or others, clearly!

It is well known that the sailing population is aging with a lack of fresh ‘combatants’ coming up astern, with that in mind the Medway and Swale Boating Association’s bi-annual seminar this year is to focus on this phenomena. I’m not so sure much can be done. It’s like the industry – ‘yachting’ for now seems to have peaked and will decline to an unknown level, but it’ll still be there for those that want it.

Hey ho!

The mast arrived home in my MG with the hood down in early January after a sail in Whimbrel. It was scraped and sanded and put in the conservatory to dry – where else!

Fetching the dinghy mast home…

Sanded and drying out…

Funny how long these jobs can last: each coat needs to dry before applying the next. The mast had large areas stripped back to bare wood and around six coats of thinned varnish were applied, thickening as I went along. It finally had two undiluted coats.

Work ongoing…

Finally, after a couple of days drying, the mast was dressed with the halyard and burgee hoist, ready for the dinghy. All I need to do now is get it back to the club and, hopefully, on a sunny day have a little (cold) sail out in her again!

Mast dressed!

My good wife has been ever so good, not once complaining of the all pervading smell of white spirit and paint working its way around, even though the conservatory door was shut! Last week she had a friend in for coffee and chat … I moved the mast out into the dining room, before hi-tailing to the boat leaving conservatory window open and heaters on high! Christobel said, it was absolutely fine…

My father once built a canoe in his mother’s kitchen … I know people use the same place for winter jobs … and even spare bedrooms. lets face it, its better to be in the warm!

I for one shall continue all of this for as long as life allows me…

It came to pass when I was afloat with my youngest sibling in mid December that Whimbrel took on board some water into her bilge … a rare event. I thought it was the stern gland, but on other hand seemed to be way too much for that alone.

See: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-enjoys-a-december-sail-with-a-sibling/

Sibling in silhouette…

On my next outing, I discovered upon shutting the engine down that the sea water pump was leaking from its shaft seal. There isn’t much that can be done about such an event other than either renew whole pump, overhaul and fit new shaft seal, and probably shaft too … much else besides, ending up paying even more out. It’s the way of the world, unfortunately, that a complete renewal is cheapest option. But, still expensive…

So, I did a search for places dealing with Yanmar spares – my usual source in Brightlingsea was, to say the least expensive without VAT added! Other places were worse or around the same. But, up popped a place sitting in the St Georges Channel between N. Island and the R. Mersey … the Isle of Man.

BottomLine Marine Engineering Company – seems very much like French Marine, both into engines and chandlery.

See: https://bottomlinemarine.com/

And, https://bottomlinemarine.com/prod_cat/P_genuine-yanmar-sea-water-pump–2ym15-3ym20-3ym30-new-style–12899042510_7382.shtml

I’d already dropped French Marine an email and was awaiting a response when I contacted Bottom Line … I had a response over the immediate period before the New Year with a sizing query. As did French marine later.

The question was, what pump was fitted to my Yanmar 2YM15. An updated pump came out a few years back … my engine was fitted (by me) in 2011. And, hey presto, it had the newer type which has a slightly larger diameter pipe inlet than the discharge 19.5 and 17 mm respectfully.

I ordered a new from Bottom Line as well as a set of belts. Packing and delivery is free over orders of £50… It was so simple – no logging into an account (done through email) and able to ‘guest’ use paypal (Hate this organisation!), including UK taxes (VAT).

I had an email telling me it would arrive either on the Tuesday or Wednesday last week. It arrived at 1115 on the Wednesday morning.

Old pump removed.

I was down at the boat around 1300. The new pump was fitted a little after high water at around 1430 and the engine run for 20 minutes.

I’m a very satisfied customer indeed, and so is the old girl!

I should have given the bilge space at the front of the engine a clean while pump was off: it is not easy to get at. I must chuck a bucket of water down there and brush around…

New pump fitted.

Looking down on the job … note: belt cover still to fit.

The above illustration shows how tight it is to get at the job … it was done largely by feel, utilising my ingrained engineering skills from those far off sea-going days spent keeping ‘ancient’ Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships going!

So, thank you ‘Bottom Line’ for your excellent service…

Whimbrel seen sailing back into creek and her mooring (beyond) with engine silent… Picture: Alexander Ardley

Cost: less than others before VAT added … say no more.

Some years ago, I wrote to the head of BBC regarding the punctuality and ‘clarity’ of the weather bulletins they were putting out at self-imposed specified times to fit in with the reader at the Norwich BBC weather centre. I was told that I could fill out a complaints form…

At the time, BBC Suffolk gave out the forecast including the coastal (N) at around 10 to 0700, 0800, 0900, 1800 and 1900. BBC Kent were placed at 5 minutes past the hour along same/similar times. BBC Essex fitted in at 5 to the hours given. All at very useful times.

During the late 1990’s and into the first decade of this millennium, BBC Essex ran the Thames Estuary forecast; Suffolk, one for ‘off’ Harwich with a northerly addition if different along the upper Suffolk coast (which is relatively short) and Kent, bless them, has always tended to or do give the Inshore Waters Forecast from the N. Foreland to Selsey Bill … since most ‘Kent’ sailors sail along the northern side of that county, that seems ‘daft’ … and aboard Whimbrel, when in Kent waters, Essex with the Thames estuary forecast was listened to, which was perfectly acceptable.

Latterly, BBC Essex has now moved to 3 minutes to the hour. Where Kent sits I quite frankly don’t currently know. The north coast of Kent gets very similar weather to the south of Essex so ‘we’ don’t worry. I’ll be interested to see what has happened up in Suffolk when next in their waters.

Sometimes it is probably better to actually ‘sniff’ the air…

In more recent times with the 3 minutes to the hour forecast from BBC Essex, one is met with a continuance of the diatribe from the programme content, very often, until time runs short or there isn’t sufficient for the slot to happen. Additionally, when the forecast is given, it invariably comes as the Inshore Waters, which covers the area Gibraltar Point (North side of Wash) to the N. Foreland – a huge area! It is often called the ‘coastal’ but clearly isn’t when later looking up on the BBC web site.

Since I communicated with BBC Essex the service, which is supposedly a Public Service, has fallen into lamentable disrepair and I have virtually abandoned the listening to local radio as a result (never mind the incessant physco-babel that emanates).

Interestingly, some weeks ago before Christmas 2018, I saw a piece in the Saturday edition of the Times newspaper headed, ‘Local Radio takes a hit as more listeners switch off’ – well what a surprise!

The BBC Essex figures have dropped from 236, 000 to 160, 000 over the past five years. This household being one if not two of them!

Clarity and brevity are important too in the issuing of these forecasts. I can well remember on BBC Essex a ‘telling off’ being given to a co-presenter by the other (senior?) when the reading of the details was interrupted … the transgressor was told in no uncertain term that the information was important and that people relied on it. That ethos has died!

What isn’t appreciated by the presenters and production staff is that not everyone has a smart phone and can dial up instant info, and not all listeners sit within the signal strength to be able to do so. That is especially relevant to the coastal seafarer.

Yes, there are other methods of gathering the information – Coast Guard broadcasts – but not always conveniently slotted.

I wonder how much of the switch-off is due to ‘dumping’ of the public service elements along with the ‘clap-trap’ one is hit with now?

The second of January ‘dawned early’ as our alarm clock buzzed at a little before 0630. Christobel made our morning beverage whilst I headed for some ablutions. Both done, we headed off for a sail!

The tide was a neap with high water a little after 0930 and we walked round towards our Whimbrel as dawn truly broke in the east beyond Southend’s pier, clutching the makings for breakfast, I reveled in it. There was a light breeze from a northerly direction – this later became north-westerly under the Hadleigh hills.

Sails were readied and Christobel got the bacon on to sizzle … soon aromas were filling the air around Whimbrel as the tide crept upwards. The boat lifted and with a burst of astern we slid into the stream. Christobel helmed whilst I hoisted sail. The sails took over and we began tracking over the flood, outbound. The bacon, meanwhile, sizzled alone…

Bacon and egg rolls on their way…

No sooner than we had reached the outer limit of the Island Yacht Club’s moorings and our repast was ready!

Clearing the moorings with Brents in the shallows.

Ah yes, this is the life, scrumptious…

A tasty bite…

Clearing the creek we set a course towards Benfleet up Hadleigh Ray. All was quiet. Nothing else but birds were stirring beyond. Cloud away to the east blocked the sun’s appearance, but the light was increasing rapidly.

Morning light…

For a while, we both quietly chomped! And, I tacked the boat lazily with the flood under her round some shallows over a submerged island of sand. Licking my fingers and passing words of satisfaction to Christobel, we were both suddenly startled by a noise astern. We looked in wonder as several independent flocks of small wader, dunlin and knot surely, whirled past.

One of our passing flocks.

Another came by on the other side…

We watched as one lot weaved, wafted and danced over the Two Tree Island saltings before, in a tornado-like mass they settled within the enclosure of the island’s nature reserve. ‘The noise,’ my good Mate said, ‘it’s a susurration – yes a whisper but louder, like the swish of a breeze in the reeds.

Waders funneling earthwards … with some lapwings above.

Passing ‘Bird Island’ we saw that it was coated with feathered life. How lucky we are, I thought, to be able to witness all of this at such close quarters.

The western end of Bird Island.

We continued to tack west towards distant Benfleet. Clearly seen, in the light, were the myriad of masts with their clinking halyards standing stiffly to attention aboard the Benfleet club’s craft sitting in their winter’s resting places. When ‘east’ of Canvey Island point, the light plays with the masts on boats at the Island YC too … looking astern, they were in silhouette.

The level of ‘Bird Island’ has risen inexorably over the past decade. Passing London VTS crackled into life with a half-hourly update … the level was 4.8 m at Southend  and I estimated that the mud just covers at 5.0 m. Close by the tide was well into the cord grass infested edges of Marks Marsh Island. Grass would be growing here, in the middle, soon surely.

We tacked onward, coffee finished. The gnarled stumps of General Booth’s Wharf was passed by. It’s posts sporting several statuesque cormorants, which dutifully lifted heavily into flight in search of the mornings next meal. Over on the sea wall, by then fairly close to, several groups of walkers wandered past. Some, with dogs prancing about and yapping at everything and nothing, others clearly on a post New Year route march!

Passing some further creek shallows west of the old jetty – again swarms of waders lifted and alighted at random.

Astern, I thought I saw a distant sail, but in the light wasn’t sure, but the sun was about to clear the cloud layer out seaward.

Across the water, a silvery ‘pathway’ tinged with a little gold heralded the sun making its appearance…

Christobel helming…

Beyond the sea wall hidden from view the almost continuous whoosh of the morning’s commuter trains could be heard … our ‘boy’ would have passed by as we came out of Smallgains. Well done son! On our other beam, Canvey Saltings were passing by. Every now and then a curlew could be seen, ‘hurtling’ arrow-like, loosing its eerie call. I watched as a small flock of peewits lifted, ‘crying’ as they did so, with their soft and lazy looking wing beats fluttering, butterfly-like, across the marsh. The marshes had been looking drab, but with the sun’s appearance colours were heightened … it won’t be long before the first flush of green appears.

As high water approached, we turned for home. And yes, ahead (now) I spied another sail! It can be seen under Whimbrel’s jib.

The scene just after we turned for home…

The sun had by then truly appeared and above was blue with some fluffy white stuff burning away. The distant boat passed by, motoring with her jib sheeted in tight. We all called our greetings and were quickly separated again.

The Christmas spirit…

One of ‘Santa’s’ little helpers took our picture…

Heading towards Canvey’s eastern point and the entrance to Smallgains Creek…

Outside our creek the mainsail was stowed and we slid quietly over the ebb inwards. I hung the fenders … our first sail of 2019 was drawing to a close.

Christobel going forward to her post, arms flapping like a puffin!

‘Ready to lower,’ I called…

As, outside, the creek was dotted with little groups of Brent geese. There seems to be a vast number this winter. The ones seen ignored our passing as they foraged along the marsh edges on the northern side of Smallgains.

The jib flutters deck-wards…

With way on the boat, we slid into out waiting berth. Either side of us were two wooden friends. Christobel said, ‘Now then Whimbie … you can tell them all about it…’ Our neighbours are Dick Durham’s Betty II and Gypsy owned by fellow Finesse 24 sailor, David, who lives on the hills above these waters and, probably, saw as he enjoyed a ‘late’ breakfast!

Upon arrival at the moorings some three hours earlier, I overheard Christobel having a conversation with Whimbrel  – they have this ‘strange’ bond …

Slipping home…

Yes, it was a gorgeous sail. Gentle and nice, another of those to remember, surely…

Ah yes. I called my youngest brother up about a couple of ‘family’ matters and casually mentioned that I’d been looking at the weather for a weekend window … ‘Doesn’t have to be a weekend…’ came the instant reply, adding, ‘I’ve got loads of leave left over…’

I was soon recontacting with news that there was a decent window of opportunity dangling in front of us during the coming week …

‘I’ll check at work on Monday…’ was the response.

And, bingo. It was on.

The weather forecast showed sublime sun filled days with light winds on the Tuesday and more on Wednesday, before it turned ‘nasty’ again late on Wednesday night. My good Mate, Christobel, immediately began listing all the stuff I’d need to take: the boat has been stripped of bedding and comfort stuff.

Storing…

Tuesday came round quickly and my brother (Andrew) duly appeared in time for a coffee and a natter en famille before Christobel dashed off for a ‘coffee yarn’ with some mates! We were soon on our way ourselves: there were a few items to pick up at the grocers.

Reaching the creek a little before noon, we got the dinghy sorted out … its floorboards needed refitting as they’d been removed to allow sanding and painting of the boat’s insides – the weather hasn’t been conducive lately. P.S. It is done now! That done we hightailed round to Whimbrel to get her ready and stow gear.

Boat ready … awaiting the tide.

It was crystal bright and the sun felt warm on the cheeks. There wasn’t a drop of breeze and the creek’s incoming water was mirror flat. It was very sluggish, but eventually made to the point where I suggested to my crew that he could collect the dinghy … Andrew happily set off with the trolley we had used, ‘home’, too. Meanwhile I titivated bits around the boat and got myself organised and set all the navigation equipment working – the chart on the table!

A happy sailor…

It wasn’t long before the dinghy arrived ‘oared’ in superb ‘Cam’ fashion (Andrew rows in an ‘8’ on the Cam with a group of ‘oldies’…) although I think he missed the sliders…

Andrew arrives with the dinghy – looks like he wanted to tow Whimbrel out…

We then awaited the tide … drinking coffee and nattering. He’s been ‘good’ and has finally got his PSA test sorted out – all done and dusted and all clear. Well done Andrew…

Eventually Whimbrel stirred as the tide made and we slipped out. There was little to no wind! A light south-easterly was forecast, but was conspicuous by its absence. Clearing the island’s point outside Smallgains Creek the throttle was increased and we cruised at a little over 4 knots, heading directly for the distant ‘mass’ of Sheerness. I was relegated to ‘tea boy’…

In mid channel we had to ‘dally’ for a ship bearing down on us at speed. It wasn’t clear which side of the ‘reds’ it was going to go … it went outside as we loitered close by No. 6 (S) red buoy. The big ships go inside and smaller ones outside. The West Nore Sand fell astern as we picked up speed in the shallower water over the Grain Flats – a breeze too seemed to at last appear. Not much, but enough…

Creeping into the River Medway…

Passing over the flats inside the Grain Fort in a little under two metres of sea water we were sailing properly. Grand. I still didn’t get a hand on the tiller! In the distance out past a beacon marking the Grain power plant sea discharges (Gas powered plants…), I spotted a black ‘mass’ ahead. As we tracked closer It was clear that this was a rather large and angular chunk of flotsam, and of some length. There were bits of it beneath the water … it looked like a bit of ‘barge’ to me! We’ve had some high tides and stuff not afloat for many months, if not longer, has probably floated free.

I called up Medway VTS and reported the danger. The length was about the same as Whimbrel’s, so at least seven metres…

The response that came over the radio was, I would say, disinterested … I expected more. Later another vessel reported what we had seen. No work boat was seen to leave the Camber – where port boats and RNLI boat live – in the time it took us to creep towards and eventually past the Queenborough Spit buoy.

I later contacted The Medway & Swale Boating Association after placing a comment on a post about new conservancy charges (Known as the ‘Peel Tax’ – after Peel Ports, the river’s operators) and in response Tony Lavelle wrote:

Thank you for the information and photos. That long floating log might have been the one that used to be near the rowing club at Rochester . It came adrift some time ago and I thought it had been retrieved.

At our recent AGM I had a conversation with Stephen Balmain who was representing Peel Ports. He used to be on the VTS team before it moved to Liverpool .

 They used to have their own work boats but now they have subcontracted to Briggs Marine. Though we had been assured at a previous MSBA meeting that 8 rubbish clearance sorties had been completed, Stephen confirmed that none of these went above Halling! The build-up of debris in the upper reaches from Snodland to Allington is quite hazardous to navigation.

I don’t think it was anything to do with Rochester Rowing Club’s loss…

Sailing into the River Medway.

Photograph taken at same time … sun is setting and my helm is in silhouette… 

It was grand to be sailing rather than listening to the ‘growl’ of the diesel beneath the cockpit floor. We were making 2 + knots at times over the young ebb and both felt disinclined to hurry things along. The sun had set by then, but the sky, being clear, kept us lit up. I lit the cabin heater for a chill had set in.

Andrew took us down the eastern line of moorings, at my prompting, and we fetched close to the wind past the old jetty beacons. A mooring line was ready prepared … halyards cast onto the deck…

Down the line … all ready for a buoy pick-up off the pontoon ahead…

Hooray! I managed to wheedle the tiller from my crew’s hands for the final run into the buoy … I’m sure he wanted to have a go … but with a deft snatch he had the buoys mooring eye captured and I went forward to drop sails…

Below, we soon had another pot of tea to hand with a hunk of cake – Paul, it was a moist wedge of my 2017 Christmas cake saved for a ‘rainy day’ and it was divine! During this period I set to and got the makings of our supper on the go. Our plan was to go ashore for a couple of jars and return later, which we duly did. I have to say, both of us like pickled eggs and two each of those were enjoyed with crisps as a ‘starter’, plus of course some tasty beer – all at The Admiral’s Arm.

Moments before sunrise…

We had a quiet night, apart from a coaster slipping through the moorings and a couple of fishing craft – leaving noisily. My first job was to get the heater on, then the kettle. My crew remained asleep, seemingly! It was a spectacular sunrise. There was a gentle breeze from the south-east still.

The sun appeared in glorious brightness…

Breakfast finished, all was cleared away for a leisurely sail off the mooring just before the tide turned. The previous evening I left ‘our’ mooring fee in the box for the harbour trust, as directed and expected. Many don’t bother, I have been told, but many ‘boaters’ don’t. What they don’t appreciate is that you’re on camera, never mind the fact that it is essentially stealing!

Clearing the harbour, we enjoyed a sparkling sail clear of the Medway and then across to the Phoenix unit off the West Shoebury Buoy. This bit of WW2 wreckage is often described as ‘The Mulberry Harbour’ which of course it clearly can’t be: the harbours (their remains) are over on the French beaches. Many people don’t realise that the harbours were made up from hundreds of the Phoenix Units and other parts!

I was still ‘tea boy’…

A spanking sail across the Thames…

Goose-winged, running westwards towards Southend Pier…

After entering the Ray and clearing the tricky shallows now in ‘residence’ there, we rounded up and dumped the mainsail and ran on under jib. Over on the Ray sand bank were around two-dozen seals, basking in the sunshine. The heads of some ‘youngsters’ were seen too sieving the shallows for a fishy lunch. It’ll be one of this lot which, surely, will follow me across the Leigh shallows as winter progresses when I’m out there – always a special sight. I think ‘they’ go for disturbed bottom fish as the boat passes…

‘My’ local seals…

Our creek was looming ahead, but we needed a further hour of flood to enter so a buoy was borrowed for the short while. I was ‘dispatched’ forward for this operation and I didn’t let my crew down! We stowed the sails and covered mainsail and hatches … then went below for some hot tomato soup!

My crew was having to hi-tail back to Cambridge: he was in charge of the evenings club row … he was ready dressed … he made it too!

Yes, we both had a grand time of it. These things are the sweeter at this time of the year – something to savour over a toddy later…

Thanks Andrew!

Links:

http://msba.org.uk/

http://www.admiralsarm.co.uk/

http://www.queenborough-harbour.co.uk

Some time ago, I seem to remember it was the spring, but can’t find anything in my files to substantiate this, I had an email from a chap who wanted some advice about selling his father’s Finesse. His dad had passed away leaving the boat to the family … I responded asking for various details saying that I could post on the Finesse facebook page and also on my blog … I didn’t get any further communication or thanks – this happens a lot!

I let the matter rest…

However, recently, up popped a Finesse 21 for sale in Gillingham – well she’s at the boatyard down along the Lower Rainham Road at Mariners Farm, which has use of one of the old barge wharves along that shoreline of the River Medway. Gillingham is ‘close by’…

See: http://www.marinersboatyard.co.uk/index.html

All pictures in this post are from Les Long, a Lower Halstow YC member and are used here with his permission. My thanks are profuse … I owe you a beer!

Georgina propped up and covered over.

I can’t even remember the name of the person who contacted, however, now that the boat is formally for sale at Clarke and Carter, I thought I’d investigate a little further: the boat seems to be in relatively good condition. The pictures jogged a distant memory for she’s a boat I remember seeing over a number of years on the river and I believe she was moored for a period in West Hoo Creek.

See also: https://www.theyachtmarket.com/boats_for_sale/1691041/

Here are a series of Les’s pictures:

The starboard bottom.

Port bilge with stub bilge keel – these are much shallower than those fitted to the ’24’.

Aft end…

Now, I understand that the boat’s cover shredded and she was ‘uncovered’ for a little while. A cockpit cover isn’t apparent, yet the cockpit is in a remarkably good condition. The boat has been out of the water for four to five years.

Cockpit forward bulkhead to starboard and companionway door (half of).

Engine controls.

Inside starboard locker – bilge pump. Note shredded cover material!

Fuel tank located beneath the poop deck inside locker.

Engine exhaust outlet elbow – note no dribbles!

Engine control lever, sited to port.

Gas locker.

This is the only view I was sent of the deck – being the poop. Some ‘green weed’ has grown … but is likely to be cosmetic. I am not able to say what the deck edges are like…

The engine is an older version one cylinder Yanmar. It looks as if it has suffered from ‘getting wet’. This is so easy to avoid by fitting an internal ‘lid’ over the engine as i have done on my own Finesse 24.

The journey now goes below where some damage due to water ingress will be seen around the forward end of the cabin top. This is probably due to corner beading to deck coming loose. Early lifting and resealing and refastening could have prevented this. She looks to be in generally good health apart from that problem though.

Electrical control panel.

Bilge in way of the centre plate case in main cabin.

Further bilge view… Water will be fresh! It hasn’t leaked out, but fresh isn’t good inside a wooden boat!

The starboard berth looking forward.

‘Galley’ arrangements – simple and probably suited to craft.

Looking into the fore cabin – it would appear that a berth could be made to port. Note loo to starboard.

The loo…

Note discolouration of forward face of coach roof side. Whether or not this is still a problem, only an inspection will say.

Well thought out forward storage. Chain locker is in here too.

Cabin side (inside). 

The boat is cutter built, but not rigged as such. She seems to have a single roller headsail set to her bowsprit. Spars are wooden. Condition – unknown.

Looking up the mast…

I am told that her hull/sail number is 41 – this fits with her build date of 1966.

Full details of the vessel and such are on the two web sites mentioned. From the pictures I have seen of her she is certainly worth looking at. Nothing seems bad, although the forward leak needs attending to, and the boat looks ‘sound’. The price of £2,500 is pitched for her to go, but I wouldn’t be surprised if an offer wasn’t accepted: it is costing to keep her there!

Go on…

And, during the late spring of 2019, someone did … the boat’s life, for the time being, has been secured.

As a distraction we jumped on a train last week and went to Barking … mad? No, we’d enjoyed a talk at the Essex Record Office History Group earlier this autumn and placed ‘a must do’ in the diary. The talk was about Eastbury Manor which is situated in the centre of Barking a little to the east of the church and abbey remains which are nearer the mainline station.

The visit certainly had a ‘nautical’ interest…

Eastbury Manor was built in the mid 1500’s after Henry VIII pulled down the abbey and confiscated all abbey lands. The land was broken up and sold off … Eastbury Manor became the centre of several farms with lands extending down to the Thames along Barking and Halfway Reaches. The manor enjoyed close access to a waterway which ran into Barking Creek (River Roding), this was Mayes Brook – it has been rerouted over the centuries, but comes out more or less in same place through a sluice. The waterway here to the east was a large shallow lagoon called the Rant. Its ‘basin’ is probably the same which filled during the infamous ‘Dagenham Breach’ in 1707. A pool still remains by the Ford Works here on the river’s shores.

Map of area – section from NT display.

Produce was shipped out via the waterway passing the manor close by. This was rerouted at some point during remodeling of the manors grounds, removing a convoluted loop. It is reputed that some of the infamous men involved with ‘The Guy Fawkes’ plot came here by water. One of the men’s sister was married to a ‘Lord’ who was apparently tipped off by someone still unknown and had the under-crofts of the Houses of Parliament inspected.. I was interested for it was up the creek we sailed in Whimbrel a few seasons ago when I was writing ‘Rochester to Richmond‘…

A straight on view of the manor house.

The house now sits in the midst of a ‘council’ estate and is completely hemmed in … this happened between the two world conflicts during the 1920s. The house was one of the earliest purchases by the organisation which ultimately became the National Trust. But, the house was let out for other purposes including use as a museum. The Trust has at long last realised that it isn’t only the large estates outside conurbations that need to be ‘visit friendly’. They’ve also done this with a house in Rainham.

One of the upper rooms.

The ‘painted room’ a rarity…

Much of the house isn’t furnished other than sparingly, yet, some of the rooms have survived as 1600s artifacts whilst others are as found and date from a refurbishment soon after 1900, when only part of the house was used as such. the building was largely a ‘barn’ for a long time! Also, it was once owned by the Whitbread family and used for compressed animal feeds used by shipping – for a period up to around 1800. The ‘beer’ family – I couldn’t find out.

There is a lot to see and take in. It is very much a worthwhile exercise…

Leaving the manor we headed back towards the town centre and the old dock area. An old tide mill building still stands at the inner end of the dock. Its driving wheel is lang gone. It was until recently a card factory, but is up for sale.

The mill building…

At this top end there are two runs of water from the river inland – there would have been a sluice… Between the two river runs is an island. The road along here has street lamps of some note. The tops are made of fretwork with different designs. There is NO information, but from what we could deduce they depict Barking through time. Around a viewing/seating area on the island are some railing too of interest. The back supports have the names of vessels in a fretwork design. One caught my eye: it is a barge name – the Magnet … probably a coaster of more recent times, but who knows!

P.S. The Magnet’s remains are just above Rochester M2/Rail bridges immediately downstream of a wharf on the ‘south’ side.

Note the lamp posts…

Vessel names in fret work supports…

Looking down the dock, which is currently largely clear of vessels (N.B. Google earth shows it to be full of ‘live-aboards’) except for a brace below a ‘waste’ wharf and a sunken something in the middle of the basin, and a number down the ‘town’ side.

The basin.

Across the road from a huge open space – Abbey Fields – abutting the basin are a mix of flats and offices. Our ‘boy’ worked here some years ago when with the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation! But what caught my eye was a ‘dinghy’ embalmed in a piece of ‘ice’ – the adjacent building is called The Ice House! Clearly this was a place for the importation of ice long ago…

What a waste of a dinghy, was my reaction…

An ice embalmed dinghy … and bench!

Time soon traveled on and at this late time of the year, dusk comes early. It hadn’t been much of a bright day in any case, so we began to wend our way homewards, looking at the church and abbey footings on the way.

St Margaret’s Church. It was closed unfortunately – we missed it by five minutes… Didn’t check web site!

Amazingly, the abbey’s footings have survived. The ‘ground’ would have been more or less the floor of the under-crofts.

On some plaques fixed to the abbey gate house, still standing, was a piece of interesting information – Captain Cook married his wife here in 1762. His wife, Elizabeth, was the daughter of the Bell Inn, Wapping owned by Samuel Batts and one of Cook’s benefactors. Cook had moved from the mercantile marine to the Royal Navy in 1755 at Wapping. Amazing how the ‘sea’ connections pop up!

Of the visit, we both thought the lack of information around the dock basin and mill area to be sad. So many places have such boards sited to give just that little bit of information which you can later chew over and investigate further if so desirous. And, for me, I thought the dock to be a much wasted asset, however, since the building of a relatively low level bridge over the creek a little below the docks sluices and gates, masted craft cannot access unless mast can be lowered … how often is this seen these days? Lots!

Now, if you’d like to go, the manor is on the National Trust list – so, enjoy…

‘My’ section from Streetmap.com of the area covered.

P.S. It wasn’t a day for sailing, never mind that the tides were early morning and late afternoon/evening, so I wasn’t missing out!