A little earlier than planned and it was the mate who said. “Let’s go today…” before the bacon had had a chance to begin sizzling under the grill…

So, that was that, we up anchored from our overnight berth in Stangate a little after low water and high tailed it out of the Thames’s largest tributary and set forth, I have to admit, motor sailing up Sea Reach. Upon crossing to the northern side, more or less where the PLA advise small craft to do so we set off for Mucking, diving in, under main sail, before setting the jib on a turn and broad reaching out past the Essex Wild Life Trust hide on the edge of their new Mucking ‘Marsh’ bird and wild life reserve.

We then sailed up to Gravesend, giving the engine a rest, apart from the last little bit … to a mooring of the Gravesend sailing Club. A passing boat called out, “… you’ll be alright there … boats away…” A wave of thanks, and they gone, carried away with the tide.

The water front along by the Gravesend Sailing Club and entrance to the locked marina basin.

Now what a place this turned out t be … friendly and most helpful. A chap made me a cup of tea (he even opened the bar … but I declined!) and I chatted to two members while the mate went off hunting for some stores. We filled our water cans and got rid of some rubbish … I was even shown around their yard where lurking under a cover sits a Finesse 21.

The Finesse 21, Josh, was threatened with the ‘big chop’ a couple of years ago, but a new owner has shown some interest, I was told, so maybe…

During the afternoon several spritsail barges came by. The Adieu sailed, resplendent in her perfect suit of canvass, then the mighty Lady Daphne motored by in a dying breeze – both clearly making for Southend where a barge match is due to take place. We’d seen a barge beating up the outer end of Sea Reach earlier. Finally the mightier Hydrogen came down river, dropping her torps’l before crossing the tide to run in alongside the ‘new’ hammer head off the town.

Adieu with her perfect setting suit of sails passing the Worlds End Pub…

Wind Power – Hydrogen with a back drop of some ‘wind mills’ …

The tinkling bells as the town’s old parish church rang out at 6 p.m. reminded me that things needed to be ‘stirred up’ in preparation for supper: the mate had obtained two luscious pork chops … Mmm lovely!

Evening coming on…

Well, yes, we did in a way: we berthed well before breakfast, at least the time we’ve become accustomed to having the first repast of the day… The mate called the marina at the top of the creek as we chugged up, fortunately catching an early bird. I’d spied a berth by then: there’s nearly always a berth or two on ‘A’ pontoon right in the approach.

No kingfishers were seen on this occasion … but there were plenty of waders. Seemingly dozens of those graceful little egrets. In amongst one bunch were several skulking giants – herons – which squawked indignantly as they lifted off…

Creeping into Conyer in the morning…

During the morning, after first varnishing both of Whimbrel’s hatches, I had a bumble around the marina’s boat park, as one does… I left the mate doing some chores – washing a few things and cleaning through… During my meanderings I found a Finesse 24 propped up and covered over: she’s an old friend and I take a look at her every summer … she’s been out of the water a couple of seasons by my reckoning.

The Quo Vadis on the Conyer hard standing…

During the afternoon period I took a bit of time out, leaving my mate with a book and wandered down to the entrance to the creek, looking at the three historic remains of spritsail barges on the way. The path passes through the grounds of the old brick workings – years ago I remember some buildings here and the furnace chimney was still standing – all long gone now  our boy used to run around the site.

On the way back I poked into the car parking area of the Blagden moorings wanting to get a little closer to an old barge mast that has been erected as a flag pole … did it come from the creek’s last barge the Gold Belt, I wondered… Close by in use as an edge barrier for a car park is the larger part of a keelson – from the Persevere, I thought…

Barge main mast in use as a flag pole…

A spritsail barge’s keelson…

Then I spied an unusual chunk of timber … you’d need to know ‘boats’ to recognise it for what it clearly was. It is a chunk of stern frame … it is standing on its aft face and the face that took the planks as they swept out from the flat bottom can be seen… It’ll serve its current master for many more years for sure.

A stern knee…

The second part of our summer cruising has got underway… After a quiet crossing from Smallgains Creek we had an equally quiet evening in the delightful and historic port of Queenborough, enjoying our supper at the town’s yacht club.

On the hammerhead, going ashore, we were met by Max, one of the harbour trust’s staff, and enjoyed a few minutes conversation – a friendly and helpful chap, as is Phil his compatriot. max knows we always have our dinghy in tow … he was ‘late’ on duty: the harbour had been strangely quiet he told us … out on the trots were a growing collection f visitors, few with dinghies, so a fair bt of trade had built up!

The next day, after a leisurely breakfast we set sail sailing off the buoy for a pleasant passage round the Swale with plans to take the flood up to Faversham’s Iron bridge Boat Yard. Boy it was a grand sail round, with a bare few minutes wait at the bridge … sailing through on a broad reach, wind on our starboard quarter,  (engine on tick-over) while another yacht, who failed to acknowledge our presence, steamed past us as if we weren’t there at the moment of entry between the piers – a charming chappy -we later passed him hard aground in the middle passage!

Round the Swale a little before low water…

The mate takes a well earned rest…

The Ship provided supper, at our expense of course!

Sunday dawned grey, but the sun was soon shinning and we set off early to walk round to the moorings at Oare Creek. There we met the owners of Josie, a Finesse 24 we know, enjoying a good chin wag and a cuppa. Leaving, we bumped into another Finesse owner, a F21 this time – with a promise to do a run to Conyer in September…

Next we walked inland for a wander around the Oare Gunpowder works and wildlife park. This was fascinating with a good visitors centre that clearly explained what went on around the site for around 120 years.

On the way back into Faversham we passed by the Purifier Building. This is the old gas works gas cleaning shed…

The Purifier Building.

The Mayhi under restoration by the trust…

The building is now used by the Faversham Creek Trust and upstairs on a new floor built in a boat builder, Alan Thorne, is hard at work  he was today too and he let us I for a look around. Two of Alan’s creations were on display; a little pram dinghy, of around 2m; and a split dinghy which nested together, designed by, I believe, Graham Byrnes. looked just the thing for all those yachting folk out there who would love a ‘hard’ dinghy, but do not want to tow…

While there Alan was at work on something I recognised … he was glassing up a dagger board for a Prout Ranger – a pair of which a local Oare owner wanted as light weight alternatives for the standard marine aluminium ones for his craft… proof indeed that a good boat builder can do anything, within reason, if asked…

The little pram dinghy…

The dinghy nest…

The Trust is already at work on an old wooden centre board sloop which is being renovated and rebuilt. The ultimate aim is for the basin beside the Purifier Building, down to the Pent Bridge, to be dredged and bring in traditional vessels. The company on the opposite bank are supporting this plan and are willing to ‘give up’ the waterfront to allow for the trusts activities…

When we leave, it’ll be with our usual sadness: we love visiting this gem of a place…

The other day at Queenborough, upon our arrival from the Blackwater, I found that the much vaunted new pontoon was still not in place … however the first section has arrived with the other two pieces awaiting a tow from Dover.

Once these are positioned, the harbour office will be placed upon the deck. With this, I was told by Max, one of the harbour team, there is to be an ablution block… It will contain all the reqirements for keeping ones body clean! I was led to believe that the cost of an alongside berth will be in the region of £24 … boat sizes wasn’t stated, but the mooring charges depend upon length. Whether or not boaters on the mooring trots will be able to use these facilities, was not made clear…

What is clearly apparent is that the harbour trust do seem to be putting in a lot of effort to upgrade the facilities available…

The Queenborough YC now has a finger attached to their old hammer head, which is for members’ use only…

Gate token are still needed…

On the above note … we had a meal at the Flying Dutchman … our first for a few seasons … it’ll be our last for a few more now: the quality was poor and we were too tired and **** off to complain – typically English of us! I’ve been told that the carvery is ‘good’ but we didn’t go for that, instad had ‘fresh’ fish – well it was fresh once… Although the place has recently changed hands, the decor and general feel leaves a lot to be desired – it was noisy and there were small fry (I know we’ve all had them) running amok amongst the tables screaming and shouting… The beer was okay though!

We should have gone to Nic’s nice eatery just past the QP, where we have always enjoyed good food … “A pity!” my mate said.

Further, upon walking up into the town for stores for a couple of nights around Stangate, we found that the Queen Phillipa has been having a lot of work done to it. The place has been transformed into a very tasty B&B. I was shown round the rooms … Mmmmmmmmmm!

Downstairs, apart from a modern kitchen, was a gorgeous breakfast room for patrons. Outside, one of the buildings is to be converted into easy access rooms for the less able (…like Me!). Talking to the two owners, both local to the area, they are thinking of opening the facility to evening meals at a later stage… I have suggested that they contact people like the Medway & Swale Boating Association, Elite Sailing etc… The harbour trust too: they’ve not done that yet…

Next door a Cafe is being fitted out. This will be run by the owner of another joint a short distance away. I’m told food has a good reputation. It will be open in the evenings too… This facility will not be ready until December.

Developments like these need to move down the old high street … as Max agreed with me, “…down the south coast, this place would be a honey pot…”

Ah yes, a couple of days ago we took advantage of tide times and a reasonable wind direction to head back down to ‘home’ waters. The boat has been away for six weeks cruising around North Essex and the Suffolk rivers – time for a change.

Beautiful as those northern rivers are they all, apart from the Backwaters, lack something fundamental … saltings. A little they do have, but nothing as vast as those around the Lower Medway and around the Swale.

I was once told to “go north … to see bird life…” Boy, the Medway basin is by far the best place to see our feathered friends… Only the Mersea Quarters can out do anywhere for their numerous variety of gulls, but this morning I awoke to a cacophony of sound as a myriad of waders, gulls and geese set to in their morning chorus.

The evening before I’d watched a long line of avocet and russet fronted godwits feeding along the tide edge. Hundreds of geese sieved the mud flats below the line of barge remains on that side of the creek. Egrets strutted about, oblivious to all around and in amongst them oyster catchers and a few gulls fed too…

Grand. I hadn’t seen so many in one spot for weeks.

Birds along the shoreline…

This morning, whilst the mate cleared away our late breakfast things, I sailed gently into the saltings to find a succulent patch of glasswort (samphire) to go with the mate’s lunch: she loves the stuff. Nosing the dinghy into a patch of weed covered clay alongside a deep rill that has carved itself through what was once good sheep grazing land around 90 years ago, I stepped out into a world ht really belongs to no other than the birds… As I gently snipped enough stems with a pair of kitchen scissors to make a presentable bunch, my senses were attacked by the heady aromas that abounded, rich saline scents in the main…

Away over the saltings something had disturbed an oystercatcher, not to be out done, another rose, screaming. It wasn’t more than a trice and a huge flock of birds had begun gyrating around the sky … nothing obvious. A fox maybe? They live out here: food is in abundance!  I slipped back into the dinghy and sailed quietly away, watched from its perch by a resting bird, completely nonplussed by my fairly close, but non threatening presence…

Ah, it was great…

Getting back aboard I watched the departure of a large yacht which had come into the anchorage late the previous evening. I think she was from Portugal: that country’s flag seemed to be on the spreader hoist … her ensign, a large red X on white had an emblem in the upper white…

I hope they enjoyed it too…

A Stangate departure…

Wandering around the yard surrounding the Tide Mill Yacht Harbour I stumbled upon a little treasure. Behind a tent I discerned the friendly thwack of a mallet on a good sized chisel. Rounding a corner I found a chap hard at work…

After a short chat: I had no wish to stop the work flow I was able to take a look inside the vessel, gazing down into her belly past deck beams and shelves. The cabin top, a substantial affair, was still in place. One coaming was in need of some piecing out … the structure forward deck beam was about to be removed too … easier to do now than in a year or two’s time for sure.

Looking into what is the fore cabin area…

The cabin top structure remains as was…

A shipwright had part caulked the hull to allow the owner to get on with painting out the inside of the hull aft, “…after I finish the horn timber…” he told me as he bent to show me the gnarled old one sitting in a pile of ‘dead’ wood.

Stern view of the yacht’s hull … caulking cotton can be seen in the seams…

The mast sat on trestles ready for further coats of an oil based varnish, a job between other work…

The boat, apparently, is a little over 100 years old. It was built by a Folkstone timber merchant during a lull in wood sales as a speculative job utilising the skills of a couple of local shipwrights. Yacht builders did this, but I’ve never heard of a wood merchant branching out in a like fashion! The yacht is modelled on a smack, but as can be seen her bow has that Edwardian look… She looked right.

The hull from forward…

I departed with a comment about hoping to see them on  the water sometime…

The entrance to the Deben, as stated in East Coast Pilot navigation news, has had an additional buoy added. This is a round mooring buoy with a red bucket ‘lashed’ to its upper body – it is relatively small but very effective. Speaking to an owner who moors in the river, he said its been needed for some time: the gap between the two Knoll buoys is significant. See ECP navigation news for comment.

Transiting the river soon after it had been positioned a day or so after entering, I took a couple of pictures – here they are.

This shows the new buoy, marked with an ‘A’ in line with the West Knolls – several craft have been on a patch of shingle immediately to its south… This was viewed from a position rounding the Mid Knoll…

Passing the new ‘A’ buoy with West Knolls in view…

Don’t let the bar be a bar … go in with usual care and enjoy this lovely little river.

A season or so back I visited and wrote about the work being carried out at Harwich’s old Town Station goods yard. At the time the project were engaged in converting a building into a useable space creating work experience and training programmes in sundry trades in the process.: many of these are directly transferable into the marine boating industry. Things have moved on somewhat since.

The mate and I dropped into Halfpenny Pier earlier this week during the fine weather then being experienced. In strong winds this is not a place to loiter! Walking round towards the project centre I quickly spotted the signs of ‘shipyard activity’ for the new ship’s stern post stood erect, angled to her keel and held in place by a temporary support whilst the stern knee is readied for fitting. A visit was called for…

Keel and stern post in place…

I was met by Sean Day, a project team member. Sean then spent a not insignificant mount of his precious time in talking about where they were now, what was happening with the vessel and about the numbers of people who have been trained or retrained in various allied skills, that is apart from those actually needed to achieve the main aim: train new shipwrights in the skills required for major wooden ship construction. They have been helped in this by taking on board a shipwright who was closely involved with the Pioneer Project – the rebuild of the Skillinger Smack based at Brightlingsea.

Looking across the yard to the wood stack.

First I went across the old goods yard to take a look at the vessel. Sean said that there wasn’t much to see… On the way I talked to Sean about my own life aboard the May Flower, spritsail barge. And of my thirty years as a marine engineer officer … so although there’s only a keel, some deadwood and a stern post, the ship was rising up before my minds eye, stout and beautiful.

Next we visited the cutting/shaping shed where a ‘chunk’ of the new ship’s structure was in preparation. The project attended the Tendring Show recently and won a prize for traditional crafting – they took a chunk of ship along and adzed it into shape…

This was followed by a visit to a section set up to bring locals into the project. Currently this is based around a series of community art projects to create murals about Harwich, the ship and what she achieved. It was all very interesting with some exciting designs were on display and currently being worked upon.

Mural depicting the original journey…

Then things moved more n my direction – ship structure – the lofting floor! The original building when taken over was an open windowless shell. Project training renewed windows, put in a floor, screen walls and outfitting. The upstairs now has two rooms for projects and a large lofting floor. Upon that floor parts of the ship were drawn out; frames, knees and stem parts. This was exciting stuff…

Half model of hull.

The lofting floor – stem can be seen to RHS.

At this point the mate re-joined me: she had beetled off to do something whilst I… Well yes. It had taken an hour and we found her sitting quietly on a bench by the main office!

The ship has been designed to UK Maritime & Coast Authority statutes and will be fully compliant. The design has been drawn up by a leading British yacht designer, fully conversant with the rules and specialists in large yacht design: essentially this project is small in comparison to many craft now being built.

If you don’t know of this amazing project then look it up, go and visit. Two Americans walked in as we were finishing … the One Show are visiting at some point soon too. Even Essex County Council are beginning to show a little interest, mainly because both Plymouth City Council and Southampton have. The latter made a publicised visit recently…

An interesting blog can be viewed, written by James, one of the team. this is www.theshipsblog.co.uk

The replica ship centre out in the United States of America can be visited too … easier to visit their web site:

http://www.plimoth.org/what-see-do/visitor-center

The 1957 ship has recently won a major monetary award to allow a major rebuild programme to bring her up to scratch, this can be viewed at http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20140714/News/140718140

Harwich project web site: http://www.harwichmayflower.com/joomla/

Whether or not it is complacency with one’s surroundings or just a little bit of bad luck, nothing can excuse the person in charge for going aground: it is the skipper’s fault…

Here I have to take full responsibility for a little happening that overtook us upon tacking back down from Manningtree today: I sit, perched up upon high. I sailed the boat onto the edge of the sand/shingle patch, much loved by Mistley’s resident swans, opposite the quay.

Realising my touch of madness and getting no response from the power of Whimbrel’s prop, I stripped of my life jacket and jumped over, barely up to my knees on the ‘up-side’ and tried in vain to get her off … the mate joined me, bless her: it wasn’t her fault!

During our efforts to sail/motor/heave off a lady kept shouting out across the water to us … I waved calling that we were alright … I was scrubbing the by then canted starboard bottom when I realised that he Harwich inshore lifeboat was hovering close to us … a chap jumped out and came over. The Coastguard then appeared, well we heard their sirens screaming along the road first … after much assurances from us that we or the boat wasn’t in any danger, not sinking, damaged or anything else the authorities departed … they’d been called by a lady in one of the flats amongst the waterside conversions. Bless her!

The view from Whimbrel’s cockpit…

The number of times I have sailed this way always noting in my mind the ‘hidden menace’ as we have gone up stream are many, it just goes to show. The importance of vigilance and concentration are two lessons long ago learnt that need heeding at all times… I’m mortified!

The tide in the morning, high water at 0400, is a little higher than this afternoon’s. We went on around 40 minutes after, so are fairly confident in getting off! Anchor has been laid, long scope, hard off the bow … now we wait…

Postscript…

I awoke around 0200 with the first slap of the tide as it tickled Whimbrel’s clinker planks … outside the moon shone mistily through a haze over Mistley’s quayside buildings. On ‘our’ patch of sand a group of swans were deep in slumber with a number of geese honking amongst them. I looked for a while at the incoming tide watching its speed of advance over the rippled sand… The mate appeared, pulling on her coat, whilst nonchalantly looking overboard, bravado I think: I was a little apprehensive … we exchanged our good mornings!

I went below and put a kettle on … coffee was needed. I’d slept for  good four hours … the mate had fidgeted, bless …but the beverage was needed. Coffee came and went. The tide, crept relentlessly upwards. Our patch of sand and shingle diminishing rapidly, it seemed. The boat murmured, then began to ift the first sigh of relief left my body…

At 0240 the boat stirred, tensioned the anchor cable and waited … it went slack. The engine was started. The mate took my place forward (her choice) while I put the control ahead, “she’s coming…” the mate called from the bow. Indeed, we slipped into a metre of water.

later pottering down past Mistley boat yard the mate called up Thames CG to report that we were free of our prison sentence … the CG officer commiserated … and said, “At least you’re out sailing…” he keeps a boat on the Crouch. Around 0330 we dropped anchor off Stutton Ness in the company of the TSBT barge Pudge and I set the riding lamp. After a mate’s special coffee we retired again … triumphant, but still very chastened!

Even though we hadn’t called them out, we were thankful for the interest and kindness shown by the RNLI and CG – what a good job they do…

Final on this: Popping into Titchmarsh (from a mooring outside), a very kind chap who runs the ‘metal bashing shop’ lent me a length of 1/2″ steel rod to rech the top of my centre plate … it is free again and Whimbrel can get a good grip, like me…

Last week I was bumbling around the Deben with a crew other than my mate … visiting Robertson’s, because it is a traditional yard catering for traditional vessels, I was able to look round two Finesse yachts sitting awaiting new owners.

These are, firstly, the Finesse 27 Tugela, sail number 101, built it is thought in 1977 after an owner of a F24 wanted to sail something a little bigger. She has that unmistakeable ’24’ look, elongated. Her hull is not as full as the 28 footer drawn up for Alan Platt by Maurice Griffiths, which to my mind follows the ethos of his own boats…

Talking to the yard manager I was told that the boat has had some maintenance carried out by the current owner. More is required, but the boat is said to be essentially ready for the rest of the season. She is currently afloat in a tidal mud berth awaiting that new owner and a family…

Tugela

The other vessel is a Finesse 24, Mackerel Sky. I was not able to look her over above decks for she is covered over well for protection. Her hull and bottom shows that she is ready for the water – as always a new owner will find plenty to do…

Mackerel Sky

My motto with my own ownership of 30 plus years of a F24 is: use well and keep on top of cosmetic needs, repairing as and when needed to stop water ingress damage … a touch up saves much time later… it’s a boat that should be used: pretty they are, they are, however, not museum pieces.

Sitting quietly with a cup of tea writing this in Foxe’s Marina, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I’ve just completed a few varnish touch ups using the end of a finger after a light sanding and white spirit wipe, and a freshly plugged deck fastening and epoxied top has been rubbed back flush to deck and undercoated … another day a dab of deck…

The tea in the pot was still hot…

Contact Robertson’s Boat Yard, Woodbridge for details…

http://www.robertsons-boatyard.co.uk/