On the last day of my radio therapy for prostate cancer, I enjoyed a fabulous sail…
See: https://www.facebook.com/nick.ardley/videos/pcb.1089499444593655/1089457137931219/?type=3&theater
It was just the tonic needed!
See earlier posts:
Ditch-crawler moves smoothly into second half of radio therapy…
Yes, I have reached half way, well, I have gone over the line now by a couple of days!
It feels good, I feel good and most of all, Christobel is so, so, pleased. Bless her cotton socks (or should I say, many coloured legs, which she favours! But, bless her, she is feeling as tired as I am, and those that continue to offer support, I am most grateful indeed.
A few days ago I cleaned out the forward bilge on Whimbrel and then the gas stowage. After coats of primer, stripe coating and a final overall coating, both are much more presentable.
Forward bilge…
Another important area: with a drain line (and valve) it gets wet when sailing hard!
I had to obtain more paint – red, as you can see – but found that the red bilge has been ‘done away’ with by the more common paint manufacturers. This means that at some time in the near future Christobel and I will have to come ashore for a period and hard clean, scrape, sand, and re-coat in something different. Grey most likely. Why do ‘they’ do this?
My thoughts run along doing areas ‘clear’ of the bilge proper in stages, afloat…
Hey ho!
Yesterday, with tide times not conflicting with the all important hospital run, I got away for a sail. My good ship mate didn’t come: independent therapy is good for both, but afterwards Christobel said she’d rather have come along: it was glorious!
Sailing back into Smallgains Creek. The Genoa was dropped nearer to mooring and boat sailed in under mainsail. Lovely.
The mainsail had its first airing under sail since being serviced by Wilkinson Sails.
But this is more about radio therapy: I feel an ‘old hand’ now … I have ‘got over’ the lateness of being called in sometimes … for this means that another has needed more time to be treated. One soon realises that ‘your’ condition isn’t the most severe!
The problem with being called late is that it was ‘drummed’ into us men at a pre-treatment briefing that we had to arrive READY to go. That is, with a full bladder. So, added time is like trying to squeeze another half pint in before actually going – but you can’t! It is bleeding well stressful…
The empathy of the staff though exceeds all expectations (whatever they are) and a smiling face asks if all is okay, are you alright (No, I’m in pain actually…) and if you need to ‘go’ leak a little and drink a little more… I have had to do that twice!
Ah, but when you are called. Bliss. You move into a ‘waiting zone’ and as the previous patient comes out you go in. The greetings from a duo or sometimes a trio of smiling caring faces causes an immediate relaxation sensation coursing through ones inner self: once on the ‘slab’ it would only be 10 minutes before the relief would come!
I admire the band of (mostly) happy ladies at Southend, they’re a Godsend, from whatever religion they adhere to, and I bless them all, ‘cos they raise my spirits…
Enjoying a pint down at The Billet, in Old Leigh at the end of a week of treatments … cheers!
Link to previous blogs…
I have learnt that Snowgoose has not yet been sold yet. There was interest from a chap who contacted for advice, but he decided against.
She’s a nice looking boat. She’s out of the water … her owner lives in Guernsey and is listed with the Finesse Group but with no contact details.
Snowgoose was built in 1973 and will be have a Mahogany hull with either Rock Elm or oak ribs.
Price has been dropped: she is stacking up charges!
I do know that there was a leak along the cabin side. This is from the bottom edge batten most likely. I know that a friend’s Finesse 24 had a similar problem. The owner lifted the battens on both sides. It was necessary for some repairs to deck edges before deck was recovered with glass and cloth in way and battens resealed and screwed down.
If that is her only problem, she looks to be a worthwhile boat to get hold of and an offer would probably seal a deal…
I can supply email address of yard manager/broker, but it is on the web site.
The yard/marina manager has been very helpful in providing me with feedback!
See: https://lancashire.boatshed.com/finesse_24-boat-252521.html?utm_source=newsnow.co.uk
Our maintenance of Whimbrel has continued whilst I have been ‘popping off’ to Southend Hospital for daily sessions of radiation for my prostate cancer treatment. I finished getting the bad areas around the cabin sides and rubbing band coated a sufficient number of times then on Good Friday afternoon (after doing a Walk of Witness in Hadleigh) we hard sanded the cabin sides and Christobel washed down several times … we were ready to varnish.
Sanding the cabin sides…
A few days earlier we had enjoyed a couple of ‘on the tide’ sails which makes foregoing on sailing on days such as we’ve enjoyed for nearly a week over Easter ‘acceptable’ for one has to, like marriage have some give and take!
They were lovely sails in gentle breezes and sunshine. Sailing out of our creek I spotted a grebe and out across the Leigh Flats a seal popped up behind us and swam along in our wake … I was just too late with the camera. Hey ho. The Brent geese are still very much in residence and won’t be gone until end of May or even early June, but although it is mid April now, I haven’t spotted any terns yet. I expect the next time Whimbrel has the chance to venture forth, they’ll be on ‘their’ favoured perches around the creek’s entrance and atop mooring buoys…
Sailing along the Chalkwell shore towards Old Leigh.
Sailing into the creek … note, old mains’l and new jib set.
The wind being kindly entering our creek on the last of our two trips, we sailed onto the mooring dropping main, just off, and sailed on under jib. I then removed the old mainsail which has been in use since the ‘new’ sails went back for guarantee servicing at and bent on the serviced ‘new’ one. It has still to be stretched in anger though!
Old mainsail spread out for folding and bagging.
Cabin sides washed ready for a white spirit wipe for varnishing…
On the Saturday of the Easter weekend after ‘slaving’ down at our yacht club rebuilding a finger jetty mooring, we motored over to Maldon for lunch and a walk round. I found a fellow Finesse 24 in ‘Cardy’s’ Yard ready for the water – her sides resplendent in new paint, having been stripped back by her owner during the winter. Everywhere one looked, owners were working away round hull sides, under bottoms or around thew decks! Over in The Downs Road yard the new Thames sailing barge Blue Mermaid was in the floating dry dock – a final scrub up and paint before setting off on her sea trials…
The Blue Mermaid in dry dock, rigged and ready to go…
Spring came early in my parts and it’s strange to see the fluffy seed heads of dandelions in such great numbers – even ‘bald’ ones! My good ship mate is certain that my head is much like a dandelion seed head – full of fluff. She loves me really! But although spring has been relatively mild with long dry spells here, around the yards and especially in my own club, plenty of owners have left outfitting late. I’ve always wondered why … work and family commitment pressures, or, just lacking in that ‘let us get on with it…’ spirit.
Dandelions are well ahead of the season…
Now a boating friend who owns a Finesse 24 came out of the water for a wash and brush up with the full expectation of getting back in after three weeks. Well, it hasn’t gone to plan: he found some spongy deck up forward … now he’s thinking of having the fore, side and poop decks stripped off and renewed. I’m sure I’ll have more on this (with the owner’s permission) in good time. While the owner mulls over this for a short while, he has carried out a little research into where to get longer rigging u-bolts from. I tried some while ago and failed to get responses from places.
The standard units available at the diameter fitted to a Finesse 24 aren’t available with a long enough bolt beneath the deck plate. I measured up when I was looking … a firm has come back and said, ‘No problem …’ The cost is about twice that of a standard 8 mm x 100 mm bolt beneath plate unit from a chandlers. My reasoning – I wanted to fit the u-bolts onto hard wood deck pads, thus alleviating problems of ‘crush’ of the plywood decks. I even made up a set of pads for one side and roughed out another, before laying the work aside. So thanks mate…
Even after 35 years of ownership, things can be done to improve the boat!
My sketch of u-bolts needed…
And of course, charts need to be checked, updated or renewed. I knew Whimbrel’s two sets of East coast charts had been superseded by freshly printed updates, so the ‘Kent’ set has been purchased and updated with the few changes that have taken place and the Essex/Suffolk set are on order.
Chart corrections…
Now, here is a plug:
As the various chandlers have closed down in the south of Essex, I have used ‘Barry’s’ at Dauntless Boat Yard for bibs and bobs over a number of years. May ere away, however, I’ve always found that have ‘that’ bit that no one else does. They will order from a catalogue or from wherever Barry gets ‘his’ stuff. I wanted the Suffolk chart, it wasn’t in stock. ‘No worries’ the lad said, adding, ‘when do you want it?’ Telling him I wasn’t in a hurry. He said, ‘One to two weeks and I’ll give you a call…’ Grand!
The beauty too is that the packs are a good £7 less than the Imray price … plus the delivery charge that would have been stuck on.
So, before you order on line, check out with the friendly team at Dauntless Yacht Centre…
See: http://www.dauntlessyachtcentre.co.uk/
I have the corrections ready…
And at the end of this week, tomorrow, I’ll be half way through my external beam radio therapy . Yippee!
Good ‘spring cleaning’, launches and first sails everyone.
Prostate Cancer update four…
I began my radiotherapy sessions on Wednesday just gone. I have been a little worried about this due to the ‘dire’ warnings, but I did get through the ‘bracky’ without a hitch, so … but the why and wherefores do not always meet with sense and sensibility…
The day before this, I managed to get out for my first sail since my brachytherapy operation. It was quiet, peaceful and good for the soul. Wind was light, but did increase to get the boat going along at three knots or so … Whimbrel’s mate was with me – nice.
Running out of the creek…
The first was a bit ‘traumatic’, well fraught really. I was a little late being called forward and then on the scan which takes place first, it was found I had some wind (!) and had to ‘get rid of it’ before proceeding. I did this and waited and waited, my bladder filled three hours earlier beginning to want to burst. (Bladder has to be full or nearly so for treatment – forces ones ‘bits’ into ‘right’ place…
The machine…
I was then told I was after the next person … I went to the loo (sorry folks, but being ‘hospitalised’ destroys inhibitions!) and then began guzzling lots of water to fill the bladder – always a delay and only a percentage goes straight in. The normal filling time can be up to 1 1/2 hours. Come on you men, down the pub, it takes a couple of pints of beer before the urge begins…
Then the machine broke down … radiologists and their patient in tow hot-footed to another treatment room.
Finally I went in for my session too … the radiologists positioned my midriff, pulling and pushing the ‘mass’ into position to get the laser positioning right. Then one seems to stay as the unit rotates 360 degrees taking a scan. The scan is looked at. The ‘slab’ jiggles as motors fine adjust so that treatment programme is accurately directed. Then the ‘radio head’ rotates around one revolution bombarding my bits with a radioactive beam. (I joked to the ladies in our local library – nice place and caring people – about my bits glowing … I had them in fits. Christobel was aghast!).
I talked the radiographer into taking this picture on my camera … also told her about those men who had listened to my tale and responded. She said well done to all…
Before beginning my ‘sessions’ I had got hold of a length of 8 mm diameter mild steel rod to make up a punch for ‘tapping’ down the centre plate on Whimbrel, after a ‘stone’ has got caught between plate and ballast keel … this has happened a couple of times in the last decade. Once around the Walton Backwaters after going onto Stone Point for a scrub. Titchmarsh Marina’s yard let me borrow a rod to fix the problem. The other happened after a ‘scrape’ over a shingle bank in the Crouch by Bridgemarsh Creek when my sister and two friends were aboard for a week’s pottering – it was my fault! On the latter occasion, the plate didn’t free easily, but eventually went as we tacked up stream…
I vowed to get a proper punch of good length. The top of the plate can be felt by the rod through the lift wire slot – after removing a covering wood top piece.
So, over the first period of my radiotherapy, I got on with putting a punch together!
The bits at the start … wood and metal!
Rod with rough shaped wood hold…
Close up of wooden end.
Rod after first coat of anti-rust paint and handle with varnish…
I have now completed the first ‘week’ – only three, but it is a start. Only twenty more to go. I’m assured that a level of ‘unwellness and tiredness’ will creep up towards the middle of the treatment, but I’m beginning not to worry about it too much.
We plan at present to get away for a couple of nights over on the River Medway over the early May Bank Holiday. I know it’ll do me good… The boat will have a dirty bottom and the varnish work will not be completed – so what!
My first impression of the radiographers I have been in contact with is a ‘caring, protective and positive’ manner. It inspires confidence and I have even begun to ‘joke’ with them – not that they understand my comments about lining up the port, starboard and midships marks…
Hey, what the hell…
Previous blogs…
For some while now I have been stripping back areas of varnish that have succumbed to damp. Some were ‘attacked’ back in the warm days enjoyed in February – a dodgy exercise – which I got away with. All other areas have now been sanded back and a gradual build up of coatings applied. More are needed before Christobel and I sand the whole of the cabin sides ready for its biannual varnishing. One of my ideas was to get the ‘heavy’ stuff done before I went into hospital and head into my radio treatment … fortunately the weather has been kind and that desire has been largely achieved.
Chaffing bar to rubbing band.
Back in January I fitted chaffing bars to the rubbing band in way of the aft fairleads. I’d done this to the forward pair many years ago, but after ‘falling over’ a length of bronze which once protected the stem of some old boat, I had the material to repeat the exercise – only taken thirty odd years! They do stop moorings from cutting into the wood though…
The ‘regular’ work began with a window which needed to come off for resealing.. The varnish does tend to degrade around the window edge as well and when one is off I tend to sand back the coatings and reapply. I have a temporary cover for the windows when panel is off. At that time I’d gone round and stripped back degraded varnish and sanded with a coarse grade, leaving open to air until ready to progress further…
Completed window resealing and varnish work. It looks patchy, but does fade in time. It’s varnished wood! note the beading breakdown…
Most of the areas of breakdown seem to happen around the beading along the bottom edge of the cabin sides, sometimes the same area year after year! The boat does have areas which have an oilier piece of iroko – beads mainly. One senses the advent of a complete strip off approaching. Another
Finesse at my club has been out for the winter. The owner has competed quite a lot of repair work and has also stripped off the cabin sides back to bare wood – the initial coats glowed with that deep iroko colour… Aboard Whimbrel, we’ve had that discussion – paint and varnish stripping … when, sometime in the future. The chap is up to six coats as I write!
Two areas of varnish stripped back and coating build up in progress…
This last weekend one of my Finesse neighbours was lifted from the water for the annual wash and brush up. The owner said to me, ‘I’m doing the three forward keel bolts…’ adding, ‘got a man coming in from J-Star Marine.’ There has been a run of information about keel bolts on a Finesse facebook site, perhaps this was a memory jogger! I have two more that I’ve never had out on Whimbrel, so it is for me too…
When I strip back these little areas I always mark up on the deck or cabin top, adjacent, the numbers of coats applied. A few are no good. eight to ten I always consider a minimum.
Finesse 24 Gypsy being lifted out at the Island YC, Canvey Island. (Picture: Alexander Ardley)
The boat’s owner has set himself a completion date some four weeks hence.
All around our club’s yard work is frantically taking place. Some have got along with things gradually, whilst, looking around, many have left to last minute: lift in season is upon them! It’ll be the same up and down the rivers and coasts. Sadly though, as has happened in recent years, some craft will continue to sit it out, awaiting the call of the sea from an owner.
One job has awaited our combined attentions. I have wanted to move the jib boom topping lift mast point down below our radar reflector. Our old one, a round edged Firdell Blipper wasn’t a problem, but a replacement Echomax causes the topping lift to catch … so, with a new fitting, the snagging problem is to be removed…
I first had to go up above the radar reflector to get the pulley block off the original mast fitting – I don’t like heights any more… ‘We’ forgot to get a picture of me up there – I wore the bosun’s chair for the operation, but decided that the harness would have been better afterwards.
Ladder ready for final part of job.
Christobel getting sorted… Note the bosun’s chair…
Jib boom topping lift on its new mast fitting … no more snagging of lines aloft!
My mate, incidentally, is so looking forward to our boat’s ‘rest’ on the club slipway to do the antifouling in a month or so too – it is creeping up. In thew mean time I will be undergoing twenty-three sessions of radiotherapy, which come to an end a little before this planned event. Will I be fit. Don’t know at present … bu there are windows down the line before ‘serious’ sailing begins.
Christobel carrying out one of her favoured activities in 2017…
The first three weeks of March were exceedingly windy and there was no opportunity to get afloat for any sailing, however, on the Monday before my appointment with my oncology experts the wind dropped and I headed down to the creek a little after 0700 … by just before 0800, I was sailing out of the creek!
Sailing seawards after turning off the Dauntless Boat Yard by Benfleet Creek Barrier.
My good mate Christobel did not come along … she stayed and got on with the housework! I hasten to add that later I did finish the job by doing the vacuuming!
Clearing my creek I beat up to Benfleet doing long and short boards. It was a bit of a grey morning, but the sun did peek through to glisten across the waterway as I turned for home.
The following day, with good conditions Christobel wanted to come along too … packing the makings of a bacon roll breakfast and some prepared fruit, we set off merrily. I say ‘merrily’ with a little caution: I was beginning to feel a little edgy about going into hospital. yes, I know one is in safe hands (hopefully!), but I’d read all the ‘dire’ warnings about the brachytherapy procedure being filled with foreboding and trepidation so many times last year, that, quite frankly, I’ve not delved back into the info since…
Ah yes, a tasty bacon roll was handed to me…
We had time to have our breakfast before departing and the bacon was soon sizzling under the grill – a bit of a treat! Meanwhile the boat was readied for sea.
Christobel hadn’t been ‘up west’ towards Benfleet for a little while so Whimbrel began a beat west, again! We did ‘cheat’ a bit passing down the narrower waterway between ‘The Benfleet’s’ bank-side and creek fore/aft moorings, but what the blazes… Nipping forward to look back up the creek soon after our turn (leaving Christobel in charge), I took a quick picture!
Looking aft…
The boat knows what to do, so it kept on going … good job for the mate was otherwise engaged. I have to say, in her defense, I’d given no instruction, even though she was aware … but we know our boats wiles. I have been ‘told off’ for this in the past … but as I say, with her long keel…
Ah yes, a relaxed mate!
It was a grand sail together, I vowed to myself that I would be afloat again in a week … Christobel even offered on the Sunday just gone, but I considered it a little early – I must be growing up!
It was a tranquil sail, less wind than the previous day and much more in the way of sunshine. Along the shoreline there is a definite ‘greening’ of the saltings: spring seems very much in evidence. But my time was running out, and I enjoyed a last coffee while re-coating a couple of areas of varnish work to build up coats before heading ashore, together…
A welcome coffee…
On the Wednesday, I was driven to hospital by Christobel … she was able to stay with me until the moment I was ‘taken down’ and was there minutes after my arrival on a ward some 5 hours later…
Ah yes, a post-op cup of tea…
Things are gathering pace and I’ve attended a ‘seminar’ on the next stage. Next appointment looms with the radiologists to do a dry run and get set up – I have to be marked with three tattooed dots which will be used as reference points for the machine…
I’m just pleased that the first stage has gone well, actually second, for the hormones are the grounding stage. I seem to have come through in a far better condition and frame of mind than I’d ever have thought possible – my sincere thanks to the oncology team at Southend University Hospital. xx
External beam radiation treatment is next … but more on this ‘third’ stage in good time.
Earlier blog link…
Ditch-crawler’s snake has been ‘tamed’, but now for the real stuff…
To see earlier posts:
Ditch-crawler asks of his male fellow sailors ‘…have you been tested yet?’ Prostate cancer up-date…
I learnt last week about another chap who’d read my story and eventually summoned the courage to go to his GP surgery and ask for a prostate test (PSA). He did have a serious problem and, like me, is undergoing treatment. The chap is currently going through some weeks of radio therapy – what his actual ‘condition’ was, I do not know.
What it does show is that, like me, this problem can sliver up and bite you and unknowingly do its dreadful deed.
Be warned. Get tested…
Next week I go into hospital for brachytherapy treatment – essentially I will be injected with iridium (dust), which should neuter the beast. I will however, due to localised spread, have to undergo some weeks of radio therapy afterwards too…
During this month I have been hoping to get out for a sail: March is likely to run away as I recover. The weather has been somewhat stormy, wind wise, for two weeks now and looking ahead, I’d almost given up on a sail … however, over the coming weekend the winds affecting the whole of the British Isles abate, leaving the new week calm and balmy by comparison. Christobel has been tipped off! I mentioned some thoughts of popping off for the night … it didn’t go down very well. The term ‘Stupid Boy’ rang in my ears.
Hey ho!
My creek viewed as I walked away from Whimbrel after an afternoon sail during February…
For information and action, hopefully:
My dear sister has taken it upon herself to do a longish charity walk at the end of June and she is doing this in the name of research into prostate cancer.
It would be grand if any of you out there could sponsor her: it is a little advertised problem, yet is a bigger killer than breast cancer…
One of her sponsors has sent her a message to say that they have booked a prostate test – well done, who ever you are.
Last Sunday, having missed our week’s longer walk for essential reasons, we drove over to Maldon to do what we had planned – Town to Heybridge Basin and back along the navigation – only five miles. On our way back over the Fullbridge the heavens above opened and we battled wind and hail storm back to the car. Any further wandering along the waterfront was called off and we drove home.
Over the past few months, well, since the end of summer really, we have been doing seven to nearly nine mile circuits (at times) around the ridge of humpy/lumpy hills leading into the Dengie Peninsular – it has been fascinating with many beautiful spots found. At times both the Crouch and Blackwater waterways have been in view at the same time. I think the important part of it too has been being able to commune with nature together enjoying the ‘great-outdoors’ for we both know, there will be a lull in my ability to do this. But I will try!
Looking over a windswept Heybridge Creek (River Blackwater) under a moody sky…
As with walking, sailing (being afloat) is where I commune with the world in general and barring my ability to get out for a few hours before Tuesday next week, when I’m due to have my brachytherapy operation, my thoughts as I go ‘down’ will be with all that I love ‘out there’ – boy do I have some wonderful memories to swirl around my mind…
Swirls of knot, dunlin and more besides will serenade me, I’m sure…
And, of course, the love of family, the wider family and friends helps immensely – and I want to give special thanks to my dear wife Christobel, ‘the mate’, and our boy who has been a ‘brick’…
Cor, blimey, it has been a windy old week in the eastern quarter, and elsewhere, I believe too … so with a bit of time on our hands we hightailed to Maldon to complete a few jobs: Christobel has been on the look out for some new cushion inserts. Everywhere one looks, there are cushions galore with ‘expensive’ covers available. The pillows themselves … hmmmmmmmmmm, even on line!
The upshot – she’s going for bust, heading for a new look for our conservatory!
Anyway, whilst she was at it, I paid a visit to The Sea-change Sailing Trust at the Downs Road Boat Yard – to deliver a letter. Well, I wanted to view the Blue Mermaid too, obviously…
The Blue Mermaid at Downs Road Boatyard.
I found Jim Dines, the yard’s proprietor, and sought permission to visit barge … but first, into the office to drop off a letter. Jim had said he doubted whether ‘the boss’ would be in – that’s Richard Titchener – but he was in, going through a list of jobs with one of their newest recruits, a young lady doing heritage training with the trust.
I said I’d had permission to go aboard, however, Richard ‘nabbed’ me to assist in carrying some blocks aboard. Bless him!
The pictures will tell the story: she is coming on quickly now…
The fore deck on the Blue Mermaid…
Richard and the trainee discussing blocks and which would be used for what … I left whilst Richard gave instructions about servicing them…
The foot of main mast.
Looking aft to mizzen which has only recently been rigged. Some ropes still to run … I wanted to get a line round the sail!
The deck’s are clear, but the hold hatches are piled with gear, most of which has been donated.
Having wandered the decks, I went below and looked into the forward and aft cabins. These are well into their fitting out phase.
Looking aft along the swept hold – in use as a workshop!
Through watertight door into fore cabin.
I peaked into the port side cabin – single berth.
The washroom (heads…)
And to starboard is a four berth cabin…
Then aft-wards…
Aft cabin, port side berth…
Companionway and watertight door port forward side.
Starboard aft berth under construction…
Richard said to me that he plans to have the mast down in a few weeks to rig her with the sails … Jim and his team are working hard to complete, working out where various bits need to go: there is NEVER agreement amongst bargemen as to the exact location of cleats for example!
On the way ashore I chatted to Jim … and he proudly showed me a new winch under construction. Although made of plate steel, finely made sections have been laser cut to be welded around cut outs which will mimic a cast steel unit. Clever!
Winch and bilge pumps in workshop…
I loved the fabricated bilge pumps too.
So often when one comes across an old barge, the pump shafts are found standing to attention, bereft of the surrounding ‘barge’ … problem is they’re never serviceable due to internal wastage.
Thanking Jim, I hightailed back to the town centre: Christobel was probably waiting … and yes, there she was ensconced in The Black Cat Coffee Shop, just finishing a cup…
The Sea-change Sailing Trust is a worthwhile maritime organisation to support: they work with all ages.
See: http://www.seachangesailingtrust.org.uk/
They are: Making a real impact on the lives of disabled, disadvantaged and socially excluded young people
Once up and running, the trust will not have to spend huge amounts of money on chartering of other barges, albeit, that has given life to these…
The owner of Tarantella told me of his decision to sell his Finesse 24 which he purchased as a project some time ago – see below.
The vessel has now been placed on Appoloduck at a very reasonable price – she just needs finishing.
If you decide to buy, do get in touch with the Finesse Group, you’ll be welcome.
It is a little after mid-February and in our neighbours garden a flowering cherry is coated in budding green leaves. All around, daffodils are breaking open in glorious yellow sun bursts, whilst the snowdrops continue to delight. Down my creek the level of activity among the many laid up craft has risen markedly: the weather after two bouts of snow has been glorious. Bottoms are being painted, sides are being buffed up … spring is coming, surely.
My mate has been ‘under the weather’ with a virus, so our walking has been curtailed. This has ‘allowed’ me to crack on with a job or two aboard Whimbrel. I removed a window last week and re-sealed it inside and out. Whilst off, the woodwork has been sanded and varnished – six coats now, so ready to refit the window!
Cabin sides under piece of plastic sheeting whilst varnishing…
Leaving my good wife asleep on Tuesday morning, I beetled to the creek and got a last coat on area which will be under the window frame and the surrounds … just every now and then the varnish breaks down around the cabin window frames, necessitating removal, rubbing down and varnishing. I like to get up to six coats before replacing window. I’ve had this Heath-Robinson temporary cover for years – about time I made a better one!
The tide was on its way in, so I then got ready for a sail! The tide soon lifted the boat as I stood minding a mug of coffee – all ready ‘we’ were away. I set the mainsail and spun the boat in the creek, running out. Brent geese were dabbling along the mud edges in large numbers, virtually oblivious of my presence.
Passing dabbling Brent on way out…
It was a glorious morning. Sublime with a warming sun, although the breeze a 3 to 4 WSW was keen enough to make me keep my gloves on!
Cl;earing the creek, I set the jib while the boat headed up Hadleigh Ray with the bit between her teeth. Long and short tacking ensued as we began to eat up the distance.
A flock of waders lifting off from Bird Island.
Ah, the birds…
Approaching the gnarled stumps of the Salvation Army Wharf, I saw a row of guillemots with craned necks clearing fish into the digestive tracts. As I closed they all lifted bar one. This waited until I was close by, loosing off a shower of pooh which splattered into the creek like bullets. Away, beyond, the deep greenness of the sea wall sides spoke of fresh grass growth – the warmth of the past week or so has activated so much.
Under carriage up…
I settled to a steady ‘to and fro’ whilst sipping another coffee. Upon the sea wall I saw a host of walkers and dogs. Passing the log seat which someone placed conveniently for walkers to sit at about half distance between Leigh and Benfleet, I saw two people, a couple perhaps: they were a man and a woman, resting, whilst a dog capered.
A flight of curlews were seen. Some avocet too, with their calls coming across the water from the edge of a patch of mud, close under the saltings, feeding before the tide covered it completely. Earlier, passing the Two Tree Island bird hides, I’d felt a pair of binoculars or telephoto lens following me. I’d picked up my camera and focused in … yes, I was being watched, but surely it was Whimbrel … apparently they have been around this winter!
On a long fetch…
On a long fetch towards Benfleet YC with Dauntless beyond.
Closing The Benfleet’s pontoon to talk to a friend…
Running back down Benfleet Creek towards Hadleigh Ray the following day…
But back to ‘the story’ – before I even got back into what is commonly known as Hadleigh Ray – the bottom end of Benfleet Creek – I could wafts of waders weaving in sinuous waves. I really believe they can tell when the tide is approaching its turn … and the soon uncovering of their rich feeding grounds. It is exceedingly hard to get good pictures of the spectacle put on display for us mere humans with a ‘ordinary’ camera and I suspect a rapid action type would be more suited to my desires!
A poor shot of a weaving flock…
On the way up the creek the sky had seemed to contain an abnormal number of vapour trails high up, beyond the eye’s usual boundary and with the position of the sun over the island of Canvey, it looked spectacular.
Vapour trails crisscrossed the sky above…
One of the things that has become so much more noticeable over the past few years is the sheer magnitude of rubbish seen either in the water or along tide lines. For a period following the ‘clean up’ campaigns of the later decades of the last century rubbish diminished hugely. What’s changed Peoples ways? New generations that know nothing of what it was like 40-50 years ago?
There needs to be a sea-change attitudes again or otherwise we’ll be back to square one. One would think after programmes such as ‘Blu Planet’ people would endeavour to reduce (plastic) pollution to zero … I sailed past numerous ‘dead’ baloons and other items that looked like discarded plastic sacks, never mind the hundreds of plastic bottles. It made me somewhat sad, angry even…
And that boat, moored in Hadleigh Ray continues to fly black plastic bags from a string. Shame on the owner.
A bundle of deceased balloons along the Two Tree Island saltings…
Anyway, I had a fabulous late winter’s sail … and after re-fitting the window I had removed the next day, I repeated the exercise!
The window … the ‘gaffer’ tape pulled some of the varnish coating off of the cabin top beading…
I’ve been pottering round the boat breaking open areas of varnish that has got moisture beneath too … not a huge amount – beading on the whole. Some though I’d only stripped off last year and a long strip runs down the port side of cabin sides – see below window. Hey Ho!
Spring is just round the corner…
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…
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;
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.
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/
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://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.