Now, if you had said to me eighteen months ago: ‘You’re going to sail to a new home soon…’ I’d have laughed outright. The mate would agree for she too, with reservations, was enjoying the camaraderie of the part of the Island Yacht Club we inhabited.
Note the pontoon fenders, at bow, amidships and on outer end/corner.
I had a cabin side cover made to protect from nigh on all day sun!
Weekend work party was a time to meet people and enjoy dong a myriad of maintenance and repair works.
I have wondered since how close that camaraderie actually was for the support we actually got with our prevails with the mean and bullying club hierarchy was pretty scant – no one really wanted to know. A mind set of keep heads down or I’ll be next attitude always prevails. However, that is all history now…
I wrote a post about reflecting on a ‘year of change’ on the last day of 2023.
The post lays out the facts behind our decision to break with a place we had loved. A place I wrote about, revered in words which will persist until the world crashes. It was sad, but necessary.
But, for me the sadness was almost fleeting as I busied myself into sorting out our new mooring and making it safe to come into a fixed fender protected pontoon.
We have now enjoyed a little over a year in our new home.
The yard has been very helpful. Yes, any services have to be paid for, but that was the case at the club. They are though a little more expensive. The mooring more so, but, as our son said, ‘you can’t take it (the money) with you dad…’ Indeed not!
The manager, Beccs, made us up a new floor board to replace one that got a stress fracture after Christobel crashed down onto it – a story to tell! I only asked if there was a piece of scrap offcut in the yard … there wasn’t a charge!
Crack in old can be seen…
As always, I remain proactive though and if a fault is seen, I report it: staff do not always see things, and if deficiencies aren’t reported one cannot complain about them not being fixed!
At the end of February the propeller key failed as I was leaving the berth to go out. It wasn’t until clear that I fully realised as the pop rattled and knocked beneath the transom as the boat picked up speed under sail. With ideal conditions to turn back, I did, berthing under sail. Whimbrel required to be lifted out. This was achieved the day after the event. The problem was resolved the same day with a new key made by a local engineering concern – used by the yard.
See:
We were out for exactly two weeks, however the charges were for a lift, wash and return at a weekend rate…
We both felt it was far to early to antifoul, but it held up well. During the summer, while sitting in Lower Halstow Dock in early August, I went over for the side for a look. It was not as bad as expected, but it needed to be scrubbed off. I set to and got to most of it apart from the middle body to port against the wall.
We finished the job on the Ray Sands on way back down from London couple weeks later!
Coming back from an overnight sail on my own in May exemplified the friendliness of the mooring holders around us. I was early by probably ten to fifteen minutes and slid to a halt short of the berth. Going ahead, the long keel prevented boat from turning.
One of the chaps ashore called for me to toss a line … two of them then pulled as I went ahead and the bow came nicely round. They didn’t need to do that, but did, for a few minutes more the tide would have allowed…
We have often gone over to the boat and enjoyed a rural walk before completing jobs on a Saturday, also, we have gone sailing when the conditions down in Sea Reach of the Thames would have kept us ashore. The wind is not really felt until well out in the river beyond Stansgate Point, when in the northeasterly to southeasterly quarter.
With the boat moored into the face of the prevailing winds, leaving is easy and returning under sail is cool, calm and collected!
There are little differences, the Brent geese arrive a little later than down on the Thames, but they seep our way as the food sources get gobbled up and their shear numbers force a natural spreading. The terns ‘disappear’ at the same time as elsewhere, but waders, in general, are present throughout the seasons. I always look forward to the winter breeds which eventually smother the mud flats. Overwintering duck like the widgeon with their whistling call can be seen close up as they feed along the mud edges close by the boat.
Throughout the year we have a seal colony in the entrance to Lawling Creek and our regular anchorage spot when overnighting for whatever reason is almost in casting distance.
So, on reflection, it has all been rather refreshing. There are some regrets, there always are, but we have suffered from absolutely no stresses. I have gradually ‘washed’ off the hurt. Perhaps one day I shall write about it, but maybe not…
Oh, I mustn’t forget, cake. Yes, for we used to provide the work party regularly. Now, after our around six-weekly stints doing coffee morning at our church, a plate of spare cake goes to the yard. Boy do they appreciate it!
And on that note, before leaving the Thames, Medway and Swale at the end of August (2024), a cake, specially made by Christobel, was given to the helpful staff at Queenborough Harbour Trust.
Apparently, no one else has presented them with homemade cake since we left the area…
