My Mate, Christobel, has had a bad week ‘man’ flue has caused some distress and she’d been looking forward to getting out for an autumn sail up Benfleet Creek to appreciate the colours and bird-life. ‘Off you go…’ she said. So what was I to do…

It started off somewhat misty with grey cloud above. The breeze was a sweet south-westerly though. Sails were set as soon as the boat was clear of my mooring, hoisting as she forged ahead up the creek. Spinning her I ran with the breeze of the flood. Across the flats beyond the moorings dozens of Brent dabbled and poked amongst the cord grass edges. ‘Which way…’ I murmured. ‘Benfleet,’ I thought.

Scooting across the shallows rather than run out further than was needed I then headed round the deep water channel. On the approach to Two Tree Island hard I began to tack and it was a case of back and forth all the way from then on.

I passed two boats flying plastic bags strung around their stays – I do wish… From another boat with a dinghy tethered astern I saw an arm pop above an awning in salute. Passing Bird Island it was thick with Brent and a myriad of other waders. Some lifted off, most weren’t bothered apart from much ‘barking’ and twittering. This island will soon have its first sprouts of grass: water was in amongst it on Marks Marsh island and a good 20cm of mud was showing. The PLA ‘denies’ this island’s presence other than it being a mud bank!

‘Gosh’ I thought as the kettle hummed at me from below, ‘the sun’s coming out…’ It had too, ragged blue openings were widening above. On the hills the castle was lit up. In the distance trees and shrubs had a heightening of colour in their autumn dresses. I grin, happy, but sorry my Mate wasn’t here beside me to enjoy it.

Approaching what is commonly called the cross-over round a mud bulge, which, incidentally, has a shallow swatch running close by the saltings edge on the north shore – close by a white BYC dinghy racing buoy. A motor boat, seen earlier waiting on a mooring off Smallgains, was seen coming up astern. I luffed up for her and was expecting her owner to come round me, but instead he used the swatchway, raising a hand as he went. I returned his salute. As I approached his wake, two little grebes popped up from amongst the wash. Both shook themselves and for more than a moment, for they’re hard to catch ‘afloat’, they sat motionless before diving… I’d left my camera at home – silly boy! So, I’ve no pictures.

Once in amongst the BYC’s moorings I started the engine: there are too many boats ‘cluttering’ the navigable waters still. A stiffer breeze and use of the jib makes this sort of thing more tenable – I’m not quite the absolute purest!

Passing the Benfleet slipway where a boat was being manoeuvred onto its trolley – trouble was being experienced and a second go was in progress. Several of the ‘old’ boys up on the slip waved and hollered at me – one I seemed to recognise without grabbing the ‘bins’ so i just waved lots.  I turned at the Dauntless pontoons and began the run and reach back over the still flooding tide. On the club pontoon was a Leigh boat and owner I knew – we had a brief chat as we passed by. The boat, a striking red Snapdragon 29, has just returned from a week away over on the Medway and Swale, I assumed. We had a few moment chat, and I was past.

Now that the sun was beating down from a sky nearly full of blue and with more time, I was really able to study the autumnal dresses ashore. The hills were green, in places,golden to copper in others with patches of russet too. These hills are always quite spectacular from the distance from the water – the sea wall too when walked. Along the bottom edges of the sea wall above the saltings line patches of common orache with their trowel shaped leaves were showing up as deep rust red. Beautiful. I love this shoreline through all the seasons, it has everything…

The Hadleigh/Benfleet hills – as seen early autumn 2015.

I didn’t see a seal that has been coming up into Smallgains as I approached, but ‘he’s’ been around, I’m told. Sails soon had to be stowed and ‘we’ puttered into our creek and Whimbrel was soon tucked up again…

Aboard another Finesse 24 on a neighbouring mooring, her owner was busy about the deck doing jobs. Good man he is: he announced that he has been working on preparatory planning for a finesse Rally next year in Brightlingsea. ‘Yippee…’ I shouted!