It comes but once a year … Christmas. Some hate it, others love it, but it should be celebrated for all the right reasons.
For nearly 15 years one of the chaps who attends our local church has given ‘us’ the top cut from a tree felled in his ‘tree field’: he used to grow trees for sale, but has stopped, but still has the trees! This year the church’s tree came from an alternative source. Bah humbug. What was I going to do…
Ah, yes, my saviour came. The chap knocked on the door some days ago bearing a Christmas gift. He presented us with a 6′ of tree for the boat. He’s not a ‘sailor’ but has enjoyed the thought of a tree going afloat – of course I have related the tradition to him. The chap has often seen the boat sailing past or away to the east of Two Tree Island below the Hadleigh and Leigh hills. The off-cut has been fed standing in a bucket of water for a week…
Tree safely up Whimbrel’s mast…
Yesterday the opportunity came for a sail. The tree was soon hoisted into its traditional ‘ship’ position aloft.
There was a gentle breeze wafting from the outer Sea Reach zone, not enough to tack against the tide, so, against the grain, I puttered east for 20 minutes under power before shutting the wee beast down.
Whimbrel wishing all and sundry a Happy Christmas…
The wind was light and passing a race buoy used by the Essex YC the boat’s wake left barely a ripple. It was ‘misty’ with a hint of light drizzle at times and at others little patches of blue opened above. In its own way it was enchanting. The Kent hills disappeared too and passing ships became fuzzy…
‘Quiet today…’ it sighed!
On a reach in towards the Chalkwell shore a seal popped up several times to say ‘hello’. It dived a few times coming up successively closer until it became bored and continued hunting for its lunch.
Seal!
Sailing along the shore I passed by a little boat often seen. But, more on this later… Approaching the Essex Yacht Club’s club ship I got a text from a friend who said, ‘We’re watching you … keep warm.’ I was toasty! However, I spotted the vessel’s red duster at half mast.
A member is remembered in time honoured tradition…
Passing the Essex YC, I dipped, as ‘they dipped to bottom in response. Calling up to one, a Mr Chapman, and asking if a member had passed onto the Elysian sea, I was told, ‘Yes … chap was a 100 and still a member…’
Bless him and let’s all hope his seas are now always blue with pleasant breezes too…
Before long I was passing the waterfront public houses along the Leigh shore, filled with happy lunch-time revealers. Time to head away into the tranquil mistiness towards the Ray channel again, and thence homewards.
Paddle boarder…
On the way a paddle border gently drew across the bow with loads of clearance and we both waved – two nutters out on the water, surely! Then, out of the mist, two apparitions appeared, from eastwards, motoring hard with the last of the flood. ‘Blimey’ I said, ‘It’s my mate Dick … and his mooring neighbour…’ And surely it was. Dick has been ‘flitting’ about in his centrally heated cat for a week or so around the coast…
Out of the mist…
As I approached the creek again, the mainsail was stowed and I slowly made way inwards. Ducks, Brent, waders and others were nosing the saltings and hard edges which seemed to ‘float’ on the oily looking surface. I was mesmerised, for a little while: for fenders and such needed my attention (The Mate was at home enjoying a coffee and natter with a friend…), so I was alone…
The flooded saltings off my own mooring. There is a ‘something’ about the saltings when flooded to this height and the mistiness added to the picture…
Sailing into my creek I had time on my hands to look at a few of the vessels passed by. Boy, are they in a mess. I wondered what visitors must think as they also sail in. The condition of some craft up and down the coast is something club officials and mooring managers must concern themselves with from time to time.
The boats had the same look as the one passed earlier…
‘Abandoned’ off Chalkwell?
The above boat has a broken fore stay and the boom has gone ‘walk-a-bout’ and the mast is held aloft only due to a pair of forward angled stays… She is begrimed and clearly unloved.
Three ‘abandoned’ craft in Smallgains Creek…
The three craft I passed by, which ‘hit’ visitors entering my creek have sat and sat and sat. The motor boat doesn’t even have an engine any more… Decks are coated in a slime of green algae, their topsides too. I feel embarrassed by the sight, but, sadly it’s a sight so often seen…
So, with my good wishes to all as Christmas approaches and 2016 draws to a close, my fervent wish is that these poor unloved vessels will yet again feel the caress of a swab or broom. The touch of a human hand patting them as they again give fun as a loved one frolics across the estuary’s chop…
Santa, PLEASE … PLEASE … PLEASE…