Ditch-crawler muses…

Ah yes, it all seems such a long time ago now … our summer started with an invite to do the post match report for the 50th of new series of Medway Bage Matches, on my part, and hand out cups on my mate’s part. That done we cruised for a week around the Medway and Swale…

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The staysail class bound down the Medway … back in May.

It being a ‘big’year for me: I reached the relatively young age of sixty we had organised to do something I’d long wanted to do – sail amongst the Western Isles of Scotland – mixing it with a tour of Mull, Skye and Northumbria. This took us away from the east coast for nearly three weeks … boy did I enjoy it too.

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The Eda Fransden, a fine vessel indeed. This voyage is to be subject of an article within the yachting press soon…

Getting back to Essex it was time to complete storing Whimbrel in readiness for our own pleasures. Departing from home during the last week of June, I waved goodbye to fair Hadleigh … the weather was sublime and we pottered around the Stangate areas for a few days before heading for Faversham to take part in the Nautical Festival – a fascinating experience. There we met a youngish couple who were about to take delivery of a Finesse 24, Seaden, a boat found down on the south coast.

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The spritsail barge Westmoreland sitting in her lighter outside the pretty little dock at Lower Halstow awaiting her reconstruction…

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The remains of the spritsail barge Emily on the mud flats in Stangate Creek. What’s interesting is her wooden mast case…

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Some of the vessels at the Faversham Nautical Festival.

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Three little ships that were in a berth by Whimbrel, crying out for some tender loving care and attention…

Leaving Faversham we sailed for the River Roach before sailing up the River Crouch to Fambridge where the mate ‘absconded’ departing for home – she had an appointment with the Daws Heath Village Fayre and a wedding dress display. And very good it was!

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A friendly seal pup in Yokesfleet Creek.

I had a day loitering in the river before being joined by a cousin and my youngest brother at Burnham – although Fambridge would have done just as well!

We had a bit of a ball, sailing up towards Rochford until the tide ran out … mooring, perhaps for the last time at Paglesham: the landing has been closed, and a good meal at the Plough & Sail – perhaps the pub should remove the ‘Sail’ bit from name! A new concern has taken over the old yard and banned all landings…

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An avocet…

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My Crouch & Roach crew…

My cousin was landed at Burnham for his homeward journey and my brother stayted for a sail up to Bradwell where we were met by the boat’s ‘proper’ mate, driving over by car. This was useful: the passage to a station was made simple!

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An exciting event took place while on the River Roach – the sea walls were broken down along part of the Wallasea Island project. The land had been inned since around 1200.

Following a couple of days together I ‘marooned’ the mate at Bradwell and sailed north to the Walton Backwaters where I was to pick up another family crew… Kid sister and a lovely couple. The chap’s a Welshman, a fine one too, even though he is part Czech! I owe this fine person a lot for one reason or another… Thanks mate!

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Upper rivers crew … with the Naze in background, bound for the Ore.

We made it safely to Snape, coming back down on the morning tide the next day… We also did Aldeborough, Harwich, Pin Mill and the Backwaters…

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Whimbrel up at Snape.

Then it was time for my good mate to rejoin … she was itching to ‘kick’ all interlopers off her boat and get a bit of the action herself. Taking family and friends is something of a tradition for the good ship Whimbrel. Over the years our parents have enjoyed jaunts as well, however, my mother, the last of them, has probably had her last sail aboard, sadly.

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‘Skippy’ got a load of washing done before his mate’s arrival back aboard…

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Other people do theirs too!

We sailed for the River Deben, a river we love, for a short while: after a week or two I feel ‘hemmed in’ and want to get out. The weather continued to be kind – in fact by general consent aboard our little ship, the summer has been brilliant for sailing … enjoying several nights under the woods at The Rocks.

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Sunset at the Rocks…

We sailed to the top of Martlesahm creek and up to Wilford Bridge. Spent a couple of nights in the heady town of Woodbridge enjoying a walk to Sutton Hoo. On the way I ‘stumbled’ upon the bottom of an old spritsail barge being broken out of the mud and cut up – for fire wood! She was the KC which has been sitting covered in Deben gloop at Melton for several decades.

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We can go no further… Wilford Bridge above Melton.

Skipping, sadly, a proper spell in the Walton Backwaters, we headed south for the River Blackwater. We pottered for a few days before going up to maldon for a comfortable berth at ‘Taylors’ the old sail loft berths above the Hythe. This is a place we love to sail into even though it is a place often visited from home by car – it’s different, more interesting, natural even…

Departing after a fine meal at a nice restaurant up the high street we dropped down to lawling Creek – it was time to tickle the boat’s bottom. She was in need of a scrub…

During two previous marina visits I had sanded and varnished the shear strakes both sides … the rudder and transom got the treat ment on the beach at Mundon Stone too. A rally of Finesse yachts was looming … the old girl needed to look her best!

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The mate hard at it… ‘You’ve missed a bit…’ I called!

Leaving the upper Blackwater we had a pootle around the Mersea Quarters, sailing up to the Strood early on the tide, turning close enough to almost make out faces. I had a potter around the creeks off Woodrolfe, poking around an old barge and looking at the various craft within their saltings moorings.

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The Thames barge Memory’s hull has collapsed during past year… It has taken around twenty-five years. Was she abandoned too early, probably!

Leaving the West Mersea areas we pottered across to Bradwell to join a fleet of Finesse craft for a rally. This year we enjoyed the spectacle of ten craft, the company of arounf fifty people made up of crews, family and visitors. See previous blog.

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One of the fleet, Pippit, with her crew aboard shortly after arrival.

Time was by then moving on and thoughts of a home ground passage were close upon us. However, for the first time this summer we couldn’t ‘move’ where we wanted to. So to make a change from Bradwell we sailed over to Tollesbury while the wind howled. This was the first dose of wind that last more than say, overnight. It was long over due, perhaps!

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The old coal store up on the strand in Tollesbury … her future is dire. One day it’ll all come tumbling down.

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The barge-yacht Angela & Peter at Tollesbury awaits her rigging.

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An abandoned skiff – probably a smack’s boat.

Eventually we broke free of the Blackwater and sailed for the lovely Colne. A night was spent up under the trees above Alresford Creek then a final night in Brightlingsea before sailing for the East Swale.

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A fine Colne morning…

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Departing south…

It is something that has happened a couple of time over the last few seasons but when it does it always fills us both with a level of elation … departing from the north and taking the fresh flood right on into Faversham. It wasn’t a planned visit, but we did have rather a fien meal at the Anchor… We’d purchased some mince to make a dish of spag bol but when I fetched it out of our cool cupboard, it was off … it was from the butcher in Brightlingsea. Thanks a bunch you shower! Supermarket mince will keep three days safely aboard in the cool, just like a larder. It was clearly suspect when purchased. The shop will NEVER be used again.

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Sailing into Faversahm Creek…

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A lot of ground clearing and removal of old boats has been taking place at the Iron wharf. This old girl might live on, who knows…

We stopped off at Iron Wharf – the new manager, just leaving: a ‘real’ manager has just arrived. Toby Lester and his barge Ironsides came up as we left. He has taken up the post. His last was at Fambridge Yacht Station… The family live aboard.

Then after a stop-over in Stangate we headed for home … for me it had been two months and three days.

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Back in home waters.

We didn’t do everything or visit many of our favourite places but waht we did do we enjoyed wholeheartedly. Some places hadn’t been visited for some time. When this happens they often have a freshness, but it is the gradual changes witnessed that I enjoy. The change is generally slow but sometimes rapid indeed. We have a unique coast. It is ‘soft’ unlike Scottish rock, so change is a constant. I notice lost saltings, new bits of grass sprouting from new shallows and waterfronts that lose a building and gain something new – it’s always happened since man populated the area, and it will continue.

For Whimbrel’s crew, it has been one of the best of summers …

 

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