A little earlier than planned and it was the mate who said. “Let’s go today…” before the bacon had had a chance to begin sizzling under the grill…
So, that was that, we up anchored from our overnight berth in Stangate a little after low water and high tailed it out of the Thames’s largest tributary and set forth, I have to admit, motor sailing up Sea Reach. Upon crossing to the northern side, more or less where the PLA advise small craft to do so we set off for Mucking, diving in, under main sail, before setting the jib on a turn and broad reaching out past the Essex Wild Life Trust hide on the edge of their new Mucking ‘Marsh’ bird and wild life reserve.
We then sailed up to Gravesend, giving the engine a rest, apart from the last little bit … to a mooring of the Gravesend sailing Club. A passing boat called out, “… you’ll be alright there … boats away…” A wave of thanks, and they gone, carried away with the tide.
The water front along by the Gravesend Sailing Club and entrance to the locked marina basin.
Now what a place this turned out t be … friendly and most helpful. A chap made me a cup of tea (he even opened the bar … but I declined!) and I chatted to two members while the mate went off hunting for some stores. We filled our water cans and got rid of some rubbish … I was even shown around their yard where lurking under a cover sits a Finesse 21.
The Finesse 21, Josh, was threatened with the ‘big chop’ a couple of years ago, but a new owner has shown some interest, I was told, so maybe…
During the afternoon several spritsail barges came by. The Adieu sailed, resplendent in her perfect suit of canvass, then the mighty Lady Daphne motored by in a dying breeze – both clearly making for Southend where a barge match is due to take place. We’d seen a barge beating up the outer end of Sea Reach earlier. Finally the mightier Hydrogen came down river, dropping her torps’l before crossing the tide to run in alongside the ‘new’ hammer head off the town.
Adieu with her perfect setting suit of sails passing the Worlds End Pub…
Wind Power – Hydrogen with a back drop of some ‘wind mills’ …
The tinkling bells as the town’s old parish church rang out at 6 p.m. reminded me that things needed to be ‘stirred up’ in preparation for supper: the mate had obtained two luscious pork chops … Mmm lovely!
Evening coming on…