My last post, where I talked about the numbers of local yachting folk ignoring the requirement to return to main residence after a day (or a period) on the water, exercising, caused some ‘anger’ to surface out there.
My use of ‘gets angry’ in particular, seemed to be a problem, but I did say quite clearly that I didn’t think staying out at anchor would cause anyone or myself a problem. I simply asked sailors to be mindful of what we are supposed to do – nothing wrong with that, surely?
Caravan owners are having to comply to same rule, those that don’t have been stopped on various roads and sent home … well documented in the news.
But there was a problem. One sailor after commenting on the Medway swale boating Association site also sent me a pretty damning email, to which I did not rise to. I calmly sent my thanks for comments. I have since seen the content of that email on a public site…
It was quite noticeable that the obedient majority, stayed largely eerily silent. Frustrated is the word I should have homed in on …
I am sorry if I upset anyone: respect of each others views is important – my view was vilified, but I will let it rest.
As an aside, I have refrained from comment on my facebook page on more times than I can remember to avoid unnecessary ‘clashes’ during the past few months … perhaps I should have ignored what has been going on!
To better things…
Last weekend marked my 65th birthday – a milestone, or just another one of life’s landmarks. I don’t feel any older, and certainly, according to my dear wife, don’t act it…
At the beginning of the year we planned to be taking my ‘Canadian’ brother, who was coming over for a visit, away with us sailing with a stop-over in Conyer to enjoy the hospitality of The Ship Inn. My brother’s flight has been turned into a ticket for later use … and we didn’t go, obviously.
So, with a weekend of fine weather, we did four hours of planking renewals on our club moorings on the Saturday and on Sunday dropped down to Whimbrel at 0545 to get ready to go as soon as afloat.
As we left the creek, the early morning sun sparkled on a slightly ruffled surface, the day’s warmth was then already making itself felt.
Sails were pulling nicely and the engine was silenced within a few minutes. passing east of the Leigh Middle Buoy a huge ship was seen approaching from the sea. We had been tipped off about about this by our ‘shipping’ son.
Boy was she big! She is in fact the largest vessel currently on the high seas.
We seemed so close, yet were ell clear for the guard boat took little notice of us.
It was n’t long before breakfast appeared – a tasty bacon filled bap. Soon after the West Nore sand swept by to port as we left the deep water and picked up speed over the shallows towards the Grain Flats.
It was just great. The feeling of seeing my (and Christobel’s) beloved river coming into view beyond the old fort and business of Garrison Point. The good mate kept looking at me a smiling broadly, she could see and tell, I was in my happiness place!
Ah, the river looked and felt delightful. I was ‘home’ … it is a place of many and long memories. One of my earliest was ‘helping’ to row with sweeps the spritsail barge May Flower across to the mud edge near Blackstakes … tumbling memories cascade before me, as I write.
In the distance we saw numerous sails of the Lower Halstow YC Red Sands Tower race coming down Stangate Creek on the first of the flood. Well done all for the turn out. You were a splendid sight.
Passing Stangate Creek, I looked the other way … before taking quick peek. A veritable forest! Good luck to them all, I thought.
How far would we get. Gillingham Reach would have been nice… We’d cut by close under Sharp Ness and were making well towards the Bulwark wreck buoys. Here the wind suddenly went fickle and way was virtually lost.
We turned. We’d made it thus far, pointless flogging the ebb for little gain. The sky was filled with summery puff ball clouds, blotting the sun, briefly, from time to time. Oh it was just wonderful. It was easy pleasant sailing. We’ve had tastes, getting out on the tide, but a longer trip is different.
Going out of the harbour we had a chat to an ‘old boy’ who knew my parents in ‘May Flower’ days. It was a few years ago now he made himself known, however, we’ve still to meet either at Queenborough or at the Medway YC. He railed against not being ‘allowed to saty out and said, bluntly, he wasn’t prepared to do so.
We briefly discussed the approaching 4th of July review: caravan friends have reported to me that this is the date the Caravan Club expects a ‘release’… This will of course include yacht folk.
We had a good look at the first of two mighty deep sea drilling rigs which arrived some time earlier this spring. The next is due soon. Both are ‘out of work’ and will be resting while demand for new petroleum reserves is low!
See: http://msba.org.uk/?p=5749
I commented to my mate about the Grain Edge Buoy: Peel Portds have instigated a review into whether this boy should be updated with an easterly cardinal – my choice (lit) – or retained as a grenn conical.
See: http://msba.org.uk/?p=5801#comment-204020
For decades I have sailed close to it and rarely round it – usually when tacking northward. I hope it is replaced and positioned just east of the 2 metre tongue a little north of current buoy.
It was wonderful sailing, fast, but not furious. The gaunt and guano streaked rusted masts of the Richard Montgomery rushed up, we headed to the north. Once clear we turned ‘west’ towards the Nore. Chrsitobel took over here for a longish spell…
She said afterwards, ‘I loved that bit … Whimbrel did too … you could feel her lifting her skirts and dance along.’
Yes, indeed.
The Ministry of defence has recently issued a call for interested companies to tender for the removal of the Richard Montgomery’s masts. Latest survey results show a decided decline in the old ship’s structure. The masts will be exerting weight and stress forces on these rusting structures.
The underwater sonar pictures of the wreck are interesting indeed. Sobering: a slight change in the natural balance of flows here and the ship could end up sliding into the Medway’s channel…
Around six hours after leaving our mooring we were coming up the Ray Channel. A small group of common seals were basking in the warmth upon the yellow sun drenched sands as we came in.
Some distance beyond the seal, we fetched up to the edge and touched on … dropping anchor and stowing sails. After our lunch, I dropped overboard for a little swim! The mate went below for a nap…
A sailing friend walked down from his own boat, ‘parked’ in the shallows further west. He wanted to wish me a personal ‘happy birthday’ – thank you very much Robert.
During the middle of the afternoon we departed for a waiting spot outside Smallgains Creek and tidied ship.
On the way up a little converted sailing canoe swept past with two crew keeping her up. She has been fitted with outriggers. She was a pretty sight indeed.
And then, as the afternoon wore away into early evening, the anchor was hauled and we pottered into our creek under power.
25 nautical miles.
A grand day.
