Wow, did we ever have a fantastic rally again with weather that was, for a Bank Holiday weekend, reasonable. The weather controls so much of our lives and we had a good share of the sunshine around.
Mariette joins Whimbrel in Stangate Creek…
We had three boats collecting in Stangate Creek – Whimbrel, Mariette, both F24s, and Ivy May, a F21 – and enjoyed a pre-dinner drink with nibbles together. There were six squeezed into Whimbrel’s main cabin… Two F21s, Alwen O Wynt and Seamew made it to Queenborough. Moon Song, a F24 went straight up to Chatham. I had a rather lovely after supper sail in Whimbrel’s tender as the evening closed in…
The three ‘Pickles’ from Mariette and Ivy May aboard Whimbrel…
On Saturday, the Stangate crowd set of a little later than ‘planned’ with the two other boats going on ahead. The three of us sailed up in a line to the Lock at Chatham’s MDL marina and locked in with Seamew… I was a colourful and exciting sigh with many sightseers loitering around the locks railings… We soon berthed with the two other craft. Penny of Leigh, a F21, joined a little later along with Martha IV.
Whimbrel arriving… Mark Milsom.
The assembled fleet before Martha IV arrived. By Mark Milsom F24 Pippit, based at Pin Mill.
A convivial BBQ was enjoyed with some seven other boat crews who had travelled by road. The ‘rally cake’ was cut by Terry Cotgrove, Penny, and daughter Zara. Terry has owned Penny since her build 46 years ago … a fitting tribute, we all felt.
On Sunday there was a relaxed day with plenty to interest punters: a dragon boat race event was taking place in the middle basin of the old dockyard. Some took the opportunity to visit the historic yard museum, others nattered and snoozed… Alan Fuller, yard manager up at Robertsons of Woodbridge also visited and was delighted to see so many well maintained craft he loves wood!
The Rally Fleet early on Sunday morning…
A Chinese buffet meal was enjoyed that evening, as before…
As the evening moved on people drifted to their bunks … most were off early. We left around 1100…
It was a great event, as said. I’d loved to have seen more of the class present. We have yet to entice a F28 out to join in. Do please come along…
Thoughts were aired about next time. All want one. With my mate we have given ourselves the task to organise the next … then it’ll be a job open to another.
See also:
http://www.eastcoasteventsguide.co.uk/events/event-report-catch-up-on-what-has-happened
http://msba.org.uk/?p=1611