Out on the water one often sees lots of different boat types. Sometimes I look at the way boats are seemingly left, rotting, on their moorings. There are a number of these up my own creek, clogging a berth for someone who might be waiting for a berth, but that’s a different problem, however connected.

I had a wonderful sail on Friday, alone, sadly, in sublime conditions. As a commentator on Facebook said, ‘Looks like summer…’ and surely it had those trappings, but it was just a decent spring afternoon…

Sailing out of Smallgains Creek on a subliminal spring afternoon…

Beyond the creek, over on the Leigh flats, was a four-oared skiff, with an extra crew aboard for rotating around rowers. They were initially resting on their oars, then, at an order from the stern-sheets, began to pull in an ever increasing count… I watched for a little while until I awoke to my course deviating somewhat in the light breeze. I waved and left them speeding on their way, westwards.

Rowers out for a workout…

In the distance was a blob. It seemed to be sitting in the Ray abreast of where, for many years, the Leigh Beacon stood until it lost its will to stay upright as its pole rusted. A long and a short tack brought me up to the ‘blobs’ position. It had ‘become’ a sort of house barge. Or was it? The stern end looked new, the forward, old… Then I noticed a welded stitch line. I wasn’t being deceived.

Two views of the ship…

The bow section looks as if it could have been of a ‘Trent’ type of barge, but I’m uncertain about this… Whether or not she has some form of propulsion is also unclear. The ‘wheelhouse’ design would indicate the possibility: she had the look. The new aft section is joined on at run of aft bulwark.

Then a ‘proper’ motor barge houseboat came puttering by. She’s a Dutch type, I believe, called Beverley. She has moorings in Smallgains Creek. She’s a sweet little thing…

The Beverley motors by…

I soon left the conversion behind and sailed eastwards in the general direction of the Westcliffe shore. Off the Crowstone I sailed back west along the Chalkwell then Leigh shores, generally enjoying the conditions and musing. Whilst I was being bathed in sunshine, west, over the downs, Hadleigh was in a mist!

Off Chalkwell I passed a little cruiser, she looked forlorn. It saddened me somewhat: once she was someone’s pride and joy, maybe, she still is, but they’re unable to deal with her needs any longer – something I’ve mused on before… The little boat is called Tern.

The poor Tern…

I’ve sailed past this little ship on numerous occasions. Maybe, after another winter alone in this exposed spot and it being such a glorious day it awoke my curiosity to its plight. The rigging is already beginning to fail. Her future looks bleak. But for a first boat, a step up from dinghy sailing perhaps, a little weekender to step down to a bit of carefree local sailing… There are possibilities. I’ll continue to watch over her, surely…

Later, sailing into my own creek, I cast my eyes over several boats that have the similarly ‘abandoned’ look of Tern…