February aboard Whimbrel got off to a good start. On the first day of the month we got a sail. It wasn’t the best of days but at least the wind had died down to a gentle breeze, enough to sail and feel the boat heel to it. The slight drizzle that passed over from Maldon didn’t dampen the the spirits of the boat’s crew.

A band of mizzle ahead…

Then what happened?

Well one depression after another has rolled in giving more than our fair share of wind and strangely for Essex, rain too!

There were a few jobs aboard that I could get on with – little ones, but all the same in need of attention.

I renewed the stern tube greaser pipe and made up a further proper wooden ‘clip’ to secure the braided nylon tube.

New greaser pipe in place!

A new length of domestic fresh water pipe was run between our charcoal filter and the galley sink pump.

Out of the way and less used overboard shut-off valves (sink and gas locker) were worked and lubricated. Things like those tend to be forgotten, however, when a real need arises efforts pay off!

I have been going round the boat looking closely at winter damage to the varnish work – considering all the damp we have had defective areas are not sizable. To help stop staining the varnish was broken to allow beathing and drying out.

Whimbrel’s regular summer crews have been booked in for slots as well as one for my ‘Canadian’ brother who is due to visit back home in early summer. A sail is a must!

We did have a sparkling day early on but we were programmed to be in ‘the smoke’ that is London for a theatre booking with dinner afterwards at a favoured eatery. Valentines weekend was also booked as an away event – it was wet one day and very breezy the other, so no loss. We had a grand time!

Screen shot of advertising info.

The Thames spritsail barge Cambria which has been using our little port as her base for a number of years with the support of the yard (Blackwater Marina) has bee rigging out and an announcement has been made that she is off to join the Chatham Maritime Heritage group. I’d suggested to the yard early last year that the Medway might make a better home for her (under Tiller & Wheel), which has from an announcement by them, all but happened!

A new Cambria management committee has been formed and a T&W person is to be a member. Her base will be Chatham.

I have not noticed much in the way of preparations for a new season around the Maylandsea yard. One does see people around – I would imagine the weather is keeping people away. On the waterfront, work progresses with the replanking of the spritsail barge Cabby’s starboard side. I’m told that a May launching is planned. Her engine has been run and currently her shaft is out.

Reflections from the Fullbridge in Maldon captured on one of our walks.

As the month wended its way towards its conclusion, the coming week’s weather seemed to be essentially dire, at first, but a window was opening. A further day of lesser wind was signalling a change. The air temperatures were on the up too. Whilst always an optimist, my hopes began to rise thinking that it meant the month’s ending would allow a sail.
Fingers crossed!

And yes, the weather changed for the better and I had a day on the boat carrying out a couple of deck edge repairs (nail tops) and adding a few new screws. A length of rubbing band had bad varnish removed and, amazingly, two thinned coats varnish applied – temps of 17 deg and not much less following…

A start has been made to Whimbrel’s annual cosseting…

I spotted in the Marine Industry News online magazine a feature about a ‘racing organisation’ that aims to combine people and brands into yacht racing – ownership and the pride there of doesn’t seem to come into it.

Headline statement: “One of our key objectives this year is to truly engage all stakeholders across competitive sailing. We want the Yacht Racing Forum to represent sailing globally, in all its diversity and strength,” 

Yacht racing forum to bring the sailing community together in 2026

The reading of this sounds to be an essentially ‘rich’ man’s targeting and has little to do with the ‘common man’.

A boat owner who I have recently corresponded with said to me: ‘I believe we’re the last generation to own a modest yacht in the manner we know…’ Sadly, I find it hard to disagree…

In the marine trade comes news of a new ‘super yacht’ in the sailing form to be built in a European yard which is to be Cayman Island registered.

Artistic impression of new super sailing yacht – courtesy of Marine Industry News.

The yacht is to be single masted and be ‘Panamax’ which means will go under Panama Canal bridges. She is going to ‘harp back’ to the big yacht era and it is hoped she will be able to compete in class. Deck furniture will espouse this ethos. She’ll be around 62m with a light displacement of 230 tonne. Her design will incorporate a lifting keel with 4.5 m and max of 6.9 m draft.

One hopes early known lessons from the recent Bayesian tragedy, although she seemed flawed from the start with, it is said, no stability book aboard, will be incorporated… Bayesian was almost twice tonnage and much larger all round.

I am sure that there will be far more design and trials scrutiny…

She looks pretty sweet to the eye.

The end of the month was upon us and the weather Gods looked promising, however, a confliction of where a front would pass over meant uncertainty. I awoke on the 28th, looked out. It was raining. XCWeather showed a max of 27 knots while I would be heading home. No, it was a non-starter!

Over breakfast, I was feeling rather glum indeed.

Looking outside over the breakfast table…

The day was not completely lost for we went to the boat late morning and I sanded and primed the two areas of deck repair and added a further coat varnish to stripped length of rubbing band.

The mate had a long coffee at yard bistro over the Saturday Times. I then treated her to a lovely soup lunch…

Essex, apparently, has had approximately 25% more wet than an average year, no where near as much as elsewhere, but hey, what the heck: Roll on March!