Our summer has been punctuated by latent strife, bubbling on beneath what has generally been a tranquil, warm and pleasant summer. It boiled over one day sailing into Stangate. But, that’s enough of that…
As the Covid-19 phase three lock-down release approached, I reran Whimbrel’s halyards with new ones prepared during the late winter and early spring, long before a lock-down was thought likely!
The boat was treated to a new length of anchor cable too – covered separately. See: http://nickardley.com/ditch-crawler-decides-whimbrel-needs-some-new-chain/
Another necessity before going off overnight was to replace the boat’s mooring warps. I had one good one left after I’d used all the other 3-strand nylon/polyester ones joined into one to make a long tow rope when we came across a Benfleet Yacht Club boat up on Bargander Sand outside Smallgains Creek.
We failed to pull her off, as did the Island Yacht Club’s work boat which came to our assistance. Our warps were accidentally ‘let go’ to the grounded yacht … all attempts to retrieve them have failed. I did hear that the owner was ill, but time has gone on, and what of crew/family responsibilities, let alone thanks and appreciation!
As you will see the post’s title did not reflect life’s current finale! Renewals cost nearly the same as a our weekly groceries. Hmmmm…
We finally got away for a week a few days after the 4th of July ‘release’ and enjoyed a gorgeous sail round the outside of the Isle of Sheppey to Harty Ferry. Due to wind over the tide bounce, we moved up to Elmley, where all was quiet and tranquil.
Many, poo poo the Swale, but Elmley makes a good anchorage in 3 m to 4 m of water at low tide.
East of the Lillies Cardinal Buoy marking the wide shallow flats running into Elmley ‘hill’ back east towards the port and starboard buoys closer to the old ferry hards is the spot to go. We used it later in the summer too…
We also had a mini Finesse Festival with three Finesse 24s meeting up at Queenborough and a sail up to Chatham for a second night together.
At Chatham, a convivial evening drinks gathering was enjoyed with three couples spread about the deck of Calluna, a ’24’ with cutter rig. The rules requiring at least 1 m+ and preferably 2 metres separation between house-hold bubbles…
Returning downstream, we had a fantastic sail in company. Whimbrel left the other boats outside Stangate, where we went instead of heading ‘home’.
Later, we wended our way into Faversham. There I sought out the Finesse 24, Quo Vadis, which I knew was at Alan Staley’s Yard, being worked on.
The boat has had her keel bolts renewed, some water ingress rot repairs have been made and she’s been fitted with a redesigned deck edge and rubbing band arrangement. Toe rails have been fitted and stanchions removed. A gaff cutter rig is being fitted too, the new rigging ‘chain plates’ can be seen…
She looked lovely, awaiting final hull painting…
Our plans for the summer included a slow sail up the London River to Limehouse – I’ll cover this separately. A booking made a year earlier for a production at The Globe had long gone by the wayside!
On our way back to Chatham for the second time during the summer, we again stopped off at Elmley. We left the dinghy moored on the mainland hard, which provides clean footing to the shore.
At the top of the hard sit a couple of dismantled wooden mine sweepers from WW2 whilst out on the flats another rests, abandoned and gradually rotting.
We enjoyed a lovely circular walk around the bird reserve which enjoys the old brick works area and digging pools.
On the way back down Milton Creek, I, in particular, enjoyed getting close up to old works remains, creek-side derelict wharves and ‘boarding’ an old spritsail barge buried to her decks in cord grass.
While in the anchorage at The Lillies, we witnessed the spritsail barge Dawn coming round from Kingsferry Bridge, under sail, luff up into Milton Creek, reducing sail and work the bends to below the new road bridge, where she anchored. Her boat then took some cargo up to Crown Quay, where the sailing barge Raybel is berthed for a rebuild. Look at the web site.
The Milton Barge Museum has been moved here into a purpose built building, as per the original burnt down by vandals some years ago. The quay has been designated a heritage development/facility.
On passage to Chatham, where we needed to utise the laundry facilities, we were in for a treat as we passed the bawley Doris and the barge-yacht Nancy Grey.
I haven’t been able to have a walk down past the Hoo barge graveyard since being ‘shut out’ of Hoo Marina which no longer takes visitors. The boat yard at hoo will, if able to sit in the mud and also the Hundred of Hoo sailing Club will facilitate the same. So, passing, I focused at full telephoto on my camera and ‘had a look’ …
The recognisable barge is the Ena, the last to be added to the collection here – they act as a breakwater to the yard.
In Chatham we had another return visit to the Old Dockyard and following day a trip to Rochester on one of the hottest days of the year. It rather sapped us a little. A chocolate duck Christobel bought for our ‘baby’ was reduced to a sad congealed blob in its bag!
A quiet afternoon and night was spent anchored north of the old water barge wreck in Stangate (It can become a bit rolly-polly here for some strange reason).
I enjoyed an evening sail in the tender, Twitch, whilst my good shipmate washed up our dinner things.
A night in Queenborough to stock up with essential fresh provisions was needed before our Thames jaunt. We arrived promptly and enjoyed the walk to the new shopping complex outside the little town.
It is a pleasant walk along lengths of the old course of Queenborough Creek, providing exercise to offset, a little, the holiday beer allowance I was then enjoying!
Yes, it was a good start, but the weather had warmed appreciably with the best on the agenda…