I received this email from a Finesse group member living ‘up north’ who has, for personal reasons, got to sell his beloved craft. This is always a sad event and we will all have to at some point (as my family keep telling me!) in our lives. I can only wish them well…

Hi nick,
Find attached details of finesse 21 that we spoke about recently. Any help would be appreciated. Needs a good home!!!

FOR SALE
Finesse 21 Sail boat, No.79. Believed to be one of the last 21’s built by Alan Platt in Benfleet, Essex in 1995!

(There is a number 80 in this class)

She is currently lying on Ullswater in the Lake District. She is in excellent condition with an inboard Diesel engine. Full electrics, good battery.

All rigging in good order with Tan sails. Main sail slab reefing, roller furling jib. Bilge pump, compass,sounder, auto helm. Manual windlass. 2 ring gas cooker and grill. Fitted with sea toilet. All bunk/seating upholstery in excellent condition.

Included in the price is strong, four wheeled, purpose built trailer. £5500 ONO

For further info e-mail: graham.sowden53@gmail.com or call 07785550322.

A view looking into fo’c’s’le.

A port view inside cabin.

View across top of centre plate box/table top.

The foredeck area.

Boat on trailer – she looks like a baby Whimbrel with her colour scheme. Lovely!

She looks gorgeous and ready to begin a new life ditch-crawling. Can’t you feel the soft summer breeze wafting across the cockpit, sailing serenely round the sweet Swale…

Blog updated Tuesday 7th June with news from a reader, Leigh man Norman, owner of Shearwater, the SK23 pictured within…

I’d not been well over the weekend, spending most of Saturday prone… So, feeling a little better on Sunday, but not ready for a ‘long’ country walk, the mate and I drove down to Old Leigh for a walk along the waterfront. There’s a good little car park alongside the sea wall past the station parking lot.

Gazing across the saltings that spread out towards the remaining gut of Leigh Creek I spot two recently abandoned craft. An old fishing vessel has had a number of tides flowing through her hull and she’s no longer lifting when sufficient water fills the mud lagoons. Up against the bottom of the sea wall is ‘the pink elephant’ and was surely someone’s joke!

Old fishing boat and the ‘Pink Elephant’…

Here is some information sent to me by a reader recently…

‘the ‘pink elephant’ was owned by a guy called Gordon and basically he was a homeless individual who lived in the yard for about 26 years in various boats and caravans.

Whenever someone wanted to rid themselves of an old boat, Gordon would acquire it – which is how he came by the vessel. He was surprisingly well spoken and had an extensive vocabulary. Curious about this, since he didn’t seem to fit the normal hobo profile, I questioned him on his past and the reply somewhat staggered me. He was (apparently) a member of the South African secret police and had undertaken various activities for which the new Mandela government was not impressed.

He smuggled himself out of Africa and ‘hid’ in the Leigh Marina. Sadly Gordon died of cancer last autumn and as a memorial to him, the yard set his boat on the marsh rather than burning it.’

Fascinating – so there we are the ‘Pink Elephant’ is a memorial to an extraordinary man.

General view of saltings wrecks… The ‘cockler’ in the distance was once owned and lived on by Jim Sheldrake, a Leigh sailor.

I strode past the open gates of Leigh marina’s  hard standing, intending to dive in later… Reaching the Belton Way Little Boat Club we bumped into a group of Finesse owners – there was John C, Terry C and Paul H. The little club had just enjoyed their AGM!

The ‘Belton’ clubhouse…

Dinghies awaiting the launching of ‘mother’ ships and sunnier days… The white hulled Finesse 21 is the gunter sloop rigged Cumulus.

Two more fine looking clinker vessels were seen too…

The Finesse 21 sloop Penny taking the ground of the Billet pub…

Captured between the ‘rubbered’ piles of a cockler’s wharf sits a pretty Seaking 23.

We eventually popped into the Mayflower pub for a coffee … yes a coffee! Pottering along to Bell Wharf before my good mate decided that I’d had enough of a run out!

Leigh Fishermans Co-op on Victiria Wharf. And below the side of Old Leigh Station – Leigh-on-Sea SC HQ.

On the way back I looked at a set (?) of abandoned spars. There wasn’t any obvious ‘owner’ about. They’ll end up as fire wood, surely!

Those spars … and below racks of neatly stored ground tackle and weiths for moorings out in the Ray – Mike’s Boatyard.

I wasn’t to be done out of my wander around a yard: I knew one or two tasty craft awaited!

Little Ruth … a Dauntless. Note her ‘dinghy-like’ shape. I think her days are over…

Two views of Patrice, an Mapleleaf. Note, no tuck at bottom of transom. This is where the Finesse is King… She’s pretty though. Thanks Terry C for correcting me…

Below are two views of a craft I’ve known for around forty years … however, I don’t know her name or what she is. The name carving has rotted on her stern. She’s clearly a type of barge yacht. Perhaps I should find out…

I did find out. The vessel is the Come at Last a barge-yacht from a hundred years ago. A sailing pal, a fellow Finesse lover, came to my rescue. He wrote:

‘…the barge yacht – She’s called ‘Come at Last’ and was built in c.1908. When the infamous and eccentric Leigh character Jim Sheldrake  was a youngish man (now 67), he found the boat in Heybridge Basin and brought it back to Leigh where he carried out extensive repair work.

For years, ‘Come at Last’ was Jim’s boat and the two were inseparable sailing the East coast with various crews from our club including me on occasions. When Jim’s father died, he found himself homeless and was forced to sell the boat for a larger former cockle boat ‘Navigator’ the last wooden cockle boat afloat at the time, which he could live on.

‘Come at Last’ was taken by the yard in part exchange and then sold to a retired Detective Inspector John Palmer, who through Jim, has become a long time member of our club. Jim taught John how to sail the boat and became crew (captain) on many voyages.  Jim’s cockle boat eventually sank and is now on the marshes (Pictured above). He is living in a caravan in the yard.

Amen to that…

Fascinating, thanks again Norman.

I then wandered over to the Heron Lee. Now she is a barge yacht, built 1912, I believe. She came ashore for a refit … She’s for sale for the princely sum of £750.

Finally I found a boat I’d been looking for. She’s a Seaking 23 called Shearwater owned by a ‘Belton’ man and ex Finesse owner…

This one lifted my spirits somewhat! (Norman’s boat)

Then I was ‘dragged’ home…

All I can add to this is, go wandering, let a yard man know you’re about and essentially harmless, and poke about, investigate and look with wonder at our history oft to be found…

 

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…

A couple of weeks ago I spoke of my belief in the immanent arrival of spring. Well it has definitely arrived.

My Mate and I got out on the tide, after I’d fitted a new oil lamp below – leaving the Mate getting the boat ready!

We’d gone creek-wards laden with a generator, drill and a new slider too – later fitted to our aft moorings after getting back in. As the tide left the boat I also went overboard (on a walking board) to use a newly acquired impact driver to loosen some screws on Whimbrel’s bow fitting. Its got to come off for re-bedding!

Anyway, the important aspect of being down the creek was to go sailing…

We slid out of our mooring a little after two hours before high water – the tide seemed to be sluggish for a 5.8 m (Southend), we thought. Sails were set whilst the boat jogged with the flood, up the creek, before tacking round to run out…

Sailing out of Smallgains Creek on a very spring-like morning…

For a short time I thought some assistance with the diesel was going to be needed as we slowly stemmed the incoming tide, but no, with patience, the game little sloop prevailed. There seemed to be a huge number of Brent honking and jostling around the base of the cord grass beds. The eel grass has long gone and I expect the wheat and barley fields below Hadleigh Castle is being cropped off regularly now! Its still at least two months before they’re due to head off, north.

Brent dabbling amongst stalks of cord grass… My mooring neighbour and fellow Finesse owner’s house sits on that yonder hill!

‘Which way?’ I asked the mate. A wave of the arm and a comment about only being aboard for the ride, I headed in the light south-westerly upstream. Off Two Tree Island, and approaching Bird Island a flock of waders lifted aff as the water ran over it. A group of gulls hung on for a little while after our passing… Then I spotted a heron watching the edges with sublime patience…

‘Harold’ the Heron…

The marsh colours today were fantastic with a decent amount of sunshine, at first, giving them a ripened glow. The new season’s growth will be beginning to show itself amongst those dead stalks. Like on land the plant world decided on spring sometime back.

My Mate enjoying her book, interspersed with watching our slowly passing world…

Some tacks were necessary as we went up towards Benfleet’s end of the creek. The Mate, after making another coffee, decided to set her reading aside and help: it helps to keep the cold at bay! We had a series of long and shorts up to the moorings of Benfleet YC. The, strangely the wind went southerly – great!

Our turn was made just beyond the club house and we noticed our mate Dick’s Mariette was still out of the water. There are two other Finesse 24s here, hiding up the Benfleet club’s back channel – I’d love to see them out!

The Island’s other yacht club through the rigging…

We were hailed by an ex-Finesse owner who was aboard his Moody 27 getting it tidy below for putting stuff ‘back in’ he later messaged on Facebook. Nice to see a friendly face!

We also saw Mister Pegotty, a Seaking 31, based at the Benfleet Motor Yacht Club on the north shore. There were several people aboard out for a spin under power… We exchanged cheery salutes…

On the way down the creek, passing Two Tree Island again, the Mate commented upon the chimney looking a little lonely without its boiler and turbine houses spread out beneath: they’ve all gone. And, that chimney will be down soon. It’ll not be there next spring. We both remarked about this with just a little sadness, but, change is continuous. The estuary is not, like the Cutty Sark, preserved in a jar of aspic…

The soon to be demolished chimney on Grain. The ship just happened to be coming up Sea Reach too…

Back down in the open a couple of other sails were spotted as we sailed on past the Island’s point. Then, whilst turning, I dispensed with the mainsail while my good Mate jogged into the creek under jib: it was time to head for home…

Yes, we had a grand sail. It was great to be out, together, enjoying the first of spring…

The Wapping Group’s annual show is about to start … it runs from Monday 29th February to Saturday 4th March 2016. It is at the Mall Galleries, just off Trafalgar Square.

Times are 1000 – 1700 Monday to Friday and 1000 to 1600 on Saturday.

Call Mall Galleries on 020 7930 6844. www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Also see my Facebook page.

The brochure shows some great pieces of art work – we have never been disappointed with this show. Often mentally spending a bag full of dosh!

 

 

Ah yes. My good mate was off on a wander across country driving a cousin of mine to see my aunt. It was an errand to help out a cousin of mine, in the main, but the mate has a soft spot for her and my aunt too… Bless her.

So, when the cats away the mice come out to play, and boy did this little mouse have a good time. Shortly after being ‘left home alone’ I closed my files and stopped ‘work’ to put a lunch box together: forecast for the day was grand, in fact its grand for the whole week, and that means only one thing. Let’s go sailing…!

Dropping my bag into the back of the car with two 5L cans of diesel to go to the boat, I dropped the hood back on the little MG – its so spring like now. Reaching the creek I could see the tide caressing the mud edges with little ‘poppling’ wavelets. It was higher than expected – get a move on I urged myself.

Covers are removed and the jib is heaved up on deck, then the all important kettle is put on. It isn’t long before the burgee is shaking itself out and fluttering aloft. The breeze is north-westerly, barely force 3. Forecast said, W bec NW 3-5 … fine & dry. Sunshine 8 deg C…

Brent flying across my bow…

I have time for a wash around the sides of the boat to sweep away a modicum of mud splatters: we’ve had a shower since I was last out, a little over a week ago. Then, as the kettle burst forth into its ‘train’ like song, the boat lifted. I made my drink as a fellow club member called, ‘Going out…?’

Beating round the ‘cut’ – the deep water channel round Bargander Sand. A friend’s house is on the hill…

‘Want to come…’ I offered. He declined saying it was too cold. ‘Get away … feels like spring…’ I say, grinning at him. He heads for home. A burst of astern and we’re out into the creek … forward I go and its, up mainsail … back to correct the helm, and up jib. Back aft the engine ceases to rumble beneath my feet and I’m in tranquillity… There’s no one around, except upon the ‘heights’ of Canvey, astern to the west.

Oh, but I’m not alone: all around are Brent. Waders skitter on the remaining mud edges within the creek. Above gulls are in flight. A pair of deep black crows wheel about too and across the saltings the unmistakeable calls of pewits are heard. A small group lifts, their wide wings beating the air in that seemingly lazy fashion. I’m in bliss and I’m sure they are too…

Downs colours…

‘Where to…’ I ask myself as the boat creeps out of the creek. Letting loose a shiver in the breeze, I say, ‘Benfleet…’ for it’ll give me a workout with a little tacking. I settle to the task. The tide is running fast. I hear the radio mention something about 0.3m above prediction … not sure where: Bird Island is still uncovered liberally coated by bird life.

Over on the downs I see a multitude of colour. The sky has deep blues and cloud with whites to grey s to almost black within them. Those hills though have new life in them, soon it’ll spring forth in shades of green. Yes spring is nigh.

I head for home!

Reaching the Benfleet Yacht Club, once or twice needing judicious use of the engine, I bring the boat right round for a broad reach with the wind abaft the beam, down towards the open estuary… a friend calls out, I wave and  salute the club…

Dunlin and knot cavort over the flooded Two Tree’s saltings while others wheeled in drifts around me…

Coming past the eastern end of Two Tree Island I round up, drop and stow the mainsail, before running off for my home creek. Its a down wind berthing, not advisable in the breeze blowing, so I start the engine and drop the jib.

I’m grinning from ear to ear as I walk away from my good little ship, yes, I’ve a feeling spring is in the air, even if we’re likely to get a bit colder first…

 

 

 

Hi All,

So very sorry … Swinging the Lamp is going to be late off the press.

I’m disappointed, yes, but since, as I said to someone recently, I’ve been working on this project for a considerable number of years and after having to wait upon my other main publisher for qualification of a ‘verbal yes, don’t worry’ becoming a sustained period of silence culminating in my removing the book from them, I’m not phased!

In the meantime, I have been taking advantage of the weather to move my next project along its contracted course into the hands of my publisher: it’s due to drop through their postbox in January 2017.

The Book Inn, Leigh-on-Sea have agreed to do a launch for Swinging the Lamp – watch this space, my facebook page or local press for details. Hopefully this will be during March…

I’d forewarned a friend of mine that today looked good for a sail … I’d got out on Tuesday this week rather unexpectedly, which made it all the nicer!

My friend popped ’round’ after my return having been hard at it, up the road from me, digging his allotment… We had a pot a pot of tea and a scone with some rather delicious strawberry jam, home made, of course… It was funny for the next day, both wives met at a U3A event … my friend was treated to scones that evening. Apparently it was a struggle and he’d finally admitted to already having one…!

Anyway, although he’s afloat in a ‘new’ vessel, it isn’t local currently so the chance of a sail in his own waters was gladly grabbed… The forecast was SW 1-4 becoming 0-3! Arriving at the creek we found absolutely no breeze blowing. A remarkable change from Monday when it was 60 knots from the west… Sails were readied and hoisted and they hung, limply, whilst we sipped some soup. The boat lifted and we were away, puttering out of the creek over a glassy flood whilst munching on home cooked ham sandwiches – bliss!

Puttering out over a glassy flood…

Out in the creek’s entrance I saw a little grebe diving for its lunch. We motored on for a little while then tried sailing whenever there seemed to be any air movement … after gently motoring further eastwards for a little while longer the unmistakeable ripples of the tiniest nature from an easterly zephyr were seen caressing the waters surface. The engine was switched off … it stayed off too.

My friend was grinning from ear to ear as the wind rose and a chuckle could be heard along the clinkered waterline.We watched for ages as a seal, with its head swivelling back and forth, watched us. It stayed in view for quite a little while – once we were followed across the flats here by an inquisitive critter!

All of a sudden Leigh beach arrived off the bow and a tack was prudently made, not wanting to go ashore for an ice cream! The breeze settled into an East South-easterly and we settled into a comfortable sail whilst sipping tea and enjoying a ‘Danish’…

My crew enjoying a cuppa…

Over towards the Leigh marshes at the eastern end of Two Tree Island, Brent were dabbling along the edges chomping on the rich food that abounds here – until they’ve decimated it.

Out in the Thames, a stream of shipping was on the move. A huge container ship, not one of the biggest though, was met by two tugs. ‘Into London Gateway,’ I said! Another sail was seen too – through my ‘glasses’ I spotted  ‘Old Jack’ – he’s nearly 90 and still sailing. It’ll be me in time too, I hope!

The sun glinted upon the river in a mass of dancing diamonds…

Looking towards the Kent shore the sun glinted upon the river in a mass of dancing diamonds. It was fabulous. Then for a short while a single cloud sat between us and the sun … boy did the temperature seem to drop. It felt positively icy. We kept on, hoping to clear it! Eventually, as we were heading out past Canvey’s marshy point which was covered by the tide, we were once again bathed in the suns warming rays.

‘We’ll tack eastwards a bit,’ I said, ‘then drop the main and run for home.’ My crew nodded and tacked.

Out towards Leigh, in the Ray, two power craft were weaving and dancing over each others wash waves, clearly enjoying themselves. My friend said, grinning, ‘probably using more fuel than you use in a year…’ I laughed. I do use fuel…

I dropped and stowed the main as my pal steered for home. Fenders were readied and I dropped the jib halyard onto the deck ready for a quick let go… It was tranquil sailing in. Two men at peace with the world, happy being little boys, again!

My crew ready to let the jib run…

We crept into the creek against the ebb while geese dabbled in the saltings and several flocks of waders swung through the air high above, waiting for the first fresh drying patch to appear and begin a feeding frenzy…

I’m helming again and my pal goes forward, halyard in his hands, waiting. Closing my mooring, I call, ‘Okay…’ and down it runs and we slip alongside.

‘That was great…’ my friend said. Tonight he’ll have a rosy glow … I have too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favourite ships, well, perhaps not in the complete sense: one, the dear old Cutty Sark, isn’t actually a ship any more.

The other is an imprint within my childhood memories of life on the River Medway, the Arethusa, or as she is known now, the Peking, a German built nitrates carrier, before she became TS Arethusa owned by Shaftesbury Homes.

The May Flower and Arethusa along the Upnor waterfront in 1951. (Ardley family collection)

The 1911 built Peking ended her trading days in 1933 when purchased and refitted for her school ship duties. Thereafter her only sailings were to a dry dock, usually in Chatham Dockyard, every now and then. In 1975, the charity deemed the ship unfit for further use … however, she was bought by the South St Seaport Museum. They ‘dished’ her up and re-rigged her as she would have been in her trading days.

From the ‘Lovely Old Ships’ web site – probably a skyphotos print – when the ship was at Upnor.

Unfortunately the museum’s base is to be redeveloped and the vessel hold has been sold or moved elsewhere. The Peking is one of the vessels to go. Her future has looked bleak, but a saviour has appeared. The ship is to be taken back to Germany and refurbished in a regeneration of the Hamburg (old) waterfront where the ship was built.

It isn’t likely that she will sail again, but at least she’ll be afloat and be maintained as a ship…

Unlike my ‘old’ friend the Cutty Sark. I walked past this building recently, in the midst of the Greenwich waterfront, and all I saw was a glass bubble with a set of towering sticks and string poking from the top. It looked like something, a ship, probably, that had partially escaped its bottle!

Now, recently I heard of some interesting news: there is a group wanting to build a sailing replica of the Cutty Sark, this is the Cutty Sark 2Sail Foundation.

I have copied off their mission statement…

Mission

• To create interest and educate the public in the traditional skills of composite/wooden shipbuilding. And preserve our maritime heritage for future generations by building a replica of the clipper “Cutty Sark” as a sea going vessel.
• To promote education in the art of operating and maintaining ships under sail by providing training in seamanship to young people of all nations.
• To promote sail-powered shipping as an environmentally friendly alternative form of transport.

It all sounds something for the good.

The cost, currently, Between 19 to 24 million GBP, now that is less than the pounds sterling spent on that old building, which will need redoing in the future…

Image from Cutty Sark 2Sail Foundation…

You can look at their web site for more information.

http://cutty-sark.org/

One can only wish them well. The ‘leader’ has already had built two replicas currently sailing the seas, these are the schooner Peter and the frigate Shtandart.

Tall Ships Festival – Greenwich:

Two items have come to my attention, well, I’ve known awhile, but the latter is now going to happen too, rather than being an idea.

In 2014 the Tall Ships came up the River Thames to Greenwich – Whimbrel was sailing down river as most of the vessels came up and it felt strange being on the end of many camera lenses: we were tacking down through them all!

A Polish 3-master berthedat the upper end of Blackwall Reach…

It was an amazing sight, however, I felt that we should have stayed up ‘in town’ to get a better feel for what was going on.

One of the vessels passed as we approached Greenhithe for an overnight stop.

The 2017 event is over the Easter weekend, 13th to 16th April with ships departing on the 16th. The ‘race’ finishes in Quebec on 18th July 2017… One can go on line and look up details, as they’re currently known:

http://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/info/100003/community_and_living/1589/tall_ships_festivals

Battle of the Medway:

The second event is taking place on the River Medway in June 2017. This is to commemorate the Dutch raid on Chatham (& Sheerness) which took place in 1667. It was a time of strife between the governments of Holland and England (& Scotland) over trading – the spice islands. We ultimately gave up a little island in what is now Indonesia for New York!

The British and Dutch have had an exceedingly long partnership, and this commemoration furthers that cause. But this was a time when we were unprepared: the guns in Upnor Castle had no balls!

A huge number of Dutch yachts are expected to visit the river during the festival. I understand that measures are being taken to increase river berthing, up amongst the ‘lights’ to cope with this…  If you want to be there, keep an eye on the web site of the Medway & Swale Boating Association: this is where you’ll get information. This is an almost essential web site to watch: http://msba.org.uk/

See you there…

Swinging the Lamp – Thames Estuary Tidal Tales

Publishing date is now 25 February 2016.

Here is the publishers press information sheet…

From the Cruising Association – Kent Area secretary Clifford Mickleburgh.

 Winter Warmers 2015 – 2016 [2^nd Thursday of each month starting after supper at 8pm] both members and non-members are

very welcome and are held at:

The Dog & Bear, The Square, Lenham, Kent, ME17 2PG. Tel: 01622 858219.

The members usually meet for a drink and a meal prior to the talk … book direct.

Pub is part of the Shepherd Neame Group situated 8 miles East of Maidstone off of the A20 in the village square. The food is very good,

The staff are helpful and cheerful…

The Talk

14th January 2016 Nick Ardley – A Barging Childhood and Beyond: The Story of an Essex Sailor. This talk will take you on a journey which began in the early 1950s: Nick’s parents bought a spritsail barge to live and go yachting on. She was the May Flower, built in 1888. As time went by, four children arrived, one by one. For Nick, his tale begins with a sail to St Katharine Dock at the tender age of six weeks! The trials, tribulations and joys of a barging childhood are looked at before, with time moving on, Nick leaves home, first, as an engineer officer at sea, then for married life too. His girl, a Midlands’s maiden, was soon introduced to the silt laden waters of the Thames estuary…

Picture: Colin Dow, Island YC.

We then follow Nick and his mate on a passage around the east coast’s rivers between N. Kent and mid Suffolk aboard their Finesse

24, Whimbrel. As they wend their way, weaving in and out of muddy creeks, Nick especially watches as the world passes slowly by,

wondering… Once at anchor, we find that Nick is just as likely to continue exploring in a lug sail dinghy, sometimes ‘dragging’ his mate

with him, to search for the lost world that rests amongst so much of our salt, marsh and mud…

Well, if you’re available, then come along and join this experienced and friendly group for the evening, and my talk…

Ah yes, I’ve been on the verge of becoming fractious: we’re half way through the season of Advent, well on the way to Christmas and my inner self, never mind the mind, knew that it had been a little while since I’d communed with my little boat … other than resealing a couple of windows.

As always, I’ve been watching for a change in the weather patterns we’ve been ‘enjoying’ of late – lots of sunny and blowy days! Then on Saturday I detected the first sign … Sunday was going to be quiet, but unfortunately, a HP ridge brought mist and mizzle – yuck – but today looked good!

Sailing out of Smallgains Creek…

Getting out at this time of the year is one of the supreme joys of keeping the boat afloat and active and I must say I’m currently glowing with the exhilaration of it. It wasn’t stressful, hard work or anything like that, just, just grand.

My good mate was otherwise engaged at a U3A carol service where she was doing a one of the readings … so couldn’t come along. Shame: she would have enjoyed it…

The wind was a light southerly, round a force 3, so with sails set I slid out of the mooring with the engine ticking over, as she swung, the wind filled my genoa and away we went, tripping over the tide at a sedate pace. Boy was it a grand feeling, to be under way again. I was like a little school boy with a bag of mint humbugs…

Around the outer end of the creek over the saltings on the point flocks of waders were carrying out a dazzling aerial display, swirling and changing direction in their wonderful random way. I was mesmerised

Ballerina’s of the sky…

I was soon travelling faster with the tide having chosen one of my favourite winter routes, up through the saltings to the other Island club, The Benfleet … passing Bird Island a flock of knot and dunlin lifted off leaving an array of Brents poking and prodding at the glutinous surface. This patch of mud doesn’t cover until around 4.85m of tide now…

Dunlin and Knot lifting off from Bird Island.

The one remaining boat in this upper part of the Hadleigh Ray Channel, better known as Benfleet Creek, is still flouting the pollution rules – flying the remnants of plastic bags. They’re well shredded now – perhaps one should hope the owner eats the fish with the biggest bit within its belly!

Whimbrel having a go at sailing herself…

Sitting back and enjoying my lunch sandwich and a cup of soup, I watched as flocks of Pewits lifted off the saltings edges. They seem to have such a lazy manner of doing it, unhurried, almost whimsical. Then, when up amongst the moorings of the Benfleet YC, I watched as tiny grebe popped up, shook its head casting a little shower pattern in the water before diving once again, surely, it was in search of its lunch too…

Approaching the club house of the Benfleet YC.

Upon turning off the ‘Benfleet’ I found the wind to have too much east in it. On went my trusty little diesel engine to get us clear. It was soon shut down returning the world to the quietness of the afternoon. The sky’s cloud cover had been threatening to break and reveal the sun- it did. Wow, its low rays dazzled and danced upon the  creek’s surface.

The sun’s rays dazzled and danced…

I was able to nip forward and get a shot up the mast to frame Whimbrel’s bit of Christmas cheer, courtesy of St Michael’s Church in Daws Heath … its the top metre or so, but does look good and is being put to good use!

Whimbrel’s mast head dressed for the festive season…

Sailing on past the end of Canvey Island, I rounded up, briefly, to drop the main and get a couple of lashing round it. Then there was just a little time left before the first of our creek’s buoys were reached. It was quiet. A motor boat had puttered noisily out before turning and heading back in again – at least ‘he’ was out …

Reaching into the creek…

It was time to say goodbye to the outer waters and think about my approach to the mooring. I wanted to sail in and did…

Shortly after berthing the kettle was put on to look after itself while I began to tidy away. Leaving the foresail to be bagged I amble below to make a beverage: it had been chilly.

Whilst sipping away at my hot drink, I leaned on the hatch top watching the tide recede for a little while, munching on a slice of Dundee cake … Oh yes, it was a glorious sail.

The weather for the next week looks dire again, pink to dark red on XCweather, up to 50 odd mph… Boy, am I glad I grabbed at this opportunity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodness me, hasn’t it been a windy month!

One good thing comes from this aspect of the past month or so: I’ve done a lot of work towards my next book, the one to follow in the path of Swinging the Lamp. Although it isn’t folowing in the same fashion as my previous works: that part of my writing life has ended … I’ll say no more for the time being.

Last night, looking at the weather I told my Mate that we should be able to grab our last autumn sail: the metrological winter begins in a few days. Looking ahead, from Saturday onwards the wind strengths are in the ‘red’ on XCweather – the web site I monitor.

‘We going then…’ my mate asked me as the forecast beamed out from BBC Essex. And this time, at 0657, the current presenter didn’t cackle on about trivia keeping the weather person, usually one of the ladies, waiting… This presenters persistence in doing this has forced me to cast my loyalties aside. I cannot listen to the inane clap-trap that now ensues from this local radio station, in particular … so the joys of R4 bring life to us over the morning coffee. But, yes, this time we got the coastal forecast… Having got that off my chest!

‘Yes’ I said decisively. The mate grinned – not sure why.

We were able to enjoy a woodland walk first before heading towards Smallgains Creek. Reaching the boat first, after fairly scampering round our mooring walkways, I was busy removing the cockpit cover and as the mate came along our jetty finger I heard her say, ‘…you alright Whimbie…’ I had to smile: she is always saying that I’m the sentimental one…

The covers were soon stowed and the sails readied. ‘Ah’ I said, casting off the main’s first reef: it had been left in after my last sail two weeks and a day ago. It was fairly breezy then. Today there was a gentle W-NW 2-3. A bit of a change from the 5-8s we’ve been ‘enjoying’ of late.

Clearing the mooring the mate soon had the genoa up and it pulled us nicely over the tide. That done she was given the helm while I set the main. That got us moving a little faster… Brents bobbed about along the edges of the saltings and over the point, eastwards, a flock of waders were resting on the banks of shingle in the saltings.

Gently tacking up past Two Tree Island…

Several motor boats came trundling out behind us and the mate deftly moved the tiller to bring the boat closer to the channel’s edge, before cutting inside at a point she knew the boat could safely go. I was by then busy swishing the sides down to clean of mud splatter from the small amounts of rain we’ve had. I hate having dirty sides! Looking up I commented, ‘Bit shallow here…’ tailing off quietly.

My mate heard me though, and her answer, ‘Is it a problem … we’re not aground…’

Shut up Skipper and let the helm alone, I quietly thought to myself!

Leaving the creek the mate handed over and put the kettle on and passed out hot drinks. I was aboaut to hand back the helm but she said, No, I want to watch the world go by … it’s so beautiful…’

My good Mate watching the world go by…

It was a drifty sort of sailing: one moment we had a fairly decent breeze which heeled the boat a little and sent a wash creaming down past her clinker edges, then it would disappear making it difficult to tack … this, and a lack of concentration, caused me to drag the plate in the mud a couple of times – something rarely done on my jaunts this way!

Off Two Tree’s bird hides my Mate said, ‘Look … that boat … its flying shreeded plastic bags…’ It was too. It’s one of the two I’ve pointed out before. (Our esteemed Royal Yachting Association is still to respond to my letter about this, in respect to their stance on it…) Plastic particulates are a big worry to those who monitor the world’s oceans and the food chain within it.

Sarasota Sunshine’s owner should feel thoroughly ashamed…

For a while we sailed blissfully onwards with a spring tide doing most of the work! Clearing the Salvation Army Jetty remains the wind shifted (It nearly alwys does here – its those hills!) and we were on a reach. A little way past I turned. For a short time we made over the tide … then a bouy, already passed twice, was about to be passed again as the wind died to nothing and the water around us turned to a glass-like!

Flocks of Brents overflew us in several packed ribbons…

I looked at the Mate and said, ‘Engine please!’

‘You sure?’ she asked, looking at me cheekily.

It was started … and stayed on until we berthed, although we did get another fifteen minues sailing a little east of the point on a reach ito the creek. I left the iron beast running: the battery probably needed a charge.

Sails were dispensed with as we puttered into our quaint little creek, past lines of moored craft and empty slots: our lay-up pound is just about full.

Its days like today that make staying in the water one of the joys to be treasured during the long season when most are tucked up in ‘bed’ for the duration until the days lengthen and they awake to the fact that all those jobs still haven’t been done!

That in mind, I have two windows to reseal: just started leaking since last aboard … I have my piece of plastic to fasten over, waiting in my workshop, and they’ll be done, one by one, over the next couple of weeks. Next week even, whilst the gales blow!

The view across the Island Yacht Club’s saltingas as we walked away from the boat…

 

 

These two ‘old girls’ were found whilst taking my mother around some old haunts and then on another day into a well known ‘garden centre’ (come general store…) in South Essex.

The first, in Leigh-on-Sea, looked decidedly like a Walker Dinghy – mahogany clinker in structure and sad looking indeed. She had a name plate with Swatch on it. I felt that the other half with ‘Way’ on it had fallen off… Shame.

 

Two views of this clearly abandoned sailing dinghy… She is on the slip by Mike’s Boatyard in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

The second craft shown was found in a garden centre, clearly depicting what you can do to create a feature. A badge on the bow proudly displayed her as once belonging to a Sea Cadet Group, who, have used and abused the little thing until another (probably) has been purchased… Given a modicum of TLCA, she looked as if there were many sea miles left in her yet…

A similar sized craft, but constructed in GRP.

I suppose, at least, this one has found a good use for herself … but I’m left wondering about the other…

I was sent tickets (for myself and the mate) for the annual show of art works by members of the Wapping Group – this year held at the Minster Gallery in Winchester. At first I thought we’d not be able to go, but looking at our planned route for a holiday in Dorset, it conveniently placed us on the road past the ancient Saxon capital.

It was a worthwhile break on our journey, not only for the art but the splendour of the town itself. A visit to the cathedral allowed us to pay homage at the grave of Jane Austin too.

Here are a few pictures of works that caught attention.

John Killens – Evening on the Estuary, Maylandsea.  A work in watercolours and pastels. Maylandsea is one of ‘my’ magical places.

Rick Holmes – Borough Market. A work in pastels capturing the life and bustle one can experience there…

Anthony Flemming – “Faversham”. A gorgeous work in watercolour … my mate’s favourite. I like it too!

Alan Runagall – Old Times – Tilbury Docks. Another water colour I would gladly hang on my wall.

Trevor Chamberlain – Moody Estuary, Leigh-on-Sea. A delightful watercolour…

Rod Pearce – Hammersmith Mist. This is a study in oils… I liked it.

Thanks Alan for the invitation to view the group’s works. The space though wasn’t the same a that of the Mall Gallery, although intimate. The gallery explained that they are linked to the Mall and spreading the view-ability of the art was one of the aims – I concur with that!

Here is some news of my latest book – Swinging the Lamp: Thames Estuary Tidal Tales.

The new book is to be published on 18th February 2016 by Fonthill Media.

It can be preordered on the link below:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swinging-Lamp-Thames-Estuary-Tidal/dp/1781554986/ref=sr_1_10_det?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446117597&sr=1-10#productPromotions

Colour Section: Fonthill Media, my latest publisher, has seen fit to place the bulk of the book’s illustrations within a colour section. Hence, the price increase from my earlier works.

Details and blurb can be found on my ‘books’ page.

I hope new and old readers will find the volume interesting and worthy of your book shelf space … and perhaps entice more sailors to poke and prod around the edges of our waterways…

 

Fluttering through the post some while ago came an invitation to attend the Art of the Sea exhibition at the Mall Gallery just off Trafalgar Square. It was sent by Hadleigh (Essex) based artist Alan Runagall who is a society member, as well as being a Wapping Group Artist. Alan’s work is varied but ‘the Thames’ and its banks feature highly in his output. A ticket for the Wapping Group show was attached too…

Watercolour – Alan Runagall – Outwardbound, Gravesend Reach.

Top – A. Runagall – Home from the Race, River Orwell – Watercolour.

Bottom – A. Runagall – Inbound off Tilbury – Watercolour

Unfortunately the show ends today, Saturday 24th!

But, if you’re in the area of Winchester, the Wapping Group’s annual exhibition has located to the Minster Gallery this year. The show lasts until 21 November 2015. See: www.minstergallery.com Tel: 01962 877601

Here are a few more that caught the eye: I came ‘away’ with a hefty package under my arm…!

David Curtis – Morston Creek – oils

John Lines – Coastal Watchers – oils.

Douglas Gray – oils. Top: Receding Tide. Bottom: Seaweed and Pebbles.

Nicholas St John Rosse – oils – Realxing by the Sea.

Richard Caplin – Acrylics – Impending Storm. This was a favoured painting of my mate’s!

Peter Barker – Summer Sparkle, Burnham Overy Staithe. I liked this one…

These were but a few of what we had the pleasure of looking at. Many of the pictures had little red stickers attached, indicating a sale – which is what it’s all about! As you can see someone got to this before me…

Great art, well done to all!

For some time now the world at large that has even a modicum of concern for the environment has been reluctant to use plastic bags, but they do have some good uses.

Sailing yesterday up towards Benfleet after a beat eastwards against the flood we sailed past two moored craft with strings of supermarket bags strung around the rigging. On both it was clear that some of the plastic bags had disintegrated … depositing more plastic into the local environment.

Plonker!

In the week when restrictions in the way ‘we’ use plastic bags came into law in England, it seems to be crass of these owners to ignore the reasons for the change. Some of the bags on one of the craft were from the ‘giant’ in my area, Morrison.

Owner should fined…

Perhaps the RYA needs to take this up, never mind local clubs: this is a blatant act of environmental terrorism. If one is seen littering the street one could get fined. When I was a professional seafarer, littering of the oceans attracted huge fines latterly. It was nearly three decades ago that this sea-change took place, yet the coastal sailor, well some of them, seem to think these rules don’t apply to them.

It makes me angry…

But we had a grand sail…

Ah yes, it’s that time again. A time for ripened fruits, glorious colour and misty mornings which often last well on into the afternoon…

A couple of weeks ago we drove out to Dartford taking in a visit to Bluewater where a M&S do a good selection of mens bits, then we drove into old Dartford and parked up in Hythe Street … a further journey was made for a walk out to the Thames shore a few days later. The creek side walk (along the River Darent) is splendid indeed.

Dartford Creek barrier from the inland side… Note: Mate striding on regardless of what her other half is up to…

I’d wanted to go take a look at the old lock which retained a level of water up at the hythe and other quays into the town. There is a trust being formed to rejuvenate the waterway and instil the maritime tradition back into the heart of Dartford. See: https://www.facebook.com/nick.ardley#!/groups/1493013297641232/

Anyway … we came across a mass of wild English rose bushes laden with hips … and an apple tree similarly dripping apples. My good mate soon had us picking. Upon arriving home she boiled and simmered the rose hips and produced a thick liquor – this was added to a pile of apples, softened, then boiled with sugar and a lemon. The result is, most amazingly, pleasant tasting and something different on our breakfast toast!

All it cost was a bit of sugar…

Now one of my pleasures in autumn is getting out onto the water. I had a glorious weekend over on the Medway sailing around with another Finesse last weekend.

On the Medway, drifting into Stangate Creek … taken from dinghy after rowing off! Whimbrel and Awel O Wynt.

This was followed by a typical high pressure week of long sun-filled days. However, the wind was easterly … picking up during the afternoon to a strength that boiled the surface of the Lower Thames into a white froth. I did lots of little jobs around Whimbrel’s decks, ignoring the rise and fall of the water in my creek around me…

Come Friday and the wind had dropped. The high pressure was moving away, slowly and during the following week (morning and evening neaps) it was going to be blustery with showers. The week and half late summer was due to end! But, bliss-O-bliss, I got away. I’d tried to contact two friends, but all were otherwise engaged – one dealing with a new boat (Now he’s got to sell his old one!) – the other was painting, at home!

Who’d have thought autumn had arrived, eh…

Clearing Smallgains Creek, motor sailing against a NE 3-4, I was soon tacking back and forth between a 2m line with loads of centre plate down against the tide, eastwards, down the course of the Ray Channel. It was gorgeous, but I missed my good mate. She wasn’t far away, just over the hill enjoying a coffee and natter with an old friend at a ‘tea’ shop in Hadleigh, I sigh, gently…

Amazingly, as I came abreast of the Essex Yacht Club a little sail popped out from the shore … ‘home-made’ I thought. I guessed straight way who it was … ex Finesse 24 owner John C doing a runner from his painting task at home (bad boy!). Ah yes, but, when the tide’s in, the wind is fine and it’s a nice day, there’s only one option … go sailing!

We sailed along chatting while I avoided running into anything. A motor boat with less draft than me was sort of hugging the buoyed channel (Why?) so I maintained my right of way as a sailing craft and kept on, but ready for action … much to ‘his’ astonishment, as he went full astern! He gesticulated, so I spread my arms indicating loads of water, ‘he’ was clearly fuming … My pal had warned me that the boat was likely to ‘come on’… I knew this from many hours sailing in these waters…

Fishing boats with loads of draft I’ll bend for but not shallow draft skimming dishes! The little dinghy ‘hung’ on my protected side… We broke away and I sailed off towards the Ray, skirting the edges of Two Tree Island. Here clouds of Brent geese circled and honked above me – they’d a couple of hours until the eel grass would be uncovered.

Clouds of Brent geese flew around me awaiting the fall of the tide and the succulent eel grass on the flats…

I sailed blissfully up the water separating Canvey Island and the Two Tree Island shore, then along beneath Hadleigh downs. Just below the moorings of the Benfleet Yacht Club I spied a lighter with a tug approaching. It looked like a half completed conversion job, but the hull clearly hadn’t been preserved – why do people do this? Here I turned for home, having to long and short tack initially against the last of the flood…

Tug and barge…

It was a thoroughly enjoyable beat down past the entrance to Smallgains Creek, the tide wafting me in the right direction. In the saltings the long stalks of sea aster waved in the tide, their heads full of developing seed soon to be cast to tide and breeze ready for germination in the coming spring… I love this time of the year: it is full of happenings, much of it of the natural kind, with the promise of renewal…

A tern – soon these lovely little birds will have set course for their wintering grounds.

I spotted some terns, wishing them well for their coming journey: soon they’ll have flown off to their wintering grounds, then autumn will have well and truly set in… But my sail wasn’t yet over: after stowing the mainsail and readying fenders, I jogged in over the ebb to sail into my berth, serenely happy… some three and half hours after leaving.

Jogging into Smallgains Creek on the ebb…