As the summer faded into the autumn and a period of nasty weather travelled through, the social media pages began to show pictures of vessels, sailing yachts on the whole, beached along a shore.

The gales in Scotland during this period caused a bit of carnage at Helensburgh where a few boats ended up beached – but these, apparently were rescued.

During our travels aboard Whimbrel this summer we saw a number of craft washed ashore along the rivers and creeks. In Kirby Creek near its foot, a yacht had foundered earlier in the summer and was still sitting submerged to her crosstrees. Will she be lifted, or left? Area is supposedly under the Harwich Port jurisdiction – so she might be left alone and just marked.

Yacht downstream of Suffolk Yacht Harbour.

Along the River Orwell vessels of all types have long been ‘abandoned’ under Pin Mill’s wooded shores, amongst are a couple of yachts – one a Sea Dog Ketch – both have been there for years with the rotting Thames spritsail barges and old fishing vessels. But, this year there was a sunken yacht on the edge of the saltings just downstream of Suffolk Yacht Harbour and another on the same side of the river below Nacton’s wooded shore.

Yacht ashore below Nacton.

The vessel ashore beneath Nacton village appeared to have an anchor out but her bilge was being pounded onto the hard shingle during heavy winds. She floated up with the higher tides, so was intact enough – why she hadn’t been rescued, I have no idea.

Up on the River Deben where the ‘Deben Society’ get touchy about littering, pollution and anything else, an old bawley has been sitting on the beach at The Rocks for a number of years. She was ostensibly placed there to enable her owner to replace a couple of planks. Ha! That was a good one…

Beached bawley at The Rocks.

The Rock’s resident has deteriorated over last few seasons and has clearly been abandoned to her slow natural demise.

Moving on to more recent days and weeks:

During the mid October gales, a vessel broke free from moorings in Margate Harbour and she foundered in the entrance. Within a few days she was gutted by the seas. Her remains were removed by an excavator and taken away in lorries.

Facebook moves in mysterious ways and I had a number of posts come onto my feed from East Coast Pilot (not an organisation I support) showing pictures of foundered or stranded vessels. Two of them I took screen shots of. Note the copyright remains with named persons on posts.

Vessel ashore near other vessel just downstream of Suffolk Yacht Harbour – note her clean bottom.

There was some chat on the page about ownership and leaving alone. Owner was apparently aware…

Along the same shore a blue hulled sailing yacht ended precariously up on the saltings edge, ready to be flooded…

The blue vessel appears little used and has possibly been ‘abandoned’ on a mooring.

Both vessels appeared to be in a parlous position. Both have clearly suffered mooring line failure…

How many times do you sail or motor through moorings looking at the craft moored and wonder how often they are used?

Do you see the Verdigris on the decks, sail covers and dodgers? Do you see the time and tide ‘salt’ coatings staining the topsides above the waterline?

Do you see the trailing weed and clearly encrusted bottoms?

How many times as a sailor have you sailed or motored past moored vessels and seen the poor state of a mooring line or two?

Do you even look?

From Whimbrel, I oft look at vessels being passed by. Some are reasons of interest, being ‘pretty’ or looking shipshape, or not. In a similar fashion when sailing in Twitch, I do the same.

This season, early on, I was wending my way through the moorings in Thornfleet (West Mersea) when I spotted a boat with a mast at a funny angle. Spinning Twitch round and looking closely, I saw it was held up precariously by the jib halyard and its forestay was slapping loosely against the mast. A ‘manned’ vessel was sitting on the next mooring with a group enjoying something or other in the cockpit. I hailed them and asked if they’d noticed their neighbour’s plight. No, they hadn’t! But they said they would report to the West Mersea Yacht Club secretary.

Christobel and I were coming into the quarters another time and we saw a racing yacht’s boom crashing from side to side in the motorised craft induced serious wash waves being created – RIBs and liberty boats etc. Later, upon reaching the shore I reported it to a group of chaps at the WMYC bar. One of them knew boat and her owner well and rang him directly. Chap then came and offered thanks as I supped a pint of Southwold bitter.

Why hadn’t the ‘club’ boatman done something?

It is not thanks one is asking for, but it is always nice, but, surely, it behoves all of us on the water to take note of what we see. And, if there is anything seen that is remiss, make an effort to report it.

In a caring society we should all care.

It might be your boat next time…