There was nothing to be gained from an early start today so we didn't start early!
A bit of sorting out and bacon butties fur breakfast was all the preparation we needed and we got under way at the very civilised hour of twenty past ten
With a foul tide and precious little in the way of a breeze, and such as it was it was from the East anyway, it was a case of slogging it downriver under motor
The advantage of flogging the foul tide would come later but it was rather tedious going. Matters eventually improved downstream of Burnham with a bit more breeze and enough angle on the wind to make setting sail worthwhile
That gave us an extra knot or so of progress but it wasn't enough to make sailing alone viable so we motor sailed down to Holliwell Point
The catering department served up rather good ham salad sarnies which fortified us for the wild North Sea that awaited us beyond the river mouth...
Now it was time to reap the benefits of flogging the foul tide as we cut across the Ray Sand close inshore and laid a course direct for the River Colne confident of still having plenty of water over Bachelor Spit
That saved us a good few miles which given that the breeze was now fairly Southerly and barely flapping a flag was all to the good.
The mainsail was still doing some good, even if it was just steadying the ship in the slightly awkward cross swell, but the genoa was just flapping around so that was rolled away
Up until now we'd enjoyed a rather nice sunny, if slightly chilly, day. However, looking to the West one could see a band of rain coming our way so it was on with the foulies for the skipper whilst the crew retired below
In the end we watched the worst of it pass us by to the North and we were just lightly showered upon. The front didn't bring much in the way of extra breeze either, which I'd have happily endured some rain to get.
There must have been some wind around somewhere because the outer Blackwater was being it's usual beastly self. Actually, I've seen it a lot worse but never the less the usual random chop doesn't make life easy on board
We'd enjoyed the benefits of a fair tide up the Rays'n but now it was back to punching the ebb as we motored into the Colne. We encountered quite a bit of traffic, having seen hardly anybody all day.
There was the big Thames Sailing Barge "Thistle", one of Priors small coasters, various motorboats and yachts and a couple of jetskis all milling about
To add to the fun, the Southerly breeze, such as it was, over the ebbing tide was kicking up quite a chop of Brightlingsea.
As we passed Mersea Stone, the point at the Eastern end of Mersea Island, the chop vanished and the calm waters of the Pyefleet opened up before us
Motoring past the permanent moorings, I dropped and loose stowed the mainsail and then we anchored just upstream of the moorings
Bang on six and a half hours and a perfectly executed passage plan. Shame we had to motor the whole way but some days that's the way it goes
We settled down in glorious sunshine with just the gentlest of swells rocking the boat.
Glen cooked up a delicious meal of fried potato, onion and fillet steak which was followed by a major raid on the No1 Beer Hold. We resurrected the family version of Rummy with the cards Jane and I bought at Walton earlier this summer and I proceeded to prove that you can be lucky at both love and cards
Coffee and rum finished off the evening and, after setting the anchor watch alarm app on my phone, we retired for the night
A bit of sorting out and bacon butties fur breakfast was all the preparation we needed and we got under way at the very civilised hour of twenty past ten
With a foul tide and precious little in the way of a breeze, and such as it was it was from the East anyway, it was a case of slogging it downriver under motor
The advantage of flogging the foul tide would come later but it was rather tedious going. Matters eventually improved downstream of Burnham with a bit more breeze and enough angle on the wind to make setting sail worthwhile
That gave us an extra knot or so of progress but it wasn't enough to make sailing alone viable so we motor sailed down to Holliwell Point
The catering department served up rather good ham salad sarnies which fortified us for the wild North Sea that awaited us beyond the river mouth...
Now it was time to reap the benefits of flogging the foul tide as we cut across the Ray Sand close inshore and laid a course direct for the River Colne confident of still having plenty of water over Bachelor Spit
That saved us a good few miles which given that the breeze was now fairly Southerly and barely flapping a flag was all to the good.
The mainsail was still doing some good, even if it was just steadying the ship in the slightly awkward cross swell, but the genoa was just flapping around so that was rolled away
Up until now we'd enjoyed a rather nice sunny, if slightly chilly, day. However, looking to the West one could see a band of rain coming our way so it was on with the foulies for the skipper whilst the crew retired below
In the end we watched the worst of it pass us by to the North and we were just lightly showered upon. The front didn't bring much in the way of extra breeze either, which I'd have happily endured some rain to get.
There must have been some wind around somewhere because the outer Blackwater was being it's usual beastly self. Actually, I've seen it a lot worse but never the less the usual random chop doesn't make life easy on board
We'd enjoyed the benefits of a fair tide up the Rays'n but now it was back to punching the ebb as we motored into the Colne. We encountered quite a bit of traffic, having seen hardly anybody all day.
There was the big Thames Sailing Barge "Thistle", one of Priors small coasters, various motorboats and yachts and a couple of jetskis all milling about
To add to the fun, the Southerly breeze, such as it was, over the ebbing tide was kicking up quite a chop of Brightlingsea.
As we passed Mersea Stone, the point at the Eastern end of Mersea Island, the chop vanished and the calm waters of the Pyefleet opened up before us
Motoring past the permanent moorings, I dropped and loose stowed the mainsail and then we anchored just upstream of the moorings
Bang on six and a half hours and a perfectly executed passage plan. Shame we had to motor the whole way but some days that's the way it goes
We settled down in glorious sunshine with just the gentlest of swells rocking the boat.
Glen cooked up a delicious meal of fried potato, onion and fillet steak which was followed by a major raid on the No1 Beer Hold. We resurrected the family version of Rummy with the cards Jane and I bought at Walton earlier this summer and I proceeded to prove that you can be lucky at both love and cards
Coffee and rum finished off the evening and, after setting the anchor watch alarm app on my phone, we retired for the night
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