Autumn Cruise 2014 Day 6

We slept, in the end, very well and by the morning we were greeted with a fine start to the day and just a gentle ripple through the anchorage.

Conditions were, in fact, so pleasant that had we been able to obtain a replacement petrol can and fuel for the outboard I'd have been seriously tempted to leave Erbas at anchor and dinghy the four miles or so to Walton on the Naze

Perhaps it was just as well that it wasn't an option. It was gone nine in the morning so I tried phoning Bedwells, who manage the yacht basin at the head of the creek into Walton, but all I got were answerphones

Never the less, we determined to visit the town whilst we were here so we upped anchor and motored through the narrows at Stone Point and on through the moorings.

Our plan was to pick up a mooring as close to the town as possible and then we'd have perhaps two or three hours ashore. Time enough, at least, for a bit of shopping.

We did indeed pick up a mooring in an ideal spot but I thought it worth another try at the basin and happily this time the phone was answered and the news was good.

It's an interesting trip up the drying Foundry Reach with the echo sounder alarm going off almost constantly! We made it without touching and moored up where we liked as we'd been directed to do!

I located a very nice chap in the yard and paid him some money whilst Jane washed the decks down to sluice away the mud brought up by the anchor chain earlier



With the boat all tidy we set off into town and down to the beach. It's a bit of a walk up into the Naze proper but we made it, via a coffee stop at a beach kiosk, and paid our tuppence ha'penny each (I wish, £2.50 more like) to go to the tower

Built in the 1700s by Trinity House as a navigation mark, the Naze Tower has been variously used as a lighthouse, lookout, signaling position and radar tower over the years.

Restored to its former glory some years ago, it now serves as a tea room and art gallery. It was the view from the top that interested is though...



Looking out over the Walton Backwaters, Arthur Ransoms "Secret Water"

Staggering back down the tower and returning along the beach via another beach kiosk for a mediocre bacon butty and not very good coffee, we popped in to the RNLI shop. I wanted, and obtained, a new RNLI burgee to replace or existing one which was on the verge of disintegrating.

Jane picked up a keyring for her boat keys and a new mug to replace the one broken when we nearly needed the help of the lifeboat a week or three ago!

Then we walked out along the pier to look at the lifeboat moored in her permanent berth at the end



Jane wanted to know if we could see the inside to which I replied “ only if it all goes horribly wrong "!

Back into the shopping area we picked up a new watch and a nice retro looking boxed games compendium, which is something I've been after for a while. The it was Tesco Express for essentials and the makings of dinner before heading back to the boat

With the tide out, I took a walk to look at the creek and the basin entrance...





Jane cooked us a delicious meal of loin pork braised in a cider and apple sauce with steamed veg and mash. Yum!

It was washed down with a beer for me and cider for Jane and then we walked down to the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club for another drink or two. Very nice it is to, as is everything about Walton

And then to bed. Tomorrow could be a challenging day when we pay the price for the pleasures of today

Autumn Cruise 2014 Day 5

The day dawned, well they always do this far in my experience. This was a fine start with clear skies and bright sun.

However, it was not to last and within the hour foghorns were booming on the river as a couple of freighters made their way slowly up to Ipswich docks.

We had neither the need nor the inclination to go and play dodgems and delayed our departure from Woolverstone until things had cleared somewhat

We left at twenty past eleven and optimistically made sail and stopped the engine as soon as we'd cleared the marina and tidied away lines and fenders.
For the best part of a couple of hours we had a not unpleasant drift down river on the ebbing tide. Despite the almost total lack of breeze we were able to mantain steerage way at least and even gave the log some work to do on occasions

I was very happy that we ghosted past a Moody 29 and kept station with a similar size boat to ourselves. It's always satisfying to know that you're ding at least as well as the other boats out there.

There were a couple on interesting interpretations of colregs which passed without incident and I did have to briefly start the engine and use a burst of throttle to avoid being carried into a line of moorings but the drama was all happening to other people today

Mo 

A large and very smart looking yacht had gone aground at Collimer Point and despite the best efforts of the crew, a workboat and two RIBs it wasn't coming off again

On we drifted until at last my patience was exhausted (my excuse being that drifting around in the middle of the biggest container port in the UK was silly) and it was on with the engine anfd away we went out past Harwich breakwater

Just over an hour and a half later, about three-o-clock, we felt our way carefully down Hamford Water passing another yacht aground in the entrance. This time the efforts of the wardens launch soared to be successful at getting them off. We avoided any similar calamities to and picked a spot to drop the hook.



Those of you familiar with the writings of Arthur Ransom will have no trouble recognising Secret Water. The flag marks the popular anchorage at Stone Point however the entrance is a little tricky and not for the faint hearted on a falling tide so we opted for the easier option of anchoring in Hamford Water

Although the sun steadfastly refused to come out to play, barring the odd spot or two of light rain earlier it was a pleasant enough day.

After a cuppa and a spot of rest and relaxation after our strenuous exertions (!) we set about cleaning the ship. I did my best with the windows (need some Windolene or similar) whilst Jane dealt with an accumulation of dust on the book case.

I then decided to get the tools out and screw the toilet and kitchen roll holders up after first giving them a good dose of teak oil

There was no debate about the location for the kitchen roll holder...



but the loo roll holder was the subject of some discussion and trial and error brute we settled on a position high up above the towel rail.

By now, with the tide well in and the wind well round into the East and gusting up to 14 or 15 knots it was getting a bit bouncy in the anchorage. We'd acquired neighbours ahead and astern of us too.

I broke out the snubber (a length of nylon rope with a chain hook on one end and an eye splice to go over a cleat on the other) and ran out another ten metres of chain before hooking the snubber on and easing out the chain into a loop below it.

The snubber then takes the strain of the bows bouncing up and down rather than stressing the mechanics and mountings of the anchor windlass. Being nylon it also acts as a shock absorber although ours doesn't have a lot of givde left in it. I'm making a new one but it's a work in (slow) progress because I keep scrapping my attempts at splicing the line to the chain shackle



As the sun set, the wind stubbornly remained in the East rather than the North or North West where it was supposed to be. Happily, however, the F5 (17 to 21 knot) breeze predicted in some forecasts didn't materialise and it was far from being unbearable on board.

We had dinner and a tot and then to my delight I discovered a lone survivor of the Burnham Beer Locker Massacre...



It didn't survive for long!

Jane retired to bed and I dozed until my alarm foretold of The Turning off the Tide (there's a song in that.. oh, hang on, some Thompson bloke has already done it). We gently swung at the behest of the note ebbing waters and satisfied that all was well I settled down to sleep too

.Autumn Cruise 2014 Day 4

(Saturday)

As far as the boating goes today was never going to be wildly exciting. All we planned to do was a quick five mile hop upriver and see if we could pick up a mooring at Pin Mill

With little or no breeze to speak of, we just motored the whole way. There were plenty of boats on the move, most of them motoring and one or two out for a drift



However, of anything even vaguely resembling a visitor mooring there was no sign.

According to the mooring operators Web site we were looking for a yellow pick up buoy with "V" for visitor on it and a notice giving instructions

The beast didn't exist as far as we could see and Jane declared a friends mooring which I knew would be vacant "too far"

So into Woolverstone Marina we went. This cunning plan of weaning ourselves off marina berths isn't going so well!

Never mind. After checking in and sorting out, we set off along the footpath to Pin Mill. It's as atmospheric and historic as you could wish for



After a look around, we headed up the hill to Cholmondiston for essential supplies. Coffee and sugar procured, we deemed it silly to walk past the pub a second time and didn't.



Beer and food with a view ensued and then it was back along the footpath through the woods to the boat. It isn't that far and it's a very pleasant walk

I think it's shaping up to be an early night though. Tomorrow we think we'll go and find an anchorage. Hamford Water is a possibility

Autumn Cruise 2014 Day 3

(Friday)

It was a murky start to the day and it didn't really improve much. Still, on the "bright" side, as it were, it wasn't raining and there was a half decent breeze albeit with only just enough North in it to make a trip up the Wallet a half way attractive proposition

We had fairly hammered the domestic batteries last night and with overnight device charging plus the anchor light by this morning they were making like a pancake. Flatter than a very flat thing they were!

So given that I'd have to beat up the Yokesfleet and the Brankfleet against the last of the flood tide, I decided to motor as far as the Inner Crouch buoy at least to give the batteries some much needed amps.

I got under way just before eight leaving Jane asleep as is often our way. An hour or so later just shy of the Inner Crouch buoy I hoisted the main and then set the genoa. However, the wind angle was not giving me a lot of help and I decided to keep the engine running albeit throttled down from 2100 revs to 1800 revs. This would give me more boat speed, an attractive proposition on a day like today, and keep pumping the amps into the battery.

Visibility wasn't great either, barely a mile a times, and there wasn't a lot to be seen out there. One of the Wallasea Island ships passed me by heading into the Crouch and a fishing boat went past some way off heading out to sea and that was the lot.

The Coastguard MSI (Maritime Safety Information) broadcast contained mention of two large unlit metal canisters moored off Clacton. I wasn't quick enough to copy down the position so I called them up and asked for a repeat. Plotting the position confirmed my suspicion that they were bang on my track!

Believe it or not, they are in the photo above marked by two red and yellow buoys. They are only a couple of cables (0.2 miles) away and barely visible and they are slap bang in the middle of the Wallet. I have no idea what their purpose is but they present a hazard to navigation, especially at night, even worse than the usual menance of badly marked pot buoys.

However, before getting that far, I'd crossed the Spitway and killed the engine. I couldn't quite lay the course I wanted towards the Medusa buoy but it wasn't too far off and we were making over 4 knots through the water with a fair tide helping us nicely along too.

Jane had briefly emerged, take one look at the day and rather wisely (having supplied me with a coffee) disappeared back into her berth for the duration.

 

 Not far beyond the buoys mentioned above was the unusual sight of a ship at anchor in the Wallet. Even more odd that it's cargo hatches are open.

Over by the Clacton shore a large barge of some description was at work on improving the sea defences and I wonder if the ship and containers are all connected with that ongoing project.

 As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, a fishing boat was coming down the Wallet towards me on a steady bearing (which means if neither of us did anything we'd collide). I couldn't see any day marks to indicate he was fishing (one cone inverted above another hoisted aloft) which is frankly unusual because most fishing boats leave the signal up permanently.

Never the less, his slow speed and apparent determination to maintain his course was suggestive of trawling so I altered to starboard to clear his track and sure enough he was indeed fishing. I got a wave anyway!

I was bang on track to run us up onto the Cork Sand which runs North to South off Harwich. Two choices, tack inshore or go round the outside. As the tide was now on the turn, I reckoned the outside route would suffer from a stronger foul tide so tacked across towards The Naze before tacking back towards the Harwich channel

By now we were surrounded by yachts of all shapes and sizes going in, it seemed, every conceivable direction. As I was hoping to pick up a berth at Halfpenny Pier in Harwich and therefore wanted to beat the rush it was back on with the engine and full speed ahead.

The tactic sort of worked as there was indeed a free space which the yacht behind us occupied after we'd declined it because it was on the outside. We decided a more comfortable night was to be had across the river in Shotley Marina and to hell with the extra expense!

Once in, we tidied up and put a harbour stow on the sails before heading to the showers. Having eaten on board it was off to the pub for a couple of beers. There was a classic car meet at the Shipwreck which made I chuckle as most of the "classic" cars in question were being thrashed and trashed by me and my mates back in the early 80s!


I was also struck, not for the first time, by the spectacle that is Felixstowe Docks at night. The photo doesn't do it justice including, as it does, perhaps a third of the entire scene.

All those containers travelling around the world full of stuff. I can't complain 'cos I'm a sucker for buying stuff!

I remembered to fire up the tracking bug today too so we've got a track. 36.8 miles in 8:15 at an average speed of 4.45 knots. OK, so slightly over half of the time was motoring or motor sailing but hey ho. Not a bad day. Not a brilliant day but not bad!

Tomorrow we're thinking of a short hop upriver to pick up a mooring at Pin Mill. Failing that we'll probably dive into Wolverstone Marina and walk back down the river bank

Autumn Cruise 2014 Day 2

(Thursday)

With the tide on the turn shortly after eight, there was no particular need for an early start so we didn't make one!

In fact, Jane didn't start at all (she would finally emerge form the forecabin just as I was shaping up to anchor!

With the wind firmly in the East and gusting up to F5, I put the first reef in the main before slipping. Although there would be times when I was tempted to shake it out, it does take the sting out of the gusts and makes life easier



It was a beautiful morning as I motored downriver with George II at the helm. He's working but I need to calibrate and set him up properly. Once I'd tidied away the lines and fenders I looked aloft and reckoned it worth a go at sailing.

Up with the main, out with the genoa and away we went. Apart from Cliff Reach, which I could fetch the length of, it was short tacking all the way. In the moorings at Burnham it was several very short tacks indeed.

Although it had clouded over, it was a pleasant day and I was enjoying myself. However, it was going to be a long slog down the Whitaker to the Spitway and I binned my original plan to head for West Mersea and headed into the Roach instead

With the ebb tide now against me and the wind astern, we never the less made steady progress upriver. The entrance to our favourite anchorage isn't wide and I rolled away the genoa and ghosted in under main alone.



Picking a suitable spot on the Eastern side, I scandalised the main and, with the engine running to boost the batteries, dropped anchor in 3m putting out about 12m of chain.

Jane cooked up a full English brunch after which we idled around and snoozed for an hour or two.

With the tide now on the flood, I ran out the rest of the anchor chain. With my best guess of 5m of rise (which would prove to be a slight overestimate) that would give us about a 5:1 scope. Less would likely do but more doesn't hurt and with an electric windlass it's no great effort

Then it was time for chores. Jane tidied and cleaned in the cabin whilst I sluiced the mud that had come up out of the chain locker off the decks and gave them a good scrub

Both burners on the cooker needing filling and we've got two bottles of ethanol left now so we've used 8 litres so far this season.

Then we had a play with the MOB gear. It takes longer than you might expect even just to heave the horseshoe buoy and Dan Buoy off the stern rail. And my best effort with the heaving line barely cleared thirty feet!

We followed that with a rehearsal of making a DSC Mayday call. That went OK too but fingers crossed none of it will ever be necessary! Much the better idea is not to fall off the boat in the first place.

Whilst we were at it, I fetched the PLB out of the grab bag and ran a battery and gps test on it. Been meaning to do it, now it's done! This also gave Jane a chance to run through the procedure for using it again.

Tinned stew and potatoes for dinner was followed by rice pudding and then we watched a programme on i-player before retiring for the night

All in all a very pleasant and relaxing day. I could get used to this!

Autumn Cruise 2014 Day 1

It was the increasingly usual tale of finishing work at six this morning and hitting the road for Essex right away

We had a good run down today and we were soon aboard and tucked up in the forecabin for some much needed sleep

We awoke some hours later a little overheated! You wouldn't believe it is technically autumn. Sunny and very warm albeit rather breezy

A gap had appeared on the pontoon so I got lines and fenders sorted and sidled across quickly with a brief burst of motor.
I fetched the first of two trolley loads of kit from the car calling on at IBS (Inflatable Boat Supplies) on the way. IBS supply the trade and chandlers with accessories and materials for, obviously, inflatables and I needed a cheap foot pump with an adapter for the Avon RIB

I distinctly remember Ian giving me the pump for the thing when we bought it and I remember it being in the cockpit at the time. What the hell I did with it thereafter is a mystery but it's nowhere to be found.

I needed cash to do the deed so wheeled the trolley back to the boat whence came by Roger and Sheila on Sabre (a Moody 31 called Sabre, but not a Sabre like Erbas, confused? You will be)

They dropped on the outside of us for a beer and a chat before heading on upriver to spend the night in the marina.

Then I fetched the second load of kit and purchased the aforementioned pump which allowed me to top up the tubes on the RIB.

There was a worrying whiff of petrol which had noses lifting and sniffing. Unfortunately it turned out to be our petrol can which had sprung a leak. I donated the freshly filled contents to a jerry can on Ironsides (no point in our going to waste) and binned the can

The outboard is fortunately full and we can always row (yeah right!). If we get the chance to grab a replacement can whilst we're out we will, otherwise I've got several more at home

A bit of a sort out and my how time flies as it was beer-o-clock. Food and a couple of beers ensued. We didn't stay late as we were both very tired.

Pausing only to haul the storm jib bag out from its hole insert the v-berth and stick it on deck over the port forecabin window (into which the pontoon lighting was shining) we dived under the duvet and were away with the fairies in no time at all

Insurance in the nick of time

Had a sudden thought a few minutes ago and dug through the pile of mail in the "I might get around to it eventully tray".

Retreiving the renewal notice from GJW, I got on the phone PDQ to renew the policy 'cos it runs out tomorrow!

Quickly done over the phone, rather less than two hundred quid and that's us covered for another year

While I was on I double checked that I had added both dinghies and the outboard to the policy, I had!

Looks like we could have a nice day or two to start our next trip off but it might be building up to be a bit breezy over the weekend and into next week. If that holds true I think we'll just spend a few days at Fambridge doing a few jobs on the boat and then have a gentle potter around the river.