The forecast said we should have a reasonably nice day with a decent breeze from the South West or South. What we got was a cloudy day with light airs from the West! Bloody met men have yet to get it right this year.
We set off on downriver at 09:43 on the first of the flood, picking up the tender on the way past, with a tentative plan to head round into the Roach for the night. By 10:35 the wind had died away to nothing so we started the engine. Five minutes later, the wind picked up again and off went the noise machine.
By midday, we'd lost what little wind there was once again and we were drifting sideways with no steerage way towards the top end of the moorings above Burnham! On with the smoke machine once more, we motor sailed down past Burnham before finally picking up a bit of a breeze and getting back to sailing again.
As the sea state was verging on smooth and the wind and tide were in our favour, we decided to pop out into the Whitaker to see if we could spot the seals we'd seen on the Foulness Sands near the Sunken Buxey last time out. However., by the time the tide turned we were still short of the Outer Crouch making slow progress downwind in such a light breeze. No matter, we put her about and headed back into the river.
By 15:30 we were passing the Brankfleet doing 5.9kts over the ground under sail! Yep, the breeze had picked up and come round somewhat more Southerly. By this stage, the skipper was developing a headache (I'm something of a martyr to headaches) and the paracetamol were nowhere to be found. From long experience, I knew the head wouldn't get better of its own accord so the only option was either to go into Burnham - something we've not yet done and which would cost money to boot - or head back up to Fambridge from whence I could dive into the Asda at South Woodham to get some pills.
The breeze didn't last long and by the time we'd crept up to downriver end of the Burnham moorings it was virtually indetectable so we were forced to resort to the engine again. Once clear of the moorings, we decided there was enough wind to sail on so off with the motor it was at 17:35.
Less than 15 minutes later. we were drifting on the tide to the East of Bridgemarsh with no wind at all and a glassy flat river with not a ripple on it. We waited for the breeze to kick in again. We waited some more. And then we waited another five minutes. By now my head was splitting and I'd had enough so we started the engine, furled the genoa and got under way at 18:10 with Mark at the helm whilst I lowered and stowed the mainsail. No sooner had I put the last sail tie on the main, the wind kicked up strongly from the South! By now, Jane had found the blasted tablets too and my headache was abating rapidly. However, enough was enough and we pressed on under motor to tie up on the pontoon at Fambridge at 19:10
A meal aboard was followed by a drink at the Ferry Boat Inn and a nightcap of rum for the skipper and midshipman before bed
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