Not The Summer Cruise - part 1

Today, of course, should be day 10 of our gentle ramble around the fleshpots of Essex and Suffolk. However, we're back at Fambridge early with things to do that need to be done

First job today is phoning the insurance windscreen hotline to arrange for a nice man in his van to come and put a new windscreen in the car, I don't fancy driving anywhere with a huge crack across half the width of the screen

Then I need a list. So here's a list ...

• Phone boat insurers, check insurance on proposed new boat
• Check with Yacht Havens that we can transfer the mooring
• Phone brokers and tell them we definitely want to go ahead with the purchase
• Arrange to meet seller on Tuesday if possible
• Strip as much unnecessary gear off Brigantia as we can squeeze into the car

What else?

I'm sure I've forgotten something?

Oh yes, did I mention that we've decided to sell Brigantia and buy a bigger boat?

Summer Cruise 2013 - Day 9

Given the needed to get the car windscreen repaired before we can get on with other plans, we really wanted to get back to Fambridge today

 

The forecast wasn't great - south or south westerly F4 gusting F5. Oh well, at least there wasn't a strong wind warning to go with it

 

Heading out from Fox's at 6 in the morning, there was no wind at all. A bit of breeze finally kicked in as we approached Felixstowe and I hosted the main with a reef in it as a precaution against the forecast

 

Good job too as by the time we cleared Harwich Shelf the forecast F4 was solidly in place. Reaching across towards the Gunfleet was fine but as we started to tack into the Wallet the breeze worked up to at least an F5 and the seas got up to match

 

It all started to get a bit too exciting plus progress was becoming very slow so there was nothing for it but to took away the genoa, start the engine and point the boat where we wanted to go

Whilst we were, I think, the first to bottle it, the other half dozen or so yachts heading the same way soon followed suit.

 

As I'd hoped though, our timing was spot on to simply hold the course out of the bottom end of the Wallet into the Ray Sand Channel. We slipped across the drying bank into the Crouch just after half tide on the flood with a good half a metre or so to spare

 

We'd had an easier ride for an hour or so between the shore and the sandbanks aided, had we but realised it, by the wind going round from the South West further into the West. Now, oh what a surprise, it was right on our nose again as we flogged our way into the river. It wasn't dangerous by any stretch of the imagination but it wasn't much fun either

 

Even upstream of Burnham the river remained lumpy and unfriendly and it was with considerable relief that we got alongside the pontoon and tucked ourselves up for the night. Of course, within the hour the weather was idyllic and the river a picture of serene calm. We had beer to make ourselves feel better! It worked :)

Summer Cruise 2013 - Day 8

As planned we sailed up the Orwell to Fox's Marina. It wasn't an early start do it wasn't an early arrival!

Once there, we had a good nose at our friends Lisa and Mark's new boat "Ocean Lady". It's huge! Very nice too. But huge! Did I mention it's huge?

A window shop around the chandlery (also huge, and expensive) was followed by a quick shower then a meal in the marina yacht club. Very going it was too and at last a pint or several that didn't taste of vinegar or pipe cleaner

Some guitars made an appearance so out came the baby guitar for its first appearance in public. It was fine and created quite a lot of interest

It was well past late-o-clock when we retired!

Summer Cruise 2013 - Day 8 plans

A change of mind means we'll be heading up the Orwell to Fox's Marina, Ipswich for the night shortly.

Then we'll blast back south tomorrow

Summer Cruise 2013 - Day 7

Sticking to the hop and stop strategy that is working so well this week, and given the forecast for the next few days, we elected to stay put at Shotley today.

Another late start to the day saw a leisurely breakfast of bacon and egg butties followed by a healthy dose of doing nothing much and then a couple of afternoon drinks in the Shipwreck

Actually, there was a whole lot of talking and discussing options and plans, costs and finances and so on and so forth. With some insightful input from our friend Lisa we reached the decision to sell Brigantia and buy the boat we fell in love with at Tollesbury

This is, of course, assuming that the deal can be done and the finance arranged.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch as the saying goes, more friends arrived at Shotley this evening so we repaired on board Laurin and did some respectable damage to their beer and whiskey stocks!

Upshot of conversations whilst drinks and popcorn were consumed was a change of mind about heading back to the Crouch tomorrow. In the morning we need to choose between sticking to our original plan off heading up to Ipswich and the alternative of joining Laurin and co. at anchor off Stone Point for barbecue and booze ashore in the guise of pirates!

We're not really geared up for that having decided to give it a miss before we departed so we'll probably head up to Fox's in the morning

Then it'll be a long blast back on Sunday unless we break it into two by stopping off either in the Stour or the Blackwater. Decisions, decisions!

Summer Cruise 2013 - Day 6

A not particularly early start to today saw us pop up into Tollesbury village for some essential supplies and then taking another look at some future possibilities before setting out at spot on midday as planned

Actually, I reckon we could have scraped our way out perhaps twenty minutes earlier but the gauge showed 4 feet over the cill giving us a foot or so in hand.

There was barely a breath of wind at first but we hoisted the main anyway for the show of the thing. As we motored past West Mersea the wind started to kick in and we set the genoa and killed the engine.

Soon enough we were cracking along at a good pace and it just got better and better. We reached all the way up the Wallet at over 6 knots over the ground in grand style even enjoying the afternoon sunshine as we relaxed in the cockpit with barely a tweak of the sails necessary and the tiller pilot doing the work of steering the course

As we approached Harwich we came onto a dead run and intercepted Sirenia falling in astern add they sailed past us under main and spinnaker. They locked up into Shotley ahead of us, Apogee shortly afterwards and we all convened on J pontoon for a drink before eating on board our respective boats and then repairing to the Shipwreck for more drinks and chat

We covered just over 26 miles in 5 hours and 50 minutes which is very respectable indeed. One of our best sailing passages yet and certainly our best run up the Wallet channel

Tomorrow it's up the Orwell to Ipswich

Summer Cruise 2013 - Day 5

No cruising today, we spent the day at our leisure in Tollesbury

Actually, it may turn out to have been a very expensive day because we've seen a bigger boat and all but decided to buy it but more of that at the appropriate time!

Tomorrow is another day and despite the distractions we're sticking to the plan and heading for Harwich. Well almost! The one variation is that I'd planned to stop at Halfpenny Pier, Harwich for the night but friends are heading our from Tollesbury at about the same time as us planning to go to Shotley so we'll join them

Not that we're planning a convoy mind you, we haven't got that bigger boat and they're bound to be quicker than us! So we'll try and get a head start and then wave pleasantly whilst gritting our teeth as they sail past!