August

3^rd August

‘Talisker 1’ is at anchor in the Orwell.  Just down river from Buttermans Bay and just above Colton Creek … tucked into the bank.

We arrived yesterday evening.  Anchored close by was ‘Gravitas’, a Westerly Oceanlord, Liz and John Mills.  Liz and John were early mentors to me when I first took tentative steps in these waters.  They were marvelous to me.  ‘Gravitas’ headed back to the Deben this morning.

On Monday 1^st August we left the Ore and sailed to the Colne in predominantly fresh south easterlies.

Despite a dirty bottom and a foul tide ‘Talisker 1’ did what she does best and made good progress.  The sail was a fraction over 40 NM through the water, this being my longest sail since my Heart Block in November.  I was starting to feel quite tired when we dropped anchor in the lee of Mersey Stone Point, half way between the SS ‘Lowlands’ wreck and the mooring of ‘Pioneer’.

To my great joy , Thames Barge ‘Mirosa’ was at anchor just above ‘Pioneer’.  We were in an ideal place with south westerlies overnight.

At high water Brighlingsea yesterday afternoon we hauled the anchor and set just the genoa.  In south westerly 5’s we romped back up the Wallet and in to the Orwell.

Approaching the anchorage under sail and closing in on low water we ran aground.  I had to start the engine for the first time since the day before yesterday to get off.  It was going to be so easy to have anchored under sail.  A few moments after running aground the anchor was set and peace reigned again.

Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons I received an email from David ‘Doc’ Foreman in July.  “Just in case your interested there is an Orford Dabchick Ten Footer for sale”.

Having told my friend Bill Hughes that owning a wooden boat was madness what did I do?

I had to sell my Mirror to buy the Ten Footer.  I made enquiries with Martin Egan at www.ukmirrorsailing.com and learned that my Mirror had a well known racing history.  Martin also suggested a price and agreed to advertise my Mirror (previously known as ‘The Black Boat’) on his website.

In the mean time an advert in the Orford SC Clubhouse immediately found a buyer and even better, she will stay at Orford SC.  In a trice I was able to buy the Ten Footer.

‘Dolphin’ is sail No 18 and she was built at Robertsons, Woodbridge circa 1953.  David Bettinson had not sailed her since 2019 and she promptly sank when I launched her.

On the following tide she was half full and after several more tides she was pretty water tight having taken up reasonably well.  Doc did however seal up a cracked plank and a large leak in the bow which will have to be addressed this winter.  A flexible sealant that never goes off was used!

Having rigged her with experts Mary Goldin, Jonny Oakes and Doc I went for a sail on the 29^th July with another new Ten Footer custodian Jenny, Doc and Mary.

All I can say is that I must have looked like a person who had got off the lift at the wrong floor.  An Orford Dabchick Ten Footer is quite easy to sail but mighty difficult to sail well.

4^th August

A wind shift to the west had us move yesterday evening and anchor down river inside Orwell PH Buoy.

This evening the wind was predicted to veer north easterly at 1700 and bang on time it did exactly that.  Anticipating this wind shift, we were already heading up the Stour under genoa to anchor in Erwarton Bay.

There will be more north in the wind overnight before the wind backs to the north west in the early hours tomorrow.

We will probably return to the Ore tomorrow.

I’ve been reading an awesome story.  Lijia ‘Lily’ Xu was the Laser Radial gold medal winner at the 2012 London Olympics.  A world champion already, twice as an Optimist sailor and once as a Laser Radial Sailor, Lily had already won bronze at her home Beijing Olympics in 2008.  Lija’s is an extraordinary story.  The book was given to me by my brother Henry who had been filming with Lily and her husband, world class sailing coach and Laser sailor Jon Emmett.  Lily had so many obstacles stacked against her, but she still succeeded in being … simply the best in the world.

Here is the link to Lijia’s book.  I highly recommend it.  https://fernhurstbooks.com/authors/6/xu_lijia

22^nd August

We did return to the Ore on the 5^th August.  My first proper sail since the medical problems in November.

Orford Sailing Club is very busy.  There are some very promising youngsters and some that are finding their way on the water for the first time.

I’ve been sailing my Ten Footer.

On the 17^th August we briefly put to sea and sailed out to Shipwash and back with two of our excellent Dinghy Instructors, Ruby Brint and Jacob Kunert.

Jacob’s sister Hannah has featured in this blog last year.  Ruby became our Orford SC Chief Dinghy Instructor this year.

I’m thinking of leaving the river for a few days tomorrow.

24^th August

I finally shoehorned myself and ‘Talisker 1’ out of the river this morning.  She’s been a good nurse and seems content with my apparent idleness, as if to say … we can stay here … we’ve done all that travelling before … BUT … if you want … you lead me, and I’ll take you safely.  Otherwise … the mooring is just fine.

We’ve ended up in the Colne … again.  We briefly thought about Potten Creek in the Roach.  Much of this summer has been spent just using her as a house boat.  I hope to be well enough to feel more adventurous again, though perhaps I should take note of my date of birth.  I’ll have to heap some TLC on my ship should I be fit enough to go far again.

We are anchored just inside Mersey Stone Point and the anchorage is busy with the prime spots taken.  We arrived at LW.  I’m always fascinated by yachts going in to Brightlingsea Creek.  They seem to run aground deliberately and just wait for the tide to rise a little before making there way in …  a step at a time.  Others anchor for a while before going in, without fuss, and the rest, like me … just anchor.

The weather has been sublime after a miserable start.  Rain was in the air at 0630 and we were underway from our mooring in an overcast at 0700.

HW Orford Haven was 1020 BST.  I decided I was not going to worry about going out a tad later, preferring another hours sleep.  We switched the engine off as we rounded Weir at 0840 and under a reefed main and stay sail crossed the river bar and beat down the coast in to SW4’s.  The skies were clearing and the prospect of the wind backing at midday pleased me as it meant an easy sail, all be it against a foul tide, down the Wallet.

We rounded Roughs Tower at 1130, the wind backed SSE as predicted, the skies cleared and we headed for the Wallet.  Undaunted by a foul tide and a dirty bottom, ‘Talisker 1’ had a terrific sail south as we at times, touched 8 knots through the water.  With a clean bottom she would have flown.

Today was just under fifty nautical miles through the water.  I think back to the days of 4,000 nautical miles in a couple of months.

Approaching Brightlingsea I started the engine and got the main sail down.

The sunset over Pyefleet Creek was as good as it gets.

Thames Barges ‘ Edith May’ & ‘Centaur’ are anchored off Brightlingsea Spit.  The ‘May’ arrived quietly at dusk and expertly anchored under full sail.  No fuss, no bother and no words.

It’s been a lovely day and evening marred only by a lone jet skier this evening off Brightlingsea Creek.  I’ve nothing against jet skiing.  I suppose it’s got to be done, but was he not aware of the tranquility and beauty of this estuary an hour or so ago?  Or was it just another tide  … another sunset!

25^th August

We got underway just before HW Brightlingsea.

Both barges were away an hour in front of us and as we rounded Colne Point, close in shore, I have never seen so many boats in the Wallet.  Both the Edith May and Centaur were amongst them and were lowering their sails to anchor.

The flotilla was there for an air show off Clacton.

Variable winds took us up the Wallet helped mainly by a strong ebb tide.  I expected the winds to become very light and for a short period of time, only the tidal stream was taking us north.  The wind then freshened again from the north west and we beat from Medusa in to the Orwell and then sailed up the Stour to Erwarton Bay where we are anchored for the night.

An old trick of Doc is to gently touch mud bang on low water and then lower the anchor, backing off in to deeper water. Preferably anchoring on a flat shelf.  By anchoring in very shallow water the vessel is virtually out of the tidal stream and therefore windrode and comfortable.  BUT … one must be certain of there not being a wind shift.  The winds were going to be northerly overnight and in to the morning.

‘Talisker 1’ is not herself.  I will try to organize a September scrub at Suffolk Yacht Harbour.

We will return to the Ore tomorrow.

27^th August

We did return to the river yesterday.

We awoke to a lovely day in the Stour and were underway at 0730.  HW at Orford Haven was 1140.

Very light North Westerly winds were going to die out as the morning progressed before veering to the north.

We managed to sail to Boat House Point against the flood before succumbing to the engine.  Earlier we had sailed inside Andrews Spit, almost touching the groins at Languard Point as we sailed through the narrow gap and along the beach.

A ‘Swallow’ and ‘Amazon’ attack of Ten Footers as Doc, Mary and Jenny bore down on us as we came in to the moorings at Orford.  I’m so pleased I am part of this small fleet.

Long chats with Doc yesterday and a good nights sleep and I’ve been lazily putting the boat to bed.  I won’t be back for a couple of weeks except to sail my Ten Footer.

Copying ‘Tuesday’ I hung the dinghy on the main halyard while the river flooded.

It was so much more comfortable not having to think about the tender.  I must set up a rig that is quick to use.  It is protection from the wash of the speeding motor boats, most of whom are oblivious to slowing down through the moorings.  Also, slowing down a bit creates a bigger wake.  They really have to slow down completely to create little wake.  This will never happen.  Very few of them are businesslike or aware of their surroundings.