D-day minus one

Follyfin managed to negotiate the passage across the Thames Estuary, from Burnham-on-Crouch towards Whitstable on the north Kent coast and thence to The Swale, without becoming stranded on any sand bank or mud flat, and without any close encounters with over-sized commercial vessels or windmills. What is more, most of the passage was made under sail, which was particularly pleasing. In these parts it is common to see sailing barges, the working boats of the past, now largely sailed for pleasure. They are beautiful to look at, and particularly suited to these waters since they have very shallow draft so do not run the risk of running aground. We saw several as we progressed down The Swale (the tidal channel running south of the Isle of Sheppey) to Harty Ferry.

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Above map shows location of our mooring in The Swale. It's a lovely quiet area with much bird life - egrets, curlews, godwits spotted amongst other species enjoying the mud at low tide.

A rendez-vous at Harty Ferry had been arranged with old friends Nessa and Johnny, who arrived on the tender, undaunted by high winds and rain.

Nessa and First Mate Fiona go back a long way ... 50 years no less! And Nessa is the person most responsible for the current adventure taking place, since it was she who invited her teenage school friend to go on holiday with her on the family yacht, the magnificent schooner Catriona. A couple of trips to the Channel Islands and Brittany sowed the seeds of ambition, and the rest is history. So thanks again my old friend! Living so far apart, we do not see each other very often so we all enjoyed a well lubricated if slightly late lunch together. Fresh mulberries from our guests' garden near Canterbury were a real treat. And then all retired for a brief 'power nap', ostensibly for the crew to recover from the 4 a.m. start but also to let the weather calm down before the return dinghy trip to the mainland. Clearly, the siesta did our visitors good ... maybe an after-lunch siesta should become standard practice!

This morning, Thursday, it was another early start. By 6 a.m. Follyfin was sailing back out of The Swale on the last of the ebb tide. As we exited The Swale, we passed Shell Ness, the most easterly settlement on Sheppey, looking attractive in the early morning sunshine.

On we sailed, round past the north coast of Sheppey towards London, via the aptly named Overland Passage where the depths at the lowest astronomical tide are mainly only 2 or 3 metres. No wonder there are numerous wrecks in the area, some more visible than others.

As we passed the entrance to the Medway,

we were then entering the busy Thames Sea Reach, so a sharp lookout for big ships was required. Not long after this we were 'boarded' by an official from HM Border Agency who arrived with 3 colleagues aboard a high speed RIB to check out our credentials. Quite exciting really! Soon it began to feel more like a river than an estuary and it was here that a solitary porpoise was also sighted, unfortunately too brief an appearance for a photo. The extensive gas works near Hole Haven dominated to the north on the coast of Canvey Island.

Today we planned to go as far as Gravesend, on the south bank of the Thames, but not knowing this area at all, from land or sea, the best landmark for our scheduled stop is Tilbury Power Station, which is on the opposite bank in Essex. It cannot be missed!

Proud to report that Follyfin sailed with the tide all the way up to Gravesend barring the final 3 miles or so, and arrived just as the wind strength was increasing to the forecast gale 8. So now we are sitting on a visitor's mooring kindly supplied by the Gravesend Sailing Club, poised for the final 23-mile push up to Tower Bridge with the tide tomorrow morning. The sunset this evening bodes well for the weather tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing friends and relatives tomorrow evening to celebrate with us the official end to our almost complete circumnavigation.

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Enjoying East Coast Rivers

The Bank Holiday Weekend crew, Laurel and Will, joined on Friday night as planned, arriving by train from London just in time to share dessert with us.

Another early start would be required on Saturday morning in order to make good our exit from the river Deben which has powerful tide restrictions on small craft. Our reward was a beautiful sunrise.

Breakfast was taken 'on the hoof', consisting of toast spread with delicious, energy-giving blackcurrant jam made by our clever neighbour Sue (aka Queen of Preserves) from Cawton. Skipper and First Mate were suitably sustained before emerging from the Deben onto the open sea again about an hour and a half later, tacking into quite strong wind, battling a choppy sea and dodging showers.

Crew William was much happier once Follyfin had entered Harwich Haven, having found the choppy seas outside, well, shall we say challenging? Once past the cranes of Felixstowe and into the river Orwell, it was plain sailing again, nice and calm and quiet with a following wind to take us up to Woolverstone Marina.

We were then joined there by some very old friends, Laurel and Dick, whom we met many years ago across the garden fence of our first house in Cambridge and who now live and sail in these parts. In fact Follyfin was berthed just two 'doors' down from their "Swift" on the same pontoon. It was wonderful to see them again after a long gap and now this blogger must admit to a gross oversight - I completely forgot to take a photo of the event, being so overcome by the reunion (and probably not firing on all cylinders after three early starts in a row). A very unfortunate oversight but hope this can be rectified sometime in the future when FF and Swift may share another watery haven.

A siesta soon put us all on our feet again, and we had a lovely, slightly damp walk along the river path to Pin Mill and the excellent Butt and Oyster pub there. The opportunity to enjoy Adnams beer warmed the Skipper's heart - it was his favourite tipple during the almost four decades that we lived in Cambridgeshire. Yorkshire beer, especially Black Sheep, is excellent but there's nothing quite like Adnams - or so I am told.

Sunday morning arrived along with another crew member: Ivor.

Successfully negotiating Harwich Harbour again, we then headed south towards the entrance to the river Colne and Brightlingsea. It was sunny and there was a good sailing wind. The Gunfleet Wind Farm looked majestic in the sunshine (unfortunately no photos of that yet) and everyone felt well. Great! As the weather was settled we decided to spend the night on a swinging mooring in the Pyefleet Channel on the opposite side of the river from Brightlingsea. It was a good decision, the water being totally calm and quiet, with the silence only broken by the sound of birds. So we celebrated in the usual way. The sunset was memorable too.

Today, Bank Holiday Monday, dawned sunny and slightly warm. So young Ivor decided he needed to go for a swim but no one else was brave enough to join him ... it looked far too cold and murky but he found it to be invigorating.

Soon we were off again, towards the river Crouch this time. There are many sand bars - Ray Sand, Buxey Sand and Foulness Sand to name but a few - to be negotiated on this journey, not to mention the many and various sailing craft that populate these waters. This entailed several changes of direction, so although able to sail virtually all the way, the watch-keepers had to be extra vigilant to ensure safe passage through the various channels. But the Crew rose to the challenge and we arrived at Burnham-on-Crouch all in one piece and without incident. Here we said farewell to our temporary crew who headed back to London. Very quiet now they have all gone but looking forward to seeing them all again in London next weekend at the 'reception' to mark the official end of Follyfin's UK 2012 Tour. This is planned to take place at St Katherine's Dock where FF will be berthed for the night on Friday 31 August, having sailed up the river Thames that day. So if you are reading this, and happen to be in the vicinity of Tower Bridge that evening, why not pop over to see us? It would be great to see you. Meanwhile we will be studying the route across and up the Thames Estuary very carefully over the next 3 days to ensure we make it too!

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Sandbanks and Mudflats

Phew - made it to Lowestoft sans bow thruster! In reality the thruster is only required when arriving or leaving a berth, when there is a restriction in the ability to manoeuvre; the design of this boat with its twin rudders removes the capability of the helmsman to 'kick' the stern round using the prop wash, making it much more difficult to control the movement of an 11 ton floating object. That is why the designer thoughtfully included the bow thruster so that accidental collisions with immoveable objects could be (mostly) avoided. So once we had floated off the sand and emerged from the narrow entrance into Wells Harbour, it was just a matter of sailing down the coast in the normal way until we reached Lowestoft. As usual the wind was somewhat uncooperative, being very light and necessitating use of the motor to assist the sails almost all the way. No matter, we arrived at the entrance to Lowestoft Hamilton Marina just after 8.30 p.m. without incident. 'Parking' Follyfin was another matter though, requiring the Skipper to summon up all his helmsman's skills. And of course, the First Mate was an integral part of the successful berthing that evening, managing to leap onto the pontoon without falling in. The offending object causing all the anxiety is shown below.

The replacement part was waiting for us on Wednesday morning - fortunately the manufacturers had been efficient and sent it promptly, so the Engineer went to work on the repair immediately.

Lowestoft is not the most beautiful of places for a stop over. However it is the most easterly point on the British mainland (technically the most easterly point is Lowestoft Ness - a promontory just north of Lowestoft Harbour), so we have now 'bagged' all four extremities on this voyage. Most satisfying! Another of Lowestoft's claims to fame is Gulliver. Standing just north of the harbour entrance, it is the tallest and most easterly wind generator on the English mainland. It's an excellent landmark as such.

Yesterday, Thursday, we left Lowestoft at 6 a.m. and headed south again towards the River Deben in Suffolk. The early start was important as the timing of entry into some east coast rivers is critical in order to avoid running aground on the continuously shifting sandbanks and/or the mudflats that emerge under the river banks at about half-tide not long after the coast is left behind. Suffice to say we managed our first entry to the Deben without incident, picking up a buoy for the night about 2 miles up river, near Ramsholt - a very pretty spot.

Today, Friday, we needed an even earlier start - 05:15 - in order to make it right up the river to Woodbridge before the depth in the channel, and the depth over the sill into the Tide Mill Yacht Harbour became too shallow for us. Just as well we did arrive in time, as the sill actually dries completely just 3 hours after high tide.

Breakfast once safely berthed inside, using the newly repaired bow thruster of course, was most welcome! Sutton Hoo is just across the river from us here. Tried walking there this afternoon but we got halfway and gave up ... I admit it, just too tired. So that pleasure will be saved for another visit. This evening our new crew, Laurel and Will, are arriving from London for the bank holiday weekend. We will be exploring rivers Orwell, Colne and Crouch with them - more early starts and mudflats to contend with and a little bit of open sea. It's the traffic around Harwich that is slightly concerning - a sharp lookout will be required from all 4 pairs of eyes!

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Stranded in Wells

When preparing for the off yesterday, imagine our consternation when the bow thruster suddenly sprang into action unbidden when its associated battery was switched on! Now, as a student of this blog, you will be aware from the last post that the tide plays a significant part in arrivals and departures from this harbour. And Follyfin is currently anchored in such a position that she only floats in sufficiently deep water to move for about 2 hours either side of high water.

By the time The Engineer had found the source of the fault and how to deal with it, we were once again high and dry! However we consoled ourselves with a seafood lunch bought from the excellent van on the quayside.

Yes, there are compensations for the occasional breakdown and consequent enforced beaching ... and in case you are wondering, the slug-like looking things on the right are whelks, which The Skipper insisted on trying. First Mate stuck to the tried and tested lobster and giant prawns. This profusion of seafood all comes from local waters, fresh every day. Makes a special trip to Wells really worthwhile.

But now we are prepping for the off again, in a few minutes. We have arranged for the replacement part to fix the bow thruster to be delivered to Lowestoft, our next port of call. All being well it should be fixed by Wednesday. Sadly it looks like Southwold will have to be given a miss on the way south now, as we are already a couple of days behind schedule. Must dash now to catch the tide.

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Wonderful Wells

It's Sunday evening and all is well in Wells. It has been a fantastic weekend with plenty of sunshine, sea bathing, sea food, samphire and catching up with some old friends. Crossing the Humber Estuary at 6 a.m. on Friday was not exactly a picnic though. Our departure time was dictated by the time of slack tide, which was of course also the time chosen by large commercial vessels - container ships, ferries, tankers and the like - to enter and leave the area. Quite hairy for a little chap like us!

At one point we seemed to be on a collision course with a very large tanker.

... but we managed to avoid it. After that excitement it was again a case of zig-zagging - tacking - to achieve the nearest course to our intended one, being foiled once again by a head wind. By 13:00 we had travelled a creditable 45 miles but we were still 40 miles from our destination, which would have been only 50 miles in total as the crow flies! Just an hour later though, the wind 'backed' as the forecasters put it, allowing us to sail a much more direct course towards Wells. Indeed we then made such good progress that there was time to do some fishing (unsuccessful) before entering the narrow channel into the harbour. Entry to Wells-next-the-sea is tricky and has to be timed exactly otherwise it would be easy to run aground. The harbour master even comes out in his launch - aptly named "Provider" - to meet newcomers.

On Saturday morning we could see why he was anxious that we did not stray off the channel.

Saturday was also an opportunity for the intrepid Skipper to make some running repairs up the mast.

The harbour master kindly informed us that he was expecting several motor cruisers in on Saturday evening meaning that the pontoon would be quite crowded and noisy. So when the tide came up again, we decided to move out onto anchor on the sand, where we could dry out thanks to our lifting keel. The only disadvantage to this strategy for peace and quiet, as we later found out, was that as the tide ebbed and Follyfin settled onto the sand, she landed on a slope requiring us to spend the night on a tilt ... not very comfortable! However, our new position did provide an excellent view of the sunset.

Up with the dawn today, not only to beat the motor cruisers to the showers (well OK that was the real reason ...) but also to prepare for our visitors; Rosemary and Richard live at Ickleton very near to Whittlesford where we used to live. The tender was sent to collect them from the quayside but by the time they arrived the tide had ebbed, leaving Follyfin high and dry again, unfortunately again on a tilt, so they had to walk the last little bit. But they put a brave face on it.

They had told us they would bring lunch but we had no idea it would be such a feast, including dressed crab, delicious prawns, cold meats from our old butcher, and freshly baked rolls! All delicious, even on a tilt, though we had to take care not to let the wine glasses slide off the table.

Of course there was much news to catch up on, not least of which was the fact that they were 'on call' to look after their 2 year old grandchild when their daughter goes into hospital to produce her 2nd child - any day now. After lunch the need for exercise was felt, so off we went on the long walk towards the sea for a refreshing swim. At low tide here, the sea is a very very long way away so we eventually settled for a swim in the channel about half-way to the open sea. Just as well, as it happened, because a phone call summoned the grand-parents back home soon after the swim was over.

The other feature of interest about this place is the extensive salt marsh nearby. This is where the samphire, so-called asparagus of the sea, grows. If you look at the map below showing our location, the whole area to the east/right of our position is salt marsh. On a high spring tide, as it will be tomorrow, it is completely covered by the sea and samphire is perfectly adapted to grow there - just about the only plant that can survive such conditions. And it is delicious!

Tomorrow we set sail for Southwold. Just hoping it won't be another head wind to battle against for the 66-mile journey, as the crow flies that is!

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Cawton Connections

Friends and neighbours in Cawton, where we live most of the time - when not on Follyfin - have all been both supportive and interested in our nautical capers. So we were delighted to be able to welcome several of them aboard whilst we were on the North Yorkshire coast. First to sample a brief look at life on the ocean wave were Sally and Philip, who bravely agreed to join us for Sunday lunch whilst at anchor in Runswick Bay, 5 miles north of Whitby. Had the wind cooperated, this anchorage would have been beautifully calm. But that would have been too easy! The wind was in the east bringing an uncomfortable swell into the bay, making lunch more of a rock 'n roll session than an enjoyable meal. Nevertheless our visitors put a brave face on it despite feeling rather queasy.

They were quite keen to set foot back on dry land but first had to endure a ride in the tender back to the beach.

Remaining at anchor overnight was not an option in those conditions so we headed down to Whitby and the safety of the harbour. Approaching from the sea provided us with a fresh view of the famous Abbey and the town we have come to know well from the land.

Unfortunately we arrived in Whitby Harbour too late to catch the last opening of the swing bridge on Sunday. But we managed to raft up against another boat waiting just outside the bridge and enjoyed a quiet night. Passing through the bridge on Monday morning, we were soon berthed in the marina and ready to welcome our first visitors for lunch: Jenny with her young son George and Jenny's parents Carol and Alec.

The weather was warm and occasionally sunny so lunch was taken on deck. George appeared to be interested in all the nautical activities going on in the marina. This was later proven to be the case - Jenny told me he has not stopped saying 'boat' 'boat' since, a refreshing change from his normal chant of 'ee i ee i ooo.' for tractor!

As we bade goodbye to our lunch guests, Paul and Imelda arrived. Perfect timing!

Still warm enough - just - for drinks on deck, we retired below for supper. We enjoyed hearing their holiday plans for a cruise amongst the Norwegian fjords and looking forward to seeing their photos and hearing their holiday notes. Follyfin is anticipating a cruise of her own to Scandinavia in the not-too-distant future we hope. Soon after Paul and Imelda departed we headed for a spot of shuteye, ready for an early start the following day ... mind you, Whitby at 4 a.m. does look quite appealing.

Reasons for the early start were two-fold: first, the latest swing bridge opening we could catch on Tuesday was 04:00, otherwise we would have been trapped in Whitby marina for a further 10 hours; secondly, our next passage would be a long one down the coast to the mouth of the Humber River. Little did we know quite how long it would be ... instead of the predicted 69 miles to Spurn Point, we actually travelled 106 miles and didn't arrive until 11 p.m. This meant we had to pick up an unlit mooring buoy in the dark - not an easy process! The reason for the extra distance? You guessed it: the wind was on the nose again, necessitating a zig-zag course towards our destination. That day was both exhausting and stressful, so we thoroughly enjoyed an easy 25 mile journey yesterday up river to Hull marina to investigate the marina for winter storage. Strong winds in the estuary and a favourable tide allowed us to sail along at a cracking speed with only part of the jib unfurled. Lucky wind was in the right direction for once.

The Humber is an estuary, 4 miles wide where it reaches the sea between Spurn Head and Northcotes Point. It is formed by the R Ouse and R Trent, which meet 13 miles above Hull. The river is commercially important and drains most of Yorkshire and the Midlands. It also has strong tidal streams. Sailing up, and down again to Spurn today, we had to be careful to remain out of the way of some frighteningly large commercial ships.

It's another early start tomorrow to cross The Wash to the north Norfolk coast. We hope to be relaxing in Wells-next-the-sea for the weekend. Fingers crossed for some sunshine!

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Preparing for the off ... again!

Feeling refreshed after almost 3 weeks at home, the time has come to set off again on the last leg of the UK Tour. On Friday evening we headed back to Hartlepool to our floating home. Our very good neighbours from Cawton, Sue and Peter, have not only been in loco parentis for our house and garden during our nautical adventures [thank you Peter - your grass cutting skills definitely deserve Olympic Gold] but also kindly offered to drive us back to Follyfin. Little did they know that we come with a lot of clobber.

Both Sue

and Peter

helped to stow the cargo before sharing a convivial supper with us on board.

Today has been devoted to preparing for our trip down the East coast over the next few weeks - re-provisioning, washing away bird droppings from the topside, cleaning various filters, inflating the dinghy etc. etc. We are looking forward to meeting up with several friends on the way to London. The schedule was shown in the post "The Last Leg" published earlier this week. Don't forget to get in touch if there is a chance of meeting up anywhere. We would love to see you!

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