My East Coast Cruise Greg Penoyre 19.9.11
It was with a certain amount of nervous anticipation
that the skipper and crew of Spray set out on an early Saturday morning from
GYC on a trip that, for at least some of the time, was to join up with the
official GYC East Coast Cruise.
Our destination, The Blackwater Estuary coincided with that of the other
boats and it seemed a good plan to join in with them. It turned out to be just that and a pleasure to be in such
good company.
Spray is not a big boat and the Thames estuary can get
a bit ‘serious’ if one does not take proper note of wind, weather and
tide. That said Drascombes have
gone all over the place and I wanted to see what it might be like to go on a
bit of a ‘journey’ in mine.
For our first day, thinking twice about crossing the
Thames Estuary from Queenborough to Brightlingsea with the other boats, we
chose a shorter route out of the river hugging the north shore and hopefully
getting to Burnham on Crouch - An ambitious distance especially in the light
wind conditions which we started in.
Happily (and unusually) the outboard motor behaved well all week and
changed from being my least favourite aspect of Spray to a trusted friend. We
motor sailed out of the Thames and then sailed for most of the trip, creeping
past Southend Pier (which seems to take as impossibly long to pass as it is
impossibly long). Radio goodbyes to the rest of the fleet duly made we carried
on alone up the Essex coast. The plan we had set was either to sail all the way
on to the end of the Foulness Sands, round the Whitaker Mark and into the
Crouch, or if we timed it right to go across the sands to Havengore Bridge and
through the Roach – a trickier but far superior route for a shallow draft boat.
For those new(ish) to cruising the sense of scale and
distance in the sea is a bit of a surprise. Marks that seem close together on
the chart are hardly visible from one to the next and can disappear
mysteriously in any kind of weather. However, it is satisfying to pass buoy
after buoy on programme and extremely helpful that they are so clearly named.
We made it to South Shoebury about an hour ahead of schedule and ahead of high
tide. A swift review of the
passage plan and heights of tide said we could just about cross the sands
without waiting about and the lifting Bridge operator at Havengore was
encouraging on the radio, (although they are clearly carefully briefed not to
lead you ‘siren like’ onto the Essex equivalent of the rocks). So off we set
across the sands. By now the
weather had changed from balmy to distinctly blustery and wind over tide over a
metre or so of water meant sudden choppy conditions with occasional breaking
waves. Drascombes (with very low
freeboards) don’t like breaking waves on the beam so we got a bit wet. However
the satisfaction of following a calculated course to steer, bang on to the mark
off Havengore, did away with any dampened spirits. Extraordinarily as we passed
through Havengore Bridge in wind and rain we suddenly emerged into sunshine and
calm. The Roach in these conditions is beautiful, flocks of egrets and other
birds I can’t identify took no notice as we glided by and the low evening
sunlight that accompanied us to Burnham provided warm tones on the landscape.
Overnight in Burnham Marina – a rather efficient set
up, and like so many recently dug marinas, is a bit enclosed. However, no
complaints we were well looked after and got quite a few “you came from London
in that?” type comments particularly from those alongside in rather big boats.
The next morning was again balmy and almost windless
and we drifted as if in a dream down the Crouch on the tide with other boats and
into the Whitaker Channel. A large group of seals on the sandbank serenaded us
as we crept past them and you could hear conversations on other boats,
improbably far off across the water. In these conditions it is possible to brew
tea and cook on deck on Spray, (which is a lot better than trying to do so
below), so we had a highly civilized morning. Happily the wind came up enough to enjoy the sail out
towards the Swin Spitway and in the hazy conditions by the time we reached it
land was not to be seen. It’s a strange feeling to be out of sight of land in
such shallow water and to be able to get out and stand on the bottom beside the
boat, (should one choose to do so). From the Swin Spitway a long broad reach took
us up to Brightlingsea and renewed contact with the GYC fleet. We moored up on
the pontoon under the friendly guidance of the harbour master (himself a serial
Drascombe owner and therefore a friend for life), alongside (ed: I can’t remember the name of Paddy’s
new boat) and Caroline V. The evening was of course highly convivial.
Day three was spent pottering about in the Blackwater
tributaries, Pyefleet Channel etc, before heading up to Maldon on the tide for
and evening rendezvous. The tide not being quite high on arrival meant of
course that we (and several others who perhaps should remain nameless) went
aground right off the rather public Hythe Quay. My crew Garth left me here for
more important pastimes and I joined the fleet to anchor off Osea Island in
rising wind and chop, enjoying excellent hospitality on board Blue Moon before
a squeaky night rafted alongside.
The next day I parted company with the GYC fleet and
sailed off into the rain for a day or so more in and around the Blackwater.
Heading East and planning to stop in at Tollesbury for lunch, the wind got
better and better and the sailing with it so I just kept going on out to sea.
Until, that is, the fog came in. Sailing single handed in fog for the first
time was unnerving but satisfying if the marks come into view when they are
meant to. (Although I have inshore GPS capacity from an excellent i-phone app it
is more rewarding navigating by chart and compass even in these conditions). I
ended up returning to Brightlingsea for the night.
Time did not allow me to sail back to Greenwich or
rejoin the GYC fleet and so I took advantage of my ‘trailer-sailer’ and went
back to London to get the means to tow Spray home – a rather unromantic end to
a brilliant five days but certainly convenient.
Needless to say I am now contemplating longer more
ambitious cruises in Spray and certainly joining another GYC East Coast Cruise.
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| Pottering along in gentle conditions between the sandbanks |
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| ... and later, heading into a fogbank |
