Greenwich Yacht Club - East Coast Cruise 2016

Snow Goose in the Medway (photo Jim Four)

This year’s Greenwich Yacht Club East Coast Cruise for me had the added component of organising it.  This was not in itself a major task, passage planning each day, organising berths and moorings at destination marinas and harbours etc, but a responsibility nonetheless.  Happily, all went well and a very enjoyable cruise was had by 12-15 boats visiting various locations along the Kent, Essex and Suffolk coasts. Good weather, combined with both strong and light winds and no major boat failures kept the fleet together and the company good. The one change of plan resulting from a very strong wind forecast on the day we were planning to leave the Orwell for the Roach caused us to stay a day longer in the picturesque Orwell – could be worse! 

The cruise involved the usual GYC variety of size and shape of boat, most of which set out from the club on the Saturday and were joined by others along the way, including Snow Goose at Queenborough from Gillingham.  I had the good fortune to have an excellent crew on Snow Goose in Ian Blackie, with me for the whole week, with Garth Emrich and Nick Day joining for some of it. Snow Goose performed well, sailing better all the time as I get to know her and with the addition of the new cruising chute she kept a respectable pace with the fleet, downwind at least.

Below are my log notes of the days with some photographs.  

Day 1 Saturday 30.7.16  Gillingham to Queenborough

Wind W 5kn (F 1-2)

Max speed 5.3kn (OG)

Distance 8.1nm

Shake down afternoon cruise to join the main GYC fleet at Queenborough with my able crew Garth Emrich and Ian Blackie. The boat feels fine and for once even the wind instrument works, if briefly – something to do with sufficient power supply to generate a signal? Very little wind so we drift down on the tide at 1.5kn over the water, pleasant enough on a sunny afternoon.

Arriving at Queenborough for an unholy dance of rafting and re-rafting 14 boats to suit the harbour master ending up with 6 boats deep on the land side of the concrete barge. A very convivial barbeque on the barge to break the ice (if that were needed) at the start of the cruise.

Rafted six deep at Queenborough

Day 2  Sunday 31.7.16  Queenborough to Bradwell

Wind WSW 10kn (F 2-3)

Max speed 8.6kn (OG)

Distance 38.6nm

The Thames estuary crossing in light winds can be a long day’s sail, but the light hot winds are sufficient to get us sailing all the way to the Spitway. The fleet keeps together reasonably well with a lot of ship to ship communication, particularly as the deeper keeled boats come up to the Spitway at low water where depth becomes the main preoccupation. Actually there is plenty of water as we are not far off neaps.

Trying out the new cruising chute, which is a big success, Snow Goose keeping pace with the fleet easily. As much of this crossing is a run we are flying the chute poled out as a spinnaker. My crew Garth a huge help working out the best configuration of lines.  One seal seen in the water.

Wind on the nose turning towards the Blackwater so most boats end up motoring in a solemn column of boats to Bradwell.  The engine heats up a bit and I later find a large quantity of seaweed and other material in the cooling water inlet strainer. Must check this regularly in future.

Some concerns again in the fleet over depth, which two hours after low water is less than predicted at the Bradwell Creek bar. All get in eventually and Bradwell Marina proves to be a good calm destination after a long day.

City Girl 

Tuning the chute

Day 3  Monday 1.8.16 Bradwell to Harwich

Wind W 5-15kn (F 1-4)

Max speed 7.2kn (OG)

Distance 26.1nm

The whole fleet heads out at 1100 and sails up the Wallet in light airs which build through the day. Again the cruising chute provides entertainment and speed but proves too much as we round the Naze in stronger winds and has to be quickly dropped in a riot of flogging lines and sail.  A fine reach across Pennyhole Bay to Harwich. 10 boats moor at Half Penny Pier under the watchful eyes of Mike the good humoured, if bossy, Pier Master who cajoles us into tighter and tighter spaces.  The remaining boats sail on up the Orwell.  A good day.  Garth leaves us to go back to London on the train.

Christina 2

Day 4  Tuesday 2.8.16 Harwich to Orwell

Wind SW 10-15kn (F 3-4)

Max speed 5.7kn (OG)

Distance 6.1nm

But for the strengthening winds, today is a saunter up past Pin Mill to Royal Harwich Yacht Club who welcome most of the fleet without difficulty onto their visitors’ hammerhead. Others are at Wolverstone Marina next door.  The Orwell makes a good sailing ground, with flat water and moored boats to dodge. A very convivial evening spent at the Butt and Oyster at Pin Mill.

RHYC

Day 5  Wednesday 3.8.16 Orwell

Wind W 15-20kn (F 4-5)

This is meant to be a rest day but the weather is good and sailing beckons.  Ian’s wife Sue and Nicola join us for a bracing strong wind sail up river to the Orwell Bridge and down to Levington weaving between the moored boats and enjoying the excellent sailing conditions.  Practicing hardening the main up to reduce power and cut down weather helm works well.

The water is warm enough for me to go for a ‘swim’ to investigate the state of the hull and propeller.  The boat has been slower than usual when motoring and noisier.  The reason is a thick layer of barnacles all over the propeller. I manage to scrape this off with a blunt chisel in one hand while holding onto the propeller with the other to keep me far enough under water to get to it and stop me floating off on the tide.  It works and the boat runs much more smoothly again afterwards.

We hold a whole fleet meeting in the evening, meant to be a briefing for the next day’s journey but actually important decision time as to whether to go at all.  The forecast is for stronger winds, 20-25 knots, which will result in heavy going conditions of wind over tide in the Wallet.  With a quieter weather forecast for Friday the fleet decide to stay another day in the Orwell. 

Wolverstone and the Orwell

Day 6  Thursday 4.8.16 Orwell

Wind W 10-20kn (F 3-5)

Max speed 6.4kn (OG)

Distance 5.1nm

We start out on another strong wind sail in the Orwell and notice that the gooseneck has broken and is bending out of the track, hanging on by a small bolt and not fit to sail. We limp back to RHYC.  This has been worrying me for a while and I am suitably cross with myself for not having dealt with it months ago. It turns out through some brilliant serendipity that Ian the berthing master at RHYC knows just the right people at Fox’s Boat Yard in Ipswich and he whisks me off in his car with the broken gooseneck to meet them.  Three hours later we motor up under the Orwell Bridge to Fox’s to collect a beautifully welded and straightened gooseneck.  I have also asked him to shorten it to reduce the cantilever and thereby reduce the stress on the fitting and track.  This gooseneck seems to be a ‘home made’ device to fit a replacement boom and I am not sure about the long term appropriateness of this fitting, especially with the kind of loads imposed in strong winds with the kicker hauled in. Anyway an excellent out come for the time being given that we have to leave the next day and I will certainly need a functioning gooseneck.

Nick Day joins us to crew for the rest of the cruise.

Gooseneck repaired

Day 7  Friday 5.8.16 Orwell to Brightlingsea

Wind W 10-15kn (F 3-4)

Max speed 7.9kn (OG)

Distance 30.3nm

An early start for a beautiful sail from RHYC to Brightlingsea. Winds light to start with but filling out nicely. The cruising chute comes out for the beam reach across Pennyhole Bay, to be dropped as we round the Naze Tower and start close reaching down the Wallet in several long tacks. We cross the Colne Bar on a rising tide with plenty of water under the keels. (I have gone aground here before so caution is inevitable). We arrive in Brightlingsea at 1400 for a hot, quiet afternoon rafted up with the fleet. Slightly regretting not taking the fleet all the way to the Roach where three of the boats have gone for a warm evening’s anchorage there. However Brightlingsea is as ever welcoming.

Shuda

Brightlingsea

Day 8  Saturday 6.8.16 Brightlingsea to Queenborough

Wind W 2-15kn (F 1-4)

Max speed 7.0kn (OG)

Distance 38.2nm

Out at 0700 to get over the Brightlingsea bar before low water and out to the Spitway in time for the turn of the tide.  Some boats leave earlier and still only just have enough depth leaving Brightlingsea.  This is the closest I have come to misjudgement in my passage planning the East Coast Cruise but fortunately all the boats get away. (Some of the deepest draft boats have gone on to the Roach the day before so as not to have such an early rise).

Out to the Spitway running goosewinged with poled out Genoa, a very good calm way to sail.  Crossing the Spitway is fine even though we are at springs, then cruising chute up for a broad reach to the Whitaker and down Middle Deep.  As we head further south and west the wind heads us so the chute comes down and we reach then beat until quite close hauled. The wind is erratic ranging from almost none to strong enough to put in a reef for a while. These are strange sailing conditions and apparently very local as other boats have different experiences. A seal pops up nearby to the boat to have a look at us.

We are not in a hurry so we sail or drift most of the way, despite the time passing, until we are tacking across the shipping lane and out of the way of several fast moving ships. Finally drifting into the Medway and up to Queenborough to raft up on the grey buoys, six boats on each. A hot and satisfying day.

Batteries a bit low, need to keep an eye on charging and the rhythm of swapping from battery 1 to 2.

Blue Moon

Nick Day and Ian Blackie

Queenborough 

Day 9  Sunday 7.8.16 Brightlingsea to Queenborough

Wind W 15-20kn (F 4-5)

Max speed 6.4kn (OG)

Distance 10.6nm

Strong wind beat up the Medway. Enjoyable but even with one reef we are overpowered and developing too much weather helm. Much to learn here about depowering the main enough to prevent the rudder acting as a brake. Lovely sail in the sunshine nonetheless. The repaired gooseneck is bending a little again although the welds are sound.  Probably the result of too much kicking strap tension at the mast end of the boom. Will have to watch this and perhaps move the kicking strap boom connection out a little to reduce the moment at the gooseneck.

My crew and I are tired but we are all pleased with an excellent week and some inspiring sailing. This has been an excellent East Coast Cruise.

A stiff beat up the Medway

Nick Day at the helm