My own log of the cruise on Snow Goose with my crew for the
week Jim Grady and Ian Blackie is here:
Day 1 29.7.17 Gillingham to Queenborough
1400-1630
Wind SW 5-10kn
Distance 8.9nm
Max speed 4.1kn
Late starting due to a blocked heads outlet. What a
glamorous beginning to the cruise. I try
in vain to fix it from within the boat before we set off, barking knuckles and
getting hot and bothered bent double under the heads to no avail. Try again later!
We finally set off, starting with an interesting time in the
Gillingham Marina lock watching (with some sympathy and anguish) another boat
struggle, their mooring lines tied firmly to the quayside bollards while the
water level dropped. I turn round only
to find one of ours is caught up and is also taught and getting taughter. Some
swift action and all is well. The other boat did not fair so well with horrible
cracking sounds from the cleat fixings and the owner rather unreasonably
blaming the lock keeper! Anyway off we
go for a gentle sail down to Queenborough raining a bit towards the end but
nonetheless enjoyable. We are received by most of the fleet already tied up
after their uneventful journey down in the morning. The weather a bit unpromising for a barbeque
but we go ahead anyway. Less boats have arrived than expected, several failed
to get away from Greenwich and one or two off station boats have not appeared
but that makes the cruise a bit more manageable so no real regrets there.
Day 2 30.7.17 Queenborough to Brightlingsea
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| Taking the northerly route round the wreck of the Montgomery |
Wind W 10-22kn
Distance 36nm
Max speed 9.0kn
Average speed 4.6kn
A windy early start so we put two reefs in the main (for the
first time). This gives us confidence in
the strong wind but soon proves unnecessary so we shake them out and keep going
at good speeds. The fleet splits either side of the Mongomery wreck at the
mouth of the Medway with most taking the northerly route and sticking together
reasonably well for the whole day - Blue Moon and Snow Goose within biscuit tossing
range and sailing neck and neck for much of the time. The cruising chute gives
a big boost to morale and speed during the lighter wind middle part of the
trip. The skipper is made a bit seasick kneeling on the foredeck dealing with
the cruising chute in a following sea. Hopefully my sealegs will return soon! A good broad reach eventually turning into a
beat as we start to head north for the Spitway in 20kn of wind. We arrive into
Brightlingsea, marshalled into various moorings by the harbour master with
characteristic efficiency and go on shore for the customary fish and chips and
pints at the Yachtsmans Arms.
Day 3 31.7.17 Brightlingsea to West Mersey
The day starts with Snow goose beached on the Hard to clear
the blocked heads outlet from the outside.
A peaceful wait for skipper and crew while the tide drops and with only
one wetsuit on board my crew opt to sit it out while I scrub the bottom as the
tide drops and eventually get to the heads outlet which is well blocked between
skin fitting and seacock but proves to be easily unblocked and is soon sorted –
phew. The propeller is encrusted with barnacles (after only 4 months in the
water) so it’s a good chance to clear them and polish up the prop. French Marine advise not coating a propeller
on the grounds that nothing will stick to it at 1500rpm but cleaning it a couple
of times a season instead. So it goes back in the water unadorned and now drives
the boat considerably better.
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| On the Hard at Brightlingsea |
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| Barnacles - after only four months in the water |
0300-1530
Wind SW 12-15kn gusting 20 occasionally
Distance 6.8nm
Max speed 6.8kn
We get away after lunch for a lovely afternoon sail
westwards to West Mersey into the scintillating afternoon light, gorgeous and
quite fast close hauled sailing in sunshine and an invigorating wind with
occasional exciting gusts. The boat performs excellently making 5.5kn into 15
kn wind. In hindsight we should have been reefed for this wind but somehow we
don’t leaving us with a fair amount of weather helm as the boat heels over to
30degrees quite often. Snow Goose will
do this but seldom seems to go over much more than 30 degrees. We arrive at the
beautiful and busy moorings at West Mersey, where we are well looked after by
the WMYC launch, finding places for all of the fleet. Snow goose does well, we are put on a swinging
mooring close to the jetty. Not close enough however for a tired crew to row my
tiny tender in after the outboard refuses to start. We give in fairly easily
and opt for a very pleasant self-sufficient evening on board while other
members of the GYC fleet are entertained by the commodore of WMYC on shore.
Lovely mooring amongst birds and mud banks covered in samphire.
Day 4 1.8.17 West Mersey to the Orwell
0900-1500
Wind SW 5-15kn
Distance 31nm
Max speed 8.8kn
Average speed 4.5kn
A light wind leaving West Mersey, the creek is like a millpond,
but the wind freshens to 8-12kn as the fleet leaves the Blackwater. Another
good cruising chute day and up it goes taking us at a brisk pace up most of the
Wallet. The wind keeps us flying along through the day in excellent sailing
conditions. As usual wind and sea tend
to get up a bit as we round Naze Head.
At this point, in a choppy moment I fall quite lightly onto the tiller
and it snaps off at the base. This is surprising (and painful) and leaves us in
a bit of a fix but not at any real risk.
After a bit of a struggle to get the boat into the wind with only 9” of
tiller left and very little steering ability, we get the sails down. Nothing for it but to motor into the Orwell
steering carefully with what is left of the tiller. I decide we are not
sufficiently disabled to warn the coastguard as we cross in front of Felixtowe
Docks and Harwich, and we safely motor on up the Orwell to Royal Harwich Yacht
Club and the usual friendly helpful reception. After tea and a tidy up we set
to and repair the tiller with three bolts and epoxy to give it maximum time to
cure before setting off again on Thursday. The repair seems sound and I feel
that if it is going to break again it wont be at that point. We’ll see, but
clearly it’s time to make a spare tiller, perhaps this time in laminated timber
rather than a single piece of hardwood which the original Macwester tiller is.
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| Snow Goose flying the cruising chute at 6 knots |
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| The broken tiller |
Day 5 2.8.17 Royal Harwich Yacht Club/Pin Mill - Rest Day
A day of various minor jobs on the boat and general resting.
Significant amounts of rain come through in the afternoon so the cockpit
tarpaulin makes an effective and sociable shelter as various people drop in for
a drink and give advice on the outboard, all well intentioned, not all
absolutely relevant. In the end Jim and I dismantle the carburettor, clean it
out with fresh fuel and the engine runs – jets blocked with old fuel it seems.
Now we just need a decent sized tender to go with it. Next on my shopping list.
We are guests of the Pin Mill Sailing Club for the evening for
a thoroughly convivial barbeque on their
veranda under a spreading oak tree – what a spot. Pin Mill is a simple place, the
lane running down to the hard with houses and boat yards on either side. It is
perhaps a pity that the Butt and Oyster is now a ‘smart’ pub, but that’s
progress.
Day 6 3.8.17 Royal Harwich Yacht Club
Wind bound again! The GYC fleet meets on the lawn in the morning for a serious talk about whether to leave today or not, there are very strong westerlies forecast and the Wallet can be tough in these conditions. It turns out not to be a difficult decision, and we all decide to stay a second day in the Orwell. I regret this a little and decide to go for a sail down river anyway. It proves windy 10 knots gusting at one point to 39 knots(!) which nearly knocks us over, and that still in the relative shelter of the river. Sailing speeds in these conditions are not particularly high due to having to concentrate so hard on controlling the boat but occasionally we do go over 6 knots. We sail back to RHYC for a more sensible afternoon of maintenance and resting. The outboard is now working well so is perhaps safe to put away for the time being. The trouble with kit like that is that it only gets used once in a blue moon. Maybe the ideal would be an electric outboard. One day…
Day 7 4.8.17 RHYC/Orwell to Brightlingsea
1200-1900
Wind SSW-SW 10-20kn morning dropping to 3-8 afternoon
Distance 35.7nm
Max speed 7.6kn
Average speed 2.7kn
An exciting start to the day with good winds across the bay to
the Naze and into the wallet but dropping to not enough wind in the afternoon.
Tacking up the wallet is fine, if slow and it proves difficult to point
accurately in the confused wind over tide seas and we often lose speed. Coming up
to the Colne we opt to cross the Colne Bar on the rising tide, watching the
depth as it gets less and less. I have
been aground here before so we are cautious. All is fine though and we slightly
anxiously watch a deeper keeled boat than Snow Goose follows us, unwisely
perhaps across the shallows. Coming into Brightlingsea at 1900 we opt to anchor
in Pyefleet channel rather than go into the harbour, so as to make an early morning
start easier. This is a good choice, delicious supper anchored in serene peace
listening to the birdsong and gently gurgling water.
Day 8 5.8.17 Brightlingsea to Queenborough
0500-1300
Wind SW-W 3-8kn
Distance 32.7nm
Max speed 6.9kn
Average speed 4.3kn
A very early start with most of the boats leaving the anchorage
just before low water at 0500. Others join us from Brightlingsea and it turns
out needn’t have worried about depth in the channel; they all get out,
apparently the channel has been dredged this year. It is dawn twilight so we are sailing with the
navigation lights on (for the first time for me on Snow Goose). A hearty breakfast cooked en route gets us
going and we motor sail and sail with others to the Spitway. There is not much wind all day so unlike the
purists in the fleet we motor quite a bit and give the engine a good airing and
then in the breaks when the wind does get up we sail and drift in peace. It is strangely rewarding crossing the
estuary like this, with a strong sense of the journey we are taking. Well out
to sea a seal bobs up close by to take a look at us. We opt to take an inshore course along the
Sheppey coast and take a look at Sheerness but there is even less wind here. It
is interesting anyway and when we finally come round Garrison Point we are
edging along close to the jetty. The entrance to the Medway is busy today and
we pick our way round the ships and into the Swale. We get some warning blasts
from the shipping suddenly leaving the dock but keep well out of their way. Finally
we arrive at our mooring on the Grey Buoys at Queenborough where we raft up 6
deep for a sociable and relaxed afternoon. A huge thunderstorm suddenly arrives
with lightening striking one of the massive wind turbines, apparently
harmlessly. Some of the fleet have witnessed this storm as they came in and are
a little wet on arrival.
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| Snow Goose heading out to the Spitway |
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| Rafted up and resting at Queenborough |
Day 9 6.8.17 Queenborough to Gillingham
0900-1300
Wind W 10-15kn
Distance 10.7nm
Max speed 6.0kn
The majority of the fleet heading to Greenwich leave at 0700
while we dally for an hour or so before setting off up the Medway. It is slightly
sad to be suddenly on our own and not heading up river with the rest but it is all
made up for by a near perfect sail up the Medway in bright sunlight beating
into steady winds. We practice tacking
and pointing the boat, not so high as to stall and not so deep as to loose way. Snow Goose likes to sail at about 45degrees
to the wind with the windex just outside the ‘box’. I am also starting to get used to using the
wind instrument rather than looking up at the windex on the masthead all the
time. I am not sure whether this is a good habit to get into but it does allow
for more precision as the helm does not have to keep looking up. It’s a lovely
morning and we see our first porpoise of the cruise. Then on the last tack of
this last morning of the cruise I notice the genoa halyard is slack and see
that it has come free of the sail at the head. A timely gear failure, time to
get the sail down and the webbing which has broken free of its stitching to the
sail fixed.
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