Thursday 2 August 2012

Summer Cruise, July 29- August 1

Summer Cruise, 2012.
The original plan was to take in the rivers Deben, Ore, Butley and Alde.  However, having viewed the long range forecast, I decided that discretion is the better part of valour and postponed my trip to the Ore and its associated tributaries and, instead, returned to take in the Stour and the Walton Backwaters.  This was disappointing for various reasons:
  • I really wanted to explore the Ore again and also since I had planned to reach Snape in time for a concert my wife was taking part in on August 1st.  Instead, I had to attend this by road, thus curtailing the whole trip by one day. 
  • In the event, the forecast turned out to be pessimistic, and I could have probably managed plan A anyway.
It was difficult, on August 1st, looking from land across the marshes at Snape and thinking about what might have been.  Still, another summer, and I'll be back to settle this score...

On 29th July, I made my way from Pin Mill round to the Deben.  Conditions at sea were loppy, and I heard over the VHF radio of a boat which had gone aground at the entrance.  Fortunately, when I arrived, the Harbour Master was keeping watch just inside the entrance as Daisy II and a number of other boats negotiated this difficult entrance.
Deben entrance, north shore
I anchored for the night just short of Ramsholt.  On 30th July, I worked my way up to Woodbridge on the flood, and wondered into town for a coffee and some provisions.
Woodbridge mooring

Woodbridge mooring close-up
After the break in Woodbridge, I took the ebb downstream, and briefly called in at Waldringfield before departing from the river and returning to the Stour.  On the exit from the Deben, mid ebb, the overflows at the Deben entrance were very difficult to negotiate: note to self, find a better state of tide from which to leave the Deben.
Departure from Woodbridge

Stour weather
The trip up the Stour yielded some interesting skyscapes.
Stour sunset
I reached Manningtree and picked up a mooring for the night.
Stour sunset (2)
In the morning, 31st July, I paddled into Manningtree for breakfast, before taking the ebb down the Stour and out of Harwich harbour along to the Backwaters, taking an afternoon anchorage in Hamford Water, and having a kip whilst some stormy weather went over.
In the evening, I decided to take out the navigation lights and circumnavigate Horsey Island by dusk/night.  I managed this sailing the entire way without any use of other means of propulsion!  The navigation lights amount to little more than a set of coloured bike lights, but they seem to do the job.  I'm not sure what other boats would be able to see from broadside on, but they certainly worked from ahead or astern.  The rig below needs to be modified, since the jibsheets were inclined to foul each light as I went about.  I think I may look to rig them further forward - perhaps design a piece of wood from which to hang clip them.
Night sail navigation lights, port/starboard

Night sail navigation light, stern

Night sail, Harwich from Hamford Water
I worked my way along Hamford Water, into the freshly dredged entrance to the Walton Channel by Stone Point, up the channel, past Titchmarsh Marina and out into Horsey Mere.  Once in Horsey Mere, I anchored for 45 minutes and had a bite to eat whilst waiting for the tide to rise sufficiently to be confident of crossing The Wade without damaging anything.  Once past The Wade, I used some GPS assistance as well as keeping a careful eye on the compass since it was very dark and the moonlight was behind rather than ahead, which made it difficult to see where I was heading.
Having found Kirby Creek, I sailed back along to Hamford Water and turned into Landermere Creek and set anchor at about 23 30 hours.

Night sail, Horsey Mere, waiting for higher water

Night sail, nav lights

Night sail, stern nav light, looking back towards Titchmarsh marina
On 1st August, I sailed back to the mooring at Pin Mill.


Track, 75.3nm; Season's total 295.9nm
Red track: 29th July; White track: 30th July; Green track: 31st July; Purple track: 1st August

Deben track detail

Stour track detail

Walton Backwaters track detail

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