Twenty five participating boats:
Coasters:
Daisy II, Evelyn, Tyboat, Sapphire II, Dottie Two, Pamela, Blue Peter, Nonsuch, Appuskidu, Mudskipper
Dabbers:
Mudlark, Teifi Bach, Coot, Teal, Blue Teal
Drifter:
Damson
Luggers:
Piper, Clare, Muckle Flugga, Trigger's Broom
Scaffie:
Blue Moon
Longboats:
Jenny Morgan, Harnser
Gig:
Tra Bhui
Faversham 14:
Merlin
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| Drascombes at Hickling Staithe, Saturday morning |
Some boats arrived by water, part of longer cruises.
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| Jenny Morgan's skipper at work |
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| Coaster Tyboat, visiting us, all the way from Eire |
Most arrived by land, launching at Whispering Reeds boatyard, negotiating its famously crooked slip. The tip of my mast caught on a telephone cable running across the yard, whilst on the trailer. This has slightly damaged the masthead light fitting and I shall have to tend to this over winter...
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| Crooked slipway at Whispering Reeds boatyard (see later pictures) |
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| Drascombe Gig Tra Bhui |
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| Skipper's briefing, Saturday morning |
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| Final rigging on Daisy II |
The plan for Saturday was to sail on Hickling Broad until about noon, then along Deep-Go Dyke and Meadow Dyke into Horsey Mere, stopping at Horsey Drainage Mill for lunch. Winds were easterly F5.
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| Daisy II on Hickling Broad |
These action-photos of
Daisy II were kindly taken by skipper and crew aboard the Dabber
Blue Teal. As has often been the case this season, when needing to reduce sail, I ditched the mizzen and sailed with reefed main and a few rolls in the jib. This seems to provide a very balanced sail plan - no pull on the tiller and she seems to point as well as usual.
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| Daisy II on Hickling Broad |
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| Lugger Clare, plus my usual reefing camera trick... |
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| Dabber Blue Teal |
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| Dabber Blue Teal on another tack |
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| Faversham 14 Merlin shielding lugger Trigger's Broom |
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| Scaffie Blue Moon |
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| Merlin and Fiddler's Broom continue their tussle |
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| Drascombes at play, beating up towards the south eastern corner of Hickling Broad |
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| Scaffie Blue Moon |
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| Scaffie Blue Moon |
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| Coaster Blue Peter and Gig Tra Bhui |
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| Coaster Pamela and Dabber Blue Moon |
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| More Drascombes fighting with reefing |
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| Longboat Jenny Morgan glides along majestically |
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| Coaster Dottie Two |
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| Dabber Teifi Bach |
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| Dabber Teifi Bach |
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| Coaster Tyboat shielding another Drascombe! |
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| Jenny Morgan and post |
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| Clare and another post |
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| Jenny Morgan and reeds |
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| Coaster Appuskidu, under new ownership |
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| Dabber Blue Teal |
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| Gig Tra Bhui |
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| Lugger Piper |
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| Coaster Nonsuch |
At Horsey Mill, many skippers took a short early afternoon stroll to the North Sea. Others had a leisurely lunch.
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| Drascombes at Horsey Wind pump staithe |
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| Lots of Drascombes! |
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| Lots of Drascombes from the other end! |
The photo below is a particular favourite of mine - 25 Drascombes created a wonderful spectacle and rather dominated a Silhouette Owners Association Cruise which had turned up.
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| Drascombe masts! |
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| Blue Teal departure |
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| Blue Teal departure |
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| Drascombes inching along Meadow Dyke |
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| Coaster Sapphire II |
Forty-nine punters turned up at the Pleasureboat Inn for a splendid evening meal on Saturday.
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| Drascombers choosing |
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| Drascombers chosen |
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| Drascombers satisfied with choice! |
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| Chairman's address |
On Sunday, winds were certainly stronger and gustier. A few boats on an extended cruise made an early getaway in order to negotiate tides at Yarmouth. A small number, with long journeys ahead, took their boats out and headed home. Some boats headed for West Somerton. I made for Potter Heigham. I had a wonderful beat along Hickling Broad with jib and mizzen, and then motored the remainder of the way back, knowing that I would be set up nicely for a wonderful run back to base later that morning.
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| lugger Clare |
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| Coaster Blue Peter |
At Potter Heigham, I had an early lunch and watched some of the Drascombes unstepping their masts and negotiating the two bridges, the second of which (not photographed) is rather narrow.
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| Dottie Two departure under the first of the bridges at Potter Heigham |
On the way back, Dabber
Blue Teal joined me for a run down Hickling Broad, whilst various windsurfers darted along the water at high speed.
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| Blue Teal running |
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| Blue Teal making light work of F5/6 winds |
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| Daisy II on a run along Hickling Broad |
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| Blue Teal returning to base |
Fortunately, by the time I reached the slip, it was free and
Daisy II was uneventfully recovered onto her trailer - uneventful, other than the jockey wheel breaking...
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| Whispering Reeds crooked slip |
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| Whispering Reeds crooked slip |
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| Whispering Reeds crooked slip easily negotiated by Blue Peter |
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| White: Saturday morning: trip to Horsey Mere; red: return trip from Horsey Mere; Green: Sunday trip to Potter Heigham and back; 19.4nm; season's total 633.8nm |
This was the final Drascombe Association rally of 2013; I think we put on a good show!
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