April 19-20 Back on the mooring

GPS track 44.4nm

One of the great things about sailing in April is that I have so much more of the water for myself.  So many other boaters are still enviously scraping and painting hulls.  Yet, I've always found good sailing conditions during this Easter break - admittedly later this year than most.
The forecast for these two days was extremely fine - F3 Easterly winds, sunshine, some haziness, but that all added to the charm of the seas.

I launched at Pin Mill at around 2pm HW.  Many admiring glances from punters at the Butt and Oyster.  I also met a couple of fellow Drascombers who came for a welcome chat.  Daisy II pootled off to her to her mooring, and, after much fiddling around, I went to fetch some provisions, sorted out car and trailer and returned to the boat for some adventure...

I left the mooring, taking the last of the ebb and sailed out through Harwich harbour and along to Stone Point on the Walton Backwaters - red track - where there is a handy anchorage, and also easy landing.

Stone Point landing

Sunken Barges protecting Horsey Island

The next morning, rose with the sun as always, and took the last of the ebb, sailing out through the narrow passage that marks the entrance to the Backwaters, followed by a series of larger tacks across Dovercourt Bay and finally returning to Harwich Harbour, pulling up at Halfpenny Pier at around 9.30am.

Halfpenny Pier

After a chance to catch up with some rest, and read the paper, the wind had practically died. I pondered whether to take the flood all the way up to Manningtree and, after a bit of dithering, the wind finally plucked up some leverage, and gave me an easy, albeit gentle ride there.  On the return, a pleasant F3 breeze allowed for long sweeping tacks back to Harwich with the early flood.  The track shows the difference a running tide can make to the tacking angle.  At Manningtree, I was still beating against the last 45 minutes of the flood.  By the time I had reached Wrabness, the ebb was now helping and, going past the Harwich ferry terminal, a 2 knot tide considerably stretched out matters.

Whilst on the way back, a chap in a Wayfarer who I had noticed working his way in my direction, finally caught up with me at Erwarton Ness. He said he was in Manningtree Sailing Club when he saw me sail past and everyone had commented on Daisy II looking a real picture.  So, he decided to sail out and tell me...  It takes all sorts, and obviously took him several miles to be that sort - I suspect there was a bit of racing on his part but not on mine - Drascombes don't race.  I purposefully chose a non-racing sailing boat and am more than happy watching others sail past me at the back of the fleet...!

But for a brief motor when arriving and departing from Halfpenny pier, I had sailed all day.  However, when adjacent to Trinity Terminal, the wind did its usual trick and hid behind a huge China Shipping container ship.  With a healthy ebb to work against, and the need for evening food, I motor-sailed the remaining distance back to the mooring.

Season's total sailing distance now 79.2nm

Mooring at Pin Mill