Prequel post - East Coast Cruise, 28th July to 4th August 2014

From the vantage point of The Anchor Inn, Woodbridge, it's clear that locals cannot quite believe that a Drascombe Coaster is capable of sailing, in a single day, the 39 nautical miles from the mouth of the River Roach to Tide Mill Quay towards the navigable head of the River Deben.  The photo is proof of the ending; the author's word will have to suffice regarding the veracity of the start.

We left the Roach at 5am in still conditions, but forewarned by an inshore waters forecast of S/SW F4-5, occasionally 6.  The outboard motor was deployed as far as the mouth of the River Crouch.  Thereafter, the simultaneous occurrence of morning wind and sunrise resulted in full sail being set.

The only major issue was a brief dalliance with the Buxey Sands as we approached the Swin spitway.  Otherwise, we proceeded without mishap until winds began to reflect the forecast off the Naze Tower.  My companion in his coaster Valentine was set for the Orwell.  I was bound for the Deben.  Between then and the Deben Bar, sail was systematically reduced, and it was with much relief that I entered the Deben with a scrap of jib and the help, once more, of an outboard for the final few miles.  Seas by this time were ridiculously heavy - F5 winds over tide.  

So, I sit here with no real right to have negotiated the final passage, and deeply grateful to the late John Watkinson for his genius in designing such wonderful boats.

The cruise report will be forthcoming as soon as I reach terra firma.  184 nautical miles to date.  So far, in fact, that the GPS had run out of memory and an iPhone app will have to do tomorrow in place of the usual means of recording tracks.  Let's hope it does its job as well as Daisy II does hers.