Orwell to Walton Backwaters 15-16 June

Moonlight over Horsey Mere

A spare weekend, and an opportunity to pop down to the coast for a one-nighter.  

Launched at Woolverstone, and mostly motored over to the Backwaters almost directly into a fresh Southerly F5/6 blow.

Seals in Kirby Creek

Sanctuary in the Backwaters was found up Kirby Creek, trying not to disturb the local wildlife, including a colony of seals a little further upstream.  Conditions in Landermere Creek were too windy, but there is always more shelter to be found somewhere.

Wind over tide, departing from Hamford Water

The reward for motoring all that way was a delightful return sail with the wind behind me almost the entire way.  I left the Backwaters on the fresh flood, and sailed across Dovercourt Bay in increasingly lumpy conditions, reaching the safety of Harwich harbour before the forecast winds of 20mph arrived.

Thames barges moored on the River Orwell

Back in the Orwell, a reach past Pin Mill as always presented plenty of boats to admire.

New rope clutch replacing the previous cleats.  Still some tidying up to do.

The latest modification is a rope clutch for three halyards, replacing the two cleats that used to be there.  Works well.

White track, Saturday 15th June, 14.3nm; Red track, Sunday 16th June 16.4nm; Total length 30.7nm

A bank holiday Monday well spent...

The second trip of a long weekend.  A cruise had regrettably been out of the question due to inclement conditions yesterday and easterly winds the day before.  Winds today were much kinder, F3/4 SW veering S.  With all sails hoisted, the plan was to use the lunchtime flood, the target being Ipswich Docks.  

It was good to sail under the magnificent Orwell Road Bridge and then glide past the two docked ships.  Winds are always flukey in the harbour with plenty of high objects to deflect and funnel the air.  Tacking back downstream was, therefore, an inconsistent experience until back under the bridge.

Unlike Saturday, the outboard remained truly untroubled even though winds were rather livelier as I returned to the mooring.  The view of Pin Mill above showed some stronger southerly gusts blowing across the river.  This made the eventual business of picking up the mooring strop rather trickier than usual, so I pulled down the main and used jib and mizzen to swing the boat into the wind at the appropriate point.  There's a technique to this which I'm not certain was convincingly demonstrated today!

9.6nm

May 25-27, Duet with coaster 'Windsong'

Daisy II and Windsong on the mooring at Pin Mill

This was supposed to be the weekend of the Drascombe Association River Blackwater rally.  However, for various reasons, not least of which was a discouraging weather forecast, other boats pulled out.  In the meantime, coaster Windsong's Skipper requested the opportunity to tag along, happy to go wherever since "anywhere on the east coast was a long way from Leamington Spa..."  I had been serious about going down the coast to the Blackwater, but wasn't completely sure about the forecast.  This gave me the perfect excuse to stay in home waters, and then to take Daisy II off the mooring for a few weeks in order to attend rallies at Pitsford Reservoir (later this week) and then Wells-next-the-Sea the weekend after next.

So, on Saturday at around noon, Windsong launched at Woolverstone Marina, and then joined me at Pin Mill for a three day, two night cruise.

Windsong rowing away from Woolverstone Marina - the beginning of an adventure!

The Saturday plan was to sail from the Orwell to a remote anchorage in the Walton Backwaters.  We began by motoring upstream to anchor off Freston, whilst Windsong's skipper sorted out the cabin and I made some lunch.
Winds were North to North-westerly Force 3 gusting 4, so we had the wind with us all of the way to the Backwaters.  Windsong's rig has the yard hanging off the mast and creates a square sail - more power up top.  We both had reefed main with jib, but opted to do without the mizzen.

Sailing down the Orwell

We reached Landmere Creek, off Hamford Water at about 5.30pm and settled down for an evening of beer, wine and food, listening to the wildlife and eventually retiring to respective cabins for some well-earned rest.

Sunday morning, winds were much the same as yesterday.  The plan was to motor sail out of the Backwaters, starting at 8am, and catch the flood from Harwich harbour all the way up the Stour to Manningtree.  The plan hatched perfectly and even allowed us to do without any engines: perfect Drascombe sailing.  In Harwich harbour, there were absolutely no container ships at Felixstowe's Trinity Terminal, so we were able to reach across the harbour and then tack back across towards Harwich.  We then tacked up the Stour, reaching Manningtree by 12.40pm.  Lunch at anchor presented an opportunity to exchange experiences with the morning's sail.
The afternoon allowed us a short amount of time, on an already ebbing tide, to motor around Manningtree.  We then set sail for a wonderful reach down the Stour.

Windsong in Holbrook Bay, returning from Manningtree

Pamela Jean caught napping off Erwarton.

Windsong under attack from giant dangling warp

Windsong sailing down the Stour

There was also an opportunity for some video footage as we sailed along the Stour

Rounding Shotley Point, the tide was continuing its strong ebb, and we were not able to manage under sail alone.  So, we decided to motor up the Orwell to Pin Mill, sharing my mooring and further beer, wine, food and conversation.

Daisy II and Windsong at Pin Mill

On Monday, we took a morning sail with the flood upstream, under the Orwell Bridge and into Ipswich, before parting at Woolverstone, both boats taken out of the water in order to attend the midweek Drascombe Association Pitsford Reservoir rally.

Windsong framed by the central span of the Orwell Bridge

Dumper truck, being dumped!

56.2nm; white track Saturday - Orwell to Walton Backwaters; red track Sunday - Walton Backwaters to Manningtree, then back to Pin Mill; green track Monday - Pin Mill to Ipswich and back; season's total: 145.1nm

Return to Pin Mill

8.4nm; 101.3nm in total

Ton up!  This time last year, I'd been nearer to 150nm, but, it is still good to make it this far.

I relaunched Daisy II at Pin Mill, HW on Saturday 26th May.  This was not without its drama: a strong onshore breeze, blocked slipway (due to repair work to the PMSC jetty), and a 'low' high tide all conspired to make the launch as difficult as possible.  However, just on the cusp of HW, I managed to find sufficient water to float the boat and then use the outboard to reverse from the nest of the rear rollers on the trailer, and return to the mooring following last week's adventure at Rutland.
Having previously damaged the trailer at Pin Mill, this time I took no chances and immediately towed the trailer back to St Ives, planning to return on Sunday 27th for a sail.
On Sunday, winds were more moderate, F3 easterly and the weather was simply glorious!  I took the tide up to Ipswich docks, stopping for a bite to eat at my usual anchorage on the shore opposite Freston.  At Ipswich, traffic was heavy and I met a number of boats waiting for a large ferry to leave the docks; so I decided to turn around and, for the first time, sailed back through one of the minor arches of the Orwell Bridge.  The wind is always very flukey through here, but Daisy II  coped admirably, and the ferry was dutifully avoided.  I then had a wonderful beat back up to the mooring, returning just past HW and sailing all the way!

Daisy II has a small leak, possibly from the keel bolt just in front on the centreplate.  I have removed half a bucket of water so far - possibly built up since the start of the Rutland event.  I'll monitor this but am hopeful that, as the hull swells after a few days on the mooring, the gap will narrow.  I have had similar problems for each the past three seasons.
'Tis good to be back 'home'!  All being well, Daisy II will remain on her mooring until the Broads rally in September.  I'm attending the Walton rally in July, and then, weather permitting, am planning a cruise up the coast in late July/early August, perhaps as far as Southwold, but certainly as far as Snape, where my wife is due to play in a concert.  If we make it as far as Southwold, it will be to research the marshes beyond the harbour.  I've launched there many times, but always to go out to sea, never to venture the other way.

August 30th - another trip to Ipswich

Trip with Sally and Tom - last trip before end of summer hols...

We travelled South East down the Orwell to have lunch anchored opposite Levington Creek. Then we sailed in the opposite direction to Ipswich, and back the the mooring.

10.6nm;

Season's total up to 279.4nm.

July 31st, Orwell

Running with the tide towards the Orwell Bridge

Mark gaining practice at the helm...

Our GPS track

Sailing with brother-in-law Mark. Unusual for me to be sailing with extra ballast on board...! The forecast was for light F2 winds but, in the event, things were much windier. It was one of those gustier days where the wind just couldn't make up its mind, and varied from S to SW, F2 to f5 gusts.

We started off with full sail, but I soon hove-to and put in a reef. We then tacked our way down to Levington using the last of the ebb, and anchored for lunch on the south side of the Orwell, opposite Levington Marina. The wind showed no signs of abating, so we then picked up the flood tide on a long run all the way into Ipswich docks, and then motored our way back against the full flood to the mooring. Interesting speed attained at full throttle, for a brief period, against the tide of almost 6knts. Most of the time, we settled at lower revs at a speed of about 4.3knts. These are real speeds relative to land, measured by GPS. The paddle wheel on the echo-sounder is currently gunged up with fouling, so doesn't work which is why the photos show the depth, but seem to indicated zero speed... I hope to do something about this next Friday.

Total distance for the day measured at 13.0nm

Total for season 156.5nm

Next sail will, weather permitting, be a 5 day trip starting on Friday 7th August.

A trip into Ipswich docks - Saturday June 13th

June 13th, 2009. 10.8nm.
Tom and I took a trip from the mooring up into Ipswich docks with the incoming tide. From our mooring, the estuary moves (upstream) in a North Westerly direction, underneath the rather spectacular Orwell bridge (A14) and then turns through North into Ipswich docks.
The main channel of the Orwell is dredged to allow ferries, container and cargo ships to access this dockland area.
On this occasion, the wind was a Force 3 North Westerly. In the dock area, the wind was flukey, and we resorted to using outboard power when coming back downstream to the East side of the bridge, where we anchored for a snack. Thereafter, we had a lovely sail tacking all the way back to our mooring.

This picture shows the Freston Folly, a rather interesting tower on the Southerly bank of the Orwell, built in Victorian times. I read somewhere that the original owner of the estate would have meals served at the top of this tower. These days, I think it is some sort of holiday let accommodation.
http://www.freston.net/tower/

Tom, looking enthusiastic...

Approaching Ipswich docks

On the North Westerly side of the Orwell Bridge, these old rusting trawlers (?) seem to have been left to decay...

The Orwell bridge.

Some old sea dog...

Thus far, this season, the tachometer reads 65.0 nautical miles...