Summer holiday shakedown cruise, 21-24 July

No charges for this evening berth in Holbrook Bay

At last, the summer holidays have arrived and it's always important to set out one's stall, as it were.  This will be a summer of sailing - as if it hadn't been already.

100.7nm

The first instalment on Saturday 21st July, was to tag along with a Dinghy Cruising Association rally - the first time I had done this.  They happened to be in the area, so it seemed churlish not to.  The plan was to launch on the Orwell, sail around to Holbrook Bay, beach our boats for the evening, making use of a local pub, and then back the next day.  I like that ethos: no expensive marina fees, free moorings courtesy of 'mother nature'.  In the event, Daisy II was one of four participating boats.



Other DCA boats

Evening berth, courtesy of 'mother nature' in Holbrook Bay

The evening was only spoilt by the pub claiming it was too busy to serve us food, thus forcing me to work through some tins of rations on the boat. When we arrived at the pub for beer at 9.10pm, it was completely deserted, so they couldn't have been that busy...

Day 1: 19.0nm

The following day, I parted company from the others and sailed out of the Stour, down The Wallet to Pyefleet Creek opposite Brightlingsea.



Yet again, Pyefleet rewarded me with some excellent sunset imagery.

Day 2: 30.2nm

On 23rd, I motored out to Colne Point and then set sail back up The Wallet, bound for The Deben.  The weather was set fair, with light winds, and progress was steady and I arrived at The Rocks anchorage at about 3pm.
Later that evening, I called in at Waldringfield for a bite to eat in the pub.

Beached at Waldringfield

...before retiring to The Rocks for the night.

Day 3: 36.2

Finally, on the 24th, I motored back round to Woolverstone to return home.

Becalmed on the final morning - anchored at The Rocks, River Deben



Day 4: 15.3nm



Easter Cruise, 4-8 April 2017

Mundon Stone Point, Lawling Creek

Easter cruising has been in Daisy II's repertoire since I purchased her in late 2006.  So, this year sees the eleventh incarnation of the event.  Last season's early Easter yielded a launch date on the last day in March at Bradwell Marina and a lovely cruise within the confines of the Blackwater Estuary.  This season, musical commitments up until 1st April somewhat delayed proceedings.  I then needed a few days of recovery before spending 3rd April putting things back on the boat and preparing for launching the next day.

112.0nm

The forecast for the week was dominated by a high pressure system moving slowly across the UK.  This presented an opportunity too good to miss and the chance to do some coastal hops.  I would like to have gone south, perhaps back to Kent and could well have done so, but would have needed afternoon tides to achieve this and it's really good to make use of mornings.

Tuesday 4th April

Afloat once again at Bradwell Marina slipway.

Bradwell Marina was once again the selected launchpad for the season's shakedown cruise.  Tides were right to drift off to Osea Island for an evening anchorage on the south side of the island.

Light winds on the way along to Osea Island

8.2nm

 Wednesday 5th April
Tides were right for an early start and a trip up the coast to the River Deben.  Winds were, as promised, from the north-west and a pleasant F3 was good for sailing up to the pier at Walton.  At this point, the tide was slack and, to speed things along with the wind now on the nose, I used the motor for the trip across to Landguard Point.  Once across the shipping channel, I went close in to shore and sails were set once more for a sail past Felixstowe.  The motor was employed once again to negotiate the sometimes tricky Deben entrance before a pleasant beat with the tide upstream against a fading breeze to a quiet evening anchorage just short of Methersgate Quay.

Evening anchorage near Methersgate Quay (well, actually, I think it's the next morning...)

Detail of tacks up the River Deben

40.8nm

Thursday 6th April
The first task today was to pop up to Woodbridge for some shopping.  As is so often the case, there was little early morning wind so the motor was used.

Briefly tied up at Tide Mill Quay, Woodbridge.  

 The tide had now turned so I set sail for a trip back down the Deben, out to sea and south west to the Walton Backwaters.  I sailed rather close in to Landguard Point by which time it was close to LW and I clumsily scraped the centreplate on the shelf there.  Winds were turning more westerly as I reached the channel into the Backwaters.

Lugger entering Oakley Creek

I then found an afternoon anchorage on the north side of Horsey Island for some early supper during which time a green lugger with several passengers aboard made its way from Landermere and up Oakley Creek.  Closer inspection through the binoculars showed a remarkable colony of seals at the entrance and I resolved to pop up there myself later the same evening.  I wasn't disappointed.

Seals in Oakley Creek

21.5nm

Detail of track in Oakley Creek

Friday 7th April
Low tide was at 4am and I resolved to rise at 3am in order to be off the Naze Tower ready to hitch a lift on the fresh flood tide.  Unfortunately, I miscalculated and found the boat high and dry.  So, it was back to the bunk for a couple of hours.  At 5am, Daisy II was afloat and I departed, taking in breakfast along the way.

Sunrise off the Naze Tower

 Unfortunately, there was little by way of a meaningful breeze, so I had to put up with noise from the engine for the trip down The Wallet.  By 9am I was pulling in to Brightlingsea.  It would be good to pull in there, one day, and find an open cafe. Yet again, I was disappointed today.

Brightlingsea

So, I anchored up the Pyefleet Channel for a bite to eat.  Later, I sailed out of the Colne and as far round the Mersea Flats as I could before the ebb overpowered the effect of the sails.  Then, engine was once again deployed for a trip in to West Mersea for mid-afternoon fish and chips.

Finally, an afternoon breeze took me up to an evening anchorage off Mundon Stone Point in Lawling Creek.

Mundon Stone Point anchorage

36.0nm

Saturday 8th April
The morning brought on sea fog, so it took longer than anticipated for the planned return to Bradwell Creek.

5.5nm

The final piece of excitement was a broken mast crutch somewhere in Braintree!  So, I improvised a splint consisting of two pieces of wood and lashings of rope - which, having had a winter clearout, if nothing else made it clear to me as to why it is necessary to have copious quantities of rope aboard.  It also drove home a good reason for keeping pieces of wood well varnished...!

Improvised splint supporting the broken mast crutch.

End of summer holiday cruise: Bradwell on Sea to Snape Maltings

Sailing on the River Ore.  Still from GoPro video

Another summer holiday draws to a close with a valedictory cruise with several aims which could be distilled into a single maxim, namely to sail as far as possible for as long as possible!  Every cruise is different.  I've frequently sailed along The Wallet, between Harwich Haven and the Blackwater estuary, but never beginning in the south and heading north.  I wanted to tackle the tricky entrance to the Ore at Orford Haven, reach Snape, anchor around Havergate island, cover at least 100nm, try and push the annual mileage through the 600 barrier.  The trip was an unqualified success unless one calls falling short on the last aim by 0.3nm!!

114.6nm  Red - Day 1; yellow and lilac - Day 2; white and black - Day 3; green - Day 4

Tuesday 30th August - Bradwell Marina to River Ore

Leaving Bradwell

Launching about an hour after HW, the ebb tide helped ease the trip up The Wallet.  Winds were generally light, south easterly F3/4.  I had to put in a tack off Jaywick but, otherwise, this was a starboard reach in glorious sunshine almost all the way. 

Tall ships, off Walton on the Naze, heading the opposite way

The fun, as might be expected, happened off Orford Haven.  The tide had already turned by then and had been flooding (heading down the coast) for an hour.  In itself, this creates choppier conditions.  However, it seemed that the ebb from the Ore seems to continue for a while beyond this, and there were exceptionally choppy overfalls at the Orford Haven Buoy.  I reduced from full sail to main only off Bawdsey and then, given the conditions, resorted to engine alone for the final trip into the Ore - a little disappointing, but it's best not to take risks.  Once in the Ore, as is always the case, things were delightfully calm, once again - belying the chop which preceded this.

Inside the Ore, looking back towards the entrance, known as 'Shingle Street'

Today's anchorage was a place mentioned in the charts as 'Abraham's Bosum' - nestled in the lee around the back (west shore) of Havergate Island.  I have used this location several times before but not for a few years and it was good to return.

Day 1: 34.6nm; Bradwell Marina to Havergate Island, River Ore

Wednesday 31st August: Rivers Ore & Alde, return trip to Snape Maltings
Winds were from the SW today, as is often the case, light in the morning and rather more testing as the day progressed.  The objective was to use the lunchtime tide to reach Snape Maltings and return with the ebb.  The associated video footage with this cruise shows the delightful beginning of the day as I sailed around the north end of Havergate Island to rejoin the Ore as it turns towards Orford.  The river from thereon to Aldeburgh is characterised by steep mud banks and the view only really returns once the Ore becomes the Alde (never quite sure where the one stops and the other starts - the charts mark it as the Alde south of Aldeburgh whereas I tend to think of the Alde as beginning once the river turns sharply to the the SW at Aldeburgh).  The winding, increasingly shallow stretch of the Alde as it progresses beyond Aldeburgh, towards Iken and Snape is a continuing delight... although, as stated, the mud bottom is never far away...
I sailed as far as Iken Church, and then motored up to Snape where I stopped for lunch and then turned round.

Snape panorama.

Winds having been light on the way upstream began to strengthen on the return trip and bigger gusts started to push their way across Mansion Reach.  By the time I turned into Island Reach just short of the moorings at Aldeburgh, I had to reduce sail furling both mizzen and jib, and proceeding with full main.  This worked exceptionally well for a long hard beat all the way back to Havergate.  There was no hurry, I had the tide with me and, despite some steeply pitched waves (wind over tide) which had a tendency to stall progress, particularly during when going about, I decided to press on sailing under main.  In total, this pushed the number of tacks for the day to exactly ninety - it takes a nerdish sailor to count them all, in respect of which the track recorded by the GPS rather comes in handy!
As ever, in such conditions, photography is relegated to 'unnecessary' status.  It was only when passing Orford that the wind abated, and full sail was once more used to push me back to the point at which the day had started.

Sunset, safe in 'Abraham's Bosum'.

Day 2: 28.5nm; 'Abraham's bosum to Snape Maltings (yellow).... and back (red).  90 tacks in a day...!

Thursday 1st September: River Ore to River Colne
The choice was whether to return south today or tomorrow.  As ever, the forecast was the deciding factor and a prediction of strengthening winds for tomorrow left little doubt that today was going to be the best option for a lengthy sea passage.
In contrast to conditions experienced when entering the Ore a few days previously, Orford Haven was  utterly calm today.

Calm seas off Orford Haven as sunbeams reach through early morning cloud cover.

Leaving soon after dawn, using the last of the ebb from the Ore and immediately picking up the flood, a light Westerly breeze propelled Daisy II south once more.  I was crossing the shipping lane off Harwich at a busy time - around 8am but managed to squeeze across prior to a couple of departing ferries.
A couple of Thames Barges had departed from Harwich and headed south with me.  One motored and passed by, the other sailed and fell further back.

Thames barge motor-sails by, pictured off Walton on the Naze.

The wind dropped considerably off Clacton so that, against what little vespers there were, I decided to drop sails and press on under motor.  Rounding Colne Point, a SW F3/4 breeze helped me sail up the Colne.  Today's objective was to reach and utilise a new public jetty at Wivenhoe.  I stopped here and stepped a shore to explore for the first time, utilising the pub!

The new public jetty at Wivenhoe.  Hats off to the local council for putting this in place - it's good for visiting yachts people to be able to step ashore!

After lunch, a brief foray into Brightlingsea Creek preceded the usual reach across Pyefleet to a well worn anchorage. 41nm in one day!

Day 3: 41.0nm; River Ore to River Colne (white) and sailing in River Colne (black)

Day 3: detail of sailing in River Colne to Wivenhoe; return to Pyefleet Channel

Friday 2nd September: return to Bradwell

Dawn over Brightlingsea

The forecast wasn't incorrect.  Once the sun had risen, winds strengthened and, whilst the beat out of the Colne was pleasant enough, the well known Blackwater chop - SW winds over the flood tide - made conditions too challenging for me.  I was tired, the objective was really to return to base, take the boat out and tow home.  Slightly more appealing weather might have tempted me to spend a morning sailing around the Blackwater area but, given the conditions as they presented themselves, I furled the sails off Bench Head, and motored across to Bradwell to bring an end to this cruise and a fantastic summer holiday of sailing!

Day 4: 10.5nm; Pyefleet to Bradwell