Arrival Home & a Day Sail: Three Men & Their Boats

23^rd June

I’m at anchor in Abraham’s Bosom, the River Ore, having sailed from Lowestoft today.  I say sailed.  We sailed in light south easterlies until they died completely approaching Aldeburgh Ridge, a spit away from the, sadly now, Lighthouse less, Orford Ness.

I’ve motored so little on the cruise.  Really only for harbour berthing and departure, and the canal from Ijmuiden to Amsterdam and back.  So, this was really the first time since we motored out of Suffolk Yacht Harbour, switched the engine off, and tacked out of the Orwell at the end of May.

This evening we had to motor the last 10 miles to the anchorage.

I’d forgotten how lovely the Royal Norfolk & Suffolk Yacht Club is.  The building is beautiful, and the staff are terrific.  Heads up to Kay in the office and the new Bosun Mark.

www.rnsyc.net

Lowestoft is a terrific stopping point before the next leap north up the east coast or when returning south.  The seas across the Wash are so so busy now.

I’m still pretty bushed from the Den Helder Lowestoft leg.

25^th June 1030 BST

We sailed to the Stour yesterday.

The Orford Bar is very shallow this year and it was our first visit of 2026.  Not much water at all!  It was relatively flat when we left the Ore at half tide or we would not have proceeded.  The lowest under the keel was 0.2.  There is no harm in rolling some shingle in those conditions.  Orford is no longer our home port.

Into deeper water we sailed in north easterlies under genoa only to the Stour and anchored under sail in Erwarton Bay.

I’m hoping we sail towards the Colne today.  It is blowing quite hard from the northeast as I type. Departure an hour or so before LW Harwich.

2030 BST

We are anchored just above Brightlingsea Creek off Westmarsh Point.  The northeasterlies are still blowing a F5 `as they have been for most of the day.  The wind is forecast to decrease overnight and become variable.

‘Talisker 1’ flew out of the port of Felixstowe with the last of the ebb.  The flood was just starting off the Naze and the Wallet was spectacular.  What a stretch of water it is?

We sailed out to the Gunfleet Sands on a port tack before gybing on to stardboard and sailing to the Colne Bar.  I say gybing!  At my age I prefer to wear through the wind.  I put a double reef in the main in preparation for being more on the wind from the Colne Bar to Mersey Stone Point.  It was a very fast passage.

It is lovely to be at anchor in one of my favourite sailing destinations.  If there is a heaven, please let me be here.  At anchor as the sun goes down over Pyefleet Creek.

26^th June 1100

We have moved over to the other side of the river.  It continued to blow last night and veered easterly before dying in the early hours.  The wind is now a gentle south westerly and it will increase tonight so we are tucked in close inside Mersey Stone Point.

Of all the exotic sailing destinations is there anywhere I like more than this location in the River Colne.  Beautiful Essex waters.  Sorry to repeat myself.

1900

Temperature on board 96.5 F.  Yikes!

27^th June 1230

We are alongside in the marina at Brightlingsea Harbour.  I’ve never been in here before!  Supper in the town tonight with friends … and Sally is coming too :-)))

30^th June

The sail back up the Wallet on Sunday was a joy with winds, this time, from the southwest and predominantly a F 5.  We switched the engine off just outside Brightlingsea Creek and started the engine in the final approaches to Suffolk Yacht Harbour.

So, a gentle circuit of approximately 500 nautical miles ‘sailed’.  The predominant motoring was the 25 to 30 NM in the canal to Amsterdam.  Otherwise, a mere tick over for departure and arrivals.

The boat worked beautifully.  It is incredible to think that one can make new discoveries on one’s ship after 12 years.

4^th July 2030

I’m on board having just arrived back in our berth at Suffolk Yacht Harbour.  Three boats went out to play and all are RCC members.

James R called me yesterday.  He n the Doc were going to leave the river today, a couple of hours before HW at Orford Haven (1500), with a proposal to sail to Hamford Water and anchor for the night.

Sally said go.  She would look after my brother William.  A sail with my two mentors!  What fun!  Thank you Sally.

I decided to sail towards Orford Haven to meet them and the westerly winds got stronger as we passed Woodbridge Haven heading north.  ‘Tuesday of Ore’ and ‘Running Wild’ were already at sea and beginning their beat into WSW F4 that became at times a F6.

I’d reached Boat House Point and turned to windward slipping in a second reef.  It really got quite lively and of course ‘Tuesday’ took it in her stride.  But so did James’ new ship, a Westerly Griffon’.  Behaving like a very big boat though she is only 26’.  Very impressive with beautifully cut Kemp Sails and of course, very well sailed.  All three boats have Kemp Sails!  ‘Talisker 1’ did her usual stuff under a double reefed main and stay sail.  5 tacks got us to Languard!

The wind then dropped.  Doc who was sailing for the first time in a couple of years, and now a year short of 80, with absolutely nothing to prove, downed sails and motored into Hamford Water.

I persisted, gradually the winds returned, and I sailed all the way to Hamford Water just furling the stay sail on arrival.  Both Doc and James R were staying and with the wind still strong I decided to sail back to the Orwell under main only.  Outward bound from Hamford Water the wind veered north westerly and our beat began from Cliff Foot Rocks and we made Harwich Shelf on one tack.

Thereafter some extra muscle was required to beat against the ebb so setting the stay sail it took 19 tacks, some very short, to round Fagbury Point and enter the Orwell.  A couple more tacks in the river and the stay sail was furled, engine started and main came down as we passed Trimley SHM, a spit from Suffolk Yacht Harbour.

An unexpected day with quite strong gusts and 41.5 NM sailed over the ground.  And 0.9 engine hours.

Very grateful to them both for letting me n ‘Talisker 1’ join in.

I’m harping back I know, but this foolishness about electronics and being totally self reliant on them, makes me think back to Cherbourg.  Crossing the Channel, I’d spotted and overtaken a yacht sailing south on the rum line, which he later confirmed he was doing.  So not very experienced.  Using current to one’s advantage is so so important and on a Channel crossing like the Solent to Cherbourg is almost certainly going to be approximately two tides.  You should have a track that looks like an S or a reverse S depending on stream direction.  AND making sure of being up tide of the destination, when finally inbound and tired, makes for a swift and easy arrival.

The yachtsman found me in Cherbourg Marina Office and talked to me about his wish to sail to the The Channel Islands.  Did I have any ideas?  He had no paper charts, Tidal Stream Atlas’ or Pilot Books.  I invited him to ‘Talisker 1’ to help him prepare a passage plan.  We could photocopy anything important.  Our conversation was overheard by a gentleman who told the yachtsman not to bother with any of that.  He had an App that worked it all out for him.  I said nothing and withdrew quietly …

James Robinson and Graham Bush talked about Seatrain Sailing and the well over twenty years of Instruction both in the classroom and at sea.  Doc taught the Ocean courses.  Both James and Graham mentioned the confident yachtsmen having own boat tuition, probably prepping for the Yachtmaster Ticket when it actually meant something.  Don’t get me started on that!

Both Graham and James made a habit of switching off all electronics without warning.  The pupils were invariably clueless as to where they were, having absolutely nowhere to start from.  Electronics WILL fail however many backups you have.