One Hull Good Three Hulls Better
One Hull Good Three Hulls Better – A Cruising Diary
Lovesail member Flushing has been kind enough to let us reproduce his cruising diary from last year, that was first published in East Coast Sailing in October 2012. He was fortunate enough to spend the two weeks around the Bank Holiday cruising the East coast in his deep keeled monohull accompanied by two trimarans. One hull good three hulls better.
The cruising members at Hoo Ness YC look forward to the late summer Bank Holiday cruise and this year with its fairly chronic wet and cold start to the season was no exception. while it also falls nicely to top and or tail the week-end with a cruise itinerary on either side of it for some members. For me, getting to the weekend usually takes all my energy and I previously, only envied those organised enough to extend their cruise.
So when my two friends Wil and Bryan let me know they had booked the week’s either side of the Bank Holiday to explore the East Coast, I challenged myself to join them. They sail single-handedly or with the occasional but regular and known crew and both have 8m trimarans with minimal draft! While I need to recruit crew and have a 36′ yacht with a 6′ draft.
Crewing was looking good in parts, none for the week before, some for the B/H weekend and one for the week following the B/H. I decided to pray for good weather and be prepared to go on my own when the sailing networking website came up trumps. Two teachers had holiday cruise plans dashed and their dates pretty much coincided with my needs. Emails and a Skype call later (just to check I was not double-headed I suppose, or at least easy enough to keep my axe out of camera view) and we agreed to meet.
Explaining where Hoo is and how to get there is always a minor challenge to my crew but we met Ok and as it was ahead of Wil and Bryan’s dates, we (two teachers and me as skipper) started with a Charfleet get-to-know-you, anchorage on 16th Aug and then we circumnavigated Sheppey, stopping at Harty Ferry overnight, not troubling the dinghy pump to go ashore on this occasion though I try to take visitors at least to the pub and most times the lovely Church the short walk away. If only to see their faces when we meet the peacocks around the farm and churchyard.
The Sheppey bridge was raised without any trouble and we collected a “nice boat mate” from the gallery above as we motored through and on to Queenborough. Pausing to photograph two young seals sunbathing on a buoy, lead to my first grounding of the cruise. Alison did not think it counted as for some reason she actually seemed to think being marooned on our side might be fun if it was for several hours, 15 minutes did not do it for her.
Alison had already been in the wars with a fall on the after deck and was marked for life already.
Pyefleet:
By now the Tri’s were on their way to the Havengore and anchoring in the Roach and we agreed to meet in Pyefleet the following day. Only texts and radio got a bit confusing and we found them already in Pyefleet. Our own timing on the trip meant we arrived after midnight and anchored on our own, it was pretty busy.
The Havengore run had been aborted after they called the bridge captain and were advised, in no uncertain terms, that a timely retreat to the line of buoys and away from certain Red Flags flying was called for.
Wivenhoe:
Not content with avoiding me by trying to use the Roach route it was now proposed to go to Wivenhoe, another deep keel-averse place in my book. I was very keen on this destination though, having been to school in Colchester and having some acquaintance with the town, just not in my boat.
There was a slightly tense phone call as I proposed me and my crew, the teachers were both females, could all fit on the two Tri’s and overnighting would be no problem. This was not immediately understood by my friends who like their solitude, privacy and slightly bloke-oriented view about how a boat should be run. With some apprehension, they both agreed that we would sort it out and we left Aurai at Anchor and sailed up to Wivenhoe on the 21st. We found the YC pontoons and plenty of space, worked out the rules and obtained a key to the clubhouse. Well worth the trip and the town is a delight arriving by sea. Wil had his daughter with him and she needed a rail option to get back to work, also a teacher! The station is an easy walk from the YC, we did some food shopping and then tried most of the pubs and opted for Fish & Chips for dinner. The crew getting on with the Chippy as he is from the Midlands
Sleeping arrangements were sorted, with my crew sharing a V berth that Wil was sure only fitted one and I tried out his 1/4 berth, which made a Personal Best for PoB! Saved Bryan rearranging his boat to fit in one more, though he did say I could sleep on his netting that fills the gap to his floats!! The night was short anyway as tide times meant a silly o’clock start.
Back on Aurai and taking time out for a proper breakfast, we agreed on the Walton Backwaters next. Winds had been light and favourable with unbroken sunshine, so we all enjoyed ourselves. This is where the Tri’s win over, a) they can take all the shortcuts and b) move quicker in the lighter winds.
Still, I had two delightful crew and they were relaxing on board. Or at least Jane woke up on the Weds and started taking charge of things and organising me and Alison, so she seemed to be relaxed enough to be her own person!
Hamford:
A straightforward sail up the Wallet and then a beat into the Hamford Water seemed uneventful and now even I was relaxing, the wind was whistling though and better shelter was taken in Walton Channel, using the opportunity to anchor before the moorings start. With a Tri either side we make a formidable raft up and I wondered if we should issue a Notice to Mariners.
We got another “nice boat mate” from a passing yacht the next morning and agreed to go to Pin Mill for lunch.
Only we touched the muddy stuff coming out of the channel, no consolation to be told by an outgoing yacht that they had suffered the same fate on way in! 2-hour wait still did not do it for Alison and by now the crew were regretting packing thermals and fleece, only one pair of shorts and no swimsuits.
[Careful reading of ECS news updates might have told me to avoid the particular spot off the Point as it is becoming a well-known trap for the unwary!]
This did not stop Alison jumping in later only to realise that getting back on board a traditional yacht with high freeboard is not so easy, the bruises have probably eased by now. Note to self: must look up those MoB retrieval articles.
Half-Penny Pier:
As we had been so slow the Tri’s stopped off at Harwich and we joined them for a lunch stop, all highly recommended and the welcome from pier master was second to none. He gave us a discount card for the Alma and we used the courtyard to dry Alison’s clothes, thoroughly enjoying our lunch. Then coffee and cake on the pier. We suspect the pier master takes personal pride in every visitor yacht captured by his charm.
Proper Sailing:
We took our leave and headed back to Hoo doing an overnight trip and a High Water crossing of the Spitway as a rare treat. Previously trusting the East Coast Pilot guys’ new survey that even Aurai can get through at any state of the tide. Crossing earlier in the week with 0.2 below keel for more than ten minutes.
The crew were working hard on navigation and identifying lights in their element and we made good time, on a very warm (Thursday) night 23rd, even remembered my Mother’s birthday. Running out of steam and needing to wait for tide at the Cant just round the corner from Sheerness, so we anchored at 03.30 to get some sleep.
Only not a good place to park, first Bryan wanted progress reports by text at 07:00, then Physeline came by and wanted to know what on earth we were doing parked there at 08:30 and Allo Allo came by after that and wanted a chat, so not much of a lie-in.
Hoo again:
So back to Hoo to get the teacher crew back to the station and meet up with the new crew. Martin is well known to me, Mick new to me and David fashionably late or last minute dot com. Luckily, with the help of the Wilsonian’s SC slipway, we have all tide access, if you can cope with a ten minute Saxon way walk along the shore, in the dark.
With my teacher crew gone and an all-boy one in place, the weather was now changing and challenging us to get to Brightlingsea. At this point I get texts and emails from would-be club cruisers giving me latest updates on their intentions to travel or not. Fortunately, both the harbour and club at Brightlingsea are long-suffering with predicting arrivals and I could update them when I arrived.
I asked the crew if they wanted to go overnight to avoid “worse” weather and we agreed to go. In fact, two, David and Martin, were far too tired after long week’s and needed sleep, but with four of us, we managed. New boy Mick revealing his iron man tendencies. I also think he was pleased to be sailing after discovering he was totally redundant on our boat, we are all paraffin and he is a gas fitter?
This was now a wild 8 – 9-knot roller coaster ride with the wind on our beam at 20 knots plus and needed a sail plan change in the dark. We started with flat calm and motoring to the Montgomery wreck. We berthed in Brightlingsea by 06:30. I got my own back on Bryan, by texting him at 06:00 to sort us out a berth, which he did.
This was a low water crossing of the Spitway and we kept more than 0.5 m below the keel.
Any sensible person having done two overnight trips would have gone to bed. However, with boats to count and discount, arrivals to check, harbour discounts to establish and dinner and vegetarian choices to finalise at the club with Tony and John Paul, not a chance. I try hard not to be a drunk skipper but did start on the beers very early on a glorious day. We also managed some repairs and maintenance on board.
More pre-dinner drinks on our traditional attempt to cram 25+ people on one boat, thank you, Elysium. A wonderful carvery dinner, the Upnor lot to throw bread rolls and abuse at, not really, they are very nice and I get a lovely cuddle from Fiona. With some German guests, a family of four, it was with some hilarity that we noted some of our lot claiming seats with towels before the dinner. Tony and John Paul looked after us and a pleasant hum of contentment could be heard.
My lot gave it large and we agreed we were better at enjoying ourselves than our sailing and we would work to reverse the balance on the way back. Return, we did on the Monday and this time the GPS route was switched on, everything stowed and sandwiches made. It was a bouncy exit and difficult breeze so larger yachts motor sailed. All credit to the sub 30′ boats, that made it back sailing all the way. By now Bryan was testing his new drysuit and really enjoying himself.
Landing crew at Hoo, I kept Mick and we sailed back to Charfleet, arriving in a foggy drizzle and darker than ever. This means feeling my way in on the depth gauge, but my Tri’s were stopped in deep water and we rafted up again, to rely on our hook. This was now the end for our threesome, as Wil was off to claim some days at work. All to get time to get to Paimpol and retrieve his new boat!! (A Catamaran).
Those left needed a rest anyway and we sunned ourselves at anchor for the day. Then Bryan went home and I was now on my own, with Mick. We decided tough but behind us the forecast was worth a go and heard that Elysium was in Bradwell. We made record time until a squall containing gusts to 42 knots drenched us.
My East Coast cruise ended with a night in Bradwell, a night in Brightlingsea, and an 04:00 departure for Hoo once again, back and moored by midday Friday. Mick went on, I collected Dan and three friends, two complete novices, we got them up to speed with a night in Queenborough and raced in our club Autumn 1, on Sunday 2nd September, (4th). 434 Nautical Miles and a really good experience and must do it all again sometime soon.
If you enjoyed reading this cruising diary then try some other related articles:
About Lovesail: Lovesail.com is a global dating and social networking website for sailing enthusiasts. Join to meet other like-minded sailors for dating, friendships or crewing opportunities.
2 comments