PAUL BURTON – SKIPPER AND OWNER
FRANK ROYLE – YACHTMASTER
SATCH – COOK
ROB - ??
THURSDAY 23rd OCT.
0500 THE DAY STARTS
SLEAFORD TO BOSTON TO PICK UP MY HAND PICKED CREW (the only people mad enough)
PICKED FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE, THEIR SAILING SKILLS, GOOD HUMOUR AND COOKING ABILITIES.
OH YEAH AND ROB.
0615 CREW AND KIT LOADED INTO THE CAR AND ON OUR WAY TO CANVEY ISLAND YACHT
CLUB TO BOARD FREEDOM OUR (Kiala and mine) NEW BOAT, A SNAPDRAGON 26.
WEATHER FORECAST NOT TOO GOOD NE 5-6.
0900 ARRIVE AT FREEDOM AND UNLOAD THE CAR. KIALA AND SATCH PACK EVERYTHING
AWAY AND START ON BREAKFAST.
FREEDOM IS SAT IN THE MUD, SUNK RIGHT DOWN TO THE WATERLINE. NO WATER YET.
WE DISCUSS OUR OPTIONS. THE WEATHER IS NOT GOOD. WE TRY TO GET AN UP TO DATE
FORECAST. PHONE THE THAMES COASTGUARD WHO GIVES US THE LATEST MET OFFICE INSHORE
FORECAST AND ARE VERY HELPFUL.
I PERSONALLY AM KEEN TO LEAVE AND ASK FRANK WHAT HE SUGGESTS. AFTER A BIT OF
DISCUSSION WE DECIDE TO LEAVE ONCE AFLOAT, STICK OUR NOSE OUT INTO THE THAMES
AND DECIDE WHETHER TO HEAD FOR SHEERNESS, THE WHITAKER OR TURN BACK TO CANVEY.
1030 WE REMOVE THE MOORING LINES AND PUT FREEDOM INTO REVERSE. BECAUSE THE
BOAT IS NEW TO ME I AM NOT USED TO HOW SHE HANDLES. AS SOON AS WE ARE FREE FROM
THE PONTOON THE WIND AND TIDE TURN FREEDOM INTO THE WRONG DIRECTION. I PUT HER
INTO FORWARD AND DO A 180o TURN AND START HEADING OUT OF THE CREEK.
WIND AND TIDE AGAINST US FREEDOM IS DOING ABOUT 2 KNOTS OVER THE LAND. ONCE
WE GET THROUGH THE FIRST FEW MOORINGS WE GET SIGHT OF THE END OF THE CREEK.
FRANK PULLS A FUNNY FACE. THEN KEEPS QUIET.. ROB LOOKS AT FRANK, THEN AT ME,
THEN BACK AT FRANK. THE WAVES ARE ROLLING INTO THE CREEK AND BREAKING WITH A
WHITE SURF .JUST BEFORE ROB JUMPS OVERBOARD TO SWIM BACK I SUGGEST WE TURN ROUND
AND HEAD BACK, FRANK AGREES.
1045: BACK ON THE MOORING AND A DAY TO WASTE. A CLUB MEMBER COMES OVER TO TALK
TO US “YOU WEREN’T REALLY THINKING OF GOING OUT IN THAT WERE YOU?”.
WE DECIDE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE FORECAST AND RELAX. WE GO FOR A WALK AROUND,
DO SOME PLOTTING AND PLAYING WITH THE G.P.S.
CHICKEN CURRY AND NAN BREAD WITH RED WINE FOR TEA. COOKING SOON WARMS UP THE
CABIN. STOP COOKING AND THE CABIN QUICKLY COOLS DOWN. WE RETIRE AT AROUND 2030
READY FOR THE DAY AHEAD.
FRI 24th OCT 0500: I WAKE UP BUSTING FOR THE LOO. BOAT NOT AFLOAT SO THE HEADS
IS OUT. VERY COLD. WASHBOARD REMOVAL WILL WAKE EVERYBODY. BY 0645 I JUST HAD
TO GO, SORRY CREW FOR THE WAKE UP. I ALSO PUT THE KETTLE ON WHICH WARMS THE
CABIN A BIT.
WEATHER MUCH BETTER 4-5 NW
FULL COOKED BREAKFAST, THANKS SATCH.
1100: THE CREEK STARTS TO FILL WITH WATER. 3 CLUB MEMBERS CLIMB INTO A WORK
BOAT AND MOTOR TO OUR MOORING.
“FOLLOW US AND WE WILL GUIDE YOU OUT OF THE CREEK” THEY SHOUTED.
AS SOON AS WE WERE AFLOAT WE FOLLOWED THE WORKBOAT INTO RAY GUT, THEY SHOUT
OUT SOME MARKS TO LOOK OUT FOR THEN HEAD FOR SOUTHEND PIER. WE THANK THEM AND
HEAD OUT ON OUR OWN. AS WE CLEAR THE PIER WE RAISE THE MAIN SAIL AND UNROLL
THE GENOA AND HEAD FOR THE EAST SWIN AND THE WHITAKER.
FRANK EXPLAINED THAT WE NEEDED TO BE AT THE WHITAKER BY THE TURN OF THE TIDE
OR WE MAY NEED TO MAKE ALTERNATIVE MOORINGS FOR THAT NIGHT.
WE WERE MAKING VERY GOOD PROGRESS UNTIL WE HAD TO ALTER DIRECTION INTO THE SPITWAY
WHICH WAS HEAD TO WIND. OUR PROGRESS SLOWED FROM AROUND 6.6KT ON GPS TO 3.0KTS.
THE WIND WAS BLOWING AROUND FORCE 6. WE HAD 1 REEF IN THE MAIN AND NO GENOA
WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. THERE WAS A SWELL ON THE SEA AND MOST WAVES WERE BREAKING
OVER THE BOAT. THANK GOODNESS FREEDOM HAS A SPRAY HOOD. THERE WAS THE OCCASIONAL
LARGE WAVE WHICH USUALLY HIT EITHER FRANK OR ME IN THE FACE. WE WERE HEELING
TO STARBOARD ALL THE WAY. SATCH FED US WITH CUPASOUPS, CAKE AND SANDWICHES.
FRANK, ROB AND ME ALL TOOK IT IN TURNS TO HELM. AS THE SUN STARTED TO SET, THE
LIGHTS OF FELIXSTOWE AND HARWICH LIGHT UP LIKE BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS.
I AM A GREAT BELIEVER IN USING GPS. FRANK ON THE OTHER HAND DOES HAVE GPS BUT
DOESN’T SEEM TO USE IT MUCH. FRANK DID MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ON THE USEFULNESS
OF THE GPS AND I THINK HE MAY USE HIS A BIT MORE IN FUTURE.
I HAVE NOT SAILED OR NAVIGATED AT NIGHT. HARWICH APPROACHES AND WE PICK UP THE
FLASHING MAIN CHANNEL BUOYS. THERE ARE LOTS OF LARGE SHIPS AROUND BUT WE KEEP
OUT OF THE MAIN CHANNEL AND FOLLOW THE RED PORT MARKS KEEPING THEM A SAFE DISTANCE
TO STARBOARD. A SAILING BOAT APPEARS BEHIND US AND IS UNDER FULL SAIL, WE ARE
MOTORING BY NOW. THE YACHT PASSES US AND TACKS DOWN THE MAIN CHANNEL IN THE
DARK. (MUST HAVE DONE IT BEFORE)
ONCE INTO THE ENTRANCE WE HEAD OVER TOWARDS WHERE WE THINK SHOTLEY IS. IT IS
VERY DARK. WE FIND A STARBOARD MARK, ITS GANGES, JUST WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
FROM THERE WE FOUND THE ENTRANCE TO SHOTLEY POINT MARINA. I RADIOED AHEAD TO
GET CLEARANCE TO ENTER THE LOCK. WE WERE STRAIGHT IN LOCKED THROUGH AND MOORED
IN NO TIME.
SATCH PREPARED OUR EVENING MEAL OF CHILLI AND RICE, WITH RED WINE OF COURSE.
ROB AND I HEAD OFF TO THE PUB TO WARM UP. SATCH WASHES UP AND FRANK WRITES HIS
LOG. AT KICKING OUT TIME ROB AND I CLIMB BACK INTO FREEDOM AFTER A COUPLE OF
PINTS AND A VERY WARM PUB.
SAT 25th 0630.
ROB WAKES UP TO FIND WATER IN THE CABIN. I AM STILL HALF ASLEEP BUT LIFT THE
ENGINE COVER TO FIND ABOUT 6 INCHES OF WATER IN THE BILGES. THE FLOAT SWITCH
IS SET VERY HIGH AND WAS JUST ABOUT TO START PUMPING. WE PUMP OUT AND START
TO INVESTIGATE. TURNS OUT TO BE THE STERN GLAND HAD BEEN LEAKING. ROB FILLS
THE GREASER AND I FILL THE FUEL TANK. SATCH COOKS BREAKFAST.
FORECAST NW 5 OCCASIONALLY 6. FRANK SEEMS VERY UNKEEN TO HEAD FOR LOWESTOFT,
I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S THE LEAK OR THE WEATHER PUTTING HIM OFF.
I ASK SEVERAL TIMES BUT NO DECISION IS MADE. THE GREASE SEEMS TO BE HOLDING
BACK THE WATER. WE EVENTUALLY DECIDE TO LEAVE AND HEAD FOR LOWESTOFT.
1 REEF IN THE MAIN AND HALF ROLLED GENOA WE LEAVE HARWICH.
THERE WERE LOTS OF SAILING BOATS AND A RACE STARTING AS WE LEFT THE ENTRANCE.
WE PUSHED THE TIDE FOR THE FIRST HOUR OR SO, MOTOR SAILING.
AS THE TIDE STARTED TO EBB THE WIND INCREASED UP TO AROUND FORCE 5.
9.5 KNOTS APPEARED ON THE GPS QUITE FREQUENTLY. THE SUN WAS OUT AND WE WERE
REALLY FLYING.
AS WE PASSED THE DEBAN A FLEET OF OVER 50 LASERS CAME OUT FOR A RACE, WE HAD
TO GO RIGHT THROUGH THEIR FLEET, WE WERE HEADING NORTH THEY WERE GOING EAST.
WE HAD TO DECIDE WHICH SIDE OF THE WHITING BANK TO GO, WE WENT INSIDE. ORFORDNESS
LIGHT HOUSE CAME AND WENT. SIZEWELL POWER STATION CAME AND WENT. SATCH MADE
US BEEF STEW WITH A GLASS OF RED WINE. THE SEA STATE WAS MUCH BETTER THAN THE
DAY BEFORE, WE WERE ALL MUCH DRYER.
LOWESTOFT APPROACHED VERY QUICKLY. I NOTED DOWN THE BUOYS WE NEED AND WHICH
SIDE TO PASS THEM. I RADIOED AHEAD FOR CLEARANCE TO ENTER. CLEARANCE WAS GIVEN
AND WE ENTERED WITH THE TIDE STILL EBBING STRONGLY.
1600 WE ENTER THE ROYAL NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK YACHT CLUB AND WE ARE GIVEN A VISITORS
BIRTH.
I DECIDED THAT THIS WOULD BE THE END OF THE TRIP FOR NOW, IT WAS SATURDAY NIGHT
AND WE HAD RUN OUT OF TIME TO GET BACK.
I ENQUIRED ABOUT LEAVING FREEDOM AT THE RN&S YC, THEY WANTED £85.00
FOR THE WEEK.
FRANK SUGGESTED THE LOWESTOFT CRUISING CLUB FURTHER DOWN LAKE LOTHING WOULD
BE CHEAPER.
AFTER A TAXIS TRIP AND A COUPLE OF PHONE CALL WE ARRANGED TO LEAVE FREEDOM AT
THE CRUISING CLUB. THEY WERE MOST HELPFUL GIVING ME A KEY TO THEIR MOORING AND
CLUB FACILITIES ALL FOR AROUND £45 A WEEK.
WE ARRANGED FOR THE NEXT BRIDGE OPENING. KIALA ARRIVED TO PICK US UP, WE UNLOADED
AND WAITED FOR THE BRIDGE.
KIALA TOOK SATCH AND ROB BY CAR. FRANK AND I WENT INTO THE HARBOUR FOR THE BRIDGE
TO OPEN WHEN THE ENGINE WATER ALARM WENT OFF. I JUMPED BELOW AND OPENED THE
STRAINER TIPPED A BOTTLE OF WATER IN AND PUT THE LID BACK ON.
THIS DID THE TRICK AND THE BRIDGE OPENED AND WE MOTORED THROUGH.
THE OTHERS MET UP WITH US, WE MOORED UP, LOCKED UP AND WENT FOR CHIPS.