Frustration rally! Hard enough for nurses to get 36 hours off at any time let alone August Bank Holiday, but we did. And we made a good start, though loaded to the eyebrows. (Memo: travelling with rucksacks in public transport is purgatory!)

Rush hour travel proved awkward. We finally tried an alternative route involving another bus, train and bus, getting to Maldon after dark. We stopped for a fish (very fresh) and chip supper before walking to Heybridge Basin via the canal towpath. It was lucky we knew our campsite — pitching tents in the dark can produce surprises. Fortunately the rain held off until the tents were up and we were safely in The Ship but it was a late night when we turned in.

In the morning skipper careened ‘the smallest cabin cruiser ever’ and painted her bottom while the crew broke camp. When Seagull floated we stowed kit and set the sails, intending to punch the last of the flood out of Basin Reach then carry a fair tide to Bradwell. As we were about to drop moorings the wind blew up suddenly in a nasty fashion while rain blotted out Maldon town. We yanked out a tent and groundsheet and shot ashore. After that the deluge! We got up the tent but rain was driven clear through the canvas in a fine mist so that we rolled under the groundsheet to keep dry!

When that lot departed we rescued the old lady and climbed aboard to have a look at the weather round Decoy Point — fatal words! The weather cleared rapidly though Colchester seemed to be getting wet. Off the Doctor Sand, and going like a bomb, we passed a small boat, blue-hulled and with egg-yolk sails, and when out of earshot remarked on the revolting combination.

Passing Osea Pier it was noticeable how those colours glowed in a livid landscape. As we watched, Lawling Creek was blotted out by a squall. We began to feel like a pedestrian at Hyde Park Corner with squalls appearing in all directions. Barely five minutes later a sudden hissing sound made the skipper yell and a thin line of white foam appeared from the south. To quote from the log:

1655 Squall sighted 1656 Anchor down 1657 Sails down 1658 Skipper demolished hatch coaming diving below. Squall struck, rain poured through the open hatchway in spite of the protective groundsheet. At the height of the squall, the mate complained that waterproof trousers weren’t effective when lying in a puddle. Skipper laughed, lying nice and dry on a bedding roll. 1715 Got under way again under foresail only, hoisting the mainsail under way. Then the grommet of the peak halyard block chose to carry away — (Mate to see phrenologist) — though the gaff stayed aloft somehow!

Faith, Hope and Charity, these three look after amateur sailors. The gaff stayed aloft until we gybed into Bradwell Creek, though there was only a line running from the masthead through a block hooked to a wire span on the gaff and belayed to a pin in the starboard shroud.

The squall soon bore off and left us to limp on under a dying breeze with anxious looks aloft. An hour later we were forced to gybe or go over Peewit Island. Not being fitted with wheels, we gybed. After rigging the gaff on a single halyard we bore up Bradwell Creek. That was that — not quite! Half an hour later we were still punching the ebb tide and a failing wind and not quite all the boats lying in the creek.

Still, that dry (?) land felt wonderful when we finally reached the quay. The weather was deteriorating again so we unloaded quickly and set up camp on the first possible site — a quiet corner beyond the sea wall. A stew was started and left to finish wrapped in a sleeping bag while we adjourned to the Green Man to thaw inside and out. Also we wanted to contact other D.C.A. members. The mate wondered what D.C.A. members looked like, but as nobody turned up was not given the chance to find out — two double tots of rum later could not have taken the chance anyway.

That path back along the sea wall seemed even slippier after dark and the skipper found a quick way of getting down the wall! However, that stew tasted good and we were soon turned in — frustration rally was over!