One week’s summer cruise was planned for David and I and wifely permission obtained. We were due to sail on the evening of Friday 15th July. A trial weekend to test the overnight arrangements (consisting of removable thwarts and boom tent) had been completed without mishap or destruction. Windermere was the scene for this weekend and we intended to sail all round the 30-odd miles of the perimeter in an anti-clockwise direction from Bowness. Headwinds followed by no wind reduced our two days mileage to 13 — but a pleasant weekend had been spent on a hot flat lake.

The week’s cruise was to consist of launching at Naburn on the Yorkshire Ouse and sailing south and east into the Humber and east to the coat, turning north towards Bridlington and Scarborough — wild dreams!

Firstly David’s wife was ill and he wrote to cancel his end of the trip. After much searching for crews it became obvious that it was a case of going it alone. The next follows in log form.

1715 Friday 13 July Arrived at Yacht Service Ltd. yard at Naburn, south of York and arranged to launch (3/6d) and to store car trailer (no charge). The service here is excellent and complete repair and laying-up facilities for any size of sail or power boat are available. The evening was spent in arranging to go through the tidal lock at 0800 next day and finding a mooring for the night. The pubs at Naburn and Acaster Malbis, one mile down river, are handy and very good. The Yorkshire Ouse Sailing Club has its H.Q. at Naburn. A very pleasant evening was spent in sailing in light breeze and hot sun.

0600 Saturday 14 July Woke to a fine morning — rather cool and still. Packed up the tent cover and cooked breakfast. Two power cruisers set off down river to the lock at 0730 causing me to work frantically to finish packing up and get sail set. Pushed off at 0730 with a light air abeam. Downed sails short of the lock and paddled in. My little dinghy had the sole attention of the lock keeper! I had missed the other traffic.

Out of the lock (2/- charge) and on to the ebb tide at 0815 hrs. Light airs from the north and north-east pushed me gently on through high flood banks and pleasant country to Acaster Selby and Cawood at 1015 (6 miles). Downed the gaff to pass Cawood bridge. The river turns east here and the wind shifted almost due east also. Three miles of windward work was necessary — which I found very tiring single handed in a narrow river. At Wheel Hall the river bends south again and I was able to hold my course most of the time. Selby Bridge was passed at 1400 hrs. (13 miles). Stopped for supplies at Selby.

The river by now was deeper between banks and very muddy. The wind was doing strange things and had shifted south-east giving an afternoon of hard work. The tide was beginning to slacken and I decided to look out for the inn marked on the map at Barlow. This had long since closed with the decline of water traffic — and so on to Newhay where, hungry and tired, I dropped anchor to investigate a camping place for the night.

Scrambling up the muddy bank from almost low tide level I found a most helpful farmer’s wife waiting to see who or what would emerge from the boat. I was allowed to camp on the bank and spent a pleasant evening in eating, washing and drinking in the village of Hanningborough about a mile away.

At about 0500 next day I awoke to find myself ringed by about forty cows and calves. In the centre of this wondering crowd was a great black bull. I won to the river bank until intentions were clear. The farmer, hearing the bellowing, came down and distributed cake to the beasts and they wandered away to let me cook and pack-up in peace.

0730 Sunday 15 July Sailed on the high water slack with a wind almost due east — I was just able to hold my course close hauled most of the time and the going was not too bad. The river was beginning to widen now and 1100 hrs. saw Booth ferry bridge ahead. Whilst downing sail to get under the bridge, I tied up at a slipway and walked to Riverside Cafe for coffee. Passing under the bridge on the jib and oars I soon was aground and hard work was necessary to get me back into a channel on the west bank. It was two hours’ struggle at the oars to get round the big bend into Goole which I reached about lunch time.

The wind was still more or less dead ahead and so progress was hard and slow through Goole and on to tie up for food at Swinefleet (1400 hrs.). A search in the village produced only a shandy at the pub, so I set off again at the oars on to Upper Sands at Reedness, arriving at near low water at about 1500. The sands were the first relief in 40 miles from the Ouse mud and were welcome. I was tired and hungry so beached the boat on the sands and had a cold meal. I decided to camp here and see whether the wind would be more favourable next day. After conversations with three youngsters from Swinefleet in their outboard driven barge tender (bought derelict for 50/-) I made camp on the flood bank. After food I pulled the boat up as the tide rose and by 1930 hrs. she was secure on the sand at high tide.

Leaving my tent secure I walked the two miles to Whitgift to telephone home and get the weather forecast. I am afraid the Anchor Inn claimed me till 9.30 when I returned to camp arriving just before dark. I could see the mast of the boat some way away but no trace of the tent. When I did find it, it was in ribbons and all my other gear was smashed and soiled beyond use!!

To be stranded on the flood bank at 2200 with dark coming on was not what I had expected. When I had got over the shock and was sorting out any usable items the local policeman and a villager from Reedness came up and told me that a herd of bullocks had done the damage and that they had been searching for me, thinking that I was hurt.

It was agreed that I should be given a lift into Goole to the North Eastern Hotel but George Gunson (the villager) took us home just for coffee. Mrs Gunson insisted that I stayed the night and next day I went by bus to Naburn for the car and trailer and humped the boat over the flood bank and on to wheels again.

After much thought I decided to return home and spend the rest of the week building a bit more of my Y.M. Senior now on the stocks, as I think older men need bigger boats.