It was a nice day with a good breeze when five boats left the moorings at Glasson, and the D.C.A. rally was underway. There were Howard and Barbara Gordon in their Topaz, two Tideways with the Haskins family and Joan Abrams & crew, Bill Hines in his GP tri conversion, and a Vivacity. We set off down the river on a broad roach destined for Heysham Sands where we planned to beach for the day and come back on the evening tide. But fate decreed otherwise. Having reached the lighthouse 2½ miles away, a combination of wind over tide caused rough seas, so we rounded and beached near Overton, by the village on Sunderland Point. On reaching the moorings, we thought that we had a mermaid with us, but it turned out to be Joan swimming about looking for her glasses. I think it had quite a few locals guessing too. Alvan Eames in his Oyster sailed past with the last of the ebb, but we were unable to attract his attention. We next saw him coming in with the first of the flood after spending a hectic afternoon in the bay. He espied us aground, which he thought most amusing — a short lived attitude, since he was soon in the same plight.

The short sail together with a pleasant walk around this historic headland produced a most convivial and enjoyable day. Joan also produced the grand finale by leaving her gum-boots over the side and forgetting to hoist them aboard when the tide lifted us off.

On the Sunday, we all enjoyed a pleasant sail to Snatchems, a riverside pub four miles from the moorings; in all, a very successful weekend. Barbara Gordon

August 15th-16th

Joan & Jan Abrams, with Keith Stinson, launched from Conway quay at 1000, high water. Alarmist local boatmen, who said we might use this slip “if we got away quickly”, ensured that Keith phoned for the latest weather forecast: SW 3-5, 7 next day. This would have given us a reach over to Puffin Island, but as we tacked down past the Perch beacon we found a westerly — a dead beat. The sky looked increasingly threatening, and the Straits tides are such that we would have had the stream against us all day, and would not have been able to get to Beaumaris, in this wind, until evening. We decided to play safe, and to use this wind to run up the Conway, whereupon it went round to the south. Jim Smith, who had been watching us off, was puzzled to see us turn to tack back against the ebb. We anchored just below Bodlondeb Point and phoned Brian Haskins who was to join us later. We found the public slip on the Morfa, where Brian launched at 1930. We all sailed in his boat to anchor beside ours, and had supper aboard. Brian wisely retired to his car when it began to rain, as his cover was not quite waterproof. Keith had a snug place in the wood for his tent. Jan and I slept aboard, and as the wind rose we wondered how much the tent could stand. We were thankful for Eolet’s 14 lb CQR & 15 fathoms of 1½” nylon, lent to the Tideway for the weekend. In the end, the driving torrential rain found its way in. At 0640 on Sunday I listened with interest to hear that we were near the centre of a deep depression, force 9 cyclonic. It blew 70 m.p.h. at Valley that night. After breakfast, Brian, Jan & I managed to row across the wind to Conway, where we got the boats out. One of those times when caution pays. Joan Abrams

September 5th-6th Rally at Hilbre Island

Launch: West Kirby before HW (1415 Saturday) Alternative launching places: Hoylake and Heswall Rally: Hilbre Island landing place, east of the island, 1700 Organiser: Joan Abrams 061-427-1191