At the time arranged for launching at West Kirby, the wind was about f6, NW, and the white horses of the race north of Hilbre could be seen from the promenade. Brian Haskins was there with his Tideway, wondering what to do about it. Joan and Jan Abrams came by car from Heswall, having decided Hilbre Swash was no go. We launched Brian’s boat at Heswall, where we were paid a brief visit by Keith Stinson, and there both boats spent the night on moorings.

On Sunday conditions were better. As the tide reached the moorings, Sulair and Eolet set off down the estuary for a pleasant sail on the tide, returning in time to get Sulair well up the hard before the tide left it. J.A.

SOUTH COAST RALLY

Beaulieu - Newtown River, 12th - 13th September, 1970.

When John Deacon asked me to crew for him to this rally I was delighted, especially as I was unable to leave work until 1000 on Saturday morning, and this met with John’s arrangements. The weather was: wind SW-W during the morning, 2-3; dull and heavy rain at times. It later cleared in the late afternoon and evening.

We began to launch the boat at about 1200; by the time we had finished it had recommenced raining hard and blowing quite hard in the river, during which we sat on board for a while and later went to the harbourmaster’s office for a ‘natter’. It was reported on TV news and in the local papers over the weekend that a sudden squall of 70 m.p.h. winds caused havoc amongst the yachts and inshore rescue teams around the Solent at about this time.

When the weather eased, we set off, no other D.C.A. members having been seen, except that John thought he had caught a glimpse of Jim Smith motoring in the opposite direction on his way to Bucklers Hard. Off Neads Oar Point, with the sea comparatively calm and a fair, broad-reach wind, it was decided to cross the Solent. As the entrance to Newtown River was approached, it was found necessary to close hard and cut across the entrance bank owing to the strength of the east-going flood tide. It was now 1800. No D.C.A. boats appeared at all during this rally. A quiet drink at Shalfleet and then a cooked supper on board followed by a pipe and sailing talk passed the evening extremely pleasantly, with the sunset followed by a beautiful moonlit night in this rare and peaceful creek.

Sunday morning started very bright, with John preparing breakfast at approx. 0800 intending to get under way at approx. 1030. The wind, despite two forecasts, was SW gradually increasing to approx. f4 in the gusts. Under way at 1100 we found, once clear of the entrance, a fair swell caused by the banks, and at no time during the crossing did the waves or swell come at us true; the whole Solent seemed like pyramids with minor ones dotted over them. We were thankful that ours was a run and not a beat in those conditions. On making the entrance to Meades Cove it started to drizzle, later to pour down without ceasing, the rest of the day and the following. Off Bucklers Hard we moored to Ernest Bailey’s boat and had our pre-packed lunch and flask, in the hope the rain would stop in the meantime. It didn’t, so we hauled the boat out and put Jady Lane on the trailer, and all the gear away; at about 1545 we went our separate ways. The only sign of other members was a note in John’s car to say that Ron Dean had motored to Bucklers and left a note on the windscreen.

Despite John’s remarks on Saturday that “the boat’s in the water: we may as well take a look at it”, and on Sunday when moored to Ernest’s boat with our backsides in the air in pouring rain (watching some grey mullet feed off the weed that Ernest had provided on the bottom of his boat) that “we must be a pair of B.F.s”, the whole weekend was wonderfully spent and thoroughly enjoyed. It’s weekends such as these that the creeks and rivers can be enjoyed without overcrowding, when the marsh life can be heard at its best, when rabbits can be seen feeding on the foreshore at 7.00 in the morning, as at Newtown.

This was my second only time at Newtown River. The charm and interests of this creek are always great; thank goodness someone had the sense to make it National Trust property.

If only someone had done the same with Essex’s Foulness, possibly another cruising ground would not be within the planners’ grasp. Far better that it stays a gunnery range than the whole of southern Essex be deafened and desecrated, never again to know the sound of the Curlew.

On this rally we were lucky in as much that sailing time was spent during the best conditions of the two days. Others viewing the conditions at another time and a different boat may have thought otherwise. It is essential that common-sense preparations are maintained by each respective skipper and the appropriate decision made at that time.