East Coast rivers cruise — Monday 21st to Monday 28th August 1978 In gaff-rigged Embassy dinghy — 11 foot Crew: David McClellan and Gail Hughes

Purpose: to sail and explore the Rivers Alde, Ore, Butley and, if possible during holiday time available, to visit Rivers Deben, Stour and Orwell.

Day 1: Monday 21st August

Loaded up car and boat and headed north from Chelmsford to look for possible launching sites on the River Ore.

As our intention was to sail from its mouth to Snape Maltings (height of navigation) we were keen if possible to find a launching site at one end of the river or the other. First we visited Shingle Street at mouth, which was suggested as a possible launching site in an old copy of ‘Getting Afloat’. Although it may well be possible to manhandle a boat across the beach at this point, we felt that a proper slipway would be easier, so we decided to search further upstream and journeyed to the next suggested launching spot in the book, Orford Ness. To our great delight, this dear little Suffolk village boasts both an enormous car park with ‘facilities’ and a concrete slipway, just £1 annual membership which allowed launching at almost all states of the tide.

As it was now late in the day, we decided to find a camp site inland and launch the following day, catching the tide up to Snape. We found a camp site at Saxmundham, about ten miles away, where we booked in for two nights. We erected the luxury tent here, with full standing headroom — shouts of “Oh no!” from true DCA enthusiasts!!

Day 2: Tuesday 22nd August

Launched late morning with gear and provisions for a day sail, and took following wind and tide to Aldeburgh. Our intention was to stop here and look around, but we decided to continue and make best use of the dying wind and proceed as far as possible towards Snape before the tide turned. Cruising on an eleven foot dinghy causes certain problems, especially when carrying a female member of crew! Although my dinghy boasts full standing headroom, the ‘heads’ are somewhat primitive, i.e. stick it over the stern! In a crowded river this, of course, can cause some hilarity to bystanders. Shortly after passing Aldeburgh the call of nature necessitated that the boat should heave-to in order to allow the crew some relief. As this coincided with lunch, we anchored for a short while. Of course, after lunch the fair wind had turned foul, although the tide was still in our favour.

Lovers of the ‘Paddington Bear’ books will appreciate the similarity between my boat and the little bear — although pretty and affectionate, somewhat inefficient! Despite this lack of windward ability, Paddington did reach Snape Maltings some two hours later, that is, three and a half hours after launching at Orford, arriving at the top of the tide. We did not bother to land as we had already visited the site by road the previous day.

The return journey was fairly uneventful apart from variable winds and intermittent showers, which proved to be the only wet weather of the holiday. We noticed the strength of the ebb and realised that Paddington would make little or no headway against it should this be necessary. Motto for the week — work your tides. Recovered the boat at Orford Quay and returned to camp site.

Day 3: Wednesday 23rd August

Our intention was to sail to Shingle Street at the mouth of the Ore and then visit the Butley River on our return journey. Launched from Orford Quay on the ebb, which just carried us down past Havergate Island. With a light wind and the flood gathering momentum against us, the going was very slow, and progress could only be made by keeping close inshore with the centreplate raised. We managed to get within two hundred yards of the river’s mouth, where we anchored the boat for lunch and sat looking out to sea.

To our amazement, we watched a Wayfarer under full sail and spinnaker make light work of the full flood as it sailed towards the river mouth. At least sailing slowly does have some advantages — we saw a seal!

Thoughts of the ebb tide spurred us on to the Butley River. In a few hours, both wind and tide would be against us, making progress on this fast flowing river very slow. We only spent an hour and a half in the Butley River, but the scenery made it apparent that a longer period would be necessary to explore it more fully. Upon our return to the mouth of the Butley the tide had turned against us, and a long and hard beat back to Orford Quay lay ahead of us. To add insult to injury, the aforementioned Wayfarer passed us going in the same direction like an express train. However, speed isn’t everything; we were even passed by a swimming cow, a sight well worth seeing!

We found it impossible to make Orford Quay under sail as the current is very strong at this point. After spending half an hour tacking backwards, we decided to land and walk the boat up to the quay and slipway. What happened to our motto?

Day 4: Thursday 24th August

Packed up tent and motored down to Waldringfield on the River Deben. Launched there at about midday, taking enough provisions for an overnight sail. For small dinghies, launching is possible at this site at all states of the tide, once permission to do so has been gained from the local pub. We were dogged by light, variable winds, but managed to carry the flood almost up to the road bridge above Woodbridge. The wind died completely for several minutes on our return, so we tied up alongside a pontoon and trekked off in search of choc-ices. Gail had just finished reading ‘A Taste For Sailing’ by John Lewis, and was delighted to see Patient Griselda, the author’s own boat, moored at Woodbridge. She immediately pounced on her camera to take a picture of this pretty boat with its curved gaff.

As the ebb gathered momentum, so did the wind, and we finished the day with a pleasant reach down to near Ramsholt, locally known as ‘The Rocks’, where we spent the night. After supper, we collected wood and grass to make a fire and warm our sleeping bags, which had become slightly damp from the dew.

Day 5: Friday 25th August

Our intention today was to sail down to the bar, which we managed to do, arriving at Felixstowe Ferry around low water. As it was very calm and the wind light, we decided to sail out over the bar and come back with the young flood. On the way out we passed another DCA boat, which later we discovered belonged to Eric Coleman (Rebell). Exchanged friendly waves, but were too far apart to talk. We can certainly recommend to other dinghy sailors a trip across the bar in calm conditions and at low water, as this gives an insight into the many currents which abound in the vicinity of any bar. We were amazed to find contrary currents even when the flood was well under way. The skipper has crossed this bar before in a larger keel boat and has been unaware of all the small fluctuations that do exist.

After about an hour of messing about on the bar, we decided to return to Waldringfield where we recovered the boat.

After a fruitless attempt to find a camp site at Manningtree, we decided to launch the boat again on the River Stour and take the ebb down to Wrabness or Ewarton for the night.

After a hasty launch to beat the tide, as Manningtree dries out two hours after high water, we rowed out beyond the moorings in order to catch what little wind there was, only to find that we had forgotten our oilies. So back we went, only to row out even faster the second time! The exhausted (grumpy) skipper left the boat to drift down with the ebb. As the sun set the wind died to nothing, and it was back to man, muscle and oars.

We were, however, spurred on by the sight of a Memory class up ahead, which was suffering much the same fate as ourselves — windless. By nightfall we were still a few miles from our destination. Fortunately, a fresh breeze set in from the north in the late evening to speed us on our way, and we managed to reach Ewarton at 2030 hours. What energy we had left was spent on tent pitching, hot soup and then sleep.

Day 6: Saturday 26th August

A cold grey day. We sailed out of the Stour and arrived in the Orwell around midday. Winds were light to moderate, heading us as usual.

As we beat past Levington, the Sir Winston Churchill training ship motor-sailed past on its way to Ipswich. We managed to make Bourn Bridge, south of Ipswich, before the tide turned. We were unable to find a suitable campsite on the Orwell, so continued downstream with the ebb and failing winds to see how far we could get before night fell. The crew was complaining that cooking in the dark was no fun, and could we please hurry up a bit.

Finally gave up at Shotley Point, and were fortunate enough to find a shingle spit where we could land safely.

Shotley is at the mouth of the Orwell, and we camped below HMS Ganges on the landward side of the sea wall. The spot was quite isolated and the grass soft and deep, so it proved to be an ideal overnight camp spot. Talk of water rats did not deter us, and after a wholesome meal, we packed away and walked along the sea wall in search of water and other conveniences. The skipper can recommend the public loos in Shotley (Gents) for constant hot running water, just right for getting the grime off saucepans, cutlery etc. We still managed to get served in the local, despite our washing-up bowl and wellie boots.

Day 7: Sunday 27th August

Woke at 0630 in order to make an early start back to Manningtree, but due to no wind it was obvious that we would not reach our destination until the afternoon on the next tide. We kept going, and made reasonable progress once beyond Parkeston Quay. As we passed Wrabness the wind veered and freshened to be in our favour, which enabled us to point directly towards Mistley on a fast reach. It was already low water when we arrived at Mistley, and as the channel rapidly narrowed, we lowered the sails and rowed on towards Manningtree. We anchored the boat in the shallow channel about half a mile from our destination and waited for the water to return.

We eventually recovered the boat at 1730, and by 1915 had launched again at Walton Yacht Club, with the intention of camping for the night at Stone Point on the Walton Backwaters. We pitched the tent as the sun set, ate heartily, and dived into our sleeping bags.

Day 8: Monday 28th August

Gail was suffering from sore hands caused through constant emersion in salt water, so the light winds on this our last day’s holiday were a blessing. We decided to follow the wind and tide which eventually took us to Kirby Creek where we had a late lunch before heading back towards Walton, where we recovered the boat at 1700, two hours before high water.

In all, we estimated that we had covered about 70 miles on water in light variable winds. Although enjoyable, we would like a bigger boat which we feel would give us more freedom, because we could then sleep aboard and carry sufficient food and clothing for several day’s sailing at a time. It should also enable us to make short coastal passages, thus cutting out the trailing from one river to the other.