The forecast on Friday evening wasn’t the best of the year by a long way, but in the event the rally turned out to be one of the best attended for many years.

Saturday saw Edwin Dewhirst there with his Tarpon, Jane. He was starting a week’s sailing on the North Wales coast and welcomed some company on his first weekend. Later in the day he was joined by Joan Abrams who already had her Morag, Hronrad, on a mooring in the gutter at Heswall, and by Anthony Sluce and his son Justin. They launched their Shetland Skiff on the evening tide and had a tremendous job to row into the strong wind to a mooring near Joan’s. Because of the wind, I don’t think much, if any, sailing was done that day, except by Edwin Dewhirst, who went down on the morning tide and joined the others as they were launching in the evening. John Gray came down for a chat. He was unable to bring his Mirror, or to stay for very long, but his visit and interest were welcome. The night was rather windy, but since the tide was right out the conditions were not rough.

On Sunday the wind had dropped to force 3 or so from the northwest. Brian Haskins arrived, now minus a boat, having sold his Shipmate, but was kindly offered a sail by Peter Filshie and his two children in their Drascombe Lugger, Tarka. It was their first sail of the season in a newly acquired boat, and their first ever in tidal waters, so the conditions were ideal for seeing how the boat handled in waves.

Four craft set off against the flood, tacking into the northwest wind, and had a most enjoyable two hours out on the water before the onset of the ebb forced us to return. The wind died towards midday, forcing some to motor the last bit.

The next few hours were spent retrieving boats and chatting, discussing many aspects of cruising and gear, etc — Edwin Dewhirst had a rather ingenious block and tackle arrangement in lieu of a winch on his trailer, for example — and we then each went our separate ways home, some to do more sailing — Joan to Scotland again, I believe, Anthony and Peter to Ullswater, and Edwin to North Wales.

The next NW Rally is at Bala Lake on September 15/16th.