by Antony Sluce

Two boats launched at Thurstaston. Timing in very critical as the hard is flat so that there is little time after the tide has reached the end of it before the whole length in covered. The best thing is to get there 4 hours before HW and leave the boat on firm sand off the hard and get the trailer away as soon as the boat floats. The tide runs very fast round the end of the hard — in fact Joan was unable to row a loaded dinghy against the wind and tide. I was sailing with Colin and we got off with the aid of a Land Rover and Cliff. Dennis and Philip got wet getting their boat off as it got stuck on the trailer and then the hard. Edwin launched up at Heswall on the top of the tide.

We then split up and did most of the options for a falling tide on the Dee. Dennis and Philip set off down to the Hilbre Swash, round the West Hoyle and then back through a channel between the banks using a transit on the Point of Ayr lighthouse and the gas holder. Colin and I sailed down to the P-of-A, then back to anchor near the seal colony on the W Hoyle. Edwin sailed down to the Hilbre Swash and then beat back against the tide. Joan sailed to Welshman Buoy and back and then recovered her boat on the same tide. We sailed back to the channel leading to the moorings and ran aground about 2hrs before low water. Edwin joined us then cooked up a superb chicken risotto. We sat in the evening sun sipping whiskey and watching the terns wheeling overhead. The only mistake was drying out before getting the boats head to wind so that it was a bit draughty. We met up with Joan and Cliff later at the moorings. At first they were two heads sticking up above a huge bank of mussels on very soft mud. At neaps I would think the moorings were accessible at all states of the tide.