As a new member of the DCA, this summer brought a frustrating series of date clashes between east coast rallies and previous fixtures. I did not phone Stanley Dean about the Iken rally either as I was not absolutely certain of being free during the day (although we were booked in for a concert that evening). The 31st August came and, joy of joy, there was nothing to stop us. Boat, car, clothes, etc were all prepared and off we went from Ipswich on the road to Orford.

We sailed on the flood at 2.30pm, into the teeth of a force 5 NE breeze. Dipper, our eleven foot Gull class sailing dinghy, travelled fast even with the reef in her mainsail, as had a number of Wayfarers (also reefed) leaving a little before us. In fact, despite the strong sunshine, the windblown spray was decidedly chilly. After a while I woke up to the fact that the waves were mainly caused by the wind-against-tide situation, and there was much less chop in the shallower water close in to the banks. So, short-tacking was the way to make progress with the minimum of discomfort. Of course, the tidal current in our favour was weaker, which would make our journey to Snape slightly longer. Still, we were not too pressed for time, and our enjoyment was definitely improved by being less splashed and so warmer. Watching the river banks slip past, we could really see the benefit of having the tide with us. By 3.45pm Aldeburgh Yacht Club was abeam and we turned west away from the wind through the moorings up Westrow Reach. A couple of long fetches up Short Reach and Island Reach and we could cut the corner inside Cob Island and away towards Iken Church on a broad reach, occasionally surfing on the foot-high waves. With a rising tide and a following wind we didn’t need to follow the channel too closely. In fact, we short-cut most of the corners; as long as there was a foot or so of water under the keel Dipper seemed happy enough. By 4.30pm we could turn the corner by Iken Church to cut across the channels of the Troublesome Reaches.

By ten to five we landed at The Oaks, where the Cornish Cormorant of John Adye (I found out his name from the winter 1991 Bulletin) was at anchor under the burgee of the Dinghy Cruising Association. Not finding John, we set off again for Snape Maltings. Opposite the landing wharf we rounded up into the wind and tied up to the reeds (Broads fashion!). We soon had the sails down and stowed, lowered the mast, untied from the reeds and paddled through the bridge. By six pm we had unpacked Dipper, had our bags on the bank, and Dipper was secured, with the anchor ashore, and safe under her cover.

After the brisk sailing, the half-mile trek up the road carrying our bags to the Crown, where we were to stay the night, did drag rather. After a hot bath and a change of clothes it was no effort to stroll back to the Maltings for a lamb kebab in pitta bread, and a good pint of Adnams.

The concert ‘Invitation to the Dance’ featured the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Barry Wordsworth and was a most enjoyable entertainment. Straight afterwards followed a spectacular firework display and a piece of delicious cake, both provided by the sponsor BT. Back to the pub, a drop more beer, a helping of summer pudding, and a Metaxa later it was almost hands and knees upstairs to bed.

The next morning, after a walk to the bridge and back to make sure Dipper was all right (did we still have a Dipper? Yes we did) breakfast in the sunny garden of the Crown was a most relaxed and slightly hilarious affair. When the landlord and staff finally surfaced they looked like they had had an even more entertaining evening than we had!

Still, it was warm and sunny; we were in no hurry. A superb pot of tea was followed — eventually — by an excellent English cooked breakfast with extra toast and coffee. To fill in the meantimes, we were provided with a bag of stale bread to throw to the chickens. Top bird without any challenge from the others was mother hen with her nine week-old chicks; next in the ‘pecking order’ were the rather aggressive peahens, followed definitely last by the pullets, which — although cockerels-in-training — soon got their tails pecked if they went near a peahen’s crust!

There was still plenty of time to wander along the river bank towards Iken Church, stopping to watch a potato-harvesting machine pulled by tractor, while a second tractor drove alongside to catch the harvest. A third man operated a watering machine, presumably to soften-up the ground so the potatoes would come up. Further down the river we were rewarded with the lovely sight of a pair of swans taking-off into wind, across the narrow piece of water left at low tide. A leisurely return past the potato crop showed that the men had gone — off to lunch, we assumed — and, following their lead, we had lunch at the Maltings Cafe.

The tide was now returning to lap at Dipper’s side. It was time to load up again, paddle through the bridge, raise the mast, get on our sailing clothes, and set sail. We left at 4pm in strong sunshine, unreefed, as the wind was calmer than the previous day. Forty-five minutes against the tide brought us to Iken Church. Progress now seemed to need fighting for.

Despite hauling in the sails hard on the wind, and getting splashed, it was ten past six before we could say that we had passed Aldeburgh Yacht Club. The order was given “splice the mainbrace”, and out came the low-alcohol lager from the ship’s supplies. The following wind seemed rather light now, the sun was sinking lower, so the first mate was given the helm while the ‘captain’ sorted out the spinnaker, which gave a useful increase in speed. Passing by the Orford Sailing Club, the spinny was lowered and stowed. We landed just by Orford Quay at ten past seven, still light, three hours and ten minutes for the thirteen miles. Another forty-five minutes later and we driving off for home, tired but very pleased with a most enjoyable weekend.

I am not sure if we can claim to have attended the DCA rally: we saw one DCA boat and burgee other than our own, but no DCA people. Were we ‘rough, tough DCA sailors’? Obviously not; but we did enjoy ourselves, in our own fashion. A big thank you to Stanley Dean; by setting the date you gave us a lovely sail, both days.