Although I had not had any phone calls regarding this rally I made the long trail up to Suffolk with my Finn yawl early on the Saturday. The forecast was for moderate NW winds and Aldeburgh Yacht Club kindly allowed me to use their ramp for launching. High tide was not till about 1800 so I had plenty of sailing time for exploring the river. Although there were plenty of boats racing the only cruisers occupied were those still putting gear on board for the season. No small boats had come upriver at all when I decided that it was time to tackle the ‘Troublesome Reaches’ in order to get upriver to the rally to pitch my tent.

When I got to these shallows I realised that with the wind on the nose and the banks just covered I would not be able to tack up the narrow gutway. I retreated a little way, picked up a mooring but with neaps I should have to wait to nearly high tide. It was now that I realised how cold it had become as the wind freshened. After about half an hour I began to feel a bit under the weather. I sailed back to Aldeburgh but did not meet any DCA dinghies. Now I felt distinctly unwell so hauled out and headed for the rally by road. Fortunately there is a car park near the meeting place and very soon Charles Proudfoot appeared. We remained there chatting until past high tide and then after a good look downriver set off for our respective homes.

Stour Rally — 8/9th July

This was in fact a rally for Wanderers and Wayfarers to which the DCA had been invited. Apart from Anne Kell who organised it and Denis who joined the sail back on Sunday, two other DCA boats attended for the cruise in company and the night of the rally; Andy Peters and son Michael and Alan and Sue Hunt , both crews in Wanderers. In all approximately five Wanderers attended and about ten Wayfarers. I am reporting what I have garnered from accompanying the Ws and Ws and subsequent phone calls as Anne is in France at present.

Launching of the flotilla took place at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club on the Orwell during the morning. Anne Kell presided at a skippers’ meeting before the off at which the plan for the weekend was outlined. Unfortunately I just learnt of this as the assembly was breaking up so relied on various skippers afloat to impart such information as I was able to use. As I was only able to be present on the Saturday this didn’t matter too much and I had only to follow the fleet in any case. The idea was that when everyone was afloat we would all set sail together. It was noticeable that the keen Wayfarer skippers made sure that they would not be humiliated by the Wanderers by remaining downriver of the launching site during the assembly. On the off they quickly ‘raced’ away and became dots on the horizon.

With a moderate easterly breeze we tacked down the Orwell with the ebb with the intention of taking the flood with a fair wind up the Stour. Due to a somewhat laid back approach I found myself at the back of the fleet at the start and we Wayfarers, Wanderers and lone Finn all had a good time crossing tacks and exchanging impolite comments.

When we reached the Stour it quickly became apparent that with no engine I could well find it difficult to get back down this river again when I wanted to go home. I therefore bade farewell to the armada and headed out to sea through Harwich harbour. The rest of them stopped for lunch at a wharf some way up the estuary and continued on afterwards to Holbrook Creek where they spent the night. I had heard that Ted Jones would be sailing up the coast for the rally from the Blackwater so I thought that I would go and meet him. Before I left Harwich I heaved-to and had my lunch. When it was approaching the time that I would expect Ted to be rounding the Naze I set off across Dovercourt Bay with sheets eased and in a freshening sea breeze. I had forgotten to bring my binocular so my course was somewhat erratic as I dodged this way and that to investigate each small boat that approached on the appropriate course. I finally gave up after about four or five miles and turned tail. The slippery Finn scorched back with the wind on the quarter while I lounged on cushions on the bottom boards.

Ted Jones later told me that he had not arrived in the Stour until late evening. In spite of looking into every creek he was unable to find the others so had to spend a solitary night at anchor. In fact they were well up Holbrook so would have been out of sight from the estuary and out of reach because of the tide. Congratulations to Anne Kell who obviously had everyone organised except me. Thank you Wanderers and Wayfarers who proved a friendly lot ashore and afloat. In fact one Wayfarer skipper was kind enough to write to me later to say that Saturday had been a bit miserable for her as she had tried to keep up with the leaders and this led her into some difficulties. Sunday, when she cruised home at her own pace proved a delight. We in the DCA like to think we have learned this lesson — however we often have to relearn it!

Blackwater — 24th July by Stanley Dean

Unusually the rally/daysail in company looked as if it would take place in a heatwave but the usual DCA Blackwater luck held up and we sailed on the only cold day in a week or more of very hot weather.

I only heard from two other DCA members who were intending to come to the rally and, as no other boats were sailing from the Blackwater Sailing Club, Peter Bick decided to join me and Gail McClellan in Rebell. The other member, Simon Dockerty, was sailing from Brightlingsea so we arranged to meet along the Bradwell shore but in the event we did not manage it.

We left the BSC just after 1000 hours with a northerly wind force 4-5. The shipping forecast was N force 4-5 occasionally 6 and this proved to be accurate during the day. All morning we were on a close reach, only having to beat into the Colne, and enjoyed a good, if rather wet sail down the Blackwater to Brightlingsea where we hoped to get a mooring for a late lunch but found there were only pile moorings, which we did not fancy, so we motored into Pyefleet and picked up a mooring there. After a long natter and two brew-ups we left the mooring at 1730 hours and had a magnificent running/broad reaching sail back to the club arriving off the rill at 2000 hours and we had a little difficulty in getting to the club pontoon as the tide was only just getting up the slip-way.

According to our club programme, our club is 17 nms from Pyefleet, but my measurement from the O.S. map makes it 15 nms so our average speed on the return trip was in the region of 6 knots. We had a great day’s sailing and I am sorry that more members did not come to join us.

Walton Backwaters — 4/5th August by Charles Proudfoot

This year the rally was well-attended:

Peter Bick — Little My Finn yawl Chris Brookes & Rodney — Mischief Tideway 14 John & Linden Kuyser — Rachel Westray 16 Stanley Dean — Rebell Rebell Mark Tingley — Harriott Roamer Charles Proudfoot — Tai Tai II Roamer

Our rendezvous was Stone Point at 0900 on Saturday. Except for myself who motored up from my mooring and Stanley Dean who had sailed from Heybridge two days earlier, all the boats launched at Titchmarsh.

The weather was forecast NE 3-4 occasionally 5. Wind from this quarter makes for an uncomfortable lumpy sea at the narrow entrance of the Backwaters. As the plan was to sail NE to Harwich I hoped the wind would not be too strong. In the event it turned out to be a beautiful sparkling morning with wind NE 3. This was still a dead noser for Harwich but we stuck to the plan to sail to Pin Mill, leaving Stone Point at 0945. Peter Bick hadn’t arrived in the Bicky Finn but we reasoned be would soon catch up, having by far the fastest boat.

It was a pleasant beat up the coast taking the ebb out of the Backwaters. Rounding Harwich breakwater we could ease sheets to reach up against the last of the ebb running out of the Orwell. Low water was at 1230 just as we approached Pin Mill and we picked up a mooring just south of there, 11 nautical miles from Titchmarsh. The boats ended up all strung out one behind the other in an impressive manner.

During lunch the wind fell light and fluky. We watched another boat tacking down against the young flood and his progress was minimal. Accordingly, to give a good edge for the homeward trip we motored a short way downriver to Colimer Point towing Little My and Mischief. We hoisted sail off Levington where we could get a good slant for the tack into Harwich and the wind then piped up again to ENE 3. The harbour as usual was rough with an onshore wind but all the boats made good progress against the flood. Outside Harwich an easterly swell was rolling in which became steeper and wetter the closer we got to Stone Point, but it was a wonderful rollercoasting run.

Mischief sailed back to Titchmarsh as Chris and Rodney were spending the night ashore at Walton. The rest of us sailed on into the calmer water of Hamford Water and then south into Kirby Creek, anchoring at 1630 off the SW corner of Horsey Island to wait for more water up to Kirby Quay. We weighed anchor at 1715 and then nosed, slithered and bumped our way to the quay, drawing the boats up in the saltings opposite Quay House where the landing is relatively firm and level. The distance from Pin Mill was 13 nautical miles so we had covered a total of 24 miles during the day.

Kirby Quay is very much an ‘out-of-the-way’ place. It is quiet here and always sheltered and peaceful. The perfect place to be on this lovely summer evening. There is so little water hereabout that bigger boats seldom visit and we had the whole place to ourselves. Peter Bick thoughtfully produced whisky and soda, even bringing ice in a thermos. Dinghy cruisers know how to live well!

From our moorings to The Ship inn was a mere 5 minutes walk down a little country lane. We met up again with Chris and Rodney and had a good supper and several pints. Our way back to the boats was lit by a big bright moon.

On Sunday morning we all left on high water about 0700 to go our separate ways — Stanley Dean to sail the long trip back to Heybridge, Peter Bick and Mark Tingley to haul out at Titchmarsh and myself to get back to my mooring before the tide dropped. The three of us together with John and Linden Kuyser sailed across Horsey Mere and over the Wade. John and Linden accompanied me into Foundry Reach where they tied up at the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club and went ashore for supplies. I bade farewell to them at 0900 as they sailed off to some exploring and to meet up again with Chris.

I think this was a successful weekend, certainly helped by fine weather. Thanks to all those who came and made it fun. It was a real pleasure to have a good variety of boats, some from quite a long distance. John Kuyser’s Westray 16 looks a very interesting cruising dinghy and I’m sure a description would make an excellent article for the Bulletin.