Friday: Disaster on the first day. On arrival we found the camp site full: this had never happened before. The next site we tried, Seaward, across the river, was also full. Not only was it the Bank Holiday but it was festival week as well and the town was packed. We drove down to the sailing club to see if anybody else had turned up; they had not but I discovered that I had left my club keys at home. Eventually we settled in at the Forestry Commission site at Talnotry, thirty miles away. A lovely site but with minimal facilities and the midges were a pain. I telephoned Terry Hughes to let him know we had arrived and where we were.

Saturday: A lovely day but where was the wind? High water mid afternoon and I had arranged to meet Terry down by the club as the incoming tide reached the slip. We rowed out to Terry’s Dabber and, after a brief adventure, rafted up to a club member’s Hardy. We motored out against the flood into Kirkcudbright Bay towards Little Ross Island. Still no wind so although we rowed a fair bit we needed the engine. On our return to the moorings we spotted Ian Page and Paul Harrison in their Suffolk Beach Punt rowing out to the pontoon. We then all met up in the Selkirk Arms for a meal.

Sunday: Another fine day without wind. This was to be a club race day out in the bay. A late start once again. The race was really a light wind cruise in company of yachts, day boats and racing dinghies. As there was no handicap the inevitable winner was bound to be the Laser. Still it was good fun and was followed by a bar-b-q at the club. Ian and Paul made a classic return right up to the pontoon under sail, stemming the tide in the lightest of winds.

From the DCA standpoint this was a disappointing meet poorly attended. I suspect that there was more wind out in the Solway Firth and conditions were such that a trip over to Isle of Whithorn or Garlieston could have been possible. With an early morning start the tides were ideal.

Thank you Terry for setting it up. The sailing club makes an ideal base and I’m always pleased to actually make an appearance as a club member.

Coniston 6th - 7th September

Present were:

Stuart Calcutt in his own design junk rigged cruiser Karmatoo Dave Morton and Tony Nield in Wayfarer Restless John Canon in Wayfarer Cariad Sheila and Ron Howell Lune Pilot Ronshe Bernard Harman, Percy Jackson, Eric Scholes and Andy Morley in Sussex Cob Jay Cliff Laycock, Mary Aveyard and Mick Hasney in Drascombe Dabber Wagtail Brian McClellan and Mike Woodhouse in West Wight Potter Water Mouse

Saturday the boating centre was closed until 2pm due to the funeral of Diana Princess of Wales. Barriers were down so it was not possible to execute a sneaky launch. Some members launched at the sailing club instead. The weather was terrible, strong south’westerly wind and lashing rain. Mike Woodhouse had travelled over from Nottingham particularly to sail in a West Wight Potter and received a good soaking for his trouble. Nevertheless we had a cracking sail — once I had remembered to put the centreboard down so we could make some progress to windward. I returned a damp Mike to the boating centre from whence he was heading off in search of a hot curry. I later met up with John Canon for a pint and a pub meal. On return to the jetty, Stuart’s Karmatoo was tied up but all was silent so I boarded Water Mouse and turned in.

What a difference a night makes. Sunday dawned fine and clear with a stiff south’westerly to make sailing lively. John Canon left his Wayfarer ashore for the dubious pleasure of a thrill-a-minute sail in Water Mouse. For you Potter sceptics out there she went like a rocket and more than held her own in the beat down to the south end. We were inevitably overtaken by Messrs Scholes, Harman and Jackson in Jay who invited us to join them for lunch. Unfortunately we were just finishing ours and were contemplating the return trip. With the wind mainly on the beam Water Mouse travelled as fast as she has ever moved, poor old girl, and I doubt that I could have lit my pipe. Twice though we came to an abrupt stop and the burgee executed 360° spins before the wind hit us again and we were off. Andy Morley confessed to having capsized in a Splash, a Dutch design not unlike a Laser, called Quickasaflash. This he had borrowed from Pauline Marshall, last of the Amazons. “I’ll bet that would not have happened to Black Jack David, Andy.” We knew that Aidan de la Mare was somewhere about with the Tideway Association meet but we did not see him.

Altogether a well attended, if fragmented, rally. The mystery of the fate of Dave Morton and Tony Nield last seen heading, on Saturday afternoon, south into the rain and gloom was explained when I telephoned Dave on my return home. They pulled out at the sailing club late Saturday night.

Windermere 20th - 21st September

Present were:

James Ingham with Chris, Sophie and Chloe in Norfolk Oyster Eleanor Louise John Adams in Wayfarer Noarlunga Peter Truelove in his Devon Dayboat Mary and Ken Brown with miniature crew in their Wanderer Swift Dave Morton and Tony Nield in Wayfarer Restless David Chatterley and Gerald Harrison in double-ender Iona Jeff and Carol Smith in Seafly Southern Spirit Kevin and Jenny Leahy in Seal Character Boat Dove John Eyles in a sailing canoe Brian McClellan & Steve Goring in West Wight Potter Water Mouse A visiting Albert Hattersley, on Sunday, who hitched a sail

Pleasant sailing on the Saturday with a spread out fleet. Most spent the night ashore at Low Wray camp site but Water Mouse and Restless moored up in the Brathay. As usual some beer and whisky consumed on Restless to the tune of a hissing Tilly lantern.

Sunday was warm and virtually windless and again the fleet spread out. Several of us agreed to meet for lunch south and east of Holm Crag. However having dropped an anchor and reverse sailed Water Mouse on to the beach, wondering all the time where everybody else was — Water Mouse is never first anywhere — Ken walked over to tell us that the fleet had beached north of Holm Crag. Was it something I said? It was good to chat to some potential members Kevin and Jenny Leahy who I hope will join us.

Derwentwater 4th - 5th October by Dave Morton

Our last proper meeting of the season, unless you count the softies’ ‘do’ at the Waterhead Hotel, was well attended by:

Jeff Smith and John Mortimer in Seafly Southern Spirit Colin Bell in Mirror Gadabout James and Chris Ingham in Norfolk Oyster Eleanor Louise Ken and Jenny Leahy in Seal Dove Stuart Calcutt, Gerald Harrison and Phil Davies in Karmatoo Richard Moffatt in Wayfarer Blue Minx Johnny Adams and his son Chris( ?) in a Wayfarer Dave Morton and Dave Chatterley in Wayfarer Restless

People had come from far and wide e.g. Richard from Coventry and James from Pickering, North Yorks. They were rewarded with a gusty dry(ish) Saturday and a delightful Sunday. Then in spite of earlier forecasts, the sky turned blue and even the tops of Skiddaw were visible rising beyond the sparkling masts in the marina.

Water level was lower than last year, so we had a choice of spits for lunch. We opted ‘Plan A’ (St Herbert’s Island) on the Saturday and ‘Plan B’ (Rampsholme) on the Sunday. There were fewer underwater rocks at the latter.

Three boats overnighted in rocky Myrtle Bay — Stuart’s, Johnny’s and mine. Colin joined us by car for dinner, filling his boots on the return trip, while Richard later joined the chat under the trees and spent the night in his bivvy bag undisturbed by red squirrels, rain etc. Dave and I were marooned in Restless as the breeze had set us further into the bay and we couldn’t pull in to firm ground — Colin had already proved this by going ‘over the top’. Soft mud is a hazard along the inner shore.

For early October, this was a fine warm weekend with lots of chat, which everyone seemed to enjoy very much. It was very nice to see so many newcomers. Hope to see you at Elton in February! Hope I got everyone’s name.

Apologies to those who tried to phone me on my long defunct number. My real number is correctly printed in the memberships list as 0161 283 7824, so ignore any advice to the contrary.

Coniston 24th -26th October (or ‘The Last Cruise of Summer’) by Keith Jones

Inspired by Stephen Hunt’s excellent account of the voyage of Peggy to Peel Island and by the photograph of the solitary little craft in Secret Harbour, on Saturday 25th October, some of us were moved to emulate his trip. Somehow the tiny inlet managed to accommodate:

Bernard Harman and Eric Scholes in Sussex Cob Jay Jennifer Heney and Brian Smith in Falmouth Bass Boat Jonathan Seagull Joan and Tony Abrams and Sophie Annetts in Mayfly Hwilpe George Saffrey in Cruz Aurora Brian and Kath McClellan in Campari T/T Water Mouse (perhaps Water Tiger) Keith Jones in Tinker Star Traveller Twinkle

There was not much breathing space when everyone was in!

Meteorologically we were at the centre of a murky High, devoid of sun and wind. We did little sailing, but got a great deal of cardio-vascular exercise from rowing. Indeed it was similar to last year, but for totally different reasons. Then the gale had precluded our even thinking of hoisting sail.

The two night stay at the Waterhead Hotel was very comfortable. They are getting used to our strange boaty ways. It was nice to have the company at dinner of those who were not actually staying there.

On the Sunday there was a little more wind and brightness. We succeeded in sailing, reaching Fir Island for lunch. Twinkle, with Brian McClellan as further motive power, almost forced the passage between the island and the mainland, but was frustrated at the last moment by an overhanging branch. However, the exercise revealed another secret harbour!

The revolutionary Aurora with her cat-ketch rig appears a powerful and interesting craft, about which we hope to hear more in due course.

The rather elderly Campari, which buzzed around like a whirligig under Seagull-power, is urgently seeking a name of its own to enjoy in its declining years, and, ultimately so that it will be remembered in its own right rather than simply as an appendage to another craft. Suggestions to the McClellans please.

Andy Morley of Black Jack David fame popped in briefly, but family commitments prevented his sailing.

Altogether, though not granted the most splendid sailing weather, the event was a pleasant conclusion to the North-west’s 1997 programme.