All cruises start with the weather forecast and for this one it said cold, cloudy and strong winds from all the wrong directions. More than one members called to explain that they’d like to join but couldn’t risk it with such dire prospects. However, just like last year it turned out to be a bit of a scorcher, luckily for us.

The most popular launching site was Felixstowe Ferry where Peter Small (East Coast Secretary) and John Adye launched John’s Drascombe Lugger Willa George Saffrey’s Cruz Aurora and Bill Serjeant his Roamer Harriot. They each had the Saturday afternoon to sail and explore to Ramsholt, as did Charles Proudfoot who sailed his beautifully maintained Roamer Tai Tai from the Walton Backwaters then kept going, right up to Woodbridge before returning to the rendezvous near the Horse buoy at Felixstowe for tea. Paul Constantine, crewed initially by son Arran (7) sailed their 13ft Torch Tyne down from Woodbridge in the dying evening breeze to join the rafted craft.

The decision was taken for Bill and Paul’s boats to remain on the moorings overnight whilst the others went upstream, closer to the refreshments of the Ramsholt Arms. Later a major topic of conversation was to be the adventures of getting to and from the pub in Charles’s tiny tender The Good Shepherd, a journey which by all accounts was very exciting.

Bill’s boat was new to him and he had to launch it and put the tent up etc. all for the first time. On his afternoon sail he had discovered leaks so the evening sounds across the saltings included hammering from Bill’s boat as modifications were made. Bill has a wealth of experience as a former offshore racing canoeist, a Round Britain Race entrant and a junk rig devotee. With his various nautical experiences in both craft and locations, a few wayward screw holes didn’t pose insuperable problems for him. The other sounds of the night included the distant mournful call of the Orfordness light and closer cries of the owl. but not the sound of condensation dripping, for it stayed pleasantly balmy with a gentle breeze to keep us dry and comfortable.

The morning was soon warming in the gentle sunshine when at 8.45 Alan Glanville’s distinctively shaped Ness Yawl Lowly Worm came in from the river entrance, following the channel. He had launched at Aldeburgh and explored up to Snape the previous day before coming down the Alde/Ore to make the sea journey across to the Deben bar. He was clearly seeking us, but he was on the opposite side of the river and it was amazing how each time he turned towards us other moored craft intervened, or the mainsail masked his view. Eventually the slender red hull made that decisive turn which told us he had spotted the waving tea towel and he slipped across to pick up a mooring for a while and catch up on the situation.

The Torch was the last craft to gently run upstream at about 10.30 exchanging words with three of the craft at Ramsholt, then catching up with the rest at Waldringfield where Alison and Martin Constantine joined the Torch and David and Linda Jennings launched their roomy 14ft Highlander Orinoco. As a fleet we all sailed across to the lovely sand spit at the Tips and went ashore to admire the peaceful, rural scenery whilst basking in the hot sunshine. We were joined by John and Penny Donnelly down from London in their fully restored and gleaming Tideway Ramble, launched at Waldringfield, so now we were eight boats filled with lively crews.

We used the tide and gentle breeze first to run and then to engage in some fluky tacking in the light airs below the wooded cliff through Woodbridge, up to Melton beach where we landed to finally decide the evening’s rendezvous as Waldringfield’s Maybush. It was a point of interest that this disparate group of boats sailed rather well together. Crews chopped and changed, craft started off at different times, went their own ways and explored but the group always came back together and we arrived within a few minutes of each other.

At Waldringfield the Cruz and the Torch were secured along the beach, to the tender mooring chains fore and aft, then chocked level with a fender strapped under their hulls on the ‘down’ side. The Highlander and the Tideway went back onto their trailers whilst the remaining craft picked up moorings on the opposite side of the river, — so perhaps the dangers of Charles’s taxi tender had been exaggerated, or maybe they just wanted to experience the thrill of it, all over again! Everyone rated the Maybush meals very highly, with very efficient service, which all added to the overall success of the day.

It was a misty, very calm and settled night. George moved the Cruz out onto a mooring at 04.30 using the high water, aided by his almost silent running electric outboard, which became totally silent when it cut out just metres from the mooring! Monday was sunny from beginning to end. Alan and Charles were away early, Alan using the ebb right to the mouth of the Ore, whilst the remaining Roamer, Lugger and Cruz drifted downstream breakfasting on the way. The wind didn’t fill in until about midday when Martin (9) and I took the Torch down to The Rocks for lunch and then returned to Woodbridge.

The sun was strong, the wind helpful, the scenery super, landings lovely, we had great fun, good meals and quiet nights, in fact, just the standard DCA cruise. Paul Constantine

Walton Backwaters — 22nd to 23 rd May

The following attended: Peter Bick 14’ motor launch Slippers George Saffrey Cruz Aurora Richard Cockatt Tideway Panorama Bill Serjeant and grandson Christopher Roamer Harriot Charles Proudfoot Roamer Tai Tai II

The forecast was distinctly ‘iffy’ — SW 4-5 on Saturday, gusting 6 on Sunday and a generally unstable weather pattern. By Friday evening, the 2 Roamers and the Cruz were already at Titchmarsh Marina and their crews enjoying a pleasant evening in the clubhouse.

Saturday dawned bright and blowing SW4. After Peter Bick arrived at 1030 we all cautiously poked our noses out of the marina, double reefed, to test the weather. It was an excellent sailing breeze so we carried on past Stone Point and beat down Hamford Water into Kirby Creek to raft-up for lunch. It was close to low water and the tacking was tricky amongst the shallows. The wind blew even stronger in the afternoon but it stayed bright and sunny as we had a sparkling sail down towards Landermere and then up to Oakley Creek as far as the slowly rising tide would permit. At teatime, Richard Cockatt swept into the Backwaters in his Tideway after an 11 mile trip from Levington and a very rough beat from Harwich.

By 1730, the fleet was approaching Kirby Quay, half an hour before low water neaps. We bumped and scraped our way in. The new owner of the Quay House has thoughtfully marked the tortuous gutway with withies, but it was very confusing as we didn’t discover until later that they are starboard hand marks. We pulled the boats into saltings on the east side of the creek about 1 cable from the quay. It was a fine evening, the wind was easing and Peter Bick produced his customary whisky and soda with ice. We spent a convivial evening over dinner at the Ship Inn at Kirby-le-Soken where Denis and Ann Kell also arrived by car.

Kirby Quay always means an early start the next morning to beat the tide. Endless mud, anchor warps, the wind and an impossibly narrow channel makes departure something of a challenge, but by 0630 the fleet was under way. The weather was sunny with a light SW breeze but by 0730 it was cloudy and blowing again — up to F6 by lunch time. Half the fleet anchored in Kirby Creek to clean off the mud and make breakfast. Bill headed back towards Titchmarsh. Richard in his Tideway, with wind and tide under him, sped back towards Levington under jib and trysail, meeting rough conditions outside Harwich, but he said his trip there and back was amongst the best he had experienced. For all of us, it was a weekend of exciting and enjoyable sailing. Charles Proudfoot

Queenborough — 5th to 6th June

The weather forecast for the weekend which promised ‘a complex pattern of low pressure and thunderstorms’ failed to deter the following:

Paul Constantine in his Torch The Constant Tyne George Saffrey in Cruz Aurora Ted Jones in Sunspot Genie Peter Small and myself in Peter’s Wayfarer Lutino

Ted Jones sailed to Queenborough from the Walton Backwaters while the rest of us started launching a couple of hours before high water at Swale Marina — known to many as Jarman’s Boatyard at the head of Conyer Creek.

While rigging the boats in the early afternoon there was so little water and so much mud that some of us wondered if we would ever get afloat. In due course the tide flowed in, and we sailed down the creek with a following wind to the Kingsferry Bridge in the channel of the Swale. As there seemed little prospect of the bridge opening in the immediate future, we decided to lower or unstep masts to get through. Paul rowed his boat under the bridge while the other two boats were motored.

On approach to Queenborough the weather deteriorated, so, rather than moor in the Swale, we went up the creek and through a flood gate to Queenborough’s town quay. We tied up in a shower, alongside boats moored at the quay which showed little sign of having moved for some time. The quay is used mainly by local fishing boats, but Paul’s earlier recce produced no objection to our mooring there. The creek dries out at low water, but the bottom is mostly flat.

After putting up our boat tents, we contacted Ted Jones on a mooring in the Swale. He planned an early start on Sunday for his return to the Walton Backwaters, so did not join us ashore. (He told me later that he left at 4.45am and reached his base at 4.30pm). The rest of us went to Queenborough Yacht Club for a meal and drinks (Murphy’s £1.50 a pint!)

After rain for much of Saturday night, it was overcast when we left our mooring at 6.15 on Sunday morning to assemble for breakfast at the landing pontoon on the Swale. No overnight mooring is permitted on the pontoon.

We later sailed back to Kingsferry Bridge and on down to Harty Ferry at the east end of the Swale where we pulled the boats on to the shore and had lunch. The afternoon brought strengthening wind. Sheltered by sea walls and mud banks, we motored or rowed with the tide up the creek to recover the boats at Conyer. So ended a challenging and enjoyable weekend. John Adye

Ipswich Maritime — 19th & 20th June

The West Dock was crowded this year. Apparently twice the number of boats as in ’98 had registered to attend. They ranged from square rigged training ships to Spritties and steam tugs as well as most (I should think!) of the Old Gaffers Association. I arrived Friday afternoon and made fast alongside, still looking for Chris Brooks in his Nomad 17, but he found me an hour or so later and we rafted up together. At that point I thought we were the only ones flying the DCA burgee, but Geoff Osborn with his Gull was hidden among the Old Gaffers beneath a huge bowsprit. And when I turned out early on Saturday, I found that Peter Small had come in on the morning tide in his Wayfarer, and was close by. Later I learned that Dave Smith had trailed his Skipper 17 down from Leicestershire, launched and sailed almost to the dock only to have engine trouble at the last minute. As it is a condition that you enter the dock under power, he aborted and spent the time sailing the Orwell instead. The weekend for us participants was made more enjoyable when Paul Constantine and his family, plus Charles Proudfoot visited us. We all had a memorable dinner together on Saturday. Other onshore visitors included Graham and Valerie Wadeson. Peter, Chris and I decided to leave early on Sunday and were underway at the crack of dawn in the rain, only to find that the gates had closed a couple of minutes prior to our arrival. There was nothing left but to return, catch up with some sleep and enjoy the mini boat show onshore, and then go out on the evening tide. We finally left the dock on Sunday afternoon just after 4pm in a smart north-westerly breeze. Peter was recovering at Woolverstone whilst Chris and I were bound for Walton Backwaters. We crossed the last two hours of flood, followed the ebb out of the Orwell and then butted the first of the ebb emerging from the Backwaters. It took us only 3½ hours to complete the 16 mile journey! Ted Jones

Iken Cliff — 17th & 18th July

This took place at the sandy beach, The Oaks, near Iken Cliffs, in the upper reaches of the River Alde, Suffolk. The following crews spent the night on the beach in tents:

Graham Green & crew Falmouth Bass Boat Lindsey Lad Peter Bick Finn gaff yawl Phinix

The rest slept afloat:

Bill Serjeant Roamer Harriot John Adye Drascombe Lugger Willa David Jennings Highlander Orinoco Tim & Loraine Wilson Essex Oyster Skiff Winter Goose Peter & Kate Small Wayfarer Lutino

Saturday was bright and sunny with a good breeze from the south. Most boats launched at Orford Quay. This is a good slip, well suited for car launching at all states of tide. Supervised parking is available close by in the council car park. Bill launched at Slaughden Quay, Aldeburgh. This is a less roomy area and the slip is not available near low water. The advantage is that you are nearer to Iken Cliff. The run from Orford upriver became lively as the sea breeze seemed to boost the wind. I saw several boats, including myself, taking in some deep reefs. The weaving course involved several hard gybes. At Aldeburgh the river changes from its northerly course round to the west and heads inland. At this stage I expected the wind to moderate as the fetch shortened under the lee of the land. This did not happen. The wind seemed to gain in strength and gave a very wet and lively close reach for this stretch. I am sure that, even though I came more into the wind, the land here seems to funnel the breeze just when you expect it to ease. The end of the moorings inland from Aldeburgh marks the start of the very tortuous upper reaches. Here Peter and Bill anchored to brew up and to wait for the tide to cover the mud banks. They afterwards were able to ignore the channel markers and beat powerfully up to the Oaks. However the channel is well marked by withies and is easy to follow at half tide. There are several places where the southerly breeze whips off the lower parts of the shore. Again we had some lively wet sailing. Iken Church is on high ground and offered us shelter, but as we emerged into Troublesome Reach, the fetch made us bounce. The beach at Iken is well sheltered from all winds bar north and offers sand and firm mud. The DCA fleet of seven boats finally settled down comfortably as the tide went out. The pleasant stroll to the Sail and Plough pub at Snape took 30 minutes along the coast path. Eight hungry sailors had an excellent meal in the very best of company. Sunday morning saw a dead calm and an early start to get off at high water. Bill set off first to row steadily to Slaughden Quay.

The rest of this account is now told by David Jennings, who started the day as an ad hoc ferryman.

Peter Bick and John followed Bill and motored gently downriver as sailing was out of the question until the sea breeze set in. They anchored for breakfast just past the Troublesome Reaches and were to see Peter Small come powering past on his way to Orford. I dropped the (stranded) yacht owners at their boat without any problems and despite the offer of a tow decided I would try to sail. I found that with the wind initially behind me and then abeam, I could ghost along reasonably well. I took the opportunity to eat breakfast whilst the boat sailed itself. Later the river channel turned into the wind and I found I had to row.

This was the first time I had rowed any distance and was pleasantly surprised to find the Highlander would maintain a reasonable pace with only moderate effort on my part. At this point I came across John Adye who had anchored up and was just setting off under outboard power. I declined a tow as I had plenty of time and was making sufficient progress already — I’m also stubbornly independent! I rowed and sailed as the wind allowed until I reached Aldeburgh Yacht Club where the river turns south for the long haul to Orford. Fortunately at this point the wind picked up sufficiently well for me to sail. Although it was a long series of beats, the tide was still with me and the river was still very peaceful apart from one part where the gulls were making a tremendous racket — it might have been a nesting site amongst the antenna site on the east bank of the river. I reached Orford about 10 o’clock and since the wind was now a pleasant force 2-ish I decided to sail on downriver taking the north passage around Havergate Island. I reached the other end of the island about 11:30 and decided to stop for lunch. I was just turning into Butley river to look for a suitable anchorage when I spotted a sandy beach on the south bank of the Ore just the other side of the Havergate island. I turned about and clearly had food rather than sailing on my mind as I nearly got stuck in the mud on a lee bank. I decided to anchor as the beach (actually it was shingle not sand) was a windward shore and I didn’t want to get my feet wet. I discovered that this area of the river is designated as a water ski zone so I bobbed around to the nearly continuous bow waves! After refreshing the parts that needed to be refreshed I set off back to Orford along the other channel at the south-east side of the island. With the wind and tide with me I found myself back at Orford in about half an hour but decided that I would recover as I have a long drive home. Overall the rally provided just about every sailing condition and was an excellent ‘shakedown’ of Orinoco in cruising trim — I learnt a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole rally. Peter Small and David Jennings