- Lowly Worm III, 19.2 ft. Ness Yawl, sail and oar, August 12 -19

Rivers Blackwater, Stour, Deben, Orwell and Walton Backwaters. Visiting Bradwell on Sea, Maldon, West Mersea, Harwich, Wrabness, Mistley, Walton on the Naze, Felixtowe Ferry, Ramsholt Quay, Levington and Pin Mill.

It was early evening on August 12, the day after the eclipse of the sun. At Bradwell the marina had already been closed and the slipway barrier locked, so I had a meal at the Green Man and checked into a B & B. Departure was therefore at mid-morning on Thursday, at midflood. Under oars we went inside Pewit Island to enter the Blackwater via Bradwell Creek and St. Lawrence Creek. Here sun tan oil and shorts had their only showing for the whole voyage. The sails were hoist but Lowly merely drifted upstream on the tide with two yachts in the distant haze. At Stone Point a force 2/3 breeze from the east encouraged me that Maldon might, after all, be gained on the tide. I sped past Osea Island and cut through Southey Creek on the inside of Northey Island. The high spring took me over the causeway where the Vikings had defeated the Saxons in 991 in the celebrated Battle of Maldon (see inset box). I anchored for lunch at high water on the bank opposite to Maldon Hythe and a magnificent fleet of Thames Barges. Lowly was then rowed down river with the ebb until clear of the most congested moorings and then tacked into a cool NE wind. This time I went north about Northey Island and again passed Osea. The wind picked up to Force 3 at Thirslet Spit. Lowly entered West Mersea just before low water, the extreme spring just tipping the end of the public pontoon. After a walk ashore I anchored upstream of the pontoon cooked supper and went to bed. THREE BRAVE MEN DEFEND THE FORD

The lines below are taken from a modern translation of one of the greatest Anglo-Saxon poems. The Battle of Maldon, a famous Viking victory, was fought in 991 between an English force led by Byrhtnoth and a Viking army, led by Olaf Tryggvason of Norway. The latter had landed on the isle of Northey in the estuary of the river Blackwater, which was connected with the mainland at low tide by a ford. The two sides could not come to grips with each other. But as the water ebbed the Vikings crossed. They were held up for a time by three English men Wufstan, Aelfhere and Maccus.

Then Byrthnoth, brave protector of his men, ordered A warrior, Wulfstan by name, to defend the ford. He was Ceola's son, outstanding for his courage amongst courageous men. He struck the first seafarer with his spear Who stepped intrepidly into the ford. Two experienced warriors stood with Wulfstan, Aelfhere and Maccus, both brave men. Nothing could have made them take flight at the ford. They would have defended it For as long as they could wield their weapons. But as it was, the Danes found the dauntless guardians Of the ford too fierce for their liking..... In the morning I put the boat on the hard in front of the lifeboat house and spent four hours drawing and sketching ashore and then lunched at the Dabchick Sailing Club. With high water at 1415 I prepared to leave on the first of the ebb to give maximum favourable current to reach the River Stour, a coastal passage without an intermediate bolt-hole from the Colne to the Orwell. There was a favourable forecast wind of 4 from the south. This proved to be a good 5 in the event. Having observed the Mersea dinghy racing fleet and seen several capsizes I prudently tucked in two reefs before leaving the beach. In this manner we made a very fast passage indeed. Twice I ignored heaped white horses on the bow and twice had some 'dry mouthed' sailing as a consequence, the first time in the shallows off Colne Point, and the second closing the shore off Jaywick. I sped past Margate pier at 1600 and moved a little offshore towards the lightship inside the Gunfleet Sands. Lowly rounded Walton pier and began to run in towards Harwich. The wind strengthened so I took in a third reef and ran alternately on one gybe and then the other to avoid gybing accidentally. Both the sea and the sky were grey. Lowly had travelled so quickly the tide was still on the ebb resulting in a strong wind over tide situation. We favoured the Naze shore therefore and picked up some shelter from the sands off Walton, then hove-to in Pennyhole Bay for a flask of soup whilst the tide slackened. I entered Harwich at 1900 and beat up the Stour to Erwarton Ness before dropping back to Bath Side Bay, anchoring for a night of strong winds and heavy showers.

I awoke and breakfasted in leisurely fashion to await the flood tide. The wind had shifted to the west, force four, so I was in for a lively beat up the Stour. Double reefed, the little yawl tacked past busy Parkeston Quay and through the rural expanse of Copperas Bay. At noon we ran onto the beach at Wrabness Point for lunch before continuing upriver to Mistley. Here Lowly lay alongside the quay in bright sunshine whilst I re-provisioned at the little shop. As I was getting back into the boat my reading glasses slipped from my rucsac and dropped into the water. Thus I decided to stay put rather than continue up to Manningtree. High water was at 1500 and the racing fleet was out as in many of the other places I visited during this week of regattas. At about 1800 there was a violent electric storm. I sat in the boat dressed in oilskins and protected by a golfing umbrella whilst lightening lit the sky again and again. Several waterfalls cascaded off the quay, all fortunately ahead of the open boat. After an hour of this torrential rain eight full buckets of water were emptied from the bilge. After recovering my glasses I walked along the river to Manningtree for a meal at the Crown, and then enjoyed the music and fireworks that celebrated the end of the regatta. Back at Mistley I laid the anchor out in mid channel, cast off from the quay and turned in. I awoke to bright sunshine and for the second consecutive day needed sunglasses at six in the morning. We were away at 0645 with a following wind of force three and a calm sea. Clear of Mistley the wind strengthened causing the hull to rock from side to side under the increased pressure and resulting speed. I took in a reef. I passed Wrabness at 0730; the distance so hard gained against the wind yesterday so easily recovered at speed this morning. At Parkeston the sea became choppy and I hung on when another reef was really called for. Rounding the pilot's harbour at Harwich Lowly ran onto the beach at 0900, just before low water, and I waded ashore for fresh provisions. Double reefed upon leaving and with the wind force 4 from the west we had a lively crossing of Dovercourt Bay. The newly flooding tide was favourable for entering the Walton Backwaters but the opposing westerly wind kicked up a sea. Conditions were lively even for the keel-boats. A stream of yachts was leaving the Backwaters under reduced sail, their crews all wearing harnesses and full oilskins. Lowly continued his beat up lonely Hamford Water turning into Kirby Creek between Skippers Island and Horsey Island. I anchored near the landing, put up the windbreak and had lunch. At full water the view across the top of the Backwaters was extensive. I raised only the 19 square foot mizzen and set off on a leisurely exploration of the creeks, calling briefly at Kirby Quay and Tichmarsh Marina. The tide turned against me in the narrow approach channel to the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club and, with the wind on the bow, I had to hoist the main to gain the last half-mile. I had a wonderful reception. Allison, a club member, showed me where Lowly could berth and signed me in. A shower and shave were never so good. After a brief walk around Frinton sea front I patronised the dining room of the yacht club (which has magnificent views over the creek) and then jawed happily with members in the bar. I retired to the tent very contentedly that night. The alarm was set for 0445 - I needed the down escalator!

I was up before the alarm and rowed quietly out amongst the silhouettes of moored craft. The silence was broken only by the marsh birds calling as the daybreak approached. The purples and reds of sunrise reflected on the water. I picked up a mooring at the entrance to the channel to make tea and a flask for the day. The shipping forecast gave rain for the afternoon. However the morning was forecast west 2/3. A careless departure hooked the rudder onto a mooring rope and then the breeze drove me onto a muddy lee shore! Not a good start. Just as I extricated myself the wind died completely. I drifted on the tide down the Walton Channel. With hindsight I should have rowed. At Stone Point the breeze returned and I reached over the shallows south of the channel on an easterly course bound for the Deben. Picking a gap I crossed the shipping lane off Felixtowe and the wind promptly died for the second time that morning. It was 0900 and only 45 minutes before my tidal escalator turned against me. I rowed, sailed and rowed again. With a fitful breeze it was touch and go whether I made the Deben. I needed the ebb escalator to reach it and then the flood escalator to enter. At slack water I rowed into the shore to reduce the effect of the opposing current and maintained progress over the ground. I prayed for a strengthening sea breeze as the day warmed, and inched around the Point, still under sail. I was heartened to note how far out the Deben Bar buoy lay; it meant that I should pick up a counter-current inshore. Sure enough steadily Lowly began to gain on the land until he was being swept faster and faster towards the Deben mouth. I felt jubilant. I anchored in shallow water at Felixstowe Ferry and ran a tripping line ashore to spend a very happy hour drawing amongst the tumble of wooden shacks there. I then took the flood up to Ramsholt Quay and beached the boat directly in front of the pub. I spent a peaceful afternoon, went for a walk and dined at the Ramsholt Arms that evening. Once again there was a violent lightning storm and heavy rain in the evening. I laid the anchor out to seaward before going to sleep so that Lowly would be afloat in the morning.

I rose at 0530 and rowed down with the ebb. At Felixstowe Ferry I hoisted the sails and went out over the bar. I was undecided whether to go east or west until I heard the local forecast on Suffolk radio. It seemed that more unsettled weather was in store and so I decided to eschew the River Ore on this occasion and move back west, closer to my starting point. I landed by the Martello tower outside Felixstowe to await the first of the flood tide. Moving along the coast a little I anchored just off the shingle to draw the gaily-painted beach huts. A man came down to the water's edge and shouted, 'Are you DCA?' He couldn't hear my reply due to the waves breaking on the shingle. Therefore before resuming my journey proper I landed to say hello. His sons held Lowly in the small surf. I then pushed off and moved to swing the centreboard down. It was jammed, totally as it turned out. Of course I tried with all my strength to pull it down. I banged it; I used the oar as a lever. This I did every fifteen minutes for the next two hours - to no avail. However I made the decision to keep going west towards Harwich rather than return to the Deben. This raised some new problems however. The boat would not sail well into the head wind. The weather forecast was for a fast moving depression moving east bringing force 5 winds. I needed to be off the wind and around Landguard Point before the wind got up too much. Meanwhile I had to be especially careful about capsize without a centre plate to stand on. The tide was favourable however and was gathering speed in the right direction all the time. Conditions worsened one mile from Landguard Point. The wind strengthened and with the faster tide caused more of a sea. The crippled boat would not go through the wind now so I had to wear it around. One gybe caught me unaware as to the increased strength of the wind and for a moment I lost control. I hove to immediately and took in two reefs. Even then there was a lot of weight in the mainsail on the next gybe. However I was now getting close up to the Point.

I lowered the main and rowed close inshore to go inside the breaking water on Andrews Spit and to ensure the boat was on a reach before crossing the busy shipping lane. I was relieved to turn north, hoist the main and with free sheets make good way up the Felixtowe shore and into the Orwell. Lowly rode the flood escalator to Levington and entered the Suffolk Yacht Marina. I couldn't easily see how to careen the boat on their steep slipway so went onto a pontoon and got to work on the centreboard. By removing the pivot bolt and expending two hours on trial and error I finally removed the centreboard and the tiny grit particles that had been the cause of so much bother. However I knew the job of getting the bolt back in was tricky. When I built the boat it had taken me a couple of hours alternately lying under the trailer and reaching into the hull to do it. I therefore rowed out of the marina and sailed over to Pinmill. I put Lowly onto the hard near the high water mark and let the hull rest on the inflated rollers (which double as buoyancy bags) in order to give clearance under the centreboard. I searched the shoreline for wire, nails and bolts to act as pilots for the proper, tight fitting, bronze bolt. At 1900 two hours after landing I finally succeeded. I was really content as it meant I could continue the voyage. The alternative had been to finish the journey at Pinmill. There is no way I could make the long sea passage back to the Blackwater without a centreboard. I retired to the Butt and Oyster in a very positive frame of mind. There was another tremendous storm during the night, very heavy rain, lightning and thunder.

The next morning dawned clear and sunny. However there was a strong wind warning - force 5 from the west. I phoned Marine Call and found that the 5-day forecast was more of the same. A bus, two trains and a taxi got me back to Bradwell (via London!) to collect the car and trailer. It was the end of a lovely little cruise. The countryside of Suffolk and the mudflats of Essex are extensive, beautiful and an ideal cruising ground for the small boat sailor. Riverside pubs are numerous and long passages are made easy by those wonderful tidal escalators.