The Tyne Saturday 8th April — The First Barbecue of the Season

On Saturday 8th April the weather was cool and overcast, the forecast wind was W f4 becoming variable f2 later. Bill Jones and I set off in my Dockrell 17 Goosander. We locked out of the Royal Quays Marina at 11.00 am, 2hr before LW, and sailed downriver between North and South Shields to the Tyne entrance, where we rounded the north pier head and set a northerly course up the coast, with St Mary’s Island on the port bow.

The offshore wind was veering gradually and at times we were close-hauled. The waves were never big enough to give us a wet ride but we noticed that upwind the clouds were looking very dark and threatening. The shoreline changes from being sandy to rocky at St Mary’s and once there we safely sailed close in. St Mary’s is a small rocky island, just offshore, rocky with a picture-book white lighthouse. Passing the island we headed further inshore.

The Dockrell is well suited to these conditions and she carried full sail and kept good speed, only occasionally did the main need to be eased in the stronger offshore gusts. Bill tried sitting the boat out at one point but he lasted all of one minute. The gunwale is not smooth, more like a razor blade. It is definitely a sit-in boat. The generous ballast gives the boat yacht-like characteristics, although she suffers to windward in light winds, in which conditions the outboard is often used.

Although close to the Tyneside conurbation this area is natural and unspoiled. The bay has several long flat, finger-like rock formations pointing seaward in a north-easterly direction. At LW tiny sandy beaches are uncovered between the rocks and make a great place to beach. One notices attractive little ‘drifts’ of sea coal on the sand, presumably from underwater seams. Indeed, the wardens of St Mary’s lighthouse gather the coal in buckets for their fires. Further up the intertidal zone the beach is of large stones and inhospitable to boats. The low cliffs are unstable; everywhere there are signs of recent falls.

Once lined up we entered the ‘channel’ and motored gently through the shallows with centreboard and rudder raised until we touched the bottom of sand and flat rock. We now noticed that the wind was no longer offshore but in a northerly direction and finding a secure anchor hold on the rocks was difficult as the sea’s action had worn everything smooth. The gear was transferred ashore and we set up the ‘galley’ in the lee of a rock edge. The picnic barbecue was lit and the cabernet sauvignon poured into plastic cups — all was well. Ordinary well-balanced folk on the cliff walk looking down would have felt sorry for those two lunatics dressed in full oilskins pretending it was a warm summer afternoon. Meanwhile the tide dropped the last 6” to LW and the boat nearly dried out.

An hour later and fully fed and watered we packed up and stowed the gear for sea. After shoving off it was necessary to re-anchor immediately to swing into wind and point seaward. The motor took us out to deep water where the sails could be raised. Once round St Mary’s the genoa was goose-winged giving a speed of 4 knots. Other craft were few and far between. We had left the Tyne with a high performance yacht but she had headed south flying a spinnaker, we’d noticed one sail to the north, possibly off Blyth. The only other craft were a Customs patrol launch and a handful of inshore fishing boats. Ahead of us in the distance an aggregates dredger was making for the Tyne and we wondered if we would beat her to the entrance. We passed closer inshore to examine the entrance and leading marks for Cullercoats Harbour. This is a picturesque old fishing harbour, once full of sailing cobles. The wind had raised a swell of up to half a metre in height, which was no bother to us at all until we approached the north pier of the Tyne entrance. The waves were rebounding from the long stone pier, and creating a very confused area and we bounced our way through uncomfortably until rounding the pier and reaching smooth water. Momentarily becalmed in the lee of the pier we drifted with the flood until we picked up the wind again. A small mixed fleet of racing dinghies from South Shields were off the Herd Sand, racing in the wide expanse of water inside the river mouth..

Two miles of plain sailing took us upriver to the marina entrance where most conveniently, the lock was open and we went straight in, under sail until blanketed by the lock entrance itself. A satisfactory end to a good little day cruise.