The following articles are examples of the logs that came from the Humber based Northeast section in the early days of the Association. It appears that only our President has sailed in the Humber since then.

Humber Highlights by M Trayer

Extracts from the log of Laertes for 1956/57

BROUGH TO GRIMSBY

16th. June

We had sailed up the Humber from Grimsby on Friday night in Laertes in company with Taffy and spent the night in Brough. I awoke to find the boat settled on the mud and as it was raining slightly I promptly lay down and endeavoured to wrap the blankets round me once more. Eventually Barry, my crew, was up and about so we went for a walk round but were soon back and had some water on the boil. After breakfast Dai came across from Taffy to see us, he stepped on to the foredeck walked right round and down the side deck, stood on the after deck and then said, 'Are these deck strong enough to hold me?'

It was blowing fairly fresh south'easterly so we decided to put two reefs in the main before trying for Grimsby which would be a dead knocker all the way. As we cleared the creek at 1245 the tide was still flooding and we sailed out on port tack sailing as close as possible without pinching her. Unable to weather the Whitton Ness light vessel we went about and as we approached the Yorkshire coast we found we had made good about half a mile in half an hour. We sailed down this side of the river for some time and a barge came up astern and passed us close to port. We waved back at the skipper who was peering at us from the wheelhouse and the barge thundered past and eventually disappeared in the mass of buildings and ships that was Hull. We sailed a little further along this side and then went about to sail across to the Lincolnshire side.

When we were opposite the oil jetty at Salt End it really began to get rough. I have never before seen waves like it, not at close quarters, and I hope I shall never see again at least, not when I am in a fourteen foot dinghy. We were sailing merrily along in fairly rough water with plenty of spray coming over, when all at once we encountered a damn great wave that appeared as though it was determined to pass right over the top of us. Words could not express our feelings at that moment. The boat battled gamely on, she dug her forefoot in and began to climb it. It seemed a lifetime and then without warning she leaped over the crest and careered down the other side into the trough where the whole procedure started again. The boat was behaving wonderfully well and during the whole time she never once stuck her nose under although they were exceptional circumstances as the waves were so big, but the boat rode them like a cork. While we were battling with these waves one of F T Everard's motor coasters passed shipping solid water over the bows and it was pounding the wheelhouse right aft. We could not see the name although she was within hailing distance as she was only visible when we reached the crest of a wave. Not long after she passed we decided to bear away and get out of it as it was none too healthy.

As we approached Immingham it was still rough, it is always a bad place in wind against tide conditions, but that to us was like sailing out of the North Atlantic into a duck pond. We made several short tacks to get past Immingham and as soon as we were past we tacked out a little further. By the time we were opposite Laporte Titanium we could see that we were making little progress but we kept on plugging it as Grimsby was only a few miles ahead. About a mile past Laporte we could see that the tide had definitely started flooding so we decided to put the boat ashore and push it along as it was only two or three miles to our creek.

Our efforts were in vain however, for every time we sank knee deep in mud or kicked a big lump of chalk with our toes. In the end we decided to moor the boat on Laporte's jetty if it was at all possible. We climbed in and reluctantly headed back towards Immingham. We came hurtling up to the jetty and I took her round the lee side and luffed up to an iron ladder.

After some searching we managed to borrow a massive coil of 11/2" manilla and moored the boat successfully but by no means safely. Then we managed to get a lift home only to walk in and see 'The Cruel Sea' lying on the sideboard.

Next day we went back intending to haul Laertes out and bring her back overland. We found a rigging screw had come unscrewed and the mast gone overboard was hanging below the boat as she wildly danced about in the waves. A lesson indeed!

5th. August

On Sunday morning, two tired lads arrived at Cleethorpes dinghy park - Angus and myself. We had spent the previous day with three more lads carrying the camping equipment for 30 scouts across a field for about three-quarters of a mile in blazing hot sunshine and if that wasn't enough, we had to walk about three miles for a bus carrying all our personal gear.

We were both urged on by the prospect of a week's idle luxury as we both set to rig Laertes. With us was Barracuda which got bogged down being trolleyed to the water but we managed to dig the trolley out from under her.

At 1250 we were afloat and tacked out to clear our course for Ferriby some thirty miles up the Humber. There was just a comfortable breeze blowing from the southwest but I noticed a dirty looking thunder cloud had loomed up on the horizon and although it was getting no nearer it was following us up river.

By 1405 we were passing Immingham and remembered the granite monument on the bank that recalls the little ship and the men who set sail from that same creek in 1609. This voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers ultimately led to the founding of the United States. I could not see the monument as we were tearing past the shore and almost at once we were approaching Skitter. The sun went behind the dark clouds and it soon began to rain not heavily but just enough to be annoying. I took the polythene cover and we laid it over the top of us and the boat so that only our heads and shoulders were showing, the sheets led underneath where it was warm.

Just round the corner we came across that tiny ditch that the guide books refer to as a small port called Goxhill Haven. I do believe that they build barges there but I can't just see it as a port. We were making good time and by 1530 we had passed New Holland with its tiny harbour hidden away behind the pier. I bet that's a hell of a place to get into from upriver on an ebb tide, there's no wonder that the place is never honoured by the presence of yachts.

The rain had now ceased and Angus folded the cover and we started to eat as we were ravenously hungry. We were still eating when we passed Barton. Barton in my mind is one of the most interesting towns on the Humber, the tower on the church which was built by the Saxons is said to be a thousand years old. It seemed hard to believe that we were probably sailing over the same spot where King Alfred fought the Danes in their longboats sometime in the tenth century. Not many people are interested in the Humber but it has a terrific amount of historical interest if you care to find out about it.

At 1650, exactly four hours after leaving Cleethorpes, we went about to sail into Ferriby Sluice and we bore away and sailed down the smaller creek at the side, where we were welcomed by many of the Grimsby Yacht Club. After tea we had an enjoyable evening at the Nebthorpe Arms yarning about boats and future cruises.

Thursday 9th. August

We slipped out of Ferriby at 1525 and as I was before Barracuda in getting away I presumed it was the understood thing as the tide was very low that we were to go through the Swatchway and into the main channel, if necessary anchoring until the tide began to flood again. Imagine my surprise when I got halfway through and discovered that Barracuda was nowhere to be seen. I went about and sailed back to Ferriby wondering what had kept her and then back in the south channel I saw them careering off in the general direction of Winteringham. There was good sailing breeze blowing from dead astern and before long I had almost made up the ground that I had lost by going down the Swatchway. We were sailing in the muddiest water I've seen and Geoff looked round and called - 'You've got a queer looking bow wave.'

With that Barracuda came slowly and deliberately to a halt and I luffed up to pass. I never got past for just as I came up the boat slowed down and stopped when we were abreast.

There was nothing to indicate running aground, the plate was still a quarter down and the rudder which is usually jumping up at the slightest touch was still down to its normal waterline. Or was it water we were floating on? A close inspection showed that it was pure unadulterated mud. The two boats although stopped still had bow waves and wakes of solid mud. With an or so to wait we passed the time by unsuccessfully trying to set the spinnaker and then prodding at bubbles with our spinnaker boom in the hope of catching a flatfish. The only results of this were a filthy boom and mud all over our decks.

I had worked out that during the two hours we were aground we must have moved about twenty feet, the movement was hardly discernible but when you leaned over the transom the mud was moving past at the terrific rate of about two inches a minute. It's a good job the tide came in or we would have been on our way yet. Suddenly we heard a dull roar, coming up astern of us was a wave about nine inches high. At 1810, just under two hours after we went aground, we were under way once more. We chased the wave for some time and then we saw another wave advancing from the opposite direction, identical to the one we were chasing. We watched it get nearer and nearer and then 'smack'! In a flurry of dirty water they both disappeared and we went sailing on as if nothing had happened.

GRIMSBY TO BRIDLINGTON

For the first time this year, the weather held good, and at 1430 Laertes with myself and Mr D Hebb aboard, sailed silently out of Grimsby Docks, on the level.

Weather report 1430: SE force 3-4 increasing 4-6. Veering W Moderate visibility becoming poor, fog patches. Dowsing SW 4. Moderate, rain showers.

With a not very promising forecast we found we could just lay Spurn Point so with a National 12 mainsail and jib we began our long leg out. Mr A Bradley in Teal was supposed to rendezvous with us at Clee Ness light vessel and as he was not even on the water when we arrived, we decided to continue and meet him in the lee of Dimlington Highland.

With a very fresh SE wind and a spring tide beneath us we found that it became progressively worse, the nearer to Spurn we got. The Binks didn't even bear thinking about, you can perhaps visualise what happens when an 8 knot tide runs into a bank that shallows from 15 fathoms to half a fathom on nearly as many feet. Add onto that the fact that you have a very fresh wind dead against the tide and it all adds up to a really short and steep sea with the tops all nicely curling over in anticipation of your presence. With visions of the 'Flying Dutchman' we plunged forth into the mass of airborne water. Although we didn't take too much water aboard, it was quite enough for one session and we were very pleased to come through into deeper water on the opposite side unscathed. Once through and on the other tack, we found that we could lay along the coast nicely, but that if the wind veered to the west as forecast it would be a beat all the way. As we passed Dimlington Highland we saw Teal beating round Kilnsea so we continued. The wind had steadily veered and increased and just as Teal seemed to be getting within about half a mile she suddenly disappeared. I leapt for'd, dropped the jib just as it hit us; a really violent rain storm.

As soon as it came it disappeared and at 1900 as Withernsea came abeam we closed on Teal for a yarn with Arthur. From Withernsea we set three hour watches and as the weather seemed to have settled for the night, the man off watch brewed up the cocoa and laid out a really delicious supper. As it became dark we lit our navigation lights and sailed lazily but contentedly in the general direction of Bridlington with the gentle sound of music drifting across the water from the two boats.

About 2130 just inside the D.2 we passed close to a vicious looking object which projected about three feet out of the water, we noted it on the chart and continued our placid way.

Weather report 2400. SW force 5-6, moderate visibility, showers. Dowsing WSW 4, 5 miles.

I stayed on watch to see Hornsea pass at 2345 and then turned in. I was shaken out at about 0345 to lead the way into Bridlington harbour. I remember thinking that I couldn't let Teal beat us in now so we hoisted the jib and started to make a race of it. Teal didn't beat us, for about twenty yards outside we passed them to windward and triumphantly led the way in.

Being blessed with a week's holiday, we had decided to set off on the Tuesday but when Tuesday came it was blowing a gale from the SE and an ugly sea was piling up in the harbour entrance. We watched a yacht running towards us under a jib alone and it seemed at times nearly to roll onto its beam ends; when it got in, relieved but none the worse for wear it turned out to be Red Gauntlet from the Humber Yawl Club. Wednesday turned out a little better but was still not satisfactory so we waited until Thursday. On Thursday the wind had veered further and although still very strong would have given us a pleasant sail as far as Withernsea but once past there it would have been absolute torture. I had to be in London by Friday evening so I persuaded the lads to let me go, and it took some doing, too.

A week later the three lads returned to Bridlington plus another crew for Laertes and made preparations for an early start. The following are extracts from Laertes' log:

Weather report 2400: SW-W force 6-8, decreasing to 3-4. Thundery showers, mid visibility. Dowsing W 4. 11 miles.

0330 Set sail in very light airs, drift across South Bay with the tide past a south cone which was hoisted on the signal staff.

0700 Hornsea abeam, comfortable sailing with working jib and 'National' mainsail, Teal who had a double reefed main was almost on the horizon in front but was not gaining.

0810 Entered D.2, we made no enquiries about bombing but decided to chance it, Teal was nearly clear of the zone by now, and having no radio we did not hear the weather forecast until later: SW 4 veering W force 3-5. A remarkable piece of luck although we were not yet aware of it.

0845 Sailed clear of the D.2 without incident, the wind had veered slightly and on approaching Withernsea we were almost on a run and making excellent time. At Hornsea we had noticed that a swell was beginning to build up and by now was at such a pitch that when in the troughs it was impossible to see the horizon or shore even though we were quite close.

1020 Withernsea lighthouse abeam, we were now plugging a foul tide and progress was much slower. We observed a stream of muddy red water flowing inshore with great velocity so we bore away to seaward. Once back in the green water, we made a little better progress. A porpoise surfaced close astern. Shortly after this the skipper felt sick and went below for a snooze. He was awakened by the sound of voices and found that Teal was close astern and the two boats were approaching Kilnsea, the time was not logged because no one was really certain that they were where they were.

The reason Laertes had overhauled Teal was because Teal had encountered a very strong ebb offshore and had made no apparent headway for quite some time.

The two boats now had to tack, taking a short leg out to sea and the next running nearly parallel to the shore. We were still beating when we followed Teal through a narrow gap between a sandbank and the shore which wasn't quite as rough as it first looked.

1530 Lloyds Signal Station abeam.

Two dinghies were sighted on Spurn Point but we followed Teal on the beat across the Humber which was nothing like as rough as was expected. Eventually the two boats landed at Cleethorpes pier at 1800.

There was certainly a variety of weather on this highly successful cruise, if nothing else.