- a robust, ballasted bermudan sloop with 5hp o/b.

As she's kept on a river mooring on the R. Coquet at Amble (Northumberland) and the usual summer cruise destination is the Firth of Forth the decision whether to trail or sail her up there is difficult. If the wind is the prevailing westerly it gives ideal coasting conditions with a smooth inshore sea. With wind from NW to NE a chop soon builds to become much bigger than can be justified by the wind’s strength. Windward progress in the Dockrell becomes a bone-jarring affair as the bluff for'ard sections shoulder-charge the waves and speed is taken off the boat. In the final week before the holiday the forecast was anxiously tuned into and forward predictions were made. The conditions promised to be good and the decision was taken to sail her to the Forth.

10th August 2001

Left Amble Harbour entrance 19.30 in a warm SSW F3 and hoisted the small spinnaker which gave 3kn in the smooth sea. Visibility was excellent and the weak tidal stream was giving assistance. But half-way across Alnmouth Bay I was tricked into replacing the spinnaker by the genoa when the wind increased to F4. I cursed my nervousness because by 20.10 the wind had decreased back to F3 and the spinnaker was reset. When all was finished I looked around in the good visibility and noticed that the last boat had returned to Amble harbour for the evening and I was alone. ALNMOUTH was now abeam. This was a small commercial port in sailing ship days, once busy with grain cargoes but the bar now prevents even shallow draught craft using the harbour more than +/- 3hrs HW. It is a highly attractive place to visit these days either by land or sea.

20.30. Even though it was still daylight I caught sight of Longstone light flashing in the distance (Fame Is); it was reassuring to see as it was about 15M distant. I gave Boulmer a wide berth to clear the extensive rock ledges which are hazardous to half a mile offshore. The rocks protect a useful anchorage where a few local cobles were lying to moorings. A leading line marks the narrow deep water entrance. Many’s the time I've used that entrance, but when there's a sea running, good nerves are needed as big waves break close-by on either hand. You get to trust it after a while.

21.00 Off Howick Haven and now it is possible to sail very close inshore as the rocky shore is steeply shelving. For me perhaps a dinghy's most important advantage over yachts is to get in close to the shore, especially one so beautiful as this.

21.20 Smoke in the air confirmed that I was off the pretty village and small harbour of Craster. It is now known for its traditional smokehouse where herring are hung on tenterhooks and smoked over oak chippings. The harbour improvements were made to allow coasters to load the hard wearing whinstone which was quarried behind the village and transported to the vessels by an overhead wire pulley system. Some of the setts were to become the surface of Northumberland Street, Newcastle, only to be ripped up much later in a road improvement scheme, some were recycled to become the ballast in the Royal Northumberland Y.C.'s wooden lightship / clubhouse at Blyth.

21.40 Off Dunstanburgh Castle in fading light. Wind was still holding SSW F3 but I was becoming tired. I contemplated taking an unoccupied mooring at Low Newton which is protected by a headland and a reef. Still undecided I sailed on to Beadnell which I thought would offer similar shelter. The harbour dries and as by now, 23.30, it was close to low water I anchored off the harbour on firm sand in 1m. The halliards were rigged for silence and the fo'csle laid out for sleeping.

11th August

Just before dropping-off the BBC gave me a forecast of continuing good weather. I slept fitfully until 04.00 when I decided to get a cup of tea brewed. Simultaneously the boat was prepared for sea. Then at 05.10 I left the anchorage under motor to find again a SSW F3 and slight sea. I set sail as before and enjoyed the peaceful sunrise over the North Sea whilst approaching Seahouses.

06.00 off Seahouses and no activity was seen. This harbour gives good protection and there is still plenty of commercial fishing from small trawlers. Some fishermen have moved to the Fame Island tourist trade using robustly built tripper boats they take their bird/seal watchers or pilgrims over to the islands some 2-4M to the north. The town is tacky and cheap, with slot machine arcades and fish 'n chip shops a-plenty but it is useful to the dinghy sailor for provisions and cash, not to mention a good museum to the fishing trade of old.

The tidal stream was against me so I stayed inshore, seeking the slackest water. The coast was now of huge sand dunes and fingers of rock jutting seaward providing slack water areas downtide that I took full advantage of. 07.00 After passing one of these fingers the wind gave out completely and I was in something of a panic to get the outboard running to avoid being washed back onto the rocks! I soon motored past Bamburgh Castle at 3kn (renovated by Mr Armstrong of Tyneside battleships and armaments fame). The reconstruction is still argued over as to it's accuracy but I think most non- experts are happy with it. It towers over the sea and nearby land by perching on the top of an isolated rock. This landmark is useful to the lo-tech dinghy sailor as there is little else to identify locally in reduced visibility. Bamburgh Castle, Inner Fame Island and Holy Island Castle ahead ensure that a precise position can be obtained regardless of locating the intermittent buoyage.

07.20 a southerly began to set in and the motor was cut. Good progress under full sail was made.

08.30 S F4 Off Emmanuel Head, Holy Island. This place is a favorite of mine, It's a fine dinghy sailing base and an annual DCA rally venue, see www.tmtr.com/rally The sky was clouding over and wind increasing but as it was still favourable and Berwick upon Tweed only 8.5M distant to the NW it was an easy choice to continue.

10.15 Off Berwick. Wind now SW F5-6 and light rain. With main fully reefed and genoa part rolled up I was fast close-reaching near top speed of around 6kn. I passed Burnmouth Harbour (Scotland) tucked in under the cliff, then Eyemouth a very attractive and still busy fishing port, and looming up ahead was the massive St Abbs Head, a place of outstanding natural beauty and just to the south the very attractive harbour and village of St Abbs which is often very busy with sport divers who are attracted by the crystal clear waters. They use rigid inflatable boats with powerful outboards but they are no bother to dinghy sailors apart from the congestion of slipways. Rain now stopped and cloud lifting.

13.00 Dropped anchor close-in at Pettico Wick just north of St Abbs Head. It was possible to place the hook on a patch of sand amongst the underwater rocks and kelp in perfect visibility. I prepared a pressure cooked dinner washed down with plenty of boxed red wine. I kept an eye on the fiercely gusting wind as it curled over the tall cliffs. There seemed to be no let up so I continued very close-in and again at a good speed. 13.00 I'd regretfully passed Cove Harbour, a place I've only visited once before and a 'must' on my list to re-visit as it is so remote and unknown. Previously a local had said I was the first visitor in years! I was now off Torness nuclear Power Station, a serious blot on the landscape of a now low lying coast. Yet at night it is so brightly lit it is an unmistakable landmark to the sailor and there is a safe bolt-hole on a mooring next to the RNLI life boat if one was desperate. The wind was easing, now f4 at a guess. 18.00 Put in to Dunbar for provisions. This spectacular narrow harbour entrance, being blasted through a rock cliff giving sheer sides gives in to a generous sized harbour. The town is big enough to give all facilities but the nights are noisy with fishermen or drunks around the quayside in the early hours. My destination was a little further, the Tyne, a small unspoiled river estuary and nature reserve with a shallow bar and no navigation aids. 19.30 I crossed the bar near HW and beached on the NE side of Sandy Hirst giving complete shelter and a clean shingle secluded beach to dry out on. The boat was anchored fore and aft so as to dry out on an even keel and prepared for a comfy night in a warm W f3.

Next day, fully refreshed after a long peaceful night I worked out that my day's mileage was 60M at an average of 2.5kn.