— June 14-22, 2002

Participants:

Mark Tingley & Richard Farr Wayfarer Meander Sophie Annetts & Joan Abrams Mayfly Curlew Jenny & Kevin Leahy Lynx 14 Morning Star Joan & Bernard Harman Sussex Cob Jay Margaret & Frank Dearden Crew of Jay Percy Jackson Cornish Cobble Platypus Eric Scholes Crew of Platypus Gill & Dick Morris Dick — crew of Platypus Rachel & Graham Finney Lune Longboat Brisk Declan & Rebecca Pirates Helen & Colin Bell Mirror Gadabout Aidan de La Mare Clinker Special Jady Lane Alan Glanville Ness Yawl Kate & Brian McClellan Shipmate Senior Jezelle Isabelle & George Saffrey Cruz Aurora Phil Hall Sailfish 18 Tim Evans Wednesday evening visitor

The following is necessarily fairly personal as boats and crews often went their own way.

Friday: Arrived at a very wet camp site at 4.15pm. Joan and Sophie already comfortably settled. Wet night. Several arrivals in the evening and early morning Saturday.

Saturday: HW 0909. Down at Pascoe’s Boatyard for 10 am. General rush to launch boats. I discovered for the umpteenth time a basic rule, unless you’re quick do not launch on an ebbing tide. Jezelle did not float off the trailer as easily as Water Mouse and the push into deeper water, assisted by those motley matelots Scholes, Jackson and Morris, quickly became farce when our heroes retreated as the water reached their wellie tops. George Saffrey gallantly leapt to the rescue and together we unsuccessfully chased the retreating water, finally giving up with Jezelle still firmly on her trailer. That was it then until next tide. I ran the anchor out using the rubber dinghy and waited. In the fullness of time Jezelle floated off and swung to her anchor, head into the stiffish breeze. Colin helped me pull the trailer out and kindly took it back to the campsite. Back on board I started the engine and motored gently ahead whilst I nipped up for’d to raise the anchor. Julian had given us moorings much further out than usual, exposed to the west and south west. It was quite bouncy out at the mooring with a solo pickup tricky. A wet and miserable day followed by a wet and windy night.

Sunday: HW 0958. It was cold and miserable as I rowed out to Jezelle bouncing about on her mooring. Tidied up but actually started to feel a bit seasick so rowed ashore again and returned to camp. Weather cleared up in the afternoon so Kate and I walked into St Mawes using the coast path, meeting Helen and Colin Bell on their way back and in St Mawes bumping into the motley matelots who we joined for a cream tea. Scrounged a lift back with Percy. The ground outside the tents becoming muddy. Another wet and windy night.

Monday: HW 1052. Lousy morning but much better in the afternoon. Colin and I took Jezelle out and had a very enjoyable sail to and around Black Rock. None of the other boats sailed having made other plans for the day.

Tuesday: 11W 1157. Wind SW 4. At last the dawn was fine followed by a warm sunny day, this was more like it.

A fleet comprising Brisk, Jay, Morning Star, Platypus and Jezelle set off north up Carrick Roads destination Malpas and as far as we could sail up the Tresillian River. We had an interesting beat short tacking through the moorings at Malpas the wind seeming to come at us from all directions but always hit us on the nose. Up the river past St Clements until we had a metre under us and as the tide turned so did we. We stopped at the public pontoon off Malpas for a late lunch (£2 for two hours if the harbourmaster’s launch happens by). Stiff breeze blowing up the creek, on the nose again, so Jezelle left under engine but immediately after leaving the pontoon the propeller shear pin sheared. We quickly unfurled the genoa and just managed to sail back to the pontoon where the offending shear pin was soon replaced. The crews met up again at The Smugglers where cream teas were demolished. Back to St Just Creek where we picked up moorings about 1730 hrs. American supper in the evening (bring and share) where we were delighted to welcome Alan Glanville and his Ness Yawl.

Wednesday HW 1307 Wind S to SW 4+ Really getting into our stride now and the day’s objective was the Helford River and possibly the Manacles. In the event only Platypus made it that far and we demanded proof of this after matelot Scholes insisted he had seen whales off Lands End. Jezelle kept company with Morning Star. We had Jezelle on her ear but Colin insisted we kept all sail up and totally ignored the trembling skipper. I tell you truly folks, I could look out of the cabin window on either tack and watch the fishes. We had a conference with Morning Star and headed over to St Mawes and into the Percuil River and a pleasant cruise up to a lunch anchorage outside Polingey Creek. After lunch a cruise back to St Mawes where Morning Star turned north and Jezelle turned south past St Anthony’s Head and out to sea. We sighted Platypus returning from their whale spotting expedition around the Manacles. We sailed in company until the wind died, then shifted, then smacked us right on the nose. Tim Evans joined us in the evening for a good natter.

Thursday HW 1415. Fleet trip to Truro. Jady Lane, Ness Yawl, Morning Star, Gem, Meander, Jezelle. Lovely day for it. Compulsory stop at the Smugglers on the way back. Meet dinner at St Mawes in the evening.

Friday A foul wet and windy day with pulling out the name of the game, except for those fortunates who were staying on for a further week.

This meet just seems to get better, despite the iffy weather this year which, in retrospect, was not as bad as it might have been. We did get plenty of sailing in and the company, as ever, was amiable and tolerant of the weather. Sophie and Joan in Curlew were inhibited slightly by not having an engine, the strong wind into the creek sometimes making it very difficult, if not impossible, for them to row into clear water. Phil launched his Sailfish 18 at Mylor. We saw him briefly when he sailed into St Just one afternoon just as we were leaving to drive back to camp. Not recognising his boat we ignored him; sorry about that Phil (put a DCA burgee on your Christmas wish list). In fact Phil had telephoned from the motorway where an accident diversion caused him considerable delay but after that his mobile phone could not be used. We did have some trouble with mobile phones several voice messages being lost so although undoubtedly useful they are not infallible.

The Keith Jones rose trees continue to flourish and now form a very pretty hedge.

Footnote: The Finney family enjoy coming to this meet but Declan will not be able to skip school next year so, to encourage family participation, how’s this for an idea. Kate has suggested that we have a meet at St Just towards the end of the school holidays and Kate and I would be happy to attend and co-ordinate this (I’m retiring next May so will have the time). The meet would be children orientated. Anybody out there interested? If you are, contact me (Brian McClellan) and we’ll start planning. This of course would be additional to the normal NW Group holiday meet. Brian McClellan

Rally in Cornwall

What exactly do two old ladies setting off for a DCA rally expect?

Their hope is for a week’s good sailing. Their fear is that they will be faced with tasks which will be beyond their skills and strength, without troubling others for assistance — erecting the tent, launching and recovering the boat, getting out of the creek without tangling with the moored craft and worst of all, capsizing in an unplanned gybe. I think we passed all these tests without calamity.

We did get the tent up. We did launch the boat. We did have two good days sailing, with only a minor rather quick gybe, leaving us scrabbling for the opposite gunwale. The new tiller impeder worked, but I forgot momentarily how to release it when a fluky puff of wind raced at us from an unexpected direction.

It was a week of rain and frequent strong winds which out-classed us. Brian followed by other crafty sailors, went creek creeping using tides and engines and tentative tactics of follow-my- leader to ensure they were not the first to be stuck.

On other days Big Eric and the boys went out to sea, informing us they had sailed far enough to see Lands End. In reality it was a lesser point east of the Lizard. Well, it sounded good!

They went in the opposite direction on the following day, in bigger seas having a very rough ride towards Black Rock (?) What with the overfalls and the height of the waves, it became so uncomfortable that they ran for home. Even then they had a struggle to get into the Roads. All this was witnessed by Colin and Helen Bell from the cliffs.

And what did the geriatrics achieve on these occasions? They visited the amazing Eden Project and St Ives, enjoying Barbara Hepworth’s house and the spectacular Tate Building. There is always something to do in Cornwall.

Best of all was the good company of other DCA members. We had the usual happy evening gathering at a local hostelry and good meal and plenty of laughing and memories. And on one of the few sunny evenings we had a brilliant spontaneous spread au dehors everyone bringing delicious contributions, liquid and culinary. Sophie Annetts

Ullswater — 29th-30th June

Keith Clapham and his wife in their Wayfarer and Paul Bentley and wife in his Caledonian Yawl Dreamchaser joined Malcolm Craven and I in my ‘new’ Wayfarer Restless, plus about twenty members of Toddbrook SC (Whaley Bridge) and several members of the GP14 Association. All but Paul, who launched from Glenridding, stayed at Waterside Farm. On Saturday the wind was fresh, gusty and directly onshore, which made for a tricky departure from the rather rock-strewn foreshore. We were entertained by 49ers and other high-performance boats racing from Ullswater SC going over at regular intervals. We met for lunch in the shelter of Sandwick Bay, then most continued to beat to Glenridding where two boats capsized as they returned in the very gusty conditions.

Malcolm and I preferred to go back to Howtown for a couple of pints of Theakstons at the pub. The beer in the pub’s back garden, which is part of the hillside, was delectable, but the experience was almost marred. On returning to our landing place, the rock to which we had tied the boat was still there in the middle of the beach, but the boat wasn’t! It was about a quarter of a mile offshore, easily recognisable by its oversized DCA burgee flying at the crosstrees. Someone must have untied it and cast it adrift. I ran as fast as I could to the nearby Outdoor Centre and found a helpful young man who ran us out in his RIB. It made a good story at that night’s barbecue, the highlight of which was Malcolm’s playing of the Northumbrian pipes.

Sunday began overcast and still, but a breeze soon appeared and gave a lively first sail to a young lady often who had helped us to recover the boat the day before and had talked her parents into letting her come with us. She soon felt the cold and her lack of breakfast, so we took her back and decided to pull out, which we managed to do just before the rain came at lunchtime. David Morton

Dee Estuary, 13th & 14th July 2002

The sun smiled on us and revealed the Dee Estuary in its glory. The water sparkled, on the Welsh shore the Clwydian Hills were a patchwork of greens, the Great Orme's Head shimmered in the distance along the coast and the peaks of Snowdonia hung hazily in the sky. The light sea breeze was charmingly obliging, building up in late morning to coincide with the rising tide, prevailing throughout the afternoon and dying by evening to leave us to a serene, starlit night adorned by the slither of a crescent moon. Inshore, countless sails flitted about their buoys, as our rally coincided with the annual regattas of the Dee and West Kirby Sailing Clubs. It was the very picture of summer.

The plan was to launch on the rising tide on Saturday at Thurstaston on the Wirral shore, sail the four miles to the mouth of the Estuary, spend the night at anchor by Hilbre Is., then return on Sunday on the afternoon tide. Hilbre is only truly an island for about four hours twice a day and is otherwise easily accessible on foot across the sand, and some people took advantage of this. (The tides were Sat. HW 1405 9.1m, LW 2037 1.2m; Sun. HW 0223 9.3m, LW 0914 0.9m, HW 1451 9.0m.)

The following members and a total of three boats attended:

Joan Abrams in Falmouth Bass Boat, Pladdy Lug; Graham Finney in Lune Long Boat, Brisk; John Hughes (myself) in Lark, Come What May; Dave Morton acted as crew for Joan but found accommodation to sleep ashore on Hilbre; Colin McClellan came for Saturday only, acted as crew for Graham on the outward leg, then walked back; Brian McClellan also came only for Saturday and sadly didn't get to sail but hopefully had a pleasant walk along the coastal footpath; Alix and Richard Hughes joined us for a few minutes on Saturday, having walked to Hilbre to check on their husband and Dad who they couldn't believe was actually going to spend the night aboard a dinghy.

The launch site at Thurstaston is by the Dee Sailing Club. A short stretch of steep road leads to the top of the beach, where twenty yards of soft sand can prove problematic, but beyond this a hard causeway gives access to the gutter and allows launching from about three hours before high water. There seemed little time to chat, what with negotiating the sand, launching in the flood stream and retrieving trailers without causing nuisance to the sailing club which was launching its fleet of Dart catamarans, but by about midday, or shortly after, all three boats were underway and beating out over the flood. Soon we'd left the racers, their course marks, their guns and their support boats, and we breathed in the expanse of the estuary, relaxed into the rhythm of the waves, and were bathed by that feeling of euphoria as the sails pulled and the boats rode through the water.

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Up on a rock on Hilbre, I viewed the scene. Barely half a dozen yachts were scattered across the five miles between where I stood and the Welsh shore, while, small in the distance, two advancing flecks of orange-tan, bright in the sunshine, grew larger to my eye: the unmistakable ketch rig of Pladdy Lug and the highly distinctive lug sail of Brisk; and I thought what a wonderful association the DCA is, and how privileged we are to enjoy such things!

Joan led us into her favourite anchorage on the east side of Hilbre, where we lowered our hooks and dried out at about 1700, leaving ample time to cook, eat and explore the island.

For two of us, Graham and myself, the weekend was something of a rite of passage, being our first time to sleep afloat. I do believe both of us were as excited as two school boys on their first camp! We could not have had more perfect conditions. The breeze had died, the sea was calm, and beached on the sand we had plenty of time in the evening sunshine to organise our sleeping arrangements. What's more, we were in highly experienced company. We did wonder then, after our activities on the beach had attracted interest from one of the few small cottages on Hilbre, why Dave seemed to jump at the unexpected chance offer of a bed for the night: did he know something that we didn't?

The experience of lying in the dark, first hearing the trickle, and then being lifted by the incoming tide was worth every magical minute. And there was such life in the water: apart from a seal visiting me just before dawn, the luminescent plankton were so abundant that I was able to trace the source of a slight seepage of water by a stream of tiny glowing beads to where a bungee cord passed through a transom flap! Another surprise, given the calm, settled weather conditions, was Graham's barometer, which let off its electronic storm-warning alarm for plunging atmospheric pressure as it cooled inside an air-tight bucket!

Sunday dawned completely still. We lazed in hot sunshine. At midday, those with engines used them to round the island into the channel, where we picked up the flood and ran back towards Thurstaston with a progressively freshening breeze, while, overhead, a Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire and a Hurricane did a turn for us over the estuary on their way to the Wirral Show at New Brighton.

Back on the beach at Thurstaston, we were grateful for the assistance of the Dee Sailing Club tractor in recovering the boats. The club had very generously made it clear that its facilities were fully open to us for the weekend. Some of us managed to express our gratitude in the clubhouse bar afterwards, and enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine on the lawn, which must be second to few in its spectacular outlook, celebrating a weekend well spent. This is definitely a rally we will hope to repeat next year. John Hughes