I had marked the latest buoy positions on the plotter and approached midway between the Haven and the West Knoll and shaped a course for the starboard hand Knoll buoy. It all went rather well and we took the flood past Felixstowe Ferry and up to the Rocks. The rocks was a bit busy it being a nice day and everyone was wanting to get on the beach, so I happily dropped the hook off Prettyman's Point just a bit further down river. There were a couple of barges anchored off, there seem to be quite a few doing the rounds these days.
This is a view from Prettyman's Point looking upstream towards the Rocks.
I did take a splendid vid of the Depen bar on our departure the following day. Sadly I tried a different format; one which is meant for emailing. The quality is very poor unless viewed on a very small screen and then you loose the detail. Never mind, next time. I must say I have just had one of those one in ten year sails. We left the anchorage under sail, sailed down river, out over the bar, down to Harwich, through the harbour and up the Stour without the engine going on. What joy for old Tutak, and me come to that. When I say I didn't use the engine, it's not quite true. I was keeping a listening watch on channel 71 for Harwich VTS and nothing was coming in or out as I verified on the AIS so I carried on sailing towards the deep-water channel and started to cross, definitely not 90 degrees more like 15. All of a sudden I hear this on the VHF - "Harwich VTS this is warship 'Trumpeter' permission to enter the deep-water channel and proceed inwards, over". Now he's not exactly going to say "no" is he. I looked over my shoulder and I could see a monster bow wave heading my way so I did flick the switch and get a hustle on out of his way. Warships don't show up on the AIS. The warship "Trumpeter".
Coming round the point I spied this pair on the redeveloped Felixstowe container terminal. Little and large except the little is large and the large is ultra large.
This pic shows the true relative size of the vessels. Ok the smaller of the two is actually a fairly standard size, there is one in-between but the big one is the massive "Beartrice".
Far away from the bustle of the port we dropped the hook in the Stour, you can still see the cranes and hear the containers being loaded as the wind was from that direction. But we could have been a million miles away as the sun went down off Stutton Ness.
Then it did a strange thing and came back up again, the next morning, fair enough.
Stutton Ness is a bit like the rocks only fewer folk come hear. Nice beach and a rather pleasant place on a sunny day.
Downriver a bit on the other side is Wrabness Point.
It doesn't have beach huts on the beach it has beach front properties. I suppose they have to have something, after all it is on the wrong side of the river as it faces north.
What a liveaboard, the tug "Fenland".
I felt a bit ashamed as I had the engine on and the Thames Sailing Barge "Thallata" was tacking down river, albeit with the tide. She used to have the rig off "Memory", now a hulk at Tollesbury. I wonder if she still has?
This old girl had just pulled out in front of me, off the Parkstone quay terminal. I crossed behind it from left to right to get to the Bathside; the power of the engines was pushing the river back up against the tide as it accelerated to 8 knots. Such was the turbulence I had to disengage the autopilot and hand steer!
Trinity House, the building on the left is where they monitor all the automated lighthouses, amongst other things. The main section is the pier with the lightship on it being fettled and the sheds where they refurbish the buoys. The pier to the right of the gantry is the old train ferry pier, long since disused. Would I be right in thinking that the gantry is used to support the adjustable track ramp for the trains? It looks up to the job.
Halfpenny pier was busy, but isn't it always. You used to be able to stay there during the day for free.
And what do we have here, are these arriving from Finland or going, maybe they're not going to Finland at all. Amazing what you find on the Navy yard. Looks like they are strapped onto skids for loading, then some BIG forklift picks them up.
Once again we leave the hustle and bustle behind and head for the Backwaters of Walton with the Pye sand making itself known for all to see. We crept in with barely 18" under the keel over the flats.
I stuffed the keel onto the mud opposite the anchorage off Stone point at the entrance to the Dardanelles to await sufficient tide to enter my secret anchorage. When the tide goes out that's it, the gates are shut, no one in, no one out, perfect peace.
I didn't wait for the boat to swing to the ebb tide, bottled out I did, that channel is tortuous. So we meanders this way and that, scanning for the next stick to poke out of the ooze. You can't miss one out unless you really know what you're doing, but we made it out past all the lovely houses towards Slaughden.
Spiders and sparrows were evicted from the sails and, once hoisted, we tootled along rather nicely, the wind 4 - 5 and Tutak likes that.
On past the sneaky masts, passing their whispers to GCHQ.
On past the old Orfordness lighthouse.
Past the sailing club pontoon, half tide and above for access.
The hard at the Short Gull is still usable with care. The stones can be a bit slippery with wellies on.
But we had a wonderful sunset and even better, a fantastic night sky, free from light pollution. The nearest and rather meagre orange glow came from Felixstowe I do believe.
Well if you are going to do the east cost bars you may as well get them over with in one go. Here is a vid of Tutak exiting the Ore, the Weir starboard hand mark come first followed by the Red Oxley, phew, made it again.
Once we had escaped the clutches of the wicked Knolls we headed south for the Deben and a run up to the Rocks.
Short Gull, hmmmn, I could see things I shouldn't be able to see in the Short Gull. And, no, I hadn't been on the wine over dinner. Such was my hurry for my galley chores I had assumed that I was in the Short Gull without actually checking that I was. I was actually in Abraham's Bosom, a far better place I feel.
There are two similar anchorages behind Havergate Island, both on a dog-leg but one has the Butley river joining it and one does not. I was in the one that did but I thought shouldn't, which rather gave the game away. I should also have been able to see these two beauties, still watching over whatever went on over on the Ness.
Having waited for the boat to swing to the incoming tide the river doing funny things round here, we hauled our cabe and headed mainly north into a stiff breeze. Passing the Pagodas we came upon the quay at Orford with the sailing club on the upstream side. With a bit of water it is possible to come alongside their pontoon and water when it is not busy.
Passing through the empty waterski area in the Blackstakes reach of the now Alde we come upon the Martello tower to the south of Slaughden quay.
There are mooring aplenty off the quay and a couple of sails in the water so someone was having a good time. First comes the Aldeburgh yacht club and the one behind is the Slaughden sailing club.
In the middle is Upson's yard with the quay. I remember getting some diesel here a few years back.
And look what's peeking out just here? I wonder if there is another space for another barge.?
The easy bit is over and as we turn to the west and the channel starts to meander its way inland. The gut-way is marked by withies, branches stuck into the mud. Traditionally the unadulterated ones marked the starboard hand. I.E. left with the twigs and maybe the odd fork. Nowadays they may be adorned with a bit of green rag.
The port hand marks are just bare poles, marked mainly now with red plastic of some sort or other.
As the channel narrows the chance of a missing mark increases as vessels can take them out. Missing or miss-identifying a mark means going aground. The rising tide was necessary to re-float Tutak several times. Some of the marks on the upper reaches have lost their top-marks so it is a bit of a gamble as to which side to take. Eventually we managed to make the anchorage at Iken Cliffs.
It being neaps and all that, the journey up to Snape Maltings was considered to be too adventurous. The channel is even more tortuous and the withies even more devious. We have been there before and had a very nice concert, but not this time.
When the boat turns on tomorrows tide we will head back downstream, carefully, as there will be no tide to help us off the mud. It will be a minor triumph should we make it.
Due to the imminent arrival of The Second Grandchild I thought it might be politic to hang around locally for a day or so. Thus I will be able to coo at the swaddled birthling.
With the south easterly wind on the nose the engine was started and we said our goodbyes to the power station.
The wind built to 22 knots and it thundered and lightninged and everything. The late evening sun set in a palette of psychedelic colours. The morning brought the sun back and a rest day was declared. The array of Flexcell Sunslick solar panels was deployed to keep the refrigeration plant operational.
One of the ultra large container ships on Trinity wharfe, Felixstowe.
The classic Harwich skyline from the Sholtey side.
Dropping the ramp outside the Navy yard, Harwich.
The splendid Isis out of Tollesbury, tramping along very nicely.
The harbour pound from whence the pilot boats come.
The Navy yard, Harwich.
The redeveloped Felixstowe wharfe.
The Landguard fort in its many guises.
After the day of rest, spent cleaning, mending and cooking we set off just before noon on the following day. The wind was from the north and in the harbour, blowing 13 knots. A day of sail, yes it's on the nose but I had time. I set the mizzen and would unroll the genoa once outside. We dodged and chugged our way past the big ships and turned northwards once clear of the fort. We had full genny and the mizzen and the wind was delightful, 16 - 22 knots for a couple of hours. But all good things come to an end and the waves built and knocked the bow off and our windward ability was becoming compromised. The faithful Bukh was fired up once more for the run across the bar and up the Ore.
The knolls off the bar, just past the Weir buoy.
The wind chose to kick up again and it was a bit boisterous on the sea reach, I had to shut the forward shed window to avoid wetting the canapays. We found a modicum of shelter in the Short Gull and dropped the hook in time for dinner.
