Not where we thought we were.

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.