S.O.I.A. Anglia Group newsletter - January 2005

Fellow Chairfarers

I hope all your craft have survived the ravages of the exceptionally windy weather. Listening to the radio on our way down to our After-Christmas meal, the shipping forecast came on and hurricane force twelve was predicted in two sea areas – can’t remember ever hearing that before.

I am at last able to say that we have been on the water since I last wrote, not once but twice!

The first occasion was on Boxing Day, when we had a short trip on the Broads on our neighbour’s Leisure 17, Storm. Yes, I know it’s a bit of a come-down, but it’s there and available and needs some TLC, so we’ve been giving it some. Anyway, it was a very frosty day and we had to break the ice to get out onto the main river at Horning. The boat is not very well set up for sailing and while tacking upwind, and with Brian on the foredeck trying to sort out a jammed roller-furling drum, I failed to get the boat to come about and ended up in the reeds on a lee shore. (Yes, I know a lot of you will be familiar with this scenario!)  We were frozen by this time so made it a hot drink and food stop.

When we couldn’t make lunchtime last any longer, and the sun was sinking into the reeds, we tried to get off and found her aground. Being heavier and deeper keeled that Sula she took a bit of shifting, but with the outboard revving and Brian on the boathook and me rocking and rolling the boat, she eventually agreed to take us home. We had to break the ice again to get back into the berth.

Our second sail was a few days later when we visited Eventide Avocet in Lancashire to take her a mince-pie and glass of sherry. We had hoped for a trip across Morcambe Bay to Piel Island and back, but with a NW 6-8 forecast we decided to stay in the River Wyre and pick up a mooring for the night. The only all-tide moorings are across the river from Fleetwood Quay at Nott End, where the tide flows fastest. Unfortunately they are exposed to the north-west, and with spring tides as well the mooring was not the most comfortable one we have ever used! With wind against tide Avocet couldn’t quite decide how to lie – and nor could we…    It was all very noisy with the gale in the rigging and the waves sloshing about. Just for fun I had hung up some wind-chimes we were given for Christmas – they didn’t last long, then we could hear them sliding backwards and forwards across the floor!

When the tide turned, the wind also dropped, and it was bliss, excepting when a ro-ro ferry turned in the river alongside and came uncomfortably close, looming over us.

We kept warm (well, not freezing anyway) with a tilley lamp, candles and the gas on, and slept with plenty of clothes on, and it was pretty snug. Bet you are all really jealous! 

THE AFTER CHRISTMAS MEAL was a really pleasant occasion. Sixteen of us made it to the Butt and Oyster. Hilary and Howard brought their leftover crackers and party-poppers and we all brought our appetites. The food was delicious and there was very little left on the plates. Can’t repeat - or even remember - the gossip, but there was as usual a lot of discussion as to where we might sail in the coming season.

One idea has come by letter from Roy Sporne:

‘Be a good idea to have a rally and races on the Blackwater, launch say at Tollesbury, passage race to Maldon, pic-nic at Osea Island beach. Stay overnight, then passage race to Bradwell or Brightlingsea. Rest of week boozing and cruising.

If you want someone to organise everything I would be very pleased to do so, give me something to do and get involved with, even though I have no boat.’

And from Bob Dyer, re the idea of a cruise in the Thames Estuary/Medway area, after my computer had lost his first e-mail:
          ‘My contribution when it was mentioned before was querying the practicality of using the Havengore Bridge route out of the Roach leaving you with six miles or so to the Medway by which time the ebb is in full flow. Having come out of the Havengore at high water, the options of anchoring in so exposed a location as Southend pier or off Shoeburyness don't appeal greatly. Yanlet Creek just west of the Medway looks a possible place to see the ebb out and then tackle the Medway after low water.
Although Charles Stock is enthusiastic about Havengore, it strikes me that given the right weather (and I try to avoid the other unlike Stock) through the Spitway and up east and West Swin on one tide would be a better option.
Maybe I'll be able to report on either or both during next season.’

Sailing Dates

Anglia Group Spring cruise – 29^th April to 2^nd May. Undecided venue!

Morbihan Cruise - provisionally 27^th May to 7^th June. Contact Tony Eden

Rutland International Paints Rally –18^th-19^th June, East Midlands Group.

Brightlingsea Weekend – 9^th to 10^th July

Plymouth Mini-Rally – Week beginning 13^th August (I think)

Broads Cruise – Probably second or third weekend in September. Any preferences?

Boat Jumbles

Sunday 20^th February, Essex Boat Jumble, North Weald Airfield, Epping.

Sunday 3^rd April, Norfolk Boat Jumble, Royal Norfolk Showground, Norwich.

Saturday 21^st May, Suffolk Boat Jumble, Foxall Stadium, Ipswich.

Next Meeting: Saturday 12^th February, Orwell Yacht Club, Wherstead Rd, Ipswich, 8pm.

Subscriptions: £7 for printed letter, £5 for e-mail, cheque payable to me, last mention.

Enclosed:  The second instalment of our summer cruise on Avocet.

Best wishes, and if you have the chance, have some fine sailing in 2005!

Elizabeth Letzer, January 2005