 |
| At anchor, 'The Rocks', River Deben. Note the homemade anchor ball. |
The end of school term led to the usual urge to be out on the water, and a weather window opened up this week - although the forecast deteriorated as the week went on.
Preliminaries
The latest repair to the boat has been a tiller extension. Not being an expert in bending wood, I whittled this out of a couple of sheets of marine ply glued together, and attached this to a new hinge. The extension resulted in a much more relaxed cruise, allowing me to lean back, and sit closer to the cabin.
 |
| Tiller extension photographed prior to departure. |
Monday 20th July
Launched at around noon, Wolverstone Marina. Winds were light and westerly. After a bit of fiddling around, I turned east and headed out of the Orwell.
 |
| Launched, water ballast tanks filling. |
 |
| Passing Pin Mill, my old stamping ground. |
 |
| Passing Suffolk Yacht Harbour, happened upon another Drascomber, turned BayCruiser owner. He was just returning early from a cruise in his BC23, due to having not shut off the water ballast valve, and flooding his bedding via the forward inspection hatch. |
I sailed round to the Deben, motored in through the entrance against the mid ebb, but was able to set sail again once past Felixstowe Ferry. This evening's anchorage was at 'The Rocks', as per the photograph beginning this post.
 |
| The windows on Daisy III are tinted, which makes for interesting views outwards - nearly everything looks like a sunset and, when the sun truly sets, causes lovely colouring. |
 |
| Sunset at 'The Rocks'. |
 |
| 18.7nm |
Tuesday 21st July
 |
| Daisy III has an opening roof light - a novelty for me, and something to play with. |
This morning, winds were light and variable, and the plan was to be out at sea, and then work the tides as much as possible. Having motored against the ebb out of the Deben, full sail was set and, in varying winds, I worked my way out towards Walton on the Naze, and then turned round with the tide and ended up at the mouth of the Ore.
The Ore was still on the ebb, but I was ready to set anchor, so I motored in against the ebb, and worked a passage slowly up to 'Abraham's Bosom', an anchorage nestled in the back of Havergate Island. By this time, winds had turned NE, so this provided a calm and safe place for the night.
 |
| 29.4nm |
Wednesday 22nd July
Winds were mostly southerly for the first part of the day. I sailed up the Ore, into the Alde, past Aldeburgh and on to Snape.
 |
| At the upper end of the Alde, navigation is via withies which are not always easy to read. I've worked out that, for the most part where the withies do not have red/green markers, that the starboard (green) withies are usually forked, and the port (red) ones are usually just single poles. This was pertinent today as I led two other boats up past Iken Church; I went aground first, the next boat passed me and went aground at the following bend, and the third passed us both and went aground at the next bend! We all eventually freed ourselves but I was the only one to push on to Snape. |
 |
| Approaching Snape Maltings |
 |
| Little and barge...?! |
Departing Snape, winds were now freshening F5 and gusty. I tried sailing for a while, but even with jib and mizzen set, things were too gusty, so I ended up motoring back to the previous evening's anchorage.
 |
| Barge on the River Alde |
 |
| 26.7nm |
Thursday 23rd July
Rose early, motored out of the Ore, using the early morning ebb, and then sailed round to the Deben, eventually anchoring for a rest, mid morning, off 'The Rocks'.
Winds were beginning to freshen up once again and I watched the boat below heeling as it spent a good hour beating against the ebb downstream, past this location.
After an early morning lunch, I sailed up to Woodbridge, noting this BC20 anchored along the way.
The eponymous
Peter Duck of Ransome fame, moored at Woodbridge.
On the return trip from Woodbridge, winds were gusting F6 (at least - later I noted the Windfinder report showing F9 gusts at Harwich). This was too hot to handle, so I spent an uncomfortable later afternoon in 'The Rocks' area, before drying out for the early part of the night.
 |
| The river bed was a little risky to dry out on, due to the presence of some larger bolders, but I managed to land safely. |
 |
| 27.0nm |
Friday 25th
Today, I motored in still winds, back to Harwich and anchored off the container ship terminals
 |
| Pictures of the departure from the Deben |
 |
| 16.8nm |
Overall trip...
So, further bonding between skipper and ship. Still getting used to aspects of raising and furling sails. I tried various sail combinations, including full sail, single reefed main with jib without mizzen, jib and mizzen alone. She sails beautifully with these combinations but becomes a real handful in upper F5 conditions - it would be good to learn how to handle the sailing in the stronger gusts. But, overall, a really pleasing trip.
 |
| 118.6nm |
