Adnams ice-cream tours; the shadows shorten

The enticement of salt spray and the calls of the wading birds is already drawing land locked strawberry beer Mickey takers out of the Dog and Duck. For four long weeks the welly-goggs and kit bag have been festering under the stairs. Feeling the heat from the sun is surely making the brain cell activate and with the breeze travelling through the whiskers we are surely ready to slip and be off. One of the best things we have ever done was to buy Zelda of Kent (Wanderer) to sit and watch the water pass is as good as life needs to be. Al Wigg and I have had as much pleasure sailing off for little beers, afternoon teas and brunch as ever we had in our Merlin Rocket racing around the cans.
The technique of reefing down and sitting in! fill us with delight. We have found ourselves in some pretty breezy stuff; the sort of thing that does blow your hat off, to the point that we replaced all the standing rigging. But all else is as old as the boat itself of which is solid in character and has a quality-moulded ship like feel about her. You can stuff a food hamper with cooking utensils under the foredeck, a broop-broop engine in the back below decks and sit on the floor and enjoy time spent. The river is surrounded with brilliant places to visit, either on the top of the tide or sail out on the ebb and return on the flood. Thank god the river is as a norm empty of grockles and trippers. The tides are good this year and love bunny is showing an interest in catching a few rays and posing on the aft deck. We have in the past talked with some of the club chappies on taking part in flotilla type events! But it appears that the lack of suitable tides (for them) and sailing ability stops the chappies from taking part. My fear would be that the average club’s boat owners’ boat is poorly maintained and rarely sailed and out side of Mundon spit would be a liability and un-lightly to reach Hythe Quay in time to buy a round of beers. The Osea Spring Brunch is not far off and we’ve worked out that the barbie works better out of the cardboard wrapper! Love bunny could have a hard-boiled egg next time.
We have now removed the long sharp point that we carved on to one of the oars on account that the seals seem to know of the plan to entice them closer and turn them into seal steak with orange sauce. We have had no luck with the fishes either. However to see Al Wigg get is dosh out from multi layers of sailing kit in the bar for the Jolly Sailor always is good for a laugh and the food is excellent. So if you should bump in to us (be more careful) we drink Adnams beer and recite the story of Strudders and the Caravanners to perfection and also how Jones-zee lost his sailing virginity in Maylandsea Bay (an awesome tale of courage and daring) and if you smell bacon butties and see a group sitting on the Osea beach surrounded in barbie smoke pop ashore we’ll share the bottle or take tea and toast. The Adnams ice-cream tour dates are to be published on this Blog shortly.The beauty of the Blackwater environment with its wild life is outstanding and an early sail down to West Mersea stunning (you get a good breakfast too) If you feel you would like to sail in company make sure your boat is up to it and you are fit with a strong bladder, moneyed up and able to look after yourself for Davey Jones’ Locker is not to be messed with and rescue is not an option. The tide turns every twelve hours. At the very least you need Al Wigg and rowlocks.

Alls well in Maylandsea Bay - now read on dit dit dit

Whirling Lows To The North

At last there is some sign that high pressure may push the whirling lows to the north, and with the Maylandsea Bay pre Easter sailing now at last only three weeks away thing are on an up. It is unclear at this point if MBSC will follow set courses and back-to-back racing or not. We do know that there is a rumble in the bowels of the club and maybe this is a good thing for it may be that change is what is needed. As the sun moves up the hill a feeling of desperate need to feel the salt is rife.
For the other reader, the non-sailors did get to The France Show 2008. It was a bit of a disappointment. The entry fee had dropped to £8 and the place was packed full of the very bloke one would wish to
(Above: this Swedish star sorted Shacko life out with the use of magnets) escape from. The traffic meant five hours in the car travelling to and from the peace of the Tuscany Hills of Essex to the Zoo of the suburbs/docks/central London. There are too many people/motors to the square metre. Their ability to stand one on top of the other and queue around a block of exhibitor’s stands for a UK banger in a roll is not dissimilar to what happens abroad. What is the Brits frenzy to get a free sample about (its free!) and when you ask one to buy a bottle he looks at you like your mad. Who would put food in his mouth when ten or twenty bods had just had their fingers on it (a Brit). The show feature was over whelmed with families hovering to whip the seat from underneath you before you got to see it. Needles to say we did not get to eat. I fear that the show has gone forever; although it will be easier the sell stand space in 2009 to the French, but it is un-lightly to talk Franch. It should be said that it is an estate agents show to sell France to the Brits and what do you expect from estate agents as a show? It was a bit sad but I can remember the good show with the smells of onions, fromage, smoked garlic, and the sounds of the wine makers and people wheeling out boxes on little trolleys. Is Frarnch to fill up with Brits? Will the restaurants only open Friday to Sunday?
(When sailors meet Cancans do they do turns?) Will Frarnch become like North Norfolk nicely painted and empty? Well I can tell you that having seen south London’s A205 (curtsey of the Sat.nav.), the Blackwell tunnel, the A13 and the A127 life is for living and living is not as seen on the way or in London.The Dog and Duck is a luxury, like salty mud, wind blowing your hat off, the sound off the wading birds leaving the mud banks, the sight of the incoming tide, and time to see time pass.

The sun set at 16:31 and comes up tomorrow at 7:52, no worries, be happy dit dit dit

Blackwater Travellers Trophy 2008

Things are looking up, for the sun is working its way back to the northern hemisphere and the shadows are getting shorter. We walked along the sea wall on the top of the tide this Sunday on a cold grey day with the views of Osea island, the saltings with the wading birds circling around, the cats paws speedily spreading out over the water in the knowledge that there was not a race to be had on the river, a sad state of affairs.
It is at this time that ones thoughts travel out past Bradwell and the outer navigation marks to the sights of the black crane jibs and blocks of apartments; the sandy beaches and the smells of Franch. With the GPS set it’s time for the passing of the barrier and Tower Bridge around the Embankment and Mickey-Mouse at Cheyne Walk and into Frog-land.
The France Show is where Shacko from the château in deepest Essex comes to feel warmth and gaze into the eyes of the fromage damsel, who can sell arms full of fromage to Shacko with just eye contact. Shacko knows few Franch words but does say “le vin, oui rouge vous remercient” as if he’d lived at the bottom of Boulogne Hill all his life. Memories of Paris and St Marlow, Shacko’s rather old, now well travelled beret puts a strange tone into Shacko’s one remaining brain cell, and with big brown eyes looking upon the displaced barrow boy, it is as much as monsieur Wigg can do to stop a woopy involving the ability not to say ”aucun merci”
Olympia is an enchanting iron building with the sun pouring through the glass roof and the sights sounds, smells and unknown, is intoxicating, far from sailboat racing, mud banks and wind shifts and yet the wafts of Franch the ease of looks, puts an edge on ones senses not dissimilar to getting around Mr. Fulcher.
An idea of following Mr. Stein down the French canals has been a tad slighted on account that the hotel barge is unlikely to be big enough for Americans and Shacko to stay the distance. In a broken English conversation with a French boat hire company in which the words “Noddy boats” was used last year it may well be that the hire of a boat is not an option either.
So not wearing pyjamas or a baseball cap and trainers but sitting quietly at the restaurant table as soon as arrived. The vin and fromage and gateau and dodgy Franch lingo - it is an answer to not sailing.

The dates for the 2008 Travellers Trophy are coming in, now read on dit dit dit

Blackwater Icicle 2008

As the deep red glow from the rising sun appeared on the skyline it reflected off the river and its back waters like a ribbon of glowing lava under a clear cold blue sky; one had the feeling that it was to be a good day to be on the Blackwater. Maylandsea Bay S.C. greeted the gathering fleet with open arms, pushing out bacon sarnies and tea, with the Sandhopper fleet once again manning the support boats and the race box. Bill Wright being the principal race officer looked at the fleet of thirty plus boat and opted for a committee boat start off of Lawling point at the bottom of the bay. The fleet presented itself to the line and made a bang on start on the end of a soft flooding tide (well all except Jacko and Lorna who on being too early at the pin end bumped along a N12 backed off for a second go, now on port, took bunny pie from the laser fleet tacked off, hit the pin mark did the turn and eventfully joined in). The fleet made light work of the windward leg into a 8 to 12 knot westerly breeze passing the submerged remains of the spit and round the race mark at the top of the bay. There then followed a long run back across the bay and down Lawling creek. It’s not a very user friendly venue for the asymmetric sail plan with a need to optimise down hill angels, but on this day things were looking good as the soft tide did not eat up the boat speed. As the fleet spread out and rounded Doctor navigation mark off Osea Island for the windward leg to Coopers race mark, a rather one sided affair, the race was well on the way to being sorted followed by a grimly tight three sail reach back to Lawling creek. The Solo’s and Laser’s suffered against the strengthening ebb of tide taking a time loss passing Lawling point and race mark 4 and as the saltings gained height the race was over.
The fleet as a whole were the winners on the day having had the pleasure of a sail in sun and a pleasant breeze and for Piers and Peter, the race winners in a B14, the smiles at the prize giving said more than the words. In second place was Tyler Harmsworth in a Phantom and as he rocked his way past two Fireballs on the run out to Steeple he made Neil Fultcher look like a child of God who hardly rocked at all; shame on those of us that did not protest. Gareth Davies sailed an excellent race, starting well and leading at the first mark using the tide and finding a good race line, it is noted that he beat he odds that fast boats travel further in the wrong direction.
Notables: Race team Maldon had a good day with Dean and Rob finishing 6th in a Hornet, and Alex in a Blaze starting well followed by some pretty nippy boat work on the windward legs, with other team members making their presence felt, especially in the club bar.
Race team Blackwater, lead by Gareth (Musto Skiff) chased by slippery pole expert Nigel Sheppard (Fireball) supported by Martin, sadly not a great ballers day, but if it is the right day it’s the wrong course! Brian Sargeant toughing it out with Mickey Wright (Laser) a hard fought battle over the distance as 1st Laser and 12th over all.
Leigh-on-sea, race team Laser. Not an easy race for the Laser fleet but all finished.
Dave Islin: who slept in, then blamed a badly worded advertising poster for missing the start.
As a home club competitor I would like to thank all the visitors for their support. The club Sandhopper fleet for time spent in preparing for this event and on the day. The ladies in the Galley, for making it a better day.
The next race day is the 10th February, races 1&2 of 6, being Maylandsea Bays rendering of the Wooled Hat. More info to follow

Full Race Results

Thanks to Ian Milton for sending in the pics