Wivenhoe Parade of Sail

Julian wanted to try "single handing" Robinetta away from the pontoon. Not easy with the way the tide was running, and he ended up getting a lot of help from gaffers on the dock. We did not hit anything though!


We got the sails up ASAP, and were sailing before reaching the Brightlingsea Spit cardinal. After that we hung around on the start line in conditions very similar to yesterday. This time we were going up river with the tide and the wind behind us. Much less challenging!

Charm was the lead boat, and I followed her immediately the gun went at 1200. Second in line on the parade of sail! We were soon passed by several boats, but once we put our top sail up we managed to retain our place behind Molly Cobbler. Meanwhile Charm scandalised her main not to get too far ahead, while we had all our sails up!

We dropped sail once we passed the Wivenhoe barrage. There were a lot of boats doing the same, including several smacks, and it was a little crowded getting our topsail down.....

We were given a fingerberth at the yacht club, which was much more convenient than rafting out, and were tied up by 1320.



The hog roast was as good as ever, and since we were nice and early the queue was not too long.

We left at 1500. Getting out of the finger berth was not too easy. The tide had turned half an hour previously, and Robinetta would just not steer backwards. We got a tug from a motor flubber, which helped.

We motor sailed down the Colne, beating all the way. We needed to keep the engine on all the way to the Colne entrance to make the tacks, but once we got out past no 8 buoy at 1625 we turned it off, and had a nice reach all the way to West Mersea. Watching other gaffers continue beating to get round Colne Bar on their way up towards Harwich made me very glad not to be doing the same!

Sailing up to our mooring felt like a challenge. There was very little water due to the spring tide, so the channel felt cramped, but the wind was useful, and we like to use the motor as little as possible. We broad reached all the way up to the piles, but there was only one place with enough space to drop the main; Julian headed Robinetta into the gut, I pulled the sail down in a hurry, and we were back heading up the Ray Channel using the engine in less than a minute. All that practice dropping sail in the Brightlingsea entrance channel paid off...

Normally we head onto our buoy by following the line of the other moored boats, but today that would have put us aground. Julian crept up on it along the line of deepest water instead and I managed to get hold of the mooring lines without a problem. Robinetta swung to the wind, and stopped against the mud almost immediately but it did not matter; we were home at 1825.

The starboard side main sheet block attachment point has come loose, just like the port side one last year. Julian got it off and brought it home to mend, so that is the next task to keep Robinetta sailing!