Flushed through the Swale

We worked out that low water would be between 9am and 10am and that we could take the first of the flood into the Swale and maybe stay in Harty Ferry overnight then sail back to the Blackwater on Thursday. This was a slightly risky plan. We didn't know the Swale and there was a chance of grounding. The forecast was OK but with F7 in the future. We decided that if the 13:00 weather forecast didn't look good for Thursday we would carry on, maybe through the night and get back across the Thames before the bad weather started.

Alison went ashore to get some milk and ran into Yvonne from Kajan. We really should have told her we were coming but we didn't have her number. Yvonne is lovely and dashed over to Robinetta to lend us her tide tables and give us some piloting advice. She really wasn't confidant we would make it so close to low water.

When we got to the Kingsferry bridge the bridge-keeper thought we might get under without a lift. We chickened out at the last minute and the bridge openned for us.

Once through, and round the corner we put the mainsail up, although we kept the engine on in case.... After a minute we reefed - not quite all the way down. We shot along the channel at between 5 and 6 knots until we got near Elmsley Ferry where there is an old causeway which dries to 20 cm. We scandalised the sails and tiptoed over, with the engine in reverse...

... and made it without a bump. Further on it is very shallow near Conyer Creek, but we slid over that danger too.

We got to the entrance to Faversham Creek at 1145 - hours before we expected. With the weather so favourable and the outlook so bad, we decided to carry on for the Blackwater. The wind was really strong and we reefed down as much as possible - including untying the first hoop. We made it across the Thames at about 4 knots over a rolling sea with only a couple of not quite intentional gybes.

The run continued up the outside of Foulness to the Spitway which we reached at 1715. A barge over-took us there and passed through and up the Wallet towards Harwich. Perhaps it was returning from the Pageant to Ipswich. Turning into the Spitway it looked like it touched the corner of the Buxey sands. Maybe just the leeboard.

Once in the Spitway we had the tide strongly against us for the first time all day. We slogged up the Blackwater against it with really strong winds under the rainclouds but we were now sheltered by the sands from the Thames fetch and the seas were really gentle.

Unfortunately we got to West Mersea bang on low tide. We thought about picking a buoy up and waiting but instead we edged up the Thorn Fleet passed the Gut and went gently aground at the entrance to the Ray at 2040. Alison rowed over to the nearest buoy and tied us to it and we went below for some food and waited to float off. About 90 minutes later we inched up to our own bouy in the Ray and put Robinetta to bed, rowed ashore and drove home after a fantastic sail.