Issue 7 û November 1999
Chairman Membership Secretary Editor
& Treasurer
Robert Gray Alan Holland John Langrick
5 Trinity Grove 115 Station Avenue 10 St James Avenue
Greenwich Wickford Thorpe Bay
London SE10 8TE Essex SS11 7AY Essex SS1 3LH
0181-469 0779 01268 733651 01702 588199
CHRISTABEL sailing past the
Millennium dome
In This Issue:
Thanks again for the articles and photos for this newsletter. I hope you find them interesting.
You will see above a very timely reminder that we are about to reach the millennium. CHRISTABEL was returning from a visit to Pangbourne , (just south of Oxford), where she was featured at 'Boats 99' earlier this year. Robert Gray mentioned that anyone interested in going up the Thames that could do with some advice, please contact him.
Roger Hill in FANTASY came 3rd in the OGA 'Swale Match' earlier this year against stiff opposition. You may remember FANTASY was out 'cover girl' in newsletter no 6. Well done Roger!
The weather allowed me to make all the planned trips this year, let's hope that 2000 gives us a summer as good and please do let me have articles and photos of your boat.
Burgees
We have a new stock of burgees. They are œ15.00 each (which includes postage). If you are interested, please send a cheque payable to the Dauntless Association to either Alan or myself.
New Members
We welcome aboard the following new members of the Association:
No Name Boat Home Port
56 Andrew Hobbins I'M COSY TOO Lincoln
57 Will Bassom GIRL PAT Emsworth
58 Duncan MacIntyre THANKFUL (SK) Conyer
59 Brian Robson LADY JEANNIE Horning
60 Paul Robson GRACEFUL LADY Horning
61 Mark Ellen EBBA BRAHE Christchurch
62 David Hone GAIRSAY (SK) Benfleet
63 Michael McCrea TOM BEE (ex-SUNDOWNER) Conyer
64 Mrs Marsha Palmann FRITHA (ex-MISTRESS) Beccles
65 Ken Lattimer (Hon) Former Dauntless Co engineer
66 Ms Do McNair SNOWGOOSE Rye
67 Brett Francis ditto
68 Denny Desoutter (Hon) Former Dauntless & SK owner
69 Mrs Jean Harding (Hon) Former Dauntless owner
70 Steven Bore LOLLIPOP Canvey I
71 Reg Fidler LYANA (SK) Walton on the Naze
Benfleet Rally 99
23 members joined us at the Benfleet Rally this year. We had guests Keith Patten and Alan Staley who joined us for a excellent meal at the Benfleet Yacht Club, As always we were made very welcome by the Vice Commodore who was awaiting the arrival of members who arrived by sea.
The boats sailing to the meeting were Sea King MOONBEAM and Dauntlesses CHRISTABEL, RUTH, SWANTI and JANE.
We were pleased to welcome new member Mark Ellen who owns Dauntless EBBA BRAHE. Mark has set up a Dauntless WEB site that you may want to visit some time. Please see:
http://www.cix.co.uk/~mellen/dauntless/
SK MOONBEAM entering Benfleet Creek
Note the lea boards and mizen!
AGM
The AGM was held on 15th May at the Shipwrights Arms Oare Creek. Thanks all the members who made it to the meeting . This newsletter includes the main reports and financial statements for the previous year. Our apologies if the AGM is too much of a trek for some members, I guess this is inevitable. If you do have views about how the DA should run, or any suggestions on how we can make the Association better benefit you, please let us know and we will raise this at the next AGM.
Treasurer & Membership Secretary's Report to 1999 AGM
The Financial Statement for the year ending 30 April 1999 is attached. The overall situation is quite satisfactory, 28 members having renewed or joined so far in 1999. Thanks are due to all those members who have topped-up their subscriptions, but a special word of appreciation must go to the following: Mary & Paul Bishop, Mrs Jean Harding, Denny Desoutter, Peter Booty, Ken Judge and Ken Lattimer, for their generous donations, for which the Association is most grateful. As a result we are now in a healthy financial position, since our outgoings are fairly minimal.
A summary Membership List is attached. We have five new members so far this year, and about 80% of the list is active or in good standing. Geographical distribution covers Great Britain, Netherlands and France, but not as yet the Emerald Isle. As will be seen, some basic boat details are lacking, and I would be glad of any additional information and updates.
It might be as well here to make a few points for the sake of clarity. Although our Financial Year is now geared to the regime of AGMs ie 1 May to 30 April, it's probably more convenient for members to consider the subscription year as Jan - Dec, although if some one joins in the last quarter of a year the subscription is considered to cover the following year also. Although a record is obviously kept of all income from members (and others), I do not intend to send out receipts or reminders; a renewal form in the Newsletter might be a good idea.
I have retrospectively allocated membership numbers as far as possible in order of joining, but as in some instances members joined by different routes, the order may not be absolutely accurate for the early days. Please don't be offended, I can't change it now. Unless there is an overwhelming demand from members, it is not planned to issue membership cards.
Back in September 1996, in accordance with the Data Protection Act (I think), a circular was issued requesting members who did not wish any or some of their personal details to be recorded electronically or published in a membership list to advise me accordingly. There was a nil response. I now repeat that request. Members are assured that no details whatsoever are passed beyond the membership of the Dauntless Association, unless it be a contact regarding boat sale or purchase.
One final point. Members will be aware from the membership form of the Aims of the Association. Apart from those aims, as stated, the Association has no constitution, rules or regulations. Long may it remain so.
Alan F Holland 10 May 1999
Dauntless Association Financial Statement 1999
This statement has been produced for the second AGM to be held on 15 May 1999. It covers the 12-month period from 1 May 1998 until 30 April 1999.
œ œ
Balance at 30 04 98: 112.02
Plus bank a/c interest to Mar 98: 0.25 = 112.27
Plus cash in hand: 24.00 = 136.27
Opening balance: = 136.27
Income œ
Subscriptions: 141.00
Members' donations: 77.00
Non-members' donations: 40.00
Burgee sales (11 @ œ15): 165.00
Bank a/c int to Sep 98: 0.76
Total Income: 423.76
Expenditure
Balance of burgee procurement: 163.66
Stationery, post & telephone: 22.20
Total expenditure 185.86
Income less expenditure: 423.76
- 185.86 = 237.90
Plus opening balance: + 136.27 = 374.17
Position at 30 April 1999
Balance at bank: 374.17 (net of interest)
Cheques/cash in hand: nil
Outstanding liabilities: nil
Closing balance: 374.17
Note 1: The twelve burgees unsold at 30 Apr 98 were itemised in the previous statement as assets at œ180. In the event, eleven have been sold as noted above, and the twelfth was presented by the Association to Mr & Mrs Lattimer at the 1998 Annual Dinner.
Note 2: Our bank balance as given in the annual statement on 7 Dec 1998 was œ200.17.
A F Holland (Hon Treasurer) 1 May 1999
Mailbox
Dear John
I was going through some old papers the other day and came across the statement below and some photos of my father's boat
From 1933 to 1948 she was kept on the beach off Chalkwell. He then moved her to Paglesham where she was sold in 1954 after ZELIA had been bought. Thought this might be of interest to your Dauntless Group. I don't know of her whereabouts now I am afraid.
John Martin.
Editors note, the picture of John's father was used in the early Dauntless catalogues and John has the only remaining Dauntless 7" dinghy we have been able to trace.
Restoring EVA ANNIE
John Langrick
EVA ANNIE, a 22' Dauntless Sloop, was bought after having been laid up in a mud berth at Benfleet. She had been preserved well after a few years in her resting place, the majority of the damage being due to rain water. The damage became more apparent when a member of crew stepped heavily on one of the cockpit seatsà and the support pierced the hull. There does appear a weak spot in the design and I have noticed this same problem on other Dauntlesses, in particular those with slatted cockpit seats. See diagram. The support for the seat was resting directly on the plank with a screw through the rib. With the cockpit exposed over the years, sweet water must have run down this support and onto the plank in the area circled. This had rotted the plank. The weight on the seat pushed the support
through the hull. The plank has now been replaced and the support will now go directly down to the cockpit sole.
Many Dauntlesses have lockers under the seats and hence this is not a problem, but if you have slatted seats, watch out and consider an alternative support.
EVA ANNIE had to have the plank replaced for about three metres as the rot had spread along the grain. She has also had almost every rib replaced, not doubled. It appears that the ribs were of Elm rather than Oak and hence had not managed the years so well.
The old ribs were removed by using a chisel and splitting them down the centre. The remaining fastening studs were simply snipped off and pushed through the hull.
The ribs inside the cabin were replaced by first removing the small piece of decking between the cabin sides and the top strake. When steamed they were passed down from the outside and pushed into place inside the cabin.
The centre case was the next area for attention. Paul has moved the centre board pivot point inside onto the case itself. I know that Lena Reekie's LINNEA has the same. I will report on the effectiveness, but certainly it makes inspection of the pin far easier.
Incidentally, this summer a Finesse based at Paglesham lost her keel due to the fact that the pin has wasted. I am certainly going to check mine before next seasonà
Paul's next job was to remove the engine and the engine mounts. These have been replaced with fresh Oak to the pattern of the original, but extending fully across the hull in order to better distribute the engine weight. The prop shaft and cutlass bearing/housing was badly worn and this has been replaced with parts taken from CATHY (see earlier newsletters). The shaft was slightly shorter, but this has now been compensated by the inclusion of a flexible coupling.
EVA ANNIE is now repainted inside and out, but she will not go back to the water this year. There is still some re-building needed inside, and there is time now until next season. She is having a new set of sails, but Paul is undecided as to sloop or cutter.
Paul and his wife Mary intend to sail EVA ANNIE in their retirement and she is beginning to look as though she could take them anywhere. û More details of the launch in later newsletter.
Restoring EVA ANNIE
In the top picture you can see where the side deck was removed to pass the new ribs in from the outside.
In the lower picture, the new ribs and centre case.
From Shingle To Mud Sixty Years On
by A F Holland
My son's electronic alarm watch chirruped insistently but I was already awake in the half-light, recalling to mind the first chapter of Arthur Bennett's book "Tide Time". He evocatively describes what was to be the last voyage of his sailing barge JUNE of Rochester, from Upnor to Conyer Creek. The passage ends with the words "It was Sunday morning - the last Sunday in August 1939".
I poked my head out of the hatch - its the only way to stand upright in RUTH's cabin - breathed deeply and looked around. Ten yards ahead were the trees of Cockham Woods, disgorging a drunken concrete pillbox onto the shingle beach, thirty yards astern were the congested mooring trots of the Medway YC. Things had changed here since JUNE got her anchor for the last time.
Dauntless RUTH was lying where we had put her just after high water the previous evening with the virtuous intention of renewing the antifouling. Kevin had energetically scrubbed it off along with the summer growth, on Thorpe Bay sands two days before; her bows were at the neap HW mark, her stern secured to the kedge, way down the beach. But having got her safely adry, and having left Benfleet on HW at 0500 that morning, resolution had failed at the last moment, and we merely strolled past the ARETHUSA's old berth to the Ship Inn for dinner and a rendez-vous with Steve Dalton, whose Dauntless JANE is kept at Upnor.
Now it was 0500 again and the idea of the alarm was to save our window for getting her off the beach, as we had some serious sailing to do (later). A rustle from the forefoot gave the signal and the tide swung her to the kedge. I waited a few minutes out of idleness to see how it (folding-stock fisherman) would hold (tides were neaps and there was not a breath of wind), then hove her astern, got the hook and motored to the nearest vacant deep water mooring. Five minutes later I was back in my bunk - not even a cup of tea.
By 1000 it was half-ebb, we'd cleared away breakfast and there was a gentle SW breeze - perfect! We were off to Lower Halstow - isn't everybody, you say? A quartering breeze down the main reaches of the Medway took us back past new happenings at Gillingham Marina, and to port Hoo, where we were tempted to look in, but not at this state of the tide. At the Bishop we met SK MOONBEAM on her way home to Hoo from our Benfleet dinner. She'd spent the night in Sharfleet Creek. Low water found us at the mysteriously named Z2 buoy, just north of the W Card marking the spit at the entrance to Stangate Creek. Then it was time to turn to windward. With the Southwesterly starting to pipe up, our first board (on starboard) took us a trifle too far west of the creek so we tacked back up to the spit buoy before winding again. Back on the long leg we did quite well, and after a couple more boards passed the old tug mooring and the eastern entrance to Sharfleet. Here we were hailed by Ian, skipper of Paglesham's HASTAWAY, at anchor on his father's boat from Benfleet.
RUTH slogged on, long and short, with the breeze freshening. (Have you ever noticed, when thus beating through a channel that the lee shore is always shoal ie plenty of wind but no water, conversely the weather shore is steep-to, so plenty of water but you lose your wind and have a job to get her about.)
Here on the Kentish marshes its a case of taking transits on the Powergen pylons to gauge progress. If you really lose your bearings its "Where's Grain Stack?" At the southern end of Stangate the creek divides with a substantial pair of wooden dolphins in midstream. We turned to starboard, bringing the wind on the nose and as it was still early on the tide, downed canvas and continued under power. There are supposedly two parallel creeks here, Halstow and Twinney, but all we could see was a wide sheet of water and the bit we were in was less than three feet deep. Kev went to get the plate up, then informed me that it hadn't been down. And I'd been quite pleased with her windward performance - must have been the tide. We passed between the E shore and Milford Hope Island, and with the few moorings off Lower Halstow village in sight but not within reach, anchored for tea and more salt water.
An hour later, at 4 o'clock, we proceeded while dangling the lead. The wind was now fresh indeed, and we were quite glad to be heading for a weather shore. Approaching the head of the creek, there's the dinghy sailing club in the port corner (deserted this Monday afternoon), a slipway in the middle, and then the old barge dock that once served the brickfields. We picked up a very heavy and slimy mooring amongst the few small fishing boats and yachts, and ever middle-of the-roaders, took the dinghy to the slip and walked up onto the seawall. There was just over an hour's flood remaining.
Approached from the water on a cloudy and windswept July evening, I can only say that Lower Halstow was a pure delight. From the seawall we took a footpath between the secluded Saxon church and the dock, then wended our way between grassy banks and across a small stream. No sign yet of a road or a human being, but we were given a mass welcome by the local population, which is about 500 ducks. Having explored the extremities of the village (twice), we entered the Three Tuns, spied our first human inhabitant, and ordered supper. The rest of the population of Halstow was in the garden of the inn - another 500 ducks. The previous evening at Upnor I'd had duck for supper, but happily it wasn't on the menu tonight.
Returning to the waterfront we were confronted by a lack of water. Whilst waiting to eat Kevin had returned to tend the dinghy, and had moved it from the slip, which was now about 80 yards from the water's edge, to the outside wall of the dock. He luckily had therefore to drag the dinghy only about 10 yards over the mud in order to collect me from the gutway at the dockside.
As the shadows lengthened I tried to picture the scene that took place here in July 1963 when the worthy Sir Thomas Moore, Chairman of Eastwoods Brick Company, formally presented the company's last remaining spritsail barge WESTMORELAND to the Thames Barge Sailing Club. Of course even in 1963 it was a long time since WESTMORELAND had carried a brick. She had been maintained by Eastwoods for prestige and racing only. The company had been the mainstay of the local economy for a hundred years, and supplied the materials that helped to build London from Tottenham to Tooting, all transported over these shoal waters by scores of spritties. Every trace of this activity has now been utterly obliterated, except for the deserted dock..
We clambered back aboard with our wellies and two buckets of water that Kev had thoughtfully provided. Within minutes the creek was empty, a desolate moonscape of uneven mud with many runnels, large clumps of healthy looking green weed, and a pungent odour all its own. It was a good night for cocoa.
Up at 0600, high water, our SW still going but not quite as strongly as last night and our destination Conyer. All sail set, we let go and bore away between moored craft until we had room to gybe and set a fair course for Milfordhope, and thence out of Stangate Creek. Whenever I sail two-handed, which is not often, I'm always amazed at how much more we can get out of the boat. It's especially noticeable with a fair wind. Kevin always takes the tiller anyway, he's a much better helmsman than I'll ever be, but I'm quite happy on the foredeck playing tunes with headsails and the boathook/spinnaker pole.
Clearing Stangate, we easy-reached along the weather shore inside the big mooring buoys to Queenborough Spit. A most enjoyable morning sail but it only lasted an hour! Then it was time to face wind and tide again, so on with good old Alvin, and dodging a large freighter coming out of the West Swale, we brought up alongside the all-tide landing stage at Queenboro at 0830.
We purchased our breakfast at the town bakery recommended by Steve Dalton, and ate it sitting on the site of Queenborough Castle. After more shopping and browsing round the creekside we returned aboard for coffee. I was hoping to drag it out alongside the pier 'til 1300 when the tide would turn in our favour (and 1200, when the pub opened), but the new harbour master would have none of it and shoved us off to a mooring at the bottom of the town hard. With the Old House At Home in full view, the rising Sou'wester put us on a vicious lee shore, and a dinghy trip was not fancied. More coffee, and at LW we dropped the mooring and proceeded under power to Kingsferry Bridge. In this breeze, forecast as 5 to 6 the Swale was a good place to be.
In Loden Hope we called Kingsferry on VHF Ch 10 and were told that the bridge would lift for us after the next train, in about 35 minutes. When we hove in sight, the bridgemaster helpfully called us to advise that he had about 25 foot clearance at that state of the tide. We'd already been mulling this over (hotly) and Kev was all for going straight under; as I reckon we have 24' air draught, we anchored by the ski-boat slip to wait for the train. Once clear of the bridge we put up a well-rolled main and held the weather shore past Ridham and Grovehurst Docks. There were no big ships unloading today, but the wind covered us with billowing clouds of white dust all the same. Then past the Lilies and Elmley Ferry, watching the mud.
I'd never been into Conyer before, but we decided to try it from the West according to Coote. Turning SE at Red No 8 buoy, we rapidly ran out of water and had to anchor; I think we would have avoided the highest part of the spit if we'd turned a couple of hundred yards before the buoy, but it was very early on the tide for this neck of the woods. We waited an hour in bright sunshine, pitching and rolling as the old SW piped up and up, then tried again, aiming for a lime-green inverted bucket on a piece of mud. This got us to the junction of Butterfly and Conyer Creeks, a flat calm, and a gutway about twenty feet wide.
With Alvin ticking over like a sewing machine, the lead going, and the withies being watched, we reached Conyer village, passed the sheep, the site of White's barge yard, the Ship Inn, and the houseboats with their geraniums and fuchsias. At the nicely rustic marina at the very top of the creek we passed an ideal pontoon berth next to the huge bawley RR8, but even RUTH had now finally run out of water. She stopped as the mud grasped the rudder, and I was about to drop the kedge (we still had two hours of flood in hand) when the wind over the mudbank slewed her right round against the tide and Kevin eased her alongside without touching a fender. King Neptune could not have done it better. Buried in the mud directly across the creek were the mouldering timbers of JUNE of Rochester, where they had lain since the last Sunday in August 1939.
Earlier this year I set off to the Dauntless Association AGM which is held in the Shipwright Arms in Oare Creek near Faversham. I was to sail SWANTI and Alan Holland was sailing in company with me in RUTH.
We planned to sail through the Havengore on the lunchtime spring tide, make the Swale on the ebb, the punch the tide to moor at Harty Ferry on the Friday evening. On the Saturday morning, we would sail to Faversham, then back to Oare Creek for the AGM. We would then set sail again shortly after midnight and anchor again for some shuteye at Harty Ferry and then make it back to the Havengore for Sunday afternoon tide.
Setting off on the Friday, we were met with a light South Westerly and easily made the Havengore within an hour of the moorings at Paglesham. Time for a brew and wait for the Bridge-keeper to arrive. I have mentioned it before, you can tell when the bridge keeper arrives because he parks his car next to the bridge control. No use calling up before then as there is no response. The bridge keeper arrives about two hours before high water and then takes about 10 mins presumably to put the tea on. Alan moored alongside and we planned the route over the Thames. With the tide running, we could make the Spile buoy by heading more to the East of South and thus making better use of the South Westerly. As soon as the ebb set in, we would be swept more to the East, but with any luck could well be over the other side before the strongest tide.
We followed that plan, making good time in excellent visibility and were soon in the shallows off the Kent coast heading for the Columbine Spit off Whitstable. We had a fine day with light winds (2-3) all day, but on approaching Whitstable Street, the skies darkened considerably and the wind dropped ominously. Time to get the sails down .. and fast. With sails furled, I motored over to the shallows on the Columbine Spit and put the anchor out. No sooner had I done so and the heavens opened and visibility was reduced to nil. I had seen RUTH a few minutes earlier about a mile out, but now all I could see was a mist of hissing water. Time for tea!.
The downpour started to subside after about 20 minutes and I could now see RUTH motoring slowly towards me with sails down. Alan also hung on his anchor until the rain ceased then we both set sail as the wind had changed to North East, but was only 1-2 again, just enough to push us over the ebb into the Swale.
RUTH û Seeking a mooring at Harty ferry
There is a number of moorings on the South of Harty Ferry although they do say the best holding is to the North, nearer the pub. The forecast had promised North Westerly and a couple of vacant moorings on the South side seemed to beckon and we tied up there.
We had planned to visit the pub, but after a few beers and a great meal, though better of it and so turned in for the night. A very uncomfortable night it was. Although the wind remained light and from the NE, it gave a most uncomfortable rolling motion, especially at the top of the tide, so much so that when I rose in the morning, I saw that RUTH had moved over the other side of the river during the night in order to get a more peaceful berth.
Saturday morning and after breakfast, we set off into Faversham Creek. I have said before that it seems a good idea to enter Faversham Creek as early as possible on the tide, This makes the channel visible and also highlights the many obstructions on either side of the river. The wind was still blowing from the North East and added to the flood to sweep us up the river. At the entrance of Oare Creek, another Dauntless Assn member had laid withies, optimistically pointing out the best place to take the mud for a stay that night. It all looked a bit treacherous to me as we were swept onwards towards Faversham. The river winds for about a mile, past cottages and old piers until at last we were in sight of the Iron Wharf and Faversham town. But now the tide was at full flood and the wind about F5. I was travelling faster towards Faversham where I know the creek is blocked by a bridge.
To the port side are boats moored next to the bank, to the starboard is mud and so I turned to Starboard, grounding the bow and using the wind and tide to spin around into the tide and face into the wind. Try that with a keel boat!
RUTH followed my manoeuvre and we both tied up on the Iron barge. Time for a pint at the local. I am always amazed by the fabulous array of wooden boats at Faversham. Alan Staley's boatyard remains a fascination with me and I could spend hours wandering through the most interesting of craft. But we had not too much time to spare as we needed to return down the river and be at Oare Creek before the ebb set in too fast. On our return we were joined by Dauntless CHRISTABEL who let the way as by now the tide was covering all the creek and the channel was becoming difficult to follow. We had to maintain a good speed as we were being followed by a barge and she had far less room to make mistakes.
The Shipwright Arms is at the junction of Faversham and Oare Creek and is set in a small boatyard. CRISTABEL lined up with one of the marker withies and ploughed her bow onto the mud. She was shortly joined by Dauntless JANE. Alan and I continued into Oare Creek and into the small dock. This is made out of an old steel barge with one end cut out, let into the mud to form a harbour. Unfortunately there is no way to tie up in this dock and the edges are jagged from when the superstructure must have been cut away. Alan and I tied up as best we could and went off to see the yard manager to get permission for an overnight stay.
Dauntless CHRISTABEL and JANE, doing what Dauntlesses do best.
Our berth was within yards of the pub, a great place to stagger back to. With warps carefully laid out, we were able to moor both SWANTI and RUTH in the centre of the dock and let the ebb settle us. Shortly we were joined by the largest Sea King I have seen, THANKFUL. At 32', she was built for Denny Dessouter and featured in an earlier PBO magazine. We now encourage Sea King owners to join the Dauntless Association as both Sea King and Dauntless were designed and built by Reg Patten.
SWANTI and RUTH inside the 'dock' at Oare, THANKFUL is in the foreground.
That evening we had a great meal at the Shipwright arms, a pub that has no mains electricity, gas or sewage. Luckily the generator is very quiet! The beer is from kegs and we had a great choice of numerous guest ales but drinking had to be curtailed at 23.00 as we had to depart the following morning at 01:00. The forecast had promised N going to NE. With more East in the wind it would help me the following day to get back over the Thames, but a NE would make it uncomfortable leaving the Swale.
After what seemed like just a few minutes sleep, it was time to start the engine and loosen the warps for the trip down to Harty Ferry. Why do I always have to be first? And on my ownà The creek was absolutely pitch black, no stars and no buoys lit to guide me. I could just make out the white hulls of the boats anchored at the mouth of Oare Creek, but beyond was pitch black. I very slowly navigated as best I could by looking at the echo sounder and keeping my fingers crossed. The others were following my stern light.. easy for them. Then a bang and a rattle down the side of SWANTI told me that I had at last found the cardinal mark at the mouth of the creek. I could now turn towards the glow which was Queenborough at the other end of the Isle of Sheppey. The rest of the river remained in complete blackness.
I could not see the moorings I had used the previous night and so motored what I felt would be a decent distance passed them and then turned into shallow water, dropping the anchor in about 20 feet of water. As it was by now high water, this would ensure that I could get away in the morning.
Another very restless night with the same unpleasant motion as the previous night had me awake again at 05:00 and to my delight there was a light South Westerly and the tide was still ebbing . Within minutes I had set sail and edging out of the Swale. Alan stirred and saw me making way and he also set to hoisting sail. The wind lasted until I reached the Columbine and then after a calm of about five minutes, set in blowing hard from a few points East of North. SWANTI will not sail closer than 45 degrees to the wind, but if the 'iron tops'l' is on tick over, it allows me to 'cheat' along at about four knots. By ensuring the sails are always filled and pulling, I can make excellent progress. My intent was to make the man-made island off the Havengore and there anchor for late breakfast. Within three hours I had made my destination and nudged the bow of SWANTI into the sand in the small inlet that runs in from the island at low water. I dropped the anchor over the bow and walked it and a length of chain onto the sand and made it fast. Time for a swim, watched only by a seal who bobbed his head up inquisitively from time to time.
Presently RUTH arrived and by this time the tide was making considerably and it would not be long before the Broomway was covered. To seaward a power boat sped down the Swin towing two rubber tyres on which two squealing children clung on in delight. It too anchored by the island, presumably waiting for the Broomway to cover. At about 1 « hours before high water I set off slowly across the sands. I have a waypoint on the mouth of the Havengore and needed to steer a course of about 20 degrees to make the mark. After about 45 minutes I was on the Broomway and picking my way through the Withies towards the Bridge. RUTH was following and we both passed through the bridge and into the Narrow Cuts followed by the power boat which passed us both.
The occupants were all grinning and waving. Only then did I recognise it was Julie (my wife's) cousin. I guess it was quite a 'nice' power boatà
As I approached the moorings it was a delight to see the CHA launch pulling up another speedboat caught in the act of skiing just off Paglesham Pool. What a great end to the weekend!
Boats & Bits For Sale
PAX (1087) - 20' gunter sloop, 4 HP Stuart Turner. Requires a dozen new ribs, internal refurbishment, and attention to centerboard-case and motor. Lying under cover in Cumbria. For disposal to a caring owner. E-mail contact tony@coles63.freeserve.co.uk
- or phone 0153 95 34348
FIREFLY (1306) - 23' motor cruiser, 2-3 berth, 8 HP Stuart, IWA certificated, lying Worcestershire. (see Dauntless News 5) - Contact Clive Bradbury 0121 475 7282
LA PALOMA (1433) - 23' gunter cutter, Stuart Turner etc, lying Blackwater - contact D Bloomfield 01621 853632
CHUCKLES û 20' Dauntless Gunter sloop. Believed to have spent all her life in Cardiff. 8HP Yanmar diesel with electric starter. Cooker, 2 anchors and chain etc. Just had œ1000 spent on her but needs some work above the waterline. Contact 01222 563355
BERMUDAN RIG to suit 19 - 24 footer comprising:
tabernacle-mounting pine mast, 27' heel to truck, with double spreaders, diamond shrouds, and all wire standing rigging; pitch-pine boom 11' with geared roller-reefing & complete main sheet assembly; main halyard. White mainsail 24' luff; hanked jib 21.5' luff both by W Sails of Leigh-on-Sea. All in excellent condition - contact Alan Holland tel 01268 733651.
1 Robert Gray xxxx Christabel Faversham Founding Member
2 Ellen Dew 1647 Bobelle Faversham Widow of Founding member Bob
3 Kay&Syd Lattimer Hon Former owner of Dauntless yard
4 John Langrick 1675 Swanti Paglesham Founder member and editor of newsletter
5 Alan Holland 1036 Ruth Paglesham Founding mamber Treasurer and mem sec
7 Alexander Kellam Chuckles Cardiff
8 Roy Stevenson
9 Peter Mayes 1365 Buccaneer
10 Eddie Stevens Sandpiper Now sold, see 21 below
12 Rik Holman 1417 Kathleen Mary Reeuwijk
14 Paul Bishop 1575 Eva Annie EX Chunka of Benfleet
15 Peter Baillie 1565 Wild Goose
16 Kenneth Judge
17 Lena Reekie xxxx Linnea Faversham
18 Philip Everett 1630 Tyrannosaurus
19 Roger Hill 1449 Fantasy
20 Peter Love 1684 Jovalpe Woodbridge
21 Steve Dalton 1572 Jane Medway Ex Sandpiper
22 Rodney Davies 1466 Columbine E Devon
23 Graham Hadaway Undine Faversham For Sale
24 Tony Coles 1087 Pax Grance-over-Sands For sale to caring owner
25 Noel Philo Frances Louise
26 Peter Booty Kristina
27 Keith Walsh Touchwood Faversham Now sold û owner unknown
28 Robert Coles King Oliver
29 Ray Jones 1432 Harmony
30 Keith Patten Hon Proprietor Sea King Yachts
31 John Sheen Horace Port St Mary
32 John Barker 1523 Mistress Wells-next-the-Sea Now sold see 64
33 Martin Smith Juno
34 Alun Davies
35 Martin Vincent
54 John Allen Little Gemma Chichester HbR Built by Elton Scotland
55 Vincent Carlin Pebble Cork III Tarleton Lancs Ex Sea Kestrel
56 Andrew Hobbins 1719 I'M Cosy Too Lincoln
57 Will Bassom Girl Pat Emsworth
58 Duncan MacIntyre SK47 Thankful Conyer
59 Brian Robson Graceful Lady Forning
60 Paul Robson Graceful Lady Horning
61 Mark Ellen 1708 Ebba Brahe Christchurch
62 David Hone SK23 Gairsay Benfleet
63 Michael McCrea Tom Bee Conyer Ex Sundowner
64 Marsha Palmann 1523 Fritha Beccles Ex Mistress
65 Ken Lattimer Hon Former Dauntless Co Engineer
66 Do McNair 1543 Snowgoose Rye
67 Brett Francis 1543 Snowgoose Rye
68 Denny Desoutter Hon Former Dauntless and Sea King owner
69 Jean Harding Hon Former Dauntless owner
70 Steve Bore Lollipop Smalgains Creek
71 Reg Fidler SK42 Lyana Walton on the Naze
72 Alan Staley Hon
Any changes/additions please call Alan Holland
FIREFLY on the River Severn
LOLLIPOP 16«' Sloop at Canvey
14' Dauntless Sailing Dinghy 'LITTLE UN' at DA Paglesham rally 1999
LADY JEANNIE on Ranworth Broad
SK THANKFUL at the DA AGM 1999 in Oare Creek (Faversham)
TINO II at the DA Paglesham rally 1999
How about a photo of your boat for the archive!