A grand day out (with pics)

[muckypup]

Well, Saturday was forcast great weather so we set off for a day out on Harlequin on the river Crouch. Well, it would have been if we hadn't got caught up in a major accident on the M25. We arrived quite late at 2.30 pm and went straight out.

Here is the obligatory wake shot...(I really must get the rib off the roof and onto the davits!)

We went downriver and up the Roach.

After exploring the Roach for a while we went back downriver and then down the Crouch and about 4 miles offshore. Even here there wasn't enough swell to make SWMBO feel ill.

The wasn't much wind, but just enough to keep the raggies happy.

The anklebiter seems to be getting used to his lifejacket and is starting to enjoy the boat a bit.

We arrived back just as the sun was going down and made a fine end the to day followed some cold beer.

For such a super day, there wasn't that many people around!

Steve

 

[Powersalt]

all down at sibs

 

[FullCircle]

Lovely shots. Looks like there were quite a few anchored for lunch in the Roach?

 

[muckypup]

That was a long way up the roach.. I believe they were all swinging moorings which I couldn't be bothered to pick my way through, so we turned around at that point.

S.

 

[FullCircle]

You have just been to Paglesham. The moorings are run (mostly) by Roach Sailing Association, and they are OK with picking up free buoys for visiting. Get the dinghy out and go up the pontoon, walk along the track through the yard - and you will come to the Plough and Sail - very good food and ale.

You can go further (on a rising tide) all the way to Wakering YC at Rochford, but you are very restricted (about HW +/-1) to time there, or potter up Potton Creek, leading to Barling Creek. We go up there in Full Circle, drawing 1.1m

Pleased you are finding your way around though. Have you got a copy of East Coast Rivers?

 

[muckypup]

Ah, catching a bouy... this is a skill I have not tried yet. How do I know which are visitors bouys? There seemed plenty of bouys towards the east end of Burnham, but I didn't know if anyone would get annoyed if I picked up one of these for an hour..

I havn't heard of "east coast rivers". I take it that this is useful book?

Where do you moor Full Circle? Coming back yesterday I saw a "Full Circle" on one of the swinging moorings alongside Burnham...

S.

 

[FullCircle]

Yep, East Coast Rivers - a must have companion on board. Used to be by jack Coote, but his daughter nows updates it. There is another one by Colin Jarman and friends, but I cant remember what its called.

The moorings at the East end of Burnham are owned and run by Rice and Cole, once you are past the Royal Corinthian YC (the big white building). Its Ok to pick up those for a stop, or even overnight, but just be prepared to move if someone comes back. You can get the water taxi launch to show you where to go. Usually, thats free, and you cant say fairer than that. Most of the Rice and Cole moorings also have rope tails attached, so it makes picking them up a doddle, xcept for the green stuff growing on the ropes, which will immediately stick to your foredeck.

You have indeed spotted the ancestral home of Full Circle. If you look closely, you will see my YBW Avatar on the transom.....

 

[muckypup]

So how do you pick up a bouy?

I'm guessing that to head to the bouy against the current and simply get SWMBO to hang dangerously off the front of the boat and pick up the bouy with a boat hook? Do the bouys have a rope with a loop on them or do you feed your own rope though a loop on the bouy itself?

S.

 

[BrendanS]

Throw a loop around it, then pull into where you have low freeboard depending upon your boat, and secure as you see fit.