The ‘Not Ramsgate’ Cruise
The first Club Cruise of the year Report.
It’s always tricky to plan cruises when the British weather is so unpredictable. When we first drafted the club’s sailing programme, Ramsgate was the destination. This was later changed to Calais, but as the date drew nearer and the forecast became clearer, we decided that a trip up the coast to the River Orwell would be a safer and more enjoyable option.
Four boats were committed to the cruise. Flyer and Menhic were the first to depart from a foggy FYH Yacht Station, early on Thursday morning, heading
for the Twizzle Channel (Walton Backwaters) to anchor at Stone Point for a beach BBQ the following day. On Friday, Obsession and Blue Streak
departed FYH, with Blue Streak proudly flying the Commodore’s burger.
Obsession and Blue Streak passed through the Spitway just as the sun was setting. However, just off Holland-on-Sea, Blue Streak experienced an engine failure (more on that in attached article). Obsession anchored in Hamford Water around 04:00, with Blue Streak arrived an hour later after managing under sail.
The following morning, after Blue Streak’s engine was repaired, the fleet made its way up the River Orwell to Pin Mill and the well-loved Butt and Oyster pub. Once moored, crews changed into their “go ashore” attire, and a “Menhic Uber taxi” was called to ferry everyone ashore in time for our dinner reservation. The meal was excellent, and spirits were high, especially as it was also the Commodore’s birthday. She extends her thanks to club members for the thoughtful card.
On Sunday morning, crews were gently woken by the sound of a coaster heading upriver to collect its cargo. At 09:00, the fleet set off for home, leaving a day early due to poor weather forecasted for Monday. With reefs in and preventers rigged, the yachts had an exhilarating sail home with a following sea. The 50NM passage was completed in just 7 hours, averaging 7.3 knots. The weekend was rounded off with a shared meal aboard Menhic.