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This was my first-ever trip in sailing barge.
Reminder was, and still is, a commercially-operated charter barge run by
a company called Topsail Charters, based in Maldon on the River Blackwater in
Essex. She is an iron-built barge, dating from 1929 and originally built for
Horlock's of Mistley with lines specifically designed for racing in order to
recapture the honours for Essex after a year in which Kentish barges had won
all the matches.
Our skipper for the weekend was Reminder's owner,
Roger Beckett. The mate was Kevin Murphy, who introducted me to the Thames
Barge Sailing Club (as it was then), with whom I have done all my subsequent
barge sailing. Kevin later qualified as a skipper. The third member of the crew
was the cook. We had about a dozen passengers in board for a three-day trip out
of Maldon over a Bank Holiday weekend, sailing down the Blackwater, along the
coast to the Orwell, up to Pin Mill, and then returned by the same route.
Maldon Hythe
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The first supper
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The River Blackwater
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Heading down-river
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Roger Beckett
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Unidentified barge
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Sheeting the mainsail
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Mainsheet
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Under sail
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Not a lot happening
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The Bob
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View aft
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Tea up!
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Standing by the bowline
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Kevin Murphy
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Harwich
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In the Orwell
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Off Pin Mill
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Weighing the anchor
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Off Felixstowe
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Harbourmaster launch
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sbXylonite
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Sunset in the Blackwater
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Customs launch
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Heybridge Basin
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near Heybridge
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Maldon Hythe
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Brailing-up the mainsail
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Preparing to moor
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Barges at Maldon
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At the time of this cruise I'd come across the Thames Barge
Sailing Club at one of its open days. It was Kevin, the mate on this cruise,
who persuaded me to joinn the Club, and I've done all by subsequent
barge-sailing with them. |
