Click on a picture to see an enlarged version with a
caption.
Camera crew
Photo © Libby Bradshaw |
Kevin aloft
Photo © Libby Bradshaw |
The less traditional bit
Photo © Mike Stevens |
The Skipper had said we needed to make a start at 07:00,
which we duly did, this time with most of the charter party on deck helping
with the anchor and sails. Roger and I cooked breakfast, eaten in the saloon in
relays, except by the Skipper who asked for his in sandwich form.
I eventually appeared on deck at about 10:00 to find us off
Bradwell, starting to tack up the Blackwater, once again in a good breeze but
rather greyer weather than the previous day. The staysail had made its first
appearance of the weekend.
Some shots on deck  
Photos © Mike Stevens |
Most people were now involved in one aspect or another of
sailing the barge. At one point Jill was steering again, Steve & Glen
working the crab winches (which operate the leeboards), Libby and David M on
the topmast backstay runners and David L and Lesley helping Kevin with the
fore-end work. At one point Kevin's excuse for something or other was "I was
distracted by a bowline".
An idle moment
Photo © Mike Stevens |
Voice of the Gods?
Photo © Mike Stevens |
Steering Committee
Photo © Mike Stevens |
Then Kevin decided it was time to open the slop-chest
(where the sales stock lives) and a number of us went below for some retail
therapy. When we re-emerged on deck, Pudge was making "short boards"
(i.e. short tacks) up-river towards Northey Island. This kept everyone busy
sailing or photographing. A group of people forward seemed to be having a game
of "How many ways can we get the bowline wrong, and will Kevin notice?"
Is it a bird? .....
Photo © Libby Bradshaw |
Up the pole
Photo © Mike Stevens |
Working the crab-winch
Photo © Mike Stevens |
At some stage over the weekend, a magazine had appeared
which contained an article about nude hiking in Germany, which produced much
amusement, not least Mary's comment on one of the photos, "Well, I reckon
they could all do with a jolly good iron!". Various members of the charter
party were spotted at different times looking at the magazine when they thought
themselves unobserved.
 |
Brailing up the mainsail
Photos © Libby Bradshaw |
 |
The wind speed and direction allowed us to sail quite a long
way up-river before the mainsail was brailed up, and soon afterwards the
engine was turned on. The last burst of activity was mooring outboard of
s.b.Betula on the club mooring, Geoff giving an excellent display of how
to make the best use of the tide to turn the barge and place it where he wanted
it. As we moored, sailing barge Hydrogen was coming off the next berth
for a short tidal public trip, and a large cruiser was mooring temporarily
outboard of us. It came on to drizzle just as we moored.
 |
Approaching Maldon
Photos : left, © Mike Stevens;
right, © Lesley
Pryde |
 |
Turning to moor
Photo © Mike Stevens |
S.B. Hydrogen
Photo © Mike Stevens |
Then Libby and Jill served us an excellent salad lunch.
Kevin was delayed getting to it, as he had to deal with an oil leak on the
engine. As he said "I don't like mising out if I can help it". Unlike
out previous charters, we'd managed not to over-order the food too
dramatically, and what little there was left could be left on board, as another
charter was due to go out overnight, with my friends Paul and Cathy Curtis as
Skipper and Mate. (Kathy had been Mate on our first two charters).
Steve
|
Nearly everybody nodded off at some time or other during
the weekend.
All photos © Libby Bradshaw |
Me |
Jill |
Roger |
We cleaned ship, packed up our gear and set off for our
respective homes.
It had been an excellent
weekend. The sailing, food and company had all been first-rate. Several
of the charter party were new to barge sailing (although Jill had done a lot of
sailing in other vessels) and nearly all were talking of coming again. And the
cost of the trip had come in under budget, so everyone would be getting a small
rebate on the fee they'd paid me.
Trip reports of our previous charters can
be found at here,
here and here. |
