Sailing Resumed

Ellie as Nana

Following my broken sternum, I was not supposed to lift shopping bags, do laundry, housework or gardening. I was restricted to walking as my only exercise. I was able to cook meals and drive short distances, as long as I placed a towel or cushion under the seatbelt.

Ben, Sophie, Jeremy, Kathy, Em and Ellie at Felixstowe Ferry

My first outing was to my granddaughters’ school to watch Ellie perform in her last primary school pantomime as Nana in Peter Pan. She was a star (of course, I’m biased!). Three weeks later it was Emily’s birthday. The weather was hot right into the evening. We had smoked salmon sandwiches and cake on the beach with Em, Ben, Ellie and Sophie. They all went swimming and paddle boarding, while I went for a walk by the sea. 

Beach BBQ at The Rocks

 Early in August, we had another outing with our Suffolk family. This time we had a beach BBQ and we went in our boats, Sal Darago and Sea Rose. I could steer but otherwise, I was a passenger. We stayed longer than intended and I was very tired, but happy to have been out on the water.

Lene, Robert, Kathy and Jeremy at Harwich

 Our Danish friends, Robert and Lene, flew over from Denmark for four nights. This was another opportunity to sail and we had crew. We motorsailed from the River Deben to the River Orwell and spent the night in Ipswich Beacon Marina. Lene was briefly seasick passing Felixstowe but soon recovered. The next night we picked up a mooring in the river. On our way home we stopped at Harwich for lunch. Berthing at the Halfpenny Pier was tricky and I could only watch and shout as Sal Darago’s bow was bounced into a metal rail close to the pier. After lunch, we continued to the Deben and met up with Em, Ben, Ellie and Sophie for dinner at the Ramsholt pub.

Kathy and Sal Darago in Heybridge Basin

 Towards the end of August, Jeremy and I set off on a two week coastal sail. There was a gale warning the first day, so we stayed on the mooring for two nights. We moved to Felixstowe Ferry and prepared for a dawn departure. It should have been light, but the rain clouds were so heavy, it was practically dark as we left the Deben on the ebb. It was rough and we needed binoculars to see the buoys. That’s when the lens dropped out of my binoculars! Quickly, I found another pair and soon we were out in the North Sea with the lit cranes of Felixstowe container port ahead. We made our way to the River Blackwater in Essex and on the Heybridge Basin on the Chelmer and Blackwater Canal, where we spent three nights.

Kathy on the River Blackwater embankment

 Jeremy had bought two folding bikes from our local recycling centre and we had them on board. First, we needed some groceries, so we took the dinghy along the canal to Tesco. The last time we’d been on a boat here was back in the mid-1970’s when we lived in Essex and kept our motor boat, Francoise Deux, at Little Baddow on the canal. Back at Sal Darago, Jeremy lifted down the bikes and we cycled along the towpath and road to Maldon, completing the day with dinner at The Swan. The next day we cycled along the river embankment and had lunch at The Jolly Sailor. We locked out and spent the night on a mooring off Osea Island.

Dinghy trip along the Chelmer and Blackwater Canal

 Our next anchorage was at Stone Point in the Walton Backwaters, where we walked, swam and snorkelled in sunny weather. Then we sailed directly to the River Ore back in Suffolk and met up with Em and family at Orford. We had lunch at another Jolly Sailor after we’d all toured Orford Castle. The following day we went in opposite directions. Em and family returned to the Deben and we explored the River Alde, anchoring at Aldeburgh for one night and off an old brickyard further upriver another night. We tried to reach Snape and made it to the church at Iken after several muddy groundings. After a quiet night in the Butley River and a pleasant walk ashore, where we met Em on her bike, we returned to the Deben.  Later in the week, we motored upriver to Melton Boatyard and tied to their pontoon next to the travel lift. She was hauled out in mid-September. Two weeks of frantic activity followed. SD was emptied; sails, bimini, sprayhood and dodgers were removed; the engine was winterised and winter covers put in place. Another season had come to an end for us.

Sal Darago at Stone Point

 On 1^st October we drove to Mull. Over the next three weeks we tidied the cottage and garden, watched the Mull (car) Rally and did some walking. We enjoyed catching up with the neighbours, especially drinks, nibbles and a natter with John and Eilidh. Our great niece, Alice, came up for the Mull Rally and to see friends. 

Mull Rally

 We were pleased she joined us for dinner and chat on the three evenings she was in Mull. Jeremy had an accident in the garden. He slipped on the steep rockery he was clearing and fell 14 feet into the open drain. He was shaken, but decided nothing was broken. He’d had one session of physiotherapy on his painful shoulder back in Suffolk. The fall hasn’t helped the healing process.

Meeting family at Orford

 Winds and rain up to Storm Force 10 were forecast for the day we were to catch the ferry to Oban. Local people advised us to leave a day early. We booked on the ferry to Lochaline and arrived home safely. Later, our original sailing was cancelled and our money was refunded. 

Jeremy and Kathy after their talk

 We had two illustrated talks to give the week we arrived home. One was in our own village to a small audience from my book club. The other was in London to the East Coast group of the Westerly Owners Association. We were the speakers at their AGM. We sold five of our books “Sailing By on Sal Darago.”

Kathy and Sal Darago at the Butley River

 Em, Ellie and Sophie came to our house for a Halloween tea followed by trick and treating around our village. Naturally, we dressed up for the occasion. 

Sophie, Ellie, Jeremy, Kathy and ghost

 Scary, good fun was had by all. Ben was able to join us later for soup, cake and sweets.

Tobermory Bay

 So now we’re into November, the season of flu and covid jabs. We are planning a road trip from California to Mexico, where we hope to spend Christmas and New Year with our USA family:  Simon, Erin, Nina and Ramona.

Alice and Kathy in Mull

 We wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a healthy New Year.

A Bridge Too Far

Thank you to all our readers who have bought one or both of our books, “Sailing By on Sal Darago” Volume 1 and 2. They continue to be available on Amazon. Please leave a review if you liked the books.

The last land based jobs on Sal Darago were completed in May. Her decks were scraped, sanded and repainted and the topsides were cleaned and polished.  New antifoul paint was applied. We collected her sails from Sail Medic in Ipswich along with two new dodgers and a sail cover. The sails had been washed and serviced. Tom warned us that they would need to be replaced soon, but hopefully, they would last for one more season.

As we hauled the mainsail up a few days later it tangled at the cross trees and ripped. Tom had gone on holiday so we patched and stitched it ourselves.

Ready to launch

Time was moving on and we were keen to launch. This we were able to do after spending a weekend in Lancashire to celebrate our niece, Miki’s, 50^th birthday. Then there was my birthday and granddaughter, Ellie’s, birthday.

Durham Regatta

At last, on 28^th May Sal Darago was launched into the River Deben by Simon from Melton Boatyard. We motored down river to our mooring and tied up at Ramsholt. Earlier in the day we’d taken the car to Ramsholt with our bikes loaded inside. Then we’d cycled four miles to Melton arriving in the rain.

Andy, Kathy, Moyra, Ben and Jeremy in Durham

It was looking like we would make it to Ramsgate by 14^th June for the start of the Westerly Owners Association Summer Cruise. First, we had a commitment to attend Durham Regatta for the weekend before. We stayed with our friends Andy, Moyra and Ben. We had a lovely time catching up with them and with a good number of college and rowing friends from the 1970’s.

Back at home, we checked the weather. It was going to turn nasty – definitely S or SW force 6 and maybe 7 or gale force 8 by the weekend. We had one day to defrost the freezer, do our laundry, shop for Sal Darago and close up the house for 3 months! Two trips to the boat the following day saw everything loaded on board and stowed. We drove home and our daughter, Emily, drove us back to Ramsholt in her car. There was no change in the weather forecast, but we might just miss the worst of it by leaving a day early.

At 5.00 am on Thursday 13^th June, we motored out of the River Deben and set a course for Ramsgate. The winds were light at first, increasing slowly and blowing hard on the nose for the last 22 miles. We were relieved to tie up in Ramsgate Marina helped by fellow Westerly owners. Swell entered the marina and all the boats were pitching and rolling.

Kathy in the Ramsgate Tunnels

Memorable visits in Ramsgate included a meal in the largest Wetherspoons in the world; drinks in the Royal Temple Yacht Club; a guided tour of WW2 tunnels and lunch in the Home Front Tea Rooms. The weather was cold, wet and windy. The pontoons in the harbour were affected by the incoming swell.

Westerly owners at Pin Mill

Fortunately, we had much better conditions on Monday when the fleet sailed north to the River Orwell. Here we split into pre-arranged groups with members taking berths at Shotley Marina, Royal Harwich Yacht Club or Ipswich Beacon Marina. Jeremy and I were berthing reps for RHYC and Ipswich.

Sunset over the Orwell Bridge

Highlights of our five nights on the River Orwell included a riverside walk to Pin Mill, lunch at the Butt and Oyster and a 6 hour private hire trip down the river and back on the Thames barge, Victor. It was good to see Hilary and Steve from Travelling Light again and former Westerly owners Bill and Bren, whom we’d last seen in Coffs Harbour, Australia, in 2019!

The Thames barge, Victor, at Ipswich

Jeremy and I invited our daughter and two grandchildren, Ellie and Sophie, to meet us in Ipswich on our last evening and we’d all go out for a pizza. This was the evening that I fell down the stern hatch, bashing my chest hard on the rim and smacking my face on the hatch lid. Once the shock had worn off and I felt all right we went for our pizza and had a lovely evening.

Sunset over the moorings at Queenborough

The next day required an early start. We left Ipswich with fellow Westerly yacht, Oratava, soon after 6.00am and reached Brightlingsea in Essex at midday. We remembered our previous visit 50 years ago in our small power boat and how excited we’d felt to be going “out to sea” for the first time. Soon lots of Westerly boats were rafted up on both sides of a floating pontoon. The water taxi to the shore cost £1.50 per person per trip or you could take your own dinghy.

The main highlight from our two nights in Brightlingsea was the delicious carvery in Colne Yacht Club. We shared a table with Hilary, Steve, Bill, Bren and Dutch couple, Cor and Lia from Dionysa. Our table won Commodore Brian’s quiz and six of us shared the prize of a bottle of red wine later, on Sal Darago.

Hilary, Bill, Bren, Steve and Jeremy at Colne YC

We had another early start on Monday 24^th June. There was some disagreement about the departure time. Most of us were away before 6.00am. Our destination was Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey. Our first crossing of the River Thames estuary was very pleasant in calm, sunny weather and we were tied up to the all tide landing by lunchtime.

Chatham Historical Boatyard

The next day we departed for Chatham in Kent after having a tasty English breakfast in a Turkish café. Travelling Light and Sal Darago were the last to leave and enjoyed a leisurely sail upriver. We spent two nights in Chatham Marina. There were lots of interesting places to visit in the area. We chose to spend a day in the Historical Boatyard. We passed in and out of hatches on the 1962 submarine, Ocelot, wandered around the 1878 three master, HMS Gannet and spent time exploring the 1944 warship, HMS Cavalier. We finished the day in The Ropery where we saw long ropes being made using traditional methods and machinery. On the way back to the marina, I began to have pains in my chest, especially when coughing.

Thames Barrier

On Thursday, 23^rd June, the Westerly boats departed at various times for Queenborough. I took ibuprofen and paracetamol in the morning and felt better. At Queenborough, we rafted up to Travelling Light on a mooring shared by 6 boats. Jeremy and I went ashore in the free trot boat and walked to a Tapas restaurant where we shared 5 dishes and a bottle of rose. On our return the wind was blowing strongly and the tide was moving quickly. Dionysa, rafted up to the all tide landing was damaged in the night by a French yacht tying up to them in the difficult conditions. A stanchion was ripped out. All was well with the yachts on the mooring.

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

The next day I still had chest pains and knew I’d have to see a doctor soon. I took pain killers throughout the 40 mile motor along the Thames to London. Strong headwinds blew. We arrived with the first group of yachts. All of them entered the lock into St Katharine’s Dock, except us. We tied up to a mooring right next to Tower Bridge to wait for the next locking. We were not called in AGAIN and the lock was filled with boats that had arrived after us. We had arrived at 1725 and entered the third locking at 1905! My chest pains were worse.

Tower Bridge, London

Consequently, just after breakfast on Saturday 29^th June, I phoned 111, answered lots of questions, declined an ambulance, had a shower, hailed a cab and went to A&E at the Royal Hospital. Jeremy came with me. After an ECG, chest X-ray, blood tests and a CT scan, I was diagnosed with a fractured sternum late in the evening. I was kept in overnight; discharged on Sunday afternoon; collected by Emily in the evening and driven to her house for two nights. Here I joined another granny, Ben’s Mum Beth, who was recovering from an operation on her foot. Jeremy returned to Sal Darago alone. We missed the last two days of the Summer Cruise and the motor under Tower Bridge. Jeremy sailed single handed to the River Deben in one, long day.

Sal Darago in St Katharine's Dock, London

We were reunited on the Tuesday and settled into a landlubber’s life again, while Sal Darago waited patiently on her mooring in the river.

Sadly, we’ve had to cancel our plans to sail to Denmark to see Robert and Lene. I’ve been told to expect 6 weeks for the fracture to mend and a further 6 weeks for complete recovery. Hopefully, from the middle of August, I can go sailing again in local waters. I think I’ll be “Skipper,” hog the helm and command my “crew” to “hoist the sails” or “weigh the anchor”! It might be fun. Then again, I might have a mutiny on my hands! I’ll let you know.

 

Happy New Year

Lake Tahoe

 We hope everyone has been keeping well since our last blog post back in September.

 

San Francisco waterfront

Once Sal Darago was safely on the hard at Melton Boatyard, near Woodbridge, in Suffolk, we made plans to visit our son, Simon, daughter-in-law, Erin and grandchildren, Nina and Ramona in California. We stayed with them for a month and had a great time catching up with them and visiting some lovely places with the family and on our own. Most memorable are Lake Tahoe, Inverness, San Francisco and the Hikers Hut.

Inverness, California

 

Simon took us completely by surprise when he showed us two books he had published privately for us. Both books are quite thick and contain many colour photographs of our voyages. Volume 1 charts our first circumnavigation of the world from 2008-2014. From the Lancashire coast, we travel to Europe, sail across the Atlantic Ocean, on through the Caribbean, transit the Panama Canal and cross the Pacific Ocean. We visit the Galapagos, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga, New Zealand and Australia. Then we go to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Next we cross the Indian Ocean and call in at Cocos Keeling, Rodrigues, Mauritius, Reunion and South Africa. Turning north we enter the Atlantic Ocean and have stops in Namibia, St Helena, the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Azores and the Isle of Man before returning to Lancashire.

Sailing by on Sal Darago is now available for anyone to buy on Amazon.
 

Volume 2 tells the story of our second circumnavigation from 2016-2023. We  moved to Suffolk in 2014, so this time we left from the River Deben. After crossing the Atlantic and passing through the Panama Canal, we motor sailed north for about 3000 miles to visit Simon and Erin in San Francisco. We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz. Heading south to Mexico, we spent a season exploring the Sea of Cortez. Then off we went across the Pacific visiting American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Australia. We followed the east coast to Sydney and anchored off the Opera House to watch the magnificent New Year firework display over Sydney Harbour Bridge. Wild fires ravaged the east and south coasts. We escaped to Tasmania, crossed the Great Australian Bight and came to a standstill in Albany, Western Australia. The world went into lockdown. After several months, we were able to move north to Carnarvon on the Indian Ocean coast.

Almost 2 years later, we continued our journey returning to the River Deben via the Cape of Good Hope, the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea and the North Sea.

Both volumes have now been published on Amazon. We hope you enjoy reading them. If you do, please leave a review.

Jeremy, Nina, Kathy, Ramona and Simon in front of the Hikers Hut

Jeremy and Kathy at the WOA AGM, Poole

 

“So,” you might ask, “what’s happening with Sal Darago?” The bow and stern stays have been replaced. The front cabin, heads and half the bilges have been cleaned and repainted. The crankshaft oil seal has been replaced. 

Diesel tanks removed

 

 The diesel fuel tanks have been removed and are being tested for leaks. Assuming everything can be put back in place, we hope to join the Westerly Owners Association on their national cruise on the east coast of Kent, Essex and Suffolk. After that, we might sail to Belgium, Holland, Germany and Denmark.

 

Thames barges at Maldon, Essex