For those of you new to Aurai and for those who are perhaps not so new, a quick overview of how to plan and execute a week-end away with HNYC.
Some brief background, Aurai is 44 years’ old and only in our second year of ownership, she was owned and kept by a sailor’s sailor before us, for whom we have much admiration, but we have a sneaky feeling they never went to the loo, cooked on the Taylor’s cooker or used the fixed VHF and decided to sell when they got fed up with the engine leaking fuel everywhere? The listed shore power connection was a dubious non-marine fitting and actually did not run beyond a bit of a taped up wire end. The battery charger was fitted but not connected, though the sails and rigging are perfection and well set up. Built very well, everything else about her hull and fittings is in excellent order!
Most of the above was discovered last season and over the season and last winter rectified, so that when put back in the water this year we were determined to have a few proving sails in time for the Ramsgate w/e and be all set. Which we were ready for. First conundrum was when to set off and tidal calculations vs. 6’ draft etc. Hurt my head. We knew the gentleman’s passage plan was to set off about Thursday, but work in Birmingham on Friday, for me, meant it was looking like a stressful dash Friday evening and an unearthly start Saturday.
Not to worry though, the answers would come, the weather forecast early in the week was OK and a quick call to our Rear Commodore reassured us that a Saturday p.m. depart was called for.
Then the weather looked iffy then it looked passable then it looked like passage planning needed alternative haven 1) Sheerness/Garrison Point, decide whether to carry on or no return; 2) Plan to pull in to Harty Ferry; 3) Anchor in the lee of Margate Sands; 4) actually get to Ramsgate. Meanwhile half the crew thought the weather would at last provide some decent sailing and the other half wondered if such enthusiasm should be certified. Anyway we agreed to muster at HNYC for midday and in the light of weather prospects had a cup of tea and a team talk. The previous evening the Stangate lot were bedding down and gave me a call to ask if all was well and advise that they would be in Ramsgate by lunchtime.
A bit of a surprise then when Rear Commodore Lavelle called to say all may not be quite so wonderful and the Stangate lot were on their way home, right in the middle of our team talk. We suggested we would not reach Ramsgate, but would give it a go, at least to alternative haven 1) and would decide as we met conditions. The conditions at Hoo were bright and sunny, confused cloud formations and gusting to 25 knots or so. Nothing a reef or two could not handle.
We prepared to sail with wet weather gear fitted, life jackets secure, clip-on lines ready, everything stowed and fastened down inside and left the mooring with progress in mind. We should have wondered what was to hit us when we took two head to wind attempts to raise the mainsail. We were going for three reefs but I have not fitted the sheet! 2nd reef was set and we pulled about two thirds of roller jib and set off. Winds were now gusting in mid to high 20’s as opposed to low 20’s on the mooring. We knew we had two hours of tide to stem, and tacked into the wind up Gillingham Reach; averaging 5.5 knots was quite an achievement 7.5 if you count two for the tide! Then it was round Folly Point only to meet a coaster determined to collide with us, as we edged to starboard, then tacked to port over to the Power Station, by now we had all felt the effects of each change of tack coming faster and faster as we were restricted to the channel at this speed.
Which meant a skipper’s call, if we turned back we would moor and get ashore before low water prevented that. To go on was to face another hour of restricted channel tacks and the prospect of being late past Garrison point and hence facing shallows on the Overland bit, or possibly a long time at sea in worsening conditions to go via the Princes Channel. That call did not take long and a run with just the jib was a swift and smooth trip back over every hard won mile of the previous hour or so. Back at the mooring we vowed to return early Monday morning for a day sail as the forecast was fine. A crew debrief in the pub and everyone was happy; only 24 hours later the Monday idea was scrapped with a much worse forecast released. So I got to church on Sunday caught up with DIY at home, reunited with my wife and then had a wet Bank Holiday Monday at home, so out for a swim, followed by full English and then out to see a film. Many thanks to crew, Eileen, Graham and Mark, sorry to organisers (we did try). The Isle of Sheppey weather station recorded two hours of 40 to 50 mph winds on Monday morning comfortable Gale 8 territory, we were all glad we are not at sea.
Medway Barge Match next week!
Charles Hessey
Aurai