It was time to bite the bullet and make some kind of trip. The tides were good and the forecast wet but not too windy. So a plan was hatched to do an overnight trip to Stangate creek. Anchor till the following tide and head back. I got on board Tuesday afternoon and fitted the new battery I had bought to replace the dead one that I had taken ashore. I fitted the gps holder and got everything ready for an early start the following day. The forecast was for heavy rain. I would just have to put up with it. To be honest the experience of breaking my leg and having a bit of a drama getting my boat onto my buoy, had unnerved me more than I cared to admit.
So I set the alarm for 06:10 just as it was getting light. It was drizzly but calm. I decided it was now or never so started the engine, tied my tender to the buoy and let go.
It has been many years since I had navigated down the Medway so I figured I had enough to concentrate on just doing that, so I left the sails and just motored. I was catching the last two hours of the ebb tide and made steady progress through the dawn gloom.
So I set the alarm for 06:10 just as it was getting light. It was drizzly but calm. I decided it was now or never so started the engine, tied my tender to the buoy and let go.
It has been many years since I had navigated down the Medway so I figured I had enough to concentrate on just doing that, so I left the sails and just motored. I was catching the last two hours of the ebb tide and made steady progress through the dawn gloom.
Past the old Napoleonic forts that dot the islands through the Estuary. The power stations and the container terminals. Gas berths and coal jetties. Eventually I arrived at a buoy called Stangate Spit that marked the entrance to Stangate Creek. I headed south into the Creek and found a likely spot before chucking the hook over the bow and sitting at anchor.
The forecast rain turned up late morning it had been a very grey day, with the power station chimneys and even the container terminal cranes disappearing into the low cloud.
I spent the day pottering around the boat and worrying about whether I was dragging my anchor.
The forecast rain turned up late morning it had been a very grey day, with the power station chimneys and even the container terminal cranes disappearing into the low cloud.
I spent the day pottering around the boat and worrying about whether I was dragging my anchor.
The evening was spent listening to the radio and cooking tea washed down with a couple of bottles of beer. I got up at 04:20 just before the tide turned to make sure the boat swung round and settled ok.
The following morning was much brighter and by 9 I had weighed anchor and decided that some sailing was in order.
I started off with just the Mainsail but there was so little wind I was hardly making any progress at all so I put the Genoa out too. Eventually some wind from the SW came along with the sunshine. The flood tide picked up and despite the wind being against me I tacked back and forth across the river and made my way back to Gillingham and my swing buoy. I eventually tied up to it at around 13:00.
All in all it had been a very enjoyable trip. No dramas and my confidence had been somewhat restored. I had sorted out a few things on the boat and managed to sail and anchor single handed within the confines of the Estuary. To Stangate Creek and back had been around a 14 mile trip. I tided the boat up making everything ship shape and ready for my next adventure.