After my last post in which we drew attention to the tracking software, you may know that on that day, on the Passage Match 2013, Cambria, with Richard Tichener as Skipper and Hilary Halajko as First Mate (Cambria is back in the hands of the Sea Change Sailing Trust), recorded another heroic Outright Win.
Also, you may recall from last year that when Hilary is in the chair, this blog gets well supplied with Cambria Updates, for which many thanks, Hilary.
Passage Match 2013; Picture by Dave Brooks
The first of these is up on Facebook today and reads, “Update from sea change on Cambria. It’s been a very busy few days, we left Maldon on Wednesday evening with a fair wind so no need for a tug. A gentle sail to anchor just below the doubles and then underway Thursday morning bound for Pin Mill. A lovely sail, 7 hours from Maldon to anchor just below the SBA buoy. As we approached Harwich Harbour, Reminder was coming out of the backwaters and Mirosa getting underway from the Stour. So a lovely sight for anyone watching. We were able to launch the topper dingy and along with a rowing the barge boat everyone spent a pleasant hour or so in the setting sun with Mirosa anchored above us and Reminder above her.Those brave enough went for a swim, jumping off the bowsprit, that’s the easy bit, getting back aboard not quite so easy!!
On Friday Gus came to tow us to the blocks, no wind which made it easy to get there. Then 2 days of pressure washing, scrubbing, and anti fouling and boy did she need it, she was absolutely covered in barnacles!! The upside of being on the blocks is that we eat out in the Butt and Oyster!!
This morning Jonathan came to tow us off the blocks and down to the clamp house. A stiff sea breeze made it very difficult to pull her off and in the end we needed the barge boat and outboard alongside to make any headway. At the point when Jonathan shouted that his engine was overheating we already had the main and kedge anchors ready!!! we didn’t make it as far as the clamp house but were able to anchor in a spot where we could sail away before Jonathan’s boat finally packed up!! Bright sunshine a great breeze and tacking down against all those people who were sailing back up to return to work tomorrow, lucky us! We are now anchored just above Shotley Marina getting ready to go ashore for a BBQ , We are the luckiest people in the world right now!!”
We are green with envy, Hilary! What a way to earn a living!
