Cambria Watch……Hilary sends the following update.
“Update from Rowhedge. The tow up to Rowhedge by Andy Harman was carried out with the usual aplomb although he has not yet fitted the windows in the tug so it had been a windy trip for him upriver. Andy runs St Osyth Boatyard, has just rebuilt the Thalatta and skippers the Edme which is a very fast barge in the matches as well as being another engineless one. We swung without using the anchor and fetched up beautifully alongside the Parish Quay. Beer was delivered to the Albion by the boys who rolled the barrels along the street and were given a coke for their pains.
We were just about to go to the pictures in Colchester when it was apparent that the moorings dug into the quay were not strong enough for the amount of, and angle of, mud the barge was sitting on and she slipped off somewhat. This meant a tow down that night rather than another tide cementing relations, and another night at Pyefleet. We were thinking of going on to Harwich but by the time we were back at Brightlingsea, we decided we were all too tired after a 16 hour day so we anchored and waited until morning.
Wednesday morning’s forecast was for gales and so we waited until early afternoon when we thought the wind had moderated….it had for a while. Beating out of the Blackwater in a 7 was exhilarating and then a very fast run with just the one gybe to Harwich. The pier master had kindly kept Halfpenny Pier pontoon clear for us but after he had gone home a very large Swedish yacht went alongside despite all his “no mooring” signs. Thursday morning, a brisk NW made winching her along to the now vacant berth rather hard work and all before breakfast!!
At 11am Richard, the landlord of the New Bell Inn, came to collect his beer, the crew ably transferring it from hold to pier to car to cellar. We were then invited to see round lightship no 18, the last manned lightship. It was fascinating and we now want one!! We are intending to leave Harwich tomorrow morning for a short sail to Pin Mill blocks. We have hoes, and hopefully a delivery of paint so we can paint around the topsides, having scrapped the tar off while we were on Brightlingsea hard. The barge should know her way up to Pin Mill, but it will be the first visit to her old home port in 42 years”.
Superb report, Hilary. Thank you very much for that. The pictures are by Don Ramsey of Sea Change , who has generously allowed us to use them here.
