Tag: West Mersea

Sea Change’s Last 2013 Cambria Outing

Full Sail

Cambria under Full Sail in the 2013 Southend Match, picture taken from, we think, Pudge

We were passed this superb picture of Cambria going like a train with all sails beautifully set by Richard, Hilary, Stretch and the Sea Change Crew. The picture is taken from, we believe, SB Pudge and comes from the Thames Sailing Barge Trust. Hilary tells us that they had a bit of fun but didn’t do so well this time. Posting on the 27th, she said, “Currently anchored at West Mersea. Had a blast at the Southend match and a very creditable 3rd place in the bowsprit class as no other coasting barges present. Underway yesterday at 5pm tacking all the way to the Spitway and anchored in the fog here at 2 am! 3 handed was fun apart from winding up 2 shackles of chain against the wind and tide! Up to Maldon today possibly a visit to the Queens Head our HQ this evening!”

All good things must come to an end, and Sea Change are now on their final 2013 charter on Cambria, though they stress that Sea Change carries on on the SB Reminder all through September and October and into early November.  Hilary again. “Last Cambria trip of the year for Sea Change. Maldon to St Kats. A fair wind away from the quay so no towing charges today! beautiful sunshine, I feel a BBQ coming on and maybe a bit of swimming?”

Thank you so much to the Sea Change team for looking after and using our old girl. We are proud to be part of your good works. It is brilliant that this vessel is used to do so much good. I thank Hilary too for all the Cambria Watch write-ups.

Dave Brooks reminds us all that, “The Cambria Trust are excited to announce that Cambria will be attending the Classic Boat Festival at St Katharine’s Dock London. She will be open to the public and trust members will be on hand to guide and answer your questions. Dates 7th to the 15th Sept.”

The early part of that includes me, your blogger, so that this may be the final post from me till I get back to Ireland. Maybe I will see you on board?

Diamond Jubilee Medway Video

Tracking the Cambria, Picture by Hilary Halajko of the SCST

Tracking the Cambria, Picture by Hilary Halajko of the SCST

This was rather fun – based on our new fancy electronics on board, Hilary Halajko has been able to post a screen shot from the recent trip up the East coast. Says Hilary ” We have just anchored off Great Yarmouth after a 14 hour passage from West Mersea. Not bad going and a fair wind until Lowestoft. Bit roly poly here!! A tow up to Yarmouth tomorrow and then off to Wells all being well ha ha!” Thanks for that, Hilary.

 

Meanwhile I have come by a nice new video DVD currently for sale via the Edith May Trading website (link from our useful links tab) or on board Cambria. It is the commemorative DVD for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medway Barge Sailing Match 2012. I believe this is a first commercially available barge video from film maker Simon North (and well one to him!). It has commentary by Hugh Richard Perks and includes plenty of interview footage with the barge folk taking part, which I always think is excellent ‘record’ material for our archives.

 

It is chock full of gorgeous, sumptuous footage of barges jilling about and then sailing as you’d expect but seemed to me of especially high quality and lovely colour. This might be down to Simon using much better kit than was used previously in barge film, but it ends up as delicious as film made by the likes of Mike Maloney in his Red Sails film. There is a lovely sequence of Repertor smashing through some size-able waves. It is 40 minutes of almost pure delight. Almost? Yes, if I am permitted three very small niggles in the interests of doing a fair review. One is the repeated over-use of the same short burst of a rock-guitar ‘break’. The second is a short sequence where the camera is on Hugh and he is indicating over his shoulder that a barge is beautiful, perfectly balanced, close to ‘art’ but we do not see the barge for several minutes, which seems a bit off to me. Finally there is a sequence in the middle where the camera man suddenly goes all ‘Channel 4’ throwing us about in random panning moves and alarming zooms, just for a few seconds but enough to jolt you from your savouring of all the lovely barge film which goes before and comes afterwards.

All in all, despite my three niggles, well worth a purchase and well worth a look. Well done Simon.

 

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