SEA BEAR

 

A sailing blog about a skipper and his yacht

The Ore & the Alde

Aug 4, 2022

The descriptions for entering the Ore had always seemed a little daunting, but in August I summoned up enough courage to visit. Of course conditions had to be right, this year there had seemed to a lot of on-shore winds so a visit had been put off. One difficultly of timing a visit from the Orwell is that to arrive at the Ore bar at good time to cross the bar (2hrs before high water) you have to go against the ebb from Felixstowe so first visit timing is tricky

 As it turned out, with a good wind  I arrived at the Orford Haven clearwater buoy at just about the perfect time so headed in for the bar under sail and conditions were good. Still it was a bit nerve wracking for a first time entrance as the channel is quite narrow and it didn’t help that a faster boat was on my tail and shouting at me that they couldn’t slow down. (Well they could have I thought if they had hauled in their main a little or even scandalised it). Still they managed to pass safely enough. Thereafter it was more straightforward 

I took the  channel around the back of  Havergate island where I dropped the hook in Long Gull. Lots of birds here as Havergate Island is a bird sanctuary

Next day I proceeded up the river past Oreford and further where the river changes it’s name to the Alde  up to Aldborough threading my way through the rows of moorings here and then to arrive at  Cob island to anchor again a very peaceful spot.

by Cob island

by Cob island

In the morning I reversed my course down the river next day and anchored just short of Flybury point to wait the tide.   

Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh

 

Martello tower ccc

Martello tower ccc

 

Orford

Orford

I left here 2 hrs before high water which meant I had to buck the incoming tide but its is recommended  that it is foolish to leave on the ebb and besides the tide is not really strong until you get to the bar. Here is was strong lots of ripples & eddies and you pass so close to the beach on side and the sand banks on the other , there is a side entrance as it were where the tide rushes in at you and even with engine progress is slow so it kind of prolongs the agony and suspense. It was quite a relief to pass the buoys and head out for the clearwater buoy. There I could relax and have a very pleasant sail back down the coast to rejoin the Orwell and so back to my mooring.

 

 

Thames Sailing Barge match race

Jul 14, 2022

In early July I was down on Sea Bear for the annual Thames Barge match race on the Orwell. I watched from opposite the start line as the first pairs of barges started then I followed on down the river, out past Felixstowe, out to sea round the Pye end bouy then back and up the Stour before returning to Pin Mill. It was fine weather and fair winds. It was great to see so many barges out a sailing. When I see a sailing  barge it always reminds me of when, as a youngster our family holidays were taken on Canvey Island and we would see the barges sailing past. In those days the ’50’s  they were still working barges, so I must have witnessed some of their last days as coastal trading vessels.

Sailing Barges anchored off Pin Mill

Sailing Barges anchored off Pin Mill

Start of Barge race

Start of Barge race

Blackthorn & unknown

Blackthorn & unknown

Marjorie

Marjorie

Niagra

Niagra

Barges off Felixstowe

Barges off Felixstowe

 

A few days on the boat

Jun 27, 2022

I had a few days on the boat in June. I had planned to go down to river Colne first then perhaps further south. However the wind was from the SW and strong at first. I had a look at going out via the Wallet but it would have been no fun so instead went up the Stour, anchoring first at Copperas bay then by Stutton Ness. Here I saw a deer going for a swim in the river, quite remarkable. At the height of the tide we went up for a closer look at Mistley. It appears that the fence is still up on the quay there despite the High Court order that it be taken down.

Mistley

The weather had calmed down and the tides were right so I thought it time for my first visit to the Deben. It is a bit scary first time with the waves (gentle in this case) breaking on the shingle banks and the channel passing close to the beach. But I entered under sail with a favourable wind and the tide still under me, whoseing me down the channel and I was soon proceeding calmly up the river.

Deben entrance

Deben entrance

I picked up a mooring by the Ramsholt Arms. Next day I went up as far as Waldringfield before turning around and heading back to Felixstowe Ferry and out over the bar.

Felixstowe Ferry

Felixstowe Ferry

The exit I found slightly more nerve wracking than the entrance surprisingly. I had timed it for HW slack so the exit took longer and from the red buoy by Felixstowe ferry  you cannot see the green marking the knoll spit so you just have to follow the shoreline as you do not want to stray too far towards the shingle banks. Just a few days before a yacht on exiting had done this and gone aground – a feat I did not want to repeat.

Thames sailing barge in the Wallet

Thames sailing barge in the Wallet

Early the next day I took the tide  down the Wallet to Brightlingsea, calm condition but no wind. But of course arrived to anchor in Pyefleet creek and the wind came. The next day forecast spoke of the winds veering to the NE and strengthening to F7 so I decided to head back early rather than having to beat up the Wallet with wind over tide. In the event I had a cracking  sail back with a nice F4-5 on the beam and the aft quarter.

Back on the mooring the wind departed and a peaceful eve was had before departing for home the next day.

A still evening at Pin Mill

A still evening at Pin Mill

 

The Cub

May 28, 2022

For quite a while I had wanted a rigid tender for Sea Bear. Something that would row better and didn’t involve all the faff of inflating  and stowage, preferably one that you could stow on the foredeck. Of course that was a bit of a problem with a small boat- lack of room and of course you wouldn’t want a tender that was too small and would feel unsafe in waves or if you had far to go.

Still I came across a picture of a Vancouver 28 with a rigid dinghy on its foredeck and had an email exchange with the owner so I knew it was feasable. After some research I settled on a Eastport nesting pram dinghy, one that would seperate into two halves – that would make stowage less of a problem. So started the project to build the Cub.

Boat kit

Boat kit

I could have course built it just from plans but an easier option, the one I plumped for was a kit with all the parts pre-cut. It dully arrived and so the build began.  I am fortunate in having a garage so the initial stitch up of the panels with copper wire of the hull took places here. 

hull wired up

Hull wired up

The next stage was epoxying it. Now successful epoxying requires a minimum temperature of at least 16 degrees but it was winter and the garage was cold. I decided that heating the garage was out of the question cost wise. The solution, clear out the living/dining room in the house, spread out a big tarpaulin over the floor and work in there. I was using eco epoxy which has little or no smell or fumes so that was OK.  

epoxying the seams

Epoxying the seams

Gradually it all came together, bulkheads filleted in, seats supports added, gunwales affixed and rubbing strakes and skeg added. Then it was time to give it coats of epoxy inside and out.

complete & ready for sanding

Complete & ready for sanding

The boat is built in one piece and then sawed in half so that it can become a nesting dinghy. A step approached with some trepidation.

sawing in half

Sawing in half

in two halves

in two halves

Before painting and varnishing it all need sanding down and long and arduous process as paint and varnish won’t stick to un-sanded epoxy. 

I made some built in bouyancy from polystyrene foam insulation sheets epoxied together, shaped, sanded, coated with epoxy and painted. 

The final step was painting on the name and so Sea Bear Cub she became.

sea bear cub

I think she looks a pretty little dinghy, let’s see how she performs. 

The completed dinghy

The completed dinghy

Fitting out 2022

May 6, 2022

I spent a week down at the boat yard. The big job was re-fitting the engine after it’s re-build.  After a clean up of the engine bay and a lick of paint the boat yard hoisted the engine aboard and it dropped straight in place. It was just a matter of refitting the alternator and water pump and connecting everything up. 

After bleeding the fuel system and with a pipe from pump to a bucket and hose pipe at hand we were all ready to start it up. Oops, turning the key and pushing the starter button – nothing. Obviously something wrong. An inspection soon revealed a wire carefully tucked out of the way of for lift-out not connected – soon remedied. Engine fired up – all well – what a relief.

Engine back in – all connected

Of course there were lots of other jobs to do.

Overhauling and re-greasing the furler, re-reeving the running rigging, up the mast to refit the wind instrument, re-fitting the sails and canvas work, plenty of cleaning, waxing the hull, re-greasing seacocks to name but a few. But eventually all done and now just wait for a launch date from the yard. Something to look forward to after all the hard work.

Sea Bear in Yard

Sea Bear in Yard