Sea Bear Sea Bear

April – Setting up the rig

May 28, 2023

Sea Bear was re-launched in mid April and I went down to finish setting up the rigging. First job was to ensure the mast was upright and with the right amount of rake. It is not a job that can be down with the boat ashore as that the boat is level cannot be assured when it’s chocked up in the yard. Afloat and you know the boat is level. There was no wind and the sea calm, essential conditions and I was able with the aid of measuring, a plumb bob and by eye that the mast was straight and all in order. Next step was to get the correct tension in the rig, I had invested in a Loos rig gauge to assist me with this. So slowly I went around adjusting the bottle screws a turn or two at a time. First the cap shrouds, then when where properly tensioned, moving on to the backstays, lowers and babystay, a bit at a time and checking checking. A time consuming process but one not worth rushing. Finally I was satisfied and could fit split pins to all the bottle screws. I will recheck all the tensions etc after a few weeks as as things settle in.

Another calm day saw me finishing off a few more little jobs. I really wanted a nice steady sailing breeze to check out the rig under sail as recommended but then instead we had very strong winds and whats more very cold ones, it still felt like winter, and in light of a poor forecast I went home for a bit.

A week later I returned, the winds were lighter though still from the East so cold. I sailed down to Hamford water to anchor for the night, it is always nice when you can just sail up the long narrow channel, without tacking and without the engine. I always like visiting here, it is a beautiful spot.

Next morning I left and decided to sail out towards the Rough Towers. The wind were light so a gentle sail with flat seas, very relaxing. I didn’t quite get to the Towers, perhaps a mile or so short but I had set myself a turn-around time so that I wouldn’t be too late back. Reaching Harwich I turned up the Stour and up to anchor just past Ewerton Ness.

The following morning I though to go further up the river, past Wrabness to anchor at Stutton Ness. This turned out to be not one of my wiser decisions. The wind had increased in strength and was blowing right up the river so the anchorage was a trifle bumpy. I resolve to stay her only till the tide turned and I could take the ebb back downstream. In the event I returned to Pin Mill. Once again the forecast was not great for the next few days so I returned home. I was a bit fed up with being so cold sailing in these E and NE winds.

Winter refit 2023

Apr 11, 2023

This winter, whilst Sea Bear was laid up ashore I decided it was time to renew the standing rigging. I had arranged for the yard to take down the mast for me and arranged for a rigging company to make up a new set of rigging using the old as patterns. With the mast down I removed the shroud deck fittings to check on their condition and to re-bed them, after all I reckoned the old sealant was maybe the original and so needed renewing.

Sea Bear no mast in yard

It was also a convenient time to replace the masthead tricolour as the lens was very badly crazed, so that was replaced with a new LED unit. Another replacement at the mast head was new VHF antena and windex, the old one had lost its direction arrows. The steaming/deck light was also replaced being badly corroded. Whilst at it I replaced all the wiring to the lights and a new VHF cable too. The old wiring was just domestic cable un-tinned so looked and was in a nasty state. All replaced with proper marine grade tinned cables. Last job on the mast was a new radar reflector, the old one having been lost in a storm of Jamaica some while ago.

new bits on mast head

All that done the mast could go back up, the yard did that when I wasn’t there. Ah but there was a problem. They told me the clevis pins with the new standing rigging were too big to fit so they put it up with temporary pins. They said they had told the rigging company of this and it would be sorted.

When I went down to the yard to finish fitting out I discovered with horror that the baby stay was not connected and the rigging company had put in undersized clevis pins, thinking this would do.

Toggle & pin mismatch

No No No I thought that just won’t do. They took some persuading that they had used the wrong size toggles for parts of the rig when making up the new rig.

The had overlooked the fact that on a Vancouver, although all the wires are the same size at 6mm, the toggles and of course turnbuckles are different sizes for the cap shrouds and forestay from the lowers, back stays and baby stay. This despite them having the old rig as patterns. A rather schoolboy error I thought. Eventually they agreed that they had got it wrong and would make up a new rig. But of course the mast had to be unstepped again. Eventually after much delay the right rigging was supplied and the mast back up.

Meanwhile I had finished the rest of the refit, cleaning, checking and maintenace, a long list as usual. Sea Bear was ready to go back afloat so a date for relaunch was arranged. It will be good to get back in the water. It has felt a long, cold and hard winter.

A visit to the Medway

Sep 30, 2022

In September I took Sea Bear down to visit the Medway. On the first day I sailed down the Wallet to anchor at Pyefleet for the night. Next day up to and across the Wallet Spitway, crossing the top of the Whitaker spit and down the Middle Deep and West Swin to join the Thames, upriver then past Shoebury Ness until I crossed the main channel by the Nore Swatch and so entered the Medway. I proceeded to enter Stangate creek to anchor for the night.

Stangate creek

On of my reasons for this Medway visit was to visit the historic dockyard of Chatham docks so I motored up the Medway to enter and berth at Gillingham marina. That evening I took a walk to a nice old pub in Gillingham called the Ship.

The Ship Inn, Gillingham

The next day I walked to the Historic Dockyard, it turned out to be a little farther to walk than I expected, Chathman marina is nearer .It was a very interesting day wondering around the various exhibits and I particularly enjoyed the ropemaking. The place is well worth a visit.

Victory model

Inside of shed roof

knotwork frame

sailing barge & dock

Leaving the Marina ventured further up the river to see Upnor & Upnor Castle. It was interesting to visit this spot as this was where my sailing mentor and friend Don had grown up and learnt to sail.

Upnor castle

Then I turned back down the river to once more anchor at Stangate creek.

It had been my desire to complete my trip by visiting Queensborough and sail around the Isle of Sheppy but the forecast wind was from the NW and the pilot advised that the anchorage was not sheltered in those conditions. Another consideration was the tides would be wrong a – too late in the day for completing the passage to Harty Ferry in daylight. So I left it for another day.

Instead I headed back across the Thames and up the West Swin and Middle Deep across the Wallet Spitway and so the Pyefleet. I did briefly consider making for the Orwell directly but decided it wouldn’t be worth having to buck the tide and tiredness later, beside Pyefleet is a nice anchorage even it is a bit of a diversion. A good sail the next day took me back to my mooring on the Orwell.

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

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

Aldeburgh

Martello tower ccc

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.