Gavin Barr, assisted by Ian and Glenda Nevill organised what has become an annual Wanderer event based at the Whitstable Yacht Club. 13 boats arrived “in port” for the weekend namely: 7 “Happy” Wanderers, 3 GP14s, a Wayfarer, an Enterprise, and a Miracle.

The helms and crews came from the host club Whitstable Yacht Club and sailing/yacht clubs far and wide - Crawley Mariners, Wilsonian , Bewl Valley SC.

Saturday

H.W. Saturday was predicted at 14.40 hours and this allowed for a leisurely start to the day, preparing and rigging the boats for this seafaring expedition ahead. At 10.30 hours Gavin embarked on a comprehensive briefing over coffee on the Sailing Club’s veranda. Mobile telephone numbers were exchanged and logged into the various phones, “Leaders” and “Sweepers” were nominated, and the “Author of the Write Up of the weekend” press-ganged into action! Sweepers! - Were we really going to encounter mines laid in the River Swale or was it the bouncing bombs, which were at one time tested in the locality to which Gavin was making reference!

The decision had been made to sail to Faversham Creek meeting at the Shipwright’s Arms, and then deciding who wanted to progress up the Creek, and those who preferred to carry along the River Swale in the direction of Fowley Island or Kingsferry Bridge. The Shipwright’s Arms although being in a very tucked away location couldn’t be missed, as even though it has no direct electrical supply which has to be provided by generator, it is situated directly under a major route of electric power lines supported by huge pylons!

Our launching from the shingle beach, at approx 11.30 hours, coincided with the Whitstable Barge Match starting off the harbour. We headed across the Whitstable Flats and into the East Swale in the direction of Faversham Creek, buoy hopping ‘downwindish’, the wind being an easterly F2-3.

Under the watchful eye of Gavin the flotilla made good progress to the Shipwright’s Arms, where various attempts were made at mooring on the bank as close to the pub as possible on the rising tide. An assortment of anchors was deployed rather than lift our vessels out of the water, which is what most local sailors seem to do here especially the Cat. variety.

Cruise participants rushed to the pub but found the staff somewhat overwhelmed by volume of trade, but eventually liquid refreshment was forthcoming.

Drink and food was consumed sitting on the riverbank deciding how the “Up the Creek” group (correctly equipped with paddles) might leave the lee shore in a professional seamanlike manner in order to continue the cruise up Faversham Creek.

Glenda and Ian in “Intrepid” choose to get their oars out and row across the river to the far shore. They implemented their plan swiftly and efficiently and were soon hoisting their sail. What was in their sandwiches?

Gavin, with crew Jill Fagg and her younger daughter Hannah in “Thistle” paddled into midstream, anchored, and then hoisted their sail.

We in “ Quay Dancer II”, hugged the transom to the river bank and hosted the sail, and then Chris Partington and Mark Fagg pushed us out to catch the wind.

Chris in his boat “Mistral” had moored further upstream and decided to leave later and rejoin when we hopefully returned back to the mouth of the creek.

As we progressed up along the winding creek, occasionally grounding on the mud, we spotted a lone seal basking in the sun. Later on our return it was swimming in the short-lived wide expanse of water much to the enjoyment of Hannah who saw it the first time.

As we ventured onwards our rate of grounding increased, even though the tide was still flooding, and as we needed to tack out of the creek Gavin decided it was probably time to return.

Mark and Rebecca gained a lot of experience grounding and refloating on the mud, at times Mark disembarking from his boat to push is daughter out to “sea”, only to sail across to the other side of the creek and repeat the exercise! . Gavin had not told us we might need our Splatchers! (For those who have not read Secret Water by Arthur Ransome, these are contraptions you strap to your feet like snowshoes, which make it easier to walk on mud without sinking).

We spotted another creature wildly swimming the width the creek for all it’s worth - something like a little mouse for it seemed too small to be for a water vole.

By the time we had got back to the Pub, Chris had departed and only the “Miracle Girls”, Sarah and her friend, were left, as they had met up with some Cat sailors. Cats being more interesting than creeks this time! We waited until the Cat returned and then the depleted fleet set off at best speed to Whitstable finding this a little more strenuous than the outward journey. By now the wind had slightly picked up to Force 4 at times with wind over tide effects.

The remainder of the fleet had gone further up the Swale.

On our return teamwork ensured safe retrieval of the boats back into the boat parks and then we prepared for the evening bash. Much of Whitstable Yacht Club had recently been refurbished and we were to have our evening meal in the “posh” part of the dining room/bar. Ravenous sailors sat down to Fish Pie or Lasagne followed by Strawberry Gateaux, washed down by, guess wot, more beer!

Gavin gave a brief outline options for Sunday’s sailing activities, and then followed with the now infamous Frog Racing.

Sunday

H.W. Sunday was predicted slightly later at 15.20 hours which made for an even later start to the day’s cruise, especially as the Crawley Mariner’s gang were very late in arriving. Not with the excuse they had drunk too much the night before, but because they had to pack away their tents!

A few had decided to find out more and enter the Fowley Island Race, but a small group of us coerced Gavin to abandon racing and come on a cruise to the distant Isle of Sheppey, being led by Glenda and Ian Nevill.

Even though intially we could not see the mystical island because of the mist, we were not daunted, .so “Intrepid”, “Thistle”, “Quay Dancer II”, “Seal”, and W1515 “Whoops”, sailed across the “ocean” to tropical Leysdown-sur-mer for a picnic lunch.

As the day progressed the mist quickly cleared and it became slightly breezier than Saturday - the wind being west to south west force 3-4.

We landed on pebbled and sandy beach in the “Bay of Leysdown “ and rapidly tucked into our picnics. Later a reconnoitre was made along the beach in search of the local delicacy – ice creams!
Meanwhile a careful eye was kept on the boats requiring them to be moved at intervals up the beach to counter the incoming tide.

A couple of young boys became very inquisitive as to how our boats, powered by sails, enabled us to travel from a distant land! So before the main group departed Gavin was pleased to offer the younger boy a short sail along the coast and back. The youngster was very impressed and I think Gavin suggested his mission in life should be to become a “great racing sailor” like himself.!

On that note we all sailed off hugging the coast and attempting to avoid young ladies sprawled on Li-Los The perfect combination of wind and sunshine created a very pleasant sail back to Whitstable. Here willing hands retrieved the boats from the sea and sadly these were prepared for the homeward journey.

Just as we were leaving we heard a maroon exploding calling the lifeboat crew to the inshore lifeboat station immediately adjacent to the Yacht club. Within a few minutes the lifeboat and launch crew hurtled into action and the inflatable lifeboat was a dispatched from its tractor propelled launching cage. We learnt the shout was for two men on a jet ski whose engine had failed off Tankerton and they had become exhausted.

Before very long the life boat returned to Whitstable escorting the jet ski, which was now being ridden by its users, safely back to shore. Finally we watched the prompt retrieval of the life boat.

Thank you Gavin and the Whitstable YC for being such excellent hosts, together with the weather, which stayed dry and sunny throughout, with just the right amount of wind, location, facilities and hospitality making this yet another very pleasant sailing weekend. Here’s to the next one!


David Hewett W980 Quay Dancer II


Participants

W1469 Paul Hewett and Malcolm Cove CYSC
W 1515 Laurie Horton with Pete and Dave W1515 CYSC
W 989 Mark and Rebecca Fagg WYC
W1282 Gavin Barr and Jill Fagg with daughter Hannah WYC
W463 Chris Partington WYC
W 1098 Ian and Glenda Nevill WYC
GP14 –2768 Ed Stevens and crew WYC
GP14 3198 Dave Wright and crew CMYC
GP 14 3109 Mike Clarke and crew CMYC
Enterprise 22177 Eric Bright and crew CMYC
Miracle 3555 – Sarah Wren and crew Wilsonian SC
Wayfarer 4744 Robin Bromley and crew CMYC
David Hewett Oct 8th 2002

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