Steve Rowley

Left just before HW with a following wind which wasn’t very strong. The mouth of the Deben was fine as we had wind and tide in our favour. But as we were about 2 hours after HW the sand banks were uncovering and breakers forming - easy to see how you can get in trouble. Motored down the coast as the tide was against us and the wind light. Wind began to pick up blowing over the tide causing some bumpy seas. Once alongside inside the harbour the sails went back up and we had a lovely sail past the container ships until it dropped again so we motored up to Suffolk Yacht Harbour and found our berth with no problem. Good day out, roll on the rally at the weekend!

The problem with Woodbridge, which is a lovely town, is that it’s at the top of the river and you can’t get to your boat as all states of the tide. Consequently you row out a few hours before HW, head down river against the incoming tide, the need to be back before the ebb tide leaves you high and dry. Of course it’s fine for a longer outing but not for a short sail. We set off against the tide to meeting Millie with Jim and John aboard coming up from Waldringfield, then sailed back with them for lunch and a natter tied up to Woodbridge town quay. Millie returned home while I landed at Woodbridge Boatyard’s pontoon to get the battery box ashore. Then back to the mooring. It’s just nice being afloat in this gorgeous weather.

Today was all about leaving one temporary home, Waldringfield, and sailing to our new temporary home, Woodbridge. We had to tack up the Deben with the tide which went very well except getting too close to a moored boat whose owner had to fend off - very embarrassing, but no harm done. After picking up our new mooring off the Tide Mill we rowed ashore and got a lift back to Waldringfield with Jim Jenner in his lovely Lugger.

Next Saturday we’re moving from our temporary mooring off Waldringfield to a mooring we’re borrowing for free off the Tidal Mill at Woodbridge. There was a boat squatting on the mooring but I had been told the squatter had moved on. Plus,Stephen, the owner of the mooring asked that I repaint the mooring number on the buoy. So as the tide was against going down river, and it would be quite windy at sea, we decided to head up to Woodbridge, check the mooring and do some painting. The wind was on the nose so we motored up river, towing Baby Belle in case she would help with the painting. When we got to Woodbridge the mooring was free of squatters and the painting was done hanging off the bow of Lou-Lou Belle. We returned down river on the ebb tide with just genoa and mizzen. A lovely little trip rewarded with a pint of 0.5% Ghost Ship in The Maybush before driving home.

After almost a month away it was lovely to be back aboard Lou-Lou Belle! I didn’t have a plan for the day but found out my mate Jim was helping with a Waldringfield SC Go Sailing event so sailed about with the fleet. All very nice. Than I was invited back to the club by Jim for a cup of tea. Rather than carrying on sailing I thought it rude not to accept such a kind invitation so enjoyed chatting to Jim and a chap called John who’d been aboard Jim’s Lugger. What a lovely day!

I’m hoping to borrow a mooring off the Tide Mill at Woodbridge for a few weeks once we get back off holidays so I decided to take the incoming tide to have a look at it. There was quite a convoy of boats heading up river but tacking down river, and going beautifully, was the iconic Peter Duck which appeared to be sailed singlehanded by a lady in her senior years! Once up at the Tide Mill I struggled to find the mooring eventually locating it with a tatty blue boat on it. I’ve been in touch with the mooring owner so hopefully it’ll be empty when I need it. I considered tying up at the Tide Mill quay but the metal ladders looked like they get in the way. So I briefly moored at Woodbridge Boatyard’s pontoon to have a quick word with Donna about a Plan B if the Tide Mill mooring isn’t available when I need it. We motored most of the way, only sailing briefly on the way up river with light wind from behind us. Nice to get afloat.

Isobel’s David got here for 0800 and we set off for Waldringfield. The dinghy ride out so Lou-Lou Belle was fine. I was squeezing out of the cabin when I accidentally pulled the cord on my life jacket which then inflated triggering my distress beacon which was hastily deactivated! 15 minutes later HM Coastguard phoned to ask if we were okay - what a reassuring service! We then took the ebb tide down the Deben, tying in a mainsail reef along the way. As it about an hour from LW we tacked out of the river and past the Safe Water Buoy. Conditions were bouncy but okay. A couple of times David mentioned the big black cloud to windward. We hove to again to make a cup of tea and eat David’s Welsh Cakes which he’d kindly bought all the way from Wales. As conditions were getting more spicy we both put on oilskins and I double reefed the main and rolled some of the genoa away. Then the big black cloud delivered a 30 knot squall with rain, big waves and much spray. We dropped the main, rolled away the headsail and motored back into the Deben sharpish paying particular attention to the navigation marks as it was just gone LW It was then a peaceful sail back to Waldringfield. Very exciting!

We set off 2 to 3 hours before HW on the flooding tide. The wind was blowing directly up the river and quite gusty on occasion. We passed Woodbridge quite quickly and decided to carry on. When we got to Melton (Larkman’s Boatyard, now the Deben Boatyard) it was obvious we would need to turn round soon as I spotted Wilford Bridge carrying the A1152. At which point we ran aground! As all the sails were still up the anchor went over the side sharpish. It still wasn’t HW so I wasn’t too worried. Once the sails were down we managed to get off the mud with a bit of a struggle. Rather than tack down the river we motored all the way back to Waldringfield. I nearly fell in while trying to retrieve a welly from the dinghy, got soaked from the waist down. A very pleasant day, the Deben is a beautiful river!