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Log of YSS Voyage 1 – 2013 – The Cold Voyage

The Cambria was towed down Faversham Creek by the Iron Wharf Tug on

Good Friday with Ian Ruffles, Dennis Johnson and a crew of Cambria Trust

volunteers and trustees aboard to help finish rigging and hopefully have a

shakedown sail. In the event, the unseasonal weather prevented this but a

great deal of work was completed and the bowsprit was lowered ready for

the jib to be bent on.

In the afternoon of Sunday 31st March, two cars arrived from Essex, one full

to the brim with food (because this trip had started some time before for the

shoppers) and one with Dean Conway, Anna Chapman and Robyn Phillips.

On the seawall at Harty Ferry they were met by Andy Vincent whose parents

dropped him off on their way to a bed and breakfast in Whitstable. They had

travelled from the North-East and were the first to arrive. Zack Wilbraham, a

Young Carer from Eastbourne, was dropped by his Mum; and Ben Riccini

from Sandwich likewise by his. Robyn and Andy were here for the first time,

and Ben had sailed on Reminder last year. Otherwise all had sailed on

Cambria before. Richard, Hilary, Stretch and the six crew all looked

apprehensively over the seawall into the icy blast before finding plenty of

reasons for hiding out of the wind. But there was nothing for it, and in the

end all were safely aboard and a car dropped at Standard Quay for

(hopefully) safe keeping until the end of the week.

Anna with mittens with St

Mary’s Island behind

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The plan was to try to get down to Essex, weather permitting, and return to

Gravesend for Friday. The barge then had a wait before her next job, a

Young Carers weekend. It was apparent pretty soon that this was an

ambitious target, and the evening forecast mentioned strengthening north-

easterly winds and gales later in the week. It had been the coldest March

since 1963 and April was to continue the theme.

The afternoon and early evening was spent bending on the jib and checking

over the rig, adjusting ratlines that had slipped down so that it was safe for

young people to go aloft and tightening shackles just in case. It was difficult

with cold fingers to keep focused on the barge as a sailing machine and not a

pretty test bed for the excellent central heating that Tim Goldsack and his

team had just installed. They had also sourced and repaired a new anchor

and this had a really good hold in the biting wind.

It was blowing more or less straight up the East Swale and at high water it

was rolly. The new plan was to muster early and have a go at beating out of

the Swale and heading for the Medway. This would give some options. The

berth at Gravesend is on the inside of a pier on the lee side of the river and

would present difficulties getting alongside in a lot of wind and be

uncomfortable if the promised gales arrived. North-easterlies are the enemy

of fun on this coast and even had we been in north Essex the prospects of

much exploring this week would have been limited.

On deck at 0800 after a quick breakfast and a forecast promising

sixes and maybe sevens the crew got into the swing of

shortening the anchor cable. Normally one watch would get us

underway and the other wash up but the chance of little sailing

this week kept everyone on deck to get as much experience as

possible.

With a little over two hours ebb to run and a

very low ebb at that there was not much water

about but the fair ebb was needed for the short tacks down

to the Pollard Spit. The anchor truly was an improvement

and had a good bite. We took the turns off of the topsail in

case the promised wind did not materialise but after

running away against the tide to set full mainsail with the

mainsheet on the crab winch, the fore and main were soon

felt to be enough sail in the brightening day. Once tacks

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became a bit longer lower down the river, the

gasket was put back on the topsail as the

folds flog badly even when the sail is clewed

home. It is something to do with the long

doubling at the masthead on Cambria.

The sun came out and what would have been

a truly awful day had it been overcast was

actually quite pleasant once you got enough

circulation into the extremities.

Unsurprisingly Cambria was the only vessel

under way on April Fool’s Day and there

were few commercial ships in the offing,

many being at anchor for the religious holiday so prized by the merchant

marine.

The young flood was met at the Columbine by which time the anchor was

catted, a little late deliberately in case of a misfetch in the shallows, and the

jib was set with a good bobstay. With this the barge came alive and flung

spume and spray about looking very impressive and feeling every inch the

sea boat she is, although making very little progress against the tide what

with dodging the many fishermens’ buoys off Whitstable Street. Steering for

the first time in challenging conditions, Robyn said words to the effect that it

was good fun. Ben had already showed us what an accomplished windward

helmsman he already is from his dinghy sailing experience. He wants to go

to sea when he finishes school and will bring the asset of his wind and water

awareness to whichever company is fortunate enough to snap him up as a

cadet.

Meanwhile, lunch was being prepared below, to the sound of crashes and

bangs and regular expletives as Dean’s watch struggled to keep anything still

enough to work on in the galley. When you step on a large vessel like a

barge alongside a quay it can be difficult to imagine things moving around in

a sea way and consequently many such galleys are more suited to the Daily

Dean shows Robyn how to reeve

the bowline kicking the sheet across

the horse, watched by Ben

Zack prepares the jib, Andy and Ben steering

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Mail Ideal Home Exhibition than serving hot food

under way. But Dean’s watch did it and a healthy

repast of rolls and pies was offered to the deck

team. It was a wonderful five-hour sail to

windward, and could have gone on for longer but

to be honest there was no hope of heading north

with a forecast of gales for the next day.

So the helm was put up and the bowsprit pointed

for the Spile and a welcoming reply to our “happy

new year” from Medway VTS when we called in on the radio as we entered

their area. Approaching the Medway the wind increased and quite a few

cloths of mainsail were taken off for the gybe at Garrison Point. In two reefs

down, and for a time there was a lull under the dock buildings.

Clear of the shelter and reaching into Stangate Creek, the few cloths of

mainsail and the foresail were more than enough for seven knots on the

feeler gauge. By keeping well to windward with a couple of hours to go until

high water, the anchor bit close to the seawall and just above the point where

the edge is steep and it was close to the side of the creek giving the best

shelter and enough room to manoeuvre to set the gear on the morrow.

Though windy, there was a surprisingly keen hard core of people to lower

the boat and make expedition to look at the wrecks in Funton Creek, also

giving the new trainees the chance to steer under power for their Competent

Crew certificate and not possible of course on this barge. But the tide was

too high to see the wrecks and a trip was had to see the Edith May at Lower

Halstow while it fell a little. On the second attempt, though by now cold and

pretty soaked by the spray, the upper bones of the Veronica were showing

and it was possible to catch a turn around the top of the stem with the

painter. Gradually the rigging chocks broke the surface and the forehorse

irons were standing proud each side with the vertical bolt still present in

each but no sign of a horse, long rotted away. We moved alongside the port

chock and watched as the amazingly clever arrangement that had been fitted

Robyn steering

The bones of Veronica showing her

leeboard attachment arrangement

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to enable the leeboards to be moved fore and aft broke surface. There is a

locking plate inboard fitting down over crenellations which match with

another set in an outboard plate. Thus the weather leeboard could be levered

from one to another, maybe with the weight being taken by running rigging,

but maybe without; someone must know.

This was a very small barge, and Richard remembered standing once on the

keelson and finding the sailing beams midway up his chest. She looked

considerably smaller than even the Edme, though maybe a fraction wider,

and when you consider the amazing amount of gear she carried it is odd she

managed it. Perhaps there was some truth in the story that the owners

(Everards who had also owned Cambria) had anchor chain on trolleys in the

hold as mobile ballast. Richard remembered meeting someone who had

worked in the Greenhithe Yard and being told that before the races Sara and

Veronica had a false keel, a piece of RSJ, bolted beneath them to improve

windward performance and that the ways were specially altered to make this

possible. Some people will do anything to win.

We could see how the original hull had been strengthened with metalwork

including sailing beams and another beam at the aft coaming. The curve of

the bow was starting to appear as we left and the final touch was the

sharpened stem based on a piece of angle iron. It was impressive the lengths

these champion racing barges of the 1950s and early 60s were taken to in the

quest for speed and performance, and it would be fascinating to see them

sailing today against modern boats. Luckily while the investigators were

away, the cooks were preparing dinner and all was snug aboard for the

second session of sevens with Hilary maintaining her lead. This simple yet

enjoyable card game has become a YSS tradition before turning in, unless

there is time for Monopoly.

The forecast for Tuesday

was for north easterly 6

gusting 7 and a gale

warning force 8 imminent

was issued early evening.

Any thought of visiting

Gravesend was

disappearing in favour of

laying under Hooness in

some lee. Mustering for half

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ebb, the seawall provided enough shelter to set the full mainsail head to

wind, and the breeze had eastered slightly again overnight almost making it

a fetch out of the creek with just one tack to clear the spit. But before that

two shackles of chain had to be wound in and the new anchor took some

getting used to, not breaking out quite when expected so that we went off on

the up creek tack and had to bear right away with the foresail being hauled to

windward to help the barge bear away.

Medway VTS kindly checked the buoy at Hooness was vacant and gave

permission for its use for several days in view of the forecast, now talking of

wind speeds in the region of forty knots until Friday. After bearing away

once clear of the creek, half the mainsail was brailed to help the steering and

the several gybes on the way upriver. In Gillingham Reach a little more

mainsail was set to help luff at Hooness, and as it was the last of the ebb and

the plan was to turn head to wind on the mud to windward of the vacant

buoy, touch the anchor and run a line to the buoy with the barge boat. As the

mainsail was brailed and the foresail halliard released to slow down for the

turn all was well with the main but the foresail did not drop, and no amount

of pulling the tricing line helped. It would not come down! There is only one

thing worse than a sail not going up when it is needed and that is one not

coming down.

One option was to reset the mainsail and sail on upriver while someone went

aloft to sort things out, but it was blowing a good seven by now and it would

be good to avoid evolutions in relatively close quarters with the possibility

of the problem being significant, so given the speed and weight of the barge

she was luffed successfully against the weight of wind in the foresail, the

boards gripped the mud and the anchor was dropped. Stretch went aloft. It

was obvious what had happened of course, and we should have noticed it in

the lighter conditions the previous day. The foresail hanks had been replaced

with shackles, something of an improvement saving time and the potential

for wear, but with no time for a shakedown, it had not been noticed that the

top shackle ran over the serving near the top of the forestay and could jam.

Of course, in a lighter breeze there had been less pressure to help create the

problem, and yesterday the sail had dropped or maybe we had not hoisted it

as we should have that time. Who knows? Anyway, all is well that ends well.

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It took a good hour

and plenty of tea to

swing to the rope on

the buoy, put it on the

windlass and wind the

barge up to the buoy

in the amount of

wind, although it was

only 20 yards. After

lunch, brass was

polished, decks

scrubbed and below

tidied away. Out of

the wind the sun was

glorious but working

around the deck was like the arctic. That evening Dean was dropped ashore

and picked up for an interview for a job in Colchester the next day.

On Wednesday, overcast and chill, after a full cooked breakfast, the barge

boat and outboard were used to visit Chatham Maritime for some shopping,

a coffee and a film, the Croods. This is about a family of cave men and

women learning the joys of enquiring into their world and taking risks for

gain, and was hilarious. Meanwhile Hilary hid Easter eggs around the

accommodation, wrote a quiz, prepared dinner and cleaned through, and

they say it was harder in the old days.

That evening Robyn and Andy put the finishing touches to their knotting

studies for a test the next day, and it still blew. When Dean returned soon

after high water the seas running along Gillingham Pier made it necessary

for a pretty effective pier head jump into a moving boat lest it be smashed.

He had tales to tell of customer service scenarios in the supermarket and his

interview, the prospect of early starts working before college and car

insurance now he had passed his driving test.

Thursday, as promised all week, was the windiest day, with gusts up to 44

knots forecast at Sheerness. Anna’s team made a HUGE breakfast after

which Robyn and Andy continued learning knots and with help from Zach

and Dean while Anna and Ben did the HUGE amount of washing up!

Despite the best endeavours of the Richard the crew were reluctant to

explore the Hoo foreshore in the snow flurries, preferring instead a crabbing

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contest over the low water. We think he was secretly pleased!

The crabbing teams were very competitive and refused to give up despite the

blizzard, they are hard core indeed. The final outcome was a draw but the

quiz proved the Port watch of Anna, Ben and Zack to be winners. So what

else to do when you’re wind bound and barge bound?

There was a blocked toilet to

sort out and Dean as a trainee

mate had his first taste of

toilet training!

The last supper preceded the

final round of 7s, a tightly

fought competition with Zack

the prize winner and Andy

getting a prize for last, some

consolation hopefully.

7.00 am on Friday and the bleary eyed crew began the task of packing and

cleaning. A short debrief at breakfast from Richard and then everyone had

lots of positive comments about the sailing, everyone agreed it had been fun

even though cold and hard work. Everyone would like to do it again. There

Extreme Crabbing in horizontal snow!

Toilet blockage teamwork

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was a sense of achievement not just in battling the elements but in the way

that everyone had worked together, on deck, down below and supporting

each other when things were difficult.

The wind was still blowing hard and we only had a short window of

opportunity to get all the gear and people ashore before the tide left the

barge boat unable to get into the marina where she will lay until Cambria’s

next trip. We made it with, oh, at least 15 minutes to spare!

General knowledge and nautical quiz

Tacking down the East Swale

”I know it’s in here somewhere”

Richard and Robyn talk Comp Crew

Afterguard

Ben and Zack scrub the decks

Robyn on the bowsprit