Everything was going according to plan. Having met up on the Friday night at the Butt and Oyster, we made our way to Caressa on a icy calm river in the pitch darkness. First thing in the morning, we decided that it would a good idea to take the Mirror dinghy. So, Adrian and I together with his daughter Ruth and member Ian sorted out an intricate plan to liberate the Mirror from the tent and get it to Caressa.
An hour later and we were on our way, motoring down river on a flat calm hoping to pick up a bit of breeze outside Harwich. Sure enough, the wind picked to about 12 knots and we sailed East for about an hour to get a feel for the boat. Then turned about and headed for Pie End and onto the Channel for Walton.
We had decided to pick up a mooring in the Twizzle outside the Marina and then spend some time on the dinghy rigging and sailing it before dinner. An empty mooring immediately outside the entrance to Titchmarch seemed to be winking at us and within minutes, we were tied up and mustering on the deck of Caressa to get the mirror rigged and ready to go. Adrian made the running and was on board hoisting the mast and hanking on sails. It was around about this time that we noticed the flood had come to an end and the ebb had kicked in. Several knots of tide were running past the boats as we put the finishing touches on the Mirror. Not in the plan was that the wind was blowing exactly in the opposite direction from the tide making hoisting the main almost impossible from the side of Caressa. So we cast off Adrian and let him pull away on the little jib to try and set the main further up stream. Minutes later he was back having raised the sail and found it difficult to make any headway into the wind. So we tried another set of sails and this time I went out for trial run. Having nearly permanently grounded myself on the mud bank trying to hoist the main, I eventually made my way off and blasted around for about five minutes making a triumphant lap around Caressa. Moments later and on the very next tack, there was an almighty crack! My foot - no my whole leg had gone clean through the bottom of the boat. I yelled out;
"You better come and get me..........I'm going down fast!!"
That was the end of our evening of dinghy sailing, and sadly the end of the Mirror dinghy too. The damage was too great she wnsas salvaged and laid to rest on the bon fire maybe to be rescued by an enthusiast with more time on their hands. We'll move on and get another Mirror, next time not off Ebay, sight unseen and having been sailed by the local Scout troup for last 25 years.
Jonathan. | 