Burnham 2012 - A Game of Three Halves!

As a cruise organiser this Burnham trip had everything, from full optimism, to full pessimism and back again. I have already worked out for my own sailing, that it is fundamentally flawed to book a destination in advance of the five day weather forecast and possibly that morning's forecast. My first channel crossing was planned meticulously in advance and fell apart with last minute crew changes and diabolical weather.. I have also pulled out of club cruises when faced with the weather forecast.

So I have every sympathy with and understanding for everyone who hoped to make the trip and then did not and thank you all for letting me know what you decided to do as the weekend arrived. The sheer scale of the change from 38 people for dinner and 17 boats to 7 boats and 17 people, then 22 for dinner at the very last moment, was a bit of a pain and I have learned some excellent organisational lessons. While we can hope for some much warmer weather at the beginning of June.

The first half ended with my own crew reducing to 1 possible and no firm bookings on Friday night! When out of the blue a crew from 2 years ago texted to see what I was up to. Get down to Hoo I texted back and he did with an experienced sailing girlfriend, there is a God!

That sorted and no total certainty as to who was going or not I organised Aurai to make the trip, found my crew on Saturday morning and met up with Lady Rose Bob at the head of the Orinoco, he had just decided not to go as the last of a torrential rain belt moved on. The early morning was very wet for the Havengore set so we hoped none had to turn back.

The second half started with a crew briefing and emphasising the severe risk of hypothermia and how we would have to make sure we kept warm on what would likely be a long cold day! In the event, we had "reasonable" conditions 18-22 kts with one sustained gust to 25 kts, negligible rain and chilly NE on the nose. So tacking across to the Spile made a broad reach to Ramsgate look very attractive, no you are the organiser Chas stick at it you softie.

Sort of caught up with Graham and Brian in Sunrise, only to see them sail angles we are going to have to work on, but good to hear Graham managed a full hydrographic survey of various depth changes in the area since his last visit. We engined up the Barrow and sailed the Crouch arriving at 7.30 p.m. (11.30 start). The new buoys are excellent and we did no ploughing at all. So cold and tired the second half was completed. Berthed next to Ernie and Comus, and saw HNYC were pretty much grouped together, though on different berthing arms. 7 boats in total (Chica, Sputnik, Sunrise, Lady Liz, Physeline, Comus, Aurai). We staggered no further than the Swallowtail Bar at the Yacht Harbour that night and everybody slept very well. A rainy bank Holiday Sunday in Burnham was not great once you had done your full English and most of us repaired to one boat or another to drink Tea or something stronger!

Dinner was absolutely excellent, high class welcome and catering at RBYC and with 22 diners we fitted at one long table in their Trophy room or library as they call it. Very smart, bought crew lots of drinks before telling them what time they had to get up and agreed 0600 depart with Neil.

Third half, what a start, dry and sunny and not absolutely freezing, cuckoo taking the micky at 0530, it is quite rural out there. No sign of Neil starting out as agreed, Sunrise already gone. Well, we sailed from the end of the Burnham moorings, to the Whittaker on one reach, the wind moved round to the south when we needed it to and we sailed on one reach again all the way to our mooring, amazing, with tidal push we saw 9 kts (SOG) at times and made very good time, on a sunny day and relatively flat seas. Neil caught up with us and with a Rochester boat the three of us tagged each other all the way to Folly Point, great fun and no mishaps, laying the ghost of Burnham two years ago!

Now for the amazing bit, I left my phone on Lady Rose at 11:00 Saturday, a bit Freudian possibly as it was a busy line!! Anyway, my phone was in Burnham when I got there, thanks Bob, amazing.

See some pictures from the weekend here

If anyone has any additional pictures they would like published please send them to Mark Bloomfield via email webmasterhooness.org.uk

Charles Hessey

Date Published 7th May 2012