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Member#: 408 Location: Registered: 20-10-2003 Diary Entries: 105
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4th October 2017
Windsurfing: Point Clear Wind Direction: W Wind Stength: 15/20 Surf / Sea State: flat and lumpy Air Temperature: 14 Sea Temperature: Weather: cloudy Max Speed: 28.43 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 32.37 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Wednesday 4th October – windsurfing **** walk **** cloudy
28.43 kt. max, 26.42 kt. ave., 13.44 kt. hr., 21.31 kt mile, 59.5 km.,
18.11 kt. alpha.
This is the start of two top days sailing away in Essex:) With an early
start today we arrived first at Point Clear at 9.30 and as we were hoping
to go just down the road to Bradfield tomorrow Mag took enough stuff to
stay out the night:) We had prime position on the Green but it was cloudy
and a bit on the chilly side:( Keith farmer soon arrived to double the
numbers and started to rig 8.5 with me going with 7.8. This is the free
sail I got the other week and had to make a quick repair with some tape. I
was first out and had a couple of runs out to sea sailing a couple of miles
to the Jaywick end where it really roughs up! It wasn’t quick sailing
back as I think there was a fraction of north in what was a westerly but
it’s always good fun sailing 50m off the beach flat out:) I then headed
into the lagoon and scared off the seal! Keith soon joined me in the flat
water and I sailed for ages before the sea breached the shingle bank which
chops it up! It was not a fast day and I never seem to go quick with my 7.8
and have never broken 30 knots with it:( I peaked at 28kts but had a great
time gybe practising and only ground out in the mud a couple of times!
There were some good gusts coming through so I headed back to the van for a
bite to eat and possibly change down? Another sailor had arrived making it
only three sailors out today and the wind had seemed to ease and I
couldn’t be bothered to rig another sail so went out on the big kit
again. I had two more runs out to sea before having a final session in the
lagoon as the tide dropped. With about 3 hours out it was time to head back
to the van for a warming cuppa. Mag had had the diesel heater on earlier in
the day but also enjoyed a walk along the seawall. A Facebook friend had
recently visited Alresford Creek which I had never heard of but it is off
the River Colne just down the road so we thought we would go in search of
it. We first tried a left taking us to Martins Farm Country Park which had
a height restriction and as we were towing the trailer it made turning
difficult especially as two large quarry lorries were waiting to pass! We
managed to turn and continued to Thorrington but with no more likely
looking turnings we returned to Martins Farm. We parked on the road,
walked to the cark park and asked some dog walkers where the creek was. We
had a nice chat and they told us where it was, miles along the road past
Thorrington! We had to wait for a train at a level crossing and fight our
way past a school at pickup time but eventually found the lovely creek at
the end of a narrow lane. This is a spot for future overnight parking but
you would have to be careful as high tides flood the road! Time for a cuppa
and cake then for a walk. Heading along the creek past the old derelict
quarry jetty to the River Colne which leads to Colchester. It was a great
wide footpath and we asked another nice local who said it was possible to
bike so we will come back, he also told us we could walk back to the van
along a ridge inland. We found the return path turning inland past some
great old oak trees and several more quarries then back to the van. We then
headed over to Bradfield making a bit of an error adding 12 miles to the
journey but made it to the farmers field parking area by six. With NW winds
forecast to blow 40/50 knots we tucked in behind the trees. We had a
campervan favourite of tinned beef and mash potato, finished my book while
Mag did her crafts - love this van :)
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