Last weekend's trip up the rivers Ore and Alde was a fantastic end to my first season with CSC and to think I would never have heard of the Club if I hadn't stumbled upon their stand at the boat show.
The weather was glorious but not much wind. In fact it felt more like late August than mid-October as the three of us, Ian, Nick and myself motored Caressa the 10 miles north from Felixstowe to Orford Haven . We got to the river entrance rather earlier than predicted and after a quick debate on tidal heights, decided we could have a go at getting over the bar on the rising tide. All very exciting getting propelled through the narrow entrance at about 8 knots with the engine on tickover! At the inner entrance we bumped along the bottom for a few yards, we couldn't have come in a minute earlier. With the wind on the beam and a flood tide we were able to sail up past Orford and Aldeburgh and halfway up to Snape before the water got too shallow and we had to turn back to Aldeburgh for fish and chip lunch. After a tour of the lifeboat station it was back to Caressa, courtesy of a free water taxi service, and a beat down to Orford for the night.
Ian proved a worthy CSC tour guide taking us for a tour of Orford castle and the local graveyard! Dinner was oysters, a local speciality, in the Orford and Butley Oysterage washed down by a couple of bottles of vino before adjourning to the village pub to watch England wop the Frenchies in the rugby.
After a lie-in on the Sunday morning we motored down river with the delicious smell of fried brekkie wafting up to the cockpit. As we scoffed our breakfast a seal came out to play near the boat - a common sight on this river. Next comes the exit from the river! This involves approaching the channel with the engine at full chat and being slowed to a crawl by the incoming tide. The channel is so narrow that if you had a dog on board you could chuck it ashore for a run-a-round. In fact, if it was a huskie you could use it to pull the boat a bit quicker! Anyway, safely through and out to sea. The wind had picked up to a F3 and we enjoyed a pleasant sail down to Felixstowe and motored up to Pin Mill in the late afternoon sunshine. Brilliant - can't wait 'til next season!
Ian Winters | 