East Coast Branch
Event Reports 2025
Lunch and Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Saturday 25th January 2025
Thirty members gathered at The Blue Anchor, Feering, for lunch followed by the AGM. It was great to see some new faces at this years AGM lunch. This is a new venue for the AGM and judging by feedback at the time a good choice after last years disappointment. The Blue Anchor is just off the A12 so is easily accessed from both the south and north, so hopefully will be held there again in the future.
The meeting proper was the usual short event, just over in about thirty minutes, with a reports from the Branch Captain and the Treasurer. The Branch Secretary, again bemoaned the fact that we were unable to present all the trophies on offer because of the lack of response from the members although the Service to the Branch trophy was presented to Colin Shead for his work as Webmaster.
Roger Price, East Coast Branch Secretary
The full minutes for the 2025 East Coast AGM can be viewed here: East Coast 2025 AGM Minutes.
Noggin and Natter – Sunday 23rd February 2025
Much of the chatter revolved around plans for the summer so let’s hope for some sunshine and fair winds to encourage members to attend a sailing rally or two this year.
Fitting Out Lunch – Saturday 26th April 2025
Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club was the venue for this years fitting out lunch attended by 26 members from the East Coast Branch.
The Club laid on an excellent meal and we were all able to relocate to the patio for celebration of the 40 year anniversary of the association flying the flag from the club flag pole.
If anyone ventures into the Deben this summer do take an opportunity to stop off at Felixstowe Ferry. The club serves meals on a Wednesday evening and Sunday lunch, both need booking ahead. There are showers in the club house for visiting yachtsman and always a warm welcome.
Ipswich Rally and Midsummer Dinner – Saturday 28th June 2025
Past midsummer already this weekend saw a few of us gathering in Ipswich Beacon marina for our first event afloat this year. Only three boats made it, Dave and Gill Hodges in Dreamtime, Matt, Allan and Richard in Calsara and Chris and Sheila Allcock together with Peter and Marta in Wild Thyme. For Saturday, we also enjoyed the company of Tony and Eleanor Redshaw and Adrian and Jan Oliver who arrived by car.
Setting out early on Friday from Chatham, Calsara arrived at Woolverstone Marina on the river Orwell at 09.30. Wild Thyme was the first to arrive in Ipswich at about 15.00 after a gentle waft up the Orwell estuary from Suffolk Yacht Harbour under genoa alone, arriving on time for free flow through the lock into Ipswich Wet Dock. Later that evening, Dreamtime locked in having had a brisk sail from Brightlingsea.
On Saturday morning Tony and Eleanor arrived in Ipswich by car and the six from the boats met them outside Christchurch Mansion to start an internet guided walking tour of Tudor Ipswich. Fortunately, Tony had the foresight to download the necessary app onto his phone the previous day so was able to look on in amusement as the rest of us struggled with the technology. Two of us got as far as paying the fee, but still no functioning app, before Tony volunteered to act as guide for the morning. The tour itself was interesting, despite the 28C temperature. Tony’s only reward for his sterling efforts was an ice cream served in a Tudor courtyard.
The tour ended on the North side of the Wet Dock, timed perfectly to see Calsara making her way from the lock to her berth near the other two boats. After lunch, all gathered on Wild Thyme for drinks, nibbles and great conversation. We rigged half an awning over the SW side of the cockpit to keep the sun off and make it bearable – not often you need that in England. As we sipped and chatted, Adrian and Jan Oliver arrived and joined in. Dave and Matt, with some willing assistants left to sort out a main halyard fouled around the radar reflector on Dreamtime and a stiff genoa furling system on Calsara. They were successful with both problems making the following day’s sailing more enjoyable on both boats.
That evening, all 12 of us gathered in The Last Anchor for our slightly belated midsummer dinner.
On Sunday morning Calsara was again up bright and early at 0500 for her return passage to the Medway while Dreamtime and Wild Thyme had a more leisurely start to the day. Wild Thyme found no wind until just short of Suffolk Yacht Harbour, so motored home, arriving back on her berth in good time for lunch. Calsara made it onto her berth in Chatham Marina at 16.30 and Dreamtime arrived on her berth in Brightlingsea at 19.00.
Thank you to all the participants for coming along and particularly to Tony for his guiding services.
Ian French now has plans well in hand for our next event afloat at Brightlingsea on Saturday 12th June to Sunday 13th July 2025.
Peter Wright
Organiser.
Brightlingsea Rally – Saturday 12th July
This was my first time as organiser for an MOA meet up, and sad to say that although we were closest visitor to Brightlingsea we managed to arrive last and late! In our defence there are a couple of mitigating circumstances. I had originally planned to drop down to Brightlingsea on the preceding Friday, but due to a family issue that became impossible.
We scraped out of Tollesbury with about an inch of clearance over the sill at Tollesbury marina at 12:20, normally we would take about an hour and a half to two hours for the trip. However on exit we faced 20 – 25 knot headwinds all the way until we turned into the Colne. We eventually arrived at 15:32.
Once again, I must say sorry to the gathered group.
Fortunately Wild Thyme skippered by Chris Allcock, had by all accounts, an idyllic run down from the Orwell on Friday, arriving at around mid day. Calsara helmed by Matt Stibbs arrived in the evening from the Medway, followed by Marian sailed by Chris Geary. David and Gill Hodges drove, as they keep their boat Dreamtime at Brightlingsea. Finally, somewhat red faced we arrived. Fortunately everything was already in full swing some beers and wine not used at the Ipswich rally coming in handy. The extra supplies of beers and snacks we had brought with us were then distributed to keep things flowing.
At 17:00 Robin from the Pioneer Sailing Trust arrived to take us to visit Pioneer. Robin has sailed many times on the vessel, including acting as skipper.
After a pleasant little cruise we all boarded Pioneer, Robin then gave us a short talk on deck about the history of this very interesting vessel. Once the introduction to Pioneer was completed we had free access to the boat, Robin very carefully pointed out some trip hazards on deck, apparently we all took special care avoiding them, as nobody had any mishaps. Down below several of us tried out the bunks in the forepeak, no mattresses unfortunately. In the main cabin Robin showed us a book of photographs taken during the reconstruction, and filled in more details of the boats rescue.
Back on deck for a question and answer session and the opportunity to have a picture taken “steering” the boat. Robin then ran us back to the Pontoon to drop us off to prepare for dinner at Winkies in town. Robin was extremely friendly and informative and I must pass on our thanks to the Pioneer Sailing Trust for allowing this trip out. It is not a regular opportunity available to the general public.
After a refresh we all went ashore ferried by the Brightlingsea harbour masters, who during our stay were very helpful and obliging. The short walk up into town to Winkies took only a few minutes, and were seated on two tables for our food. From what I was told, everyone enjoyed their meals and drinks, although I heard someone saying the portions were too big!
After dinner we all made our back and dispersed as two crews had a very early start in the morning. A thank you to both Calsara and Marian who were indeed away very early on Sunday to return to the Medway, I must say I didn’t hear a thing as we were right next to them on the pontoon. This of course may be the nightcap rum and coke I had before retiring. After saying fair winds to the crew of Wild Thyme we started out trip back in very light winds.
Thank you to everyone who came on the rally, I really enjoyed the experience and felt it went very well, apart from the organiser being late to the party…..
Ian French
Organiser.