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First message about the Solway Cruise:

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I've just had a call from Dennis, Weasel, telling me that Norman, Rice Pudding VIII, lost his mast between Ravenglass and Whitehaven! Rice Pudding had left Ravenglass with Claudia and Esmerelda. St Bees inshore lifeboat came out to him and put two men on board to help him recover the mast. This they did successfully. The Workington lifeboat then came out and towed them into Whitehaven. Mike Waite, who was in Whitehaven, did sterling work for Norman. Mike, working hard and skilfully, repaired the mast and they managed to rig it again. Meanwhile the local sailmaker took Norman's sail away and brought it back repaired by 14.00 hours the same day. It seems nothing can deter Norman and Rice Pudding, he is now in Kirkcudbright with Claudia.

Weasel had remained in Ravenglass for an extra day and upon hearing the news of Rice Pudding's mast had returned to Glasson to get Rice Pudding's trailer and take it up to Whitehaven to bring the damaged Rice Pudding home. However on reaching Glasson Dennis was delighted to hear the above news, phoned through to him tonight by Norman. Norman is single-handed on this trip.

Several boats left Glasson over a week ago, among them Moonshine, Sea Dancer and Weasel. They reached Ravenglass OK but were then holed up for several days because of strong onshore winds. Moonshine managed to get to Whitehaven. Weasel, Moonshine and Sea Dancer are now back in Glasson.

As reported by Dennis of Weasel:

Whilst up at t'Club this afternoon I (Michael Swarbrick) was told of a new way to approach a mooring, as pioneered by our former President, Carruthers, aka Brian Roberts.

On entering Ravenglass a few days ago, as part of the Solway Cruise, Weasel, ably commanded by Dennis Marsden, was approaching a mooring when there was a sudden 'Whoosh'. Carruthers had been walking along the side decking to the 'crew's station' at the bow and suddenly he was no longer there. It appears he had plunged into the water in order to be able to do his job better, much to the astonishment of his captain. Such enthusiasm really impressed Dennis, way beyond the call of duty, and not all that easy to get him back on board. Further Carruthers allowed his new £170 spectacles to become dislodged and travel to the bottom. Carruthers hadn't meant to leave his glasses so a hurried bearing was taken by the skipper so that a search could be conducted at low water.

 

Carruthers. Aka Brian Roberts. Brian has been a member since the seventies. He was elected to the Committee and eventually became Rear-Commodore Crusing. Later he was elected Commodore. On retiring as Commodore he became our illustrious President until he retired from that position last autumn.

This eventually took place, a few pints later, all the company taking part. Much to Carruthers's delight, and due to his skipper's foresight, Jim Cruise of Sea Dancer found them half submerged in the sand. I've been encouraged to relate this story by Dennis before Carruthers gets the chance to give his version. Brian, I understand, is writing an account of the Solway Cruise, this incident featuring prominently.

Dave Burton's, Esmerelda's, account of the Solway cruise.

The Tales of Esmerelda - 2000

The Solway Cruise 2000 (Six go wild in the Irish Sea)

Hi I'm Esmerelda , the Hirondelle Cat and I love to sail in the Irish sea with my owner Dave and his mate Dermott . We have lots of adventures and mishaps and here is my latest tale.

It all began as Dave read the club mag and discovered a two week sail in the Irish Sea from Glasson to Scotland, to the Isle of Man and back. Dave phoned Dermott and the trip was confirmed . Six boats finally agreed on the trip and this is the tale of those six. Dave and Dermott had a lot of work to do to get me ready for the trip and this was done just in time . The lads hadn't taken me out at all this year so they were a little anxious for me. On Friday the 16th June , I was chatting with "Sea Dancer" , Jim's new boat next to me on the pontoon , when I heard the familiar roar of Dave's car . "Dave , Dave you're back !" I cried and those lovely Jesus boots flopped down the jetty and Dave's feet were soon on my decks . "Hi Esmerelda " he cried , "We're sailing tomorrow , we're off with the sailing club for two weeks." "I know, " I replied "Sea Dancer" is coming too and we've been very busy chatting and planning for a lovely trip." Dave and Dermott loaded all their gear. "Oof " I cried as two weeks of provisions were loaded . "I hope your not going to drink all that beer in one go" I joked . Dave explained that the Lager bottles were for a lunchtime drink and the Guinness was for evenings and the Coke was for snacks . It was dark by the time they finished and I let Dave curl up in his bunk and gently drift off to sleep safe in my hulls. Dermott was soon snoring in unison with Dave and I then settled down with my boys fast asleep , safe and sound .

 

Sea Dancer, bathed in sunshine, looking forward to an exciting holiday.

Saturday morning soon arrived and Dave was soon cooking Bacon and Eggs for the pair and the smell wafted thorough the hulls . Coffee followed and I chatted with the boys as they checked me over for the trip. Then the time arrived and my donkey burst into life ready to take me out of the lock into the Lune and then out with the guys to Piel . Dermott took the controls as Dave released my mooring ropes and soon we were in the lock . I chatted to the two other girls in the lock as we exchanged destinations and crew members . Dave and Dermott calmly tugged on my ropes as they let me through into the sea basin. Dermott then opened the throttle and we roared out into the Lune. There was no sign of anybody . "Dave , where is every body ?" I asked . Dave replied with the thought that he was too early , it was an hour before high water , and perhaps we should tie up in the river for an time . Dermott then spied an orange buoy in the river and we surged towards it . Dave leapt onto my foredeck and directed Dermott . "Right , Right , oh Pooh we've gone over it " he cried. Just then I screamed in pain "Help Dave, something's grabbed my engine leg and its pulling the engine down into the River!" I was in severe pain and the glassfibre squealed in sympathy as the engine was almost torn from its mountings by the force of the tide. "Dave , I'm in pain , what are we going to do ?" I cried "Help me , Help me !" . Dave and Dermott lifted all the covers and discovered that I had gone directly over the buoy and the rope had snagged on my prop, stalling the engine and holding me fast . The lads got their heads together and then tied a strong rope through my engine to the winches , "We'll wait for slack tide and lift your engine and fix it " they said . And we all quietly sat there , waiting for the tide to turn . I winced occasionally as the tide tried its best with various tricks to grab my donkey and take it from me . I sat there , tears in my eyes from the pain of the tugging on my engine , and all Dave and Dermott could do was wait.

When the tide turned, forty-five minutes later , I was exhausted , I was ready to give up and let the motor go when Dermott bravely straddled my engine bay , and with his strong arms, lifted my motor up about twelve inches. The pain went instantly and I cried with relief "Oh thanks Dermott". Dave slipped an oar into the transom clamps of the donkey and he could then disentangle the rope from my prop. "I'm free , I'm free !" I cried. "Oh thank you lads, thank you." The donkey was examined and then put back in its rightful place and soon we were off chasing the rest of the gang down the Lune .

We had a lively trip over to Piel where we moored on a spare buoy and Dave prepared the chicken and vegetables for the evening meal . The smell was good and the guys ate a hearty meal . Soon the lads climbed into the dingy and went off the pub to discuss the trip's agenda. I chatted with the girls and soon I was friends with "Weasel" (Dennis & Brian) , "Sea Dancer" (Jim & Pete ) , "Moonshine" (Pete & Keith) , "Rice Pudding VIII" (Norman) and "Claudia" (Tony) . This was our gang of six and we were off on the trip of a lifetime . The lads were back quite soon as they were to get an early start to be in Ravenglass for high tide.

 

Weasel. Dennis's new boat, acquired over the close season from Peter and Ann Johnson, formerly Avanti. Dennis's luckless crew was Brian Roberts, affectionately known as 'Carruthers'. Brian also went for a 'swim' in Belgium on their cruise together in 1998.

Sunday morning and I woke to the smell of Bacon and Eggs as the lads tucked into a large breakfast . We're off soon so put your best foot forward girl" Dave said . "I won't let you down " I replied . Well I had new rigging and good as new sails, I had to put up a good show . The gang set off out of the channel and soon Half-Way shoal was in view. Dave , kept me well out at this point whereas the others were quite inland (Dave's GPS is hand-held and eats batteries so he prefers to sail by compass .) So off we went . I tugged at the sails as we cruised at up to seven knots and Dave and Dermott brought in my foresail to keep me down to the gang's speed . (Norman was still in bed as "RP8" could sail that much faster and he would join us later.) "Weasel" suddenly shouted in pain "Ouch that hurts !" as her bottom hit the sea bed . Dennis promptly steered left into the deeper channels and the gaggle followed suit . (So much for using a GPS) .

Very soon we could see the Selker buoy and as we passed it , Dave turned me towards the tiny pink buoy that marked the entrance to Ravenglass. Dermott then skilfully guided me through the twisting river bed towards the big "CAT" in the bay . Just then I heard a cry from "Weasel" . "Help, Help , Man Overboard !" The lads turned to see that Brian had fallen into the water as he tried for a mooring . Dennis skilfully recovered his partner and soon after they moored . The rigging was awash with dripping clothes and Brian was safely in fresh clothes recovering . Meantime we had moored by the side of this cat . I chatted to this wonderful yacht as Dave and Dermott settled down on my prominent bows to a glass of lager after a good sail . I was musing on the days events as I swung freely, dreaming of the next sail when a shadow appeared on my bows . "Oh no ! " I cried , "We're going to hit that cat !" I was very close to the cat and the swing on the mooring was so great that I risked personal injury if we were to stay here. "Move me Dave, Dermott let's go soon! " I cried . The boys took stock of the situation and bravely lifted me up on a falling tide and nursed me towards a buoy near the river where there was just enough water to clear my hulls. I was soon settled in the sand and I could hear the sighs of relief from the lads as they realised their near miss . The original mooring had shifted and I would have clouted the big cat in the night . The lads cooked their chicken broth that was to be their tea and laughed as they reflected on the day's events . The pub was calling and I was tired so I asked the lads to be quiet when they returned and to let me sleep.

The boys must have been quiet as I woke to the smell of Porridge and Honey , my guys have strange tastes. Just then I could hear the faint cries from "Sea Dancer" "Help , help" I could hear but very muffled . Jim and Pete had woken up to find that "Sea Dancer" was nose down in the sand. I chatted to her to find that she could sit upright with no problems normally but that tide , the little minx , had whisked away most of the sand from the leading edge of her keels . Thus the nose fell forward and the tide could be heard giggling as it left Ravenglass Bay . This meant that any conversation with her was difficult due to the sand in her mouth.

The boys decided to visit the Eskdale Railway on Monday and Dave prepared a snack lunch for the trip. Then as he patted my bows , he said "Bye old girl, be good, we're off for the day ." I skitted the lads "Less of the old , I'm only thirty." When they returned I chortled as these two middle aged fogeys waddled up to the boat with windswept hair and ash all over their clothes and faces . "Where have you been and don't you dare step on my decks with those muddy boots !" I screamed . The boys had been in the open carriages at the front of the tiny steam train and they had got the dirtiest, wettest mud from the river on their boots. They soon cleaned themselves and then settled down to a quick meal of meat and potatoes ready for a night in the pub . I waited patiently for their return as the wind began to rear its ugly head and make my rigging sing and rattle as the night fell .

The lads returned and said that we were off on the lunchtime tide the next day to Whitehaven . They chatted excitedly and prepared for bed . I was still awake as they snored under the influence , and the wind sang its ugly song in my rigging. I slept uneasy , and woke to the smell of Porridge and Honey . The lads were chatting happy at the thought of 3's and 4's to Whitehaven but I was uneasy. Later they stood on the deck listening on channel 6 as Norman asked were they going . Just then Dennis broke in with a message from "Captain Panic". "Strong Wind warning in the Irish sea " he shouted. Belfast Coastguard confirmed it so one by one , we declined to sail . Except Pete of "Moonshine" , "I've only got seven days , so Keith and I will go off and we'll meet you later in Whitehaven ". So we all stood down and Pete sailed off.

We soon learned that Pete had problems near St Bees Head, and his engine had failed with loss of compression. That took 6 hours of lapping to get the exhaust valve to seal and even then Pete needed six gaskets on the rocker to clear the decompressor. Pete did return to Glasson under his own steam but after many days in Whitehaven.

The days came and went and every day the wind was just too much and every day "Sea Dancer" went down in the sand . The girls re-christened her "Blood Hound" as she always had her nose to the floor . Jim seemed to take it in good stead and we hope he overcomes the balance problems . On the Friday most of the gang decided to go to Whitehaven on the train except Dennis. So Dave and Dermott went off with the lads for the day . On their return Dave showed me a card and a bottle of rum that they had bought . "Its for Dennis, its his birthday tomorrow and we've all clubbed together for this for him" Dave said .

Saturday arrived and so did a lapse in the wind , the guys got together surprised Dennis with their present and then agreed to sail to Whitehaven as a group on Sunday, after the "Charterhouse Fair" in Ravenglass . "Sea Dancer" and "Weasel" declined to go as a week in Ravenglass had taken its toll and they were to return to Glasson on the Monday .

So late afternoon, on the Sunday , Dave & Dermott lifted me off the buoy and they , Norman and Tony sailed out into the Irish Sea , bound for Whitehaven . My donkey is very noisy so as we sailed out , it was hard to maintain a radio watch and soon we were a fair way out to sea and I could see "Claudia" down near the beach about half a mile away and "RP8" was at least one or two mile behind us . I was nervous in such a noisy environment , I couldn't chat to the other girls and I felt left out. Then I noticed "Claudia" had turned back , "Dave , something's wrong , look back !" I shouted over the donkey . Dave looked backed and realised that "RP8" had disappeared and "Claudia" was storming back to the green buoy near the out-fall to Sellarfield. Dave shut down the engine and scanned the radio channels to hear "PAN-PAN" from Norman. "RP8" had lost her mast and Norman was using a hand held to raise the coastguard . Tony was circling to keep Norman safe and my Dave relayed the situation to the Coastguard . " The St Bees RIB has been dispatched and the Workington Lifeboat was 50 minutes away " I heard the radio crackle . Dave informed Norman and we patiently sailed towards the stricken "RP8" . Soon a RIB bounced from wave to wave in our direction and Dave pointed towards Norman in "RP8" and the RNLI waved in acknowledgement . Norman was soon in tow and "Claudia" shouted to me "We are going to follow to Whitehaven, Norman's shaken but okay , he had a D-Ring fail but nothing else is broken." "Oh I'm so glad that he's okay and Rice Pudding , can she be fixed ?" I asked . "No problems, a bent roller reefing , sheared rigging and torn sails, nothing that can't be fixed ." "Claudia" answered and we chatted in excitement as the lads followed the RIB to St Bees Head. Soon the lifeboat came into view and the RNLI swapped towing vessels and then we sailed on into the night .

 

Claudia. Claudia being launched earlier this year. Tony is seen guiding her down the slipway to wait for the tide to float her off her trailer. Claudia is an Iroquois class catamaran.

It was 11:30 when we entered Whitehaven and "Claudia" had spoken with the nice harbour master who assured us that as CATS with lifting keels, we could get into the lock and safety. "Claudia" was nervous and spun round in the dock as we neared the lock , Dermott took control and masterly steered me into a dark alley that turned out to be a wonderful modern lock with lifting jetties and all. Norman was out there with his lantern guiding us to our berths and soon we were all safely tied up in our new moorings and we could hear "RP8" sobbing nearby. "Don't worry , you'll soon be better , Norman has a friend called Mike here in the marina and Dave and Dermott and Tony will all help" I said to "RP8" .

 

Inside the dock at Whitehaven. This is looking towards the new lock/dock gates from the dock side. The control tower is obvious. Inside the lock there are floating pontoons on either side which you tie up to whilst the water is raised or lowered. The black mass in the background is the outer gates.

Dave and Dermott had persuaded Norman to sample some Guinness to calm his nerves and we all fell asleep, exhausted but safe. The next morning Dave and Dermott refused to stir before 09:30 and they went out to join Norman , Tony and Mike to survey the damage. Meanwhile my donkey had used five gallons of two-stroke during the trip so far and I had begged with Dave to go home and in order to be safe I wanted my tanks full . The lads said to Norman , "We'll just get our fuel and then we'll be back to help" . That Dermott , his tummy controls his every movement . Well Dave did get the fuel but only after visiting the Chip Shop first .

Soon the lads returned and went off to "RP8" to get the problems fixed. Mike had straightened the roller reefing in the morning , I heard him tug and pull as he eased the banana that was the remains of the roller reefing back to a straight pole just like before . What a man , meanwhile the sail-maker went off with the torn foresail and the rigging guy appeared with his collection of rope. Norman walked up and down and bargained with the guys . Soon Mike and Dave could be heard mousing the sheets up and down the mast . "To me, to me" Mike would shout and "Okay, Okay" I could hear from Dave ."Stop , back " and more as Dave and Mike nursed the sheets inside the mast. Tony and Norman created eyes in the ropes ready for use and time flew , soon it was six o'clock and the jobs were done . All Norman had to do was raise the mast and fit the repaired foresail and he could sail . His remaining damage appeared to be a torn cockpit canopy , a windex , what a lucky guy ! "The treats on me . Let's go for a Curry" Said Norman and the lads happily agreed , the glow on Norman's face was enough to convince anybody. This guy had been to hell and back and the relief was flowing out of his body .

The New Marina at Whitehaven. The blue on the dock side is the showers and loos. The dock gate is to the left. The Harbourmaster's office is just out of the picture on the right, across the road.

The lads tripped off to the curry house and returned with their eyes streaming . "Now I told you to watch the curry" I giggled as the lads tumbled into bed. It was an early morning the next day and as I said goodbye to "Claudia" , "RP8" kept chipping in , happy that she was fit and ready to sail and that she might go on with Norman to Scotland .

After our goodbyes the boys set off for St Bees Head with the donkey and soon we rounded the head and then the lads released my sails. I showed them how well I could sail as we went goose-winged virtually all the way to half-way shoal in ten hours. The only upsets we had was those annoying guns from the gunnery range and an official vessel that asked us where we were going as we passed Sellarfield . Dave fixed my autohelm (again), it had electrolytic corrosion on the terminals. But all in all a smooth run . We moored in Piel and had tea. Dave said to Dermott " High tide is either 08:15 or 20:45 , and if we take the late tide it will be midnight before we get home ". "Oh please take the early tide Dave, I've got so much to tell everyone, I'm bursting with news , please" I begged . Dermott look doubtful but Dave convinced him , "I'll wake you at 04;00 and we'll set off ready to get the morning tide in Glasson" he said and Dermott shook his head in disbelief . "Okay" Dermott said and the lads went to bed at 9:30 .

The next day Dave rose at 03:45 , dressed and woke Dermott and soon I was powering out towards Sea 9 ready for the turn Home to Glasson. I arrived at the dock by 07:30 and we were soon back home in the basin . Dave and Dermott tied me up securely and then toddled off to the yacht club to see Dennis and exchange stories . Dennis was his usual bouncy self and the lads settled down with Dennis and a cup of tea and a biscuit . Their chortles could be heard here in the basin yet alone in the clubhouse What an adventure , what a tale to tell and what happened to Norman and Tony after we left ? Soon I'll have another adventure and another tale to tell .

Dave Burton, 2000 07 05

Carruther's adventures as reported by Peter Johnson:

After reading your (mine, as told by Dennis - Michael) report about Dennis`s new crew man being so overcome on reaching land (after his epic voyage from Piel Island to Ravensglass) that he actually threw himself overboard in order to secure a mooring buoy and escape ashore. I would like to make a suggestion. Dennis After bribing your crew with the promise of large juicy steaks for tea and then telling him you have left them in the fridge at Glasson and he will have to make do with boiled spuds what else would you expect, then by selecting a mooring right outside the Holly house hotel, and having removed the guard rails it was obviously to much of a temptation for him. In future if you want to keep your crew: Fit higher guard rails. Make sure they (the crew)are locked sorry clipped on. Fit a Chest freezer in the forepeak to keep up your stocks. As you can see a boat very similar to yours took my advice and as the pic shows the crew looks happy and very well fed, the freezer reduces your freeboard thus reducing the risk of injury should the crew desert, and another benefit is you don't need such a long boat hook Best wishes Pete Johnson.

Caruther's and Rice Pudding's tales are eagerly awaited !

 

Sunset. A glorious Ravenglass sunset. This is a photo taken by Michael Swarbrick on last August's cruise to Whitehaven.