The tidal mill pond to the tidemill. The plan seems to be to pump out the mud to deepen it so that it can be used again to grind grain - as part of the renovation of the tidemill. It seems to be a very slow business.

The weather is getting cloudy and windy. It is low tide during the day - so no sailing this week. Back to normal life.
The Plan is to do more writing, do more geology and go the gym for short workouts most days - and some boating when the tide and weather are right - as well as the usual domestic stuff, visiting beaches and keeping in touch with people. We will see - - -  the recent summer weather was good for physical and mental rehabilitation but - - .

The river - and the river wall - looking downstream at low water with the sailing club to the right. (Taken before the good weather  - thus the clouds!)

Yesterday - another day in the sun on the river. This time we left the boat on the sailing club pontoons overnight and went as soon as the tide was in enough to cover the gravel bank and float us off.

With a light wind we went downstream against the current with the motor on, had lunch and goose winged back with the tide. The river full of boats taking advantage of the hot weather.

And today - doing nothing much in the sun ashore.

The gravel bank  off Deben Yacht Club at low water

Each time I see the exposed bank - there is a curlew feeding there.  A question. Is it the same curlew every time?

Today - another hot and sunny time spent messing about in boats - not much sign of boredom,

Loder's Cut at half tide - the marshes are full of birds feeding on the goodies there.

Another fine day on the river - sunshine and a modest wind upstream - and an afternoon tide. The afternoon tide  is one of the highest of the year - and low water in the evening reaches chart datum according to my tide tables. Thus the tidal flow was more than usual - both ebb and flood and the marshes were all covered on my return making the rive look very wide - more like a lake.
Anchored a couple of miles downstream - at the Tips - for lunch and generally took it easy.

Across Loder's Cut - at high water - spring tide. You would not know that there are salt marshes a few cms under the surface - many-a-visitor has found out the hard way.

Another day on the river in the sunshine. Drank tea at the sailing club - lunch at anchor - coffee on the way back. It was a 'shake-down' - I tried out some new kit. Tomorrow - more of the same - different kit to try and the tide an hour later.

Just after high tide through Loder's Cut - you can only identify the Cut by a few sticks in the mud as the salt marshes are almost covered at high water - and completely covered at high water springs (Later this week).

I was going to write a diatribe about how rehabilitation is needed after health scares and set backs. But I thought this a better way to show that I am gradually getting more active. The fine weather encouraged a gentle expedition down the river for a couple of hours, punctuated by stops for coffee and then lunch. I intend to repeat the treatment whilst the good weather lasts - I may even pull up all the sails one day - if there is enough wind.

A snapdragon 24

I was tempted by this as it has standing head room and a loo. But it also needs more work than I have time or energy or money for doing. So I wisely and prudently decided not to go ahead.

This encapsulates what I have been doing for a few days - I crawled over it and made a long list - walked around and did worrying - as you do.

The anti-coagulant seems to be working - I am less breathless - but still feeling a bit feeble - too feeble to avoid temptation of exploring a boat.

egret

This one hangs out on the salt marsh next to the marina and is easily disturbed - I was hiding behind an old boat.

 

Lookfar on the Deben Yacht Club pontoons - moored to have lunch and to take on water.

A happy day - a couple of hours motoring on the river in calm and sunshine and feeling a lot better - barely breathless. I even spotted some egrets on the bank but could not get close incase I went aground.

Prior's Haven, Tynemouth sailing club and the North pier where the race finished. (taken in 2007)

Scammell Dash (a race from Tyne entrance to a yellow bouy off Whtley Bay)This is supposed to be sailed in lots of wind with lots of drama - or at least some fog!

It went ahead in light airs, with 9 boats. It was won by Jeremy Whiting sailing single handed in an Enterprise. The race was run by Neal Piper on the water. Sara and the kids finished boats from the pier between the four poles (to the right of the picture) and a buoy, but without a hooter - needing lots of loud cheers instead. I hate to think what the various fishermen and walkers made of it!

I had a bit of a plan to be around for it this year - but recent boring problems put it out of reach - so we can all cross fingers for next year. It would be fun - especially as you named the race after me.

Breathlessness and associated symptoms:

I had a CT scan on Friday. There are small clots in the blood vessels of my lungs which probably account for most of the recent distress and breathlessness. I was told immediately after the scan - and I also have the medication to start treating it (an anti-coagulant called Clexane, which I take for a couple of weeks. It is injected subcutaneously - which I do myself - pretty straightforward I am glad to say). I go to discuss the longer term treatments (if needed) next week.

I have calmed down a bit after this - but not immediately 'cured'.

 

The beach at Dunwich - Tuesday 6th Sept.

Wind, surf and lashing rain - exhilerating.
You can deduce that I have been out and about - with Aidan on Monday and Tuesday - via various tea shops and nice places. But I continue to feel drained and not really very well.

beach, rainbow and cloud; Shingle Street Monday 5th Sept

Another good beach and over-arching weather. A metaphor for my life.

Autumn fruits

Sadly they do not taste as good as they look. Probably the dry spring followed by wet summer.

The breathlessness and associated feelings continue to mar my life. I am trying to think of ways to rest more thoroughly so that I do not get screamingly frustrated when I cannot get things done.
And I am ever-grateful to you all for reading this and for the comments - they really do help. XX

Beach with tractor and a boat at Aldeburgh

Another excellent beach - and a town attached. I spent the afternoon there on Wednesday - good ice cream and coffee in the beach gardens. They really do launch fishing boats off the gravel beach.

Orford - looking downstream. The far bank is the inland side of Orford Ness.

I drove out to Orford yesterday (Friday), had lunch in the excellent tea rooms there and wandered along a few meters of the shoreline. The grey of the picture encapsulates my mood although it was good to see rain and clouds in a different place.

What I have not said during recent posts is that I am feeling less well than usual. This is due to being very breathless when I do anything much. I even struggled to empty the dishwasher the other day. This dates back into July.

Last week was spent worrying, getting an xray, worrying, writing emails and visiting the oncology department in Ipswich. In between - a bit of shopping and the usual trivia of domestic life.

The current position is that the breathlessness is not due to gross return of cancer - which does not show on the xray. I am to have a scan to narrow the likely causes - which maybe a reaction to Tarceva or minute blood clots or an infection.

So I am hanging out and trying (not very successfully) to be restful and calm  - and of course - - -

"But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;"

Thursday 26th August - two years since diagnosis

I called the end of the first year 'the birthday of my life ' -  it is a new life and has not been without its fun and pleasures, so I acknowledge the end of the second year of survival. This makes me sound very grand - with an 'official' birthday and a normal birthday!
And I thank the NHS oncology team at Ipswich hospital for their good care.

Titchmarsh to Woodbridge

Leaving Titchmarsh - on passage to River Deben

I left about an hour and a half before low water at about 9-00 - no wind - bright sky. I got back to Woodbridge at about 15-00 hrs. A frustrating sail as I had to motor most of the way and when there was any wind  - it was on the nose. But I got in through the Deben entrance at the time planned and without adventure. I tied up at the sailing club pontoon for a couple of hours for a rest and to wait for depth over the marina sill.

I had to walk home as I did not leave the car at the marina - a mistake. I  am off to my bunk - I mean bed - by way of a shower - I can still feel the movement of the boat.

Titchmarsh

Feeling a bit more positive today -so I spent the morning fixing new, lighter, chain to the anchor. I had rather too short a length of heavy chain previously. I was then caught out by the weather - which threw down a lot of rain. But the boat ready to go - to catch the tide up the river Deben tomorrow - leaving quite early.

Friday - pottering around in Titchmarsh

The Backwaters at high water - viewed from the marina - complete with a Mirror dinghy and Felixstowe container port beyond.

Today was sunny and warm - although the wind is cold. I cleared up, dried wet clothes, shook out the bedding and similar useful things. I felt exhausted all day so walked along the banks round the marina and looked out across the Backwaters, watched boats come in and such like.Lots of rests.  Carvery for supper again - justified because it is good value but also quite hard to cook varied food on a small boat and away from food shops.

Thursday - I escape from the anchorage and hole up in Titchmarsh

In the marina - the cover needed due to heavy rain

I got up early again in order to escape a bad anchoring experience. I had to wait unti the boat refloated so was not free to go until 7-30. I had to use a number of techniques to get the anchor up - I did not have the strength to pull it against the wind. Lots of motoring and eventually dragged it into deep water.

I then anchored again on the way to Titchmarsh to wait for the tide - by Stony Point. I made a mess of this too although I motored it out in the end.

I enjoyed the waves going down Hamford water towards the river up to Titchmarsh - but was freaked out by the problems with anchoring and the strength of the wind.

Into Titchmarsh by 11-15. Very tired and slept all afternoon whilst the rain lashed down. Put up the cover after the rain - and then went to the carvery in the marina for supper. Very heavy rain on the way back - no umbrella so a lot of damp clothes. A rather bad day really.

Wednesday - Ramsholt to Walton Backwaters - Hamford anchorage

More mud - I anchored too close to the bank and went aground

I got up early and was off the mooring by 8-00 - went with the ebb to the mouth of the Deben and out of the river by 9-00. I motored so that I could have the keel up as I went out at low water. No problems - and I put the sails up as soon as I was out at sea.

It is a lot easier to do things at sea as there is a lot of room. So with the sails up I was at the bouy that marks the entrance to the Backwaters by 10-00 - a nice gentle reach into Hamford Water. By 11-20 I was anchored.

ButI made a number of errors here. One was to anchor too close to the shallow mud. The picture does not show it well enough to show that there was quite a lot of waves breaking on the mud. I also let out too muh rope and had a problem with the boat not turning up to the tide when the tide turned. I suspect the rope caught onto the keel - so a lot of messing on pulling up the keel and trying to work out what to do. It was OK eventually.

I was more scared here than usual. And it was too cold to sit out in the late afternoon.

Tuesday - Woodbridge to Ramsholt

Godwit on the mud bank next to where I picked up a bouy at Ramsholt

It took longer than I expected to load things onto the boat and go back for those I had forgotten - out of practice I suppose. I left the mooring at 15-00 and went with the tide. I could not get the main sail up - too windy (up to 25 mph) and on the nose. So I used the genoa and the engine.

Picked up a mooring (with some difficulty due to tide and wind) by 17-00. The river had some white horses and the boat lay awkwardly to the current for a while.

The Deben and areas I am going to visit - main objective is the Walton Backwaters.

I have not been feeling as well as usual  this last week but spared you the list of symptoms combined with moans and groans. But I did a few nice things, including a quick visit to London. I now feel a bit better and figure that if I don't get on the boat and go now - - it will be autumn and too cold.

So I am off shortly to the boat - now full of food and junk. I am finding it hard to remember what to take and also I have got too accostomed to the comforts of life ashore. The plan is to go downstream with the ebb at about 15-00 hours and escape the Deben tomorrow morning (on a bad tide) - heading for the Walton Backwaters. I hope to get some network connectivity to update on progress.

I continue to feel zapped. I am now into hoping this is just a long recovery time from last week but - - - . I have been back to the gym and my muscles are OK but I am not good at the cardio-vascular. I have also done a lot of sleeping.

I have changed my diet - it seems that some of the digestion problems that I took to be simple side effects of Tarceva were actually lactose intolerance. I found this becuase I did not have much milk or cheese during the regatta and have stopped eating it since. It also means that I have not drunk much coffee this week, as I do not like it without milk.

And today - we have the pay-back. I feel wiped out and have done nothing apart from walk very slowly along a small bit of the river, collapsing onto the park benches in the sun to drink reviving juices and feel zapped. Hardly surprising - - - .

Just before the start of the medium handicap race

Regatta last day: I did not sail as I had a hospital appointment and was not back until mid afternoon. Very wet in the morning and windy in the afternoon. There were various races, raft building and the like. I think I was too tired to sail again anyway!

Different type of race - they built the rafts in heavy rain in the morning.

The results overall for the medium handicap - the fleet I sailed in - 21 boats entered - I came 11th. I had two with a lot of points as I needed to do six races and only did four. Pleased with this - although I did worse in the race I thought I sailed the best - it is ever thus!

Bruises are healing well.

Regatta day 4: preparation paid off as I went in close to the bank. Bright and hot sunshine. No wind in the morning but racing did not start until 13-00, by which time there was a modest sea breeze. A good day.

Race 1: the right wind and a better course as it had some reaches as well as beats and a run. I sailed a bit better - but my boat speed is less than other streakers. No major dramas - apart from an almost-capsise filling the boat with water - and the self bailers are rubbish. Came 12th - lower down the fleet than I thought at the time.

Race 2: The wind got up for this. I started it and went as far as the Cut - then bore away and did some planing on reaches pretending that I was practising gybes. Then went shore, which was quite an effort and I had really had enough by the time the boat was on its trolly. Then changed, had tea and cakes, packed the boat and came home - the activities interspersed with talking to people..

The steep bank downstream from the start - at low water - to see how close in I can go.

Preparation: I have tried to do some preparation for the regatta - this a picture of the bend in the river to see how close I can go at high water. There is less tide here and also a bit of a lift (sometimes). But a lot of small tacks disadvantages me as I am not good at tacking.

Regatta day 3: I feel a lot healthier today. Modest wind and a pleasant day. BBQ in the evening in the best traditions of regattas. A few bruises sre beginning to look impressive. Good stuff.

Race 1: I started on the line. I was not far behind the fast streakers for about half the first beat. But I got tired and gradually dropped back but I still had a good time. I came 10th. I am not sure whether the feeling of sailiing in treacle is my technique or the (old) boat with slightly difficult sail controls. It went wrong at the last mark (which was from a run to a beat) - I got tangled with some agressive small children in a small boat (calling for water when they had no overlap!) - concentration goes - I lost my footing and  - splash. But I did  get the boat up and finished the race.

Race 2:  I did intend to sail it but the course was the same two mile beat that I did not fancy yesterday - so I did the start (to get more points than not sailing at all) for practice and played with some sail settings - and had cake and coffee instead.

Launching and recovery is difficult due to narrow slipway and a lot of boats

Regatta day 2: Better sailing and good weather. The start times are limited by the tides - so today it was an 11-30 start - with the tide stronger for the first race, the wind stronger for the second race.
Race 1: I got a decent start which made me realise the limitations of other aspects of my sailing - slow tacking and also not going as fast as I think I should.  I did finish and was not last! - I was actually 9th. But the races here are very long for my stamina (the 'short' morning race was well over an hour).

Race 2: Discretion the better part of valour and I decided not to race. This was the right decision as the wind got up and there was a very long beat to the furthest mark (I think over two miles and against the tide) and a long run back.So I pottered around, ate cake and drank tea. In bright sunshine.

Regatta day 1:  A learning experience. There was bright sunshine - light wind in the morning with a lot of tide - good wind for the second race. I am in the second of four fleets to start - the medium handicap. All the other streakers are a lot faster - sigh.

race 1 - DNF - it was awful as I messed up the start. Too far off the start - too much tide - too little wind - too little skill. So I did about ten minutes and decided it was a hopeless case and retreated to eat rolls and drink coffee. Fell in trying to get from my boat to the pontoon - if it goes wrong - it goes wrong properly.

race 2 - started badly but I finished - not last but not far off. I was actually 8th - so the others must have done even dafter things - - . But I felt a bit better about it all. Again - a lot of mistakes (including an almost-capsize filling the boat with water).

Today - we have the preparation for the sailing club regatta. This will involve going to the shops for high energy food, getting my sailing kit together and figuring out the logistics of getting launched alongside 50 other boats.

The two white marks on the bank defines the start line. (18 is a channel bouy and not part of the course). The problem is - where to start - there is a stronger current in the middle - the far side is shallow - starboard is the favoured side of the course.

I am also trying to figure out the start line. In a southerly wind the right end of the line is favoured because one needs to get to the starboard side of the course to avoid the tide downstream. But all the other boats are fighting it out there, as well as avoiding a pontoon and various moored boats. Is it better to avoid the crowds and get ahead in clear wind. So I am going to try to start at speed over the line between the moored boats. But that is only the start of course - - - .

Typical view of the Deben - low lying, wooded banks with mud flats exposed at low tide. At high tide - the drowned vegetation is just visible beyond the (traditional) yacht.

Tuesday > Wednesday > Thursday: A sail  in Lookfar. I stayed overnight in the marina and caught the ebb downstream to Felixstowe Ferry. This was very fast as the wind (up to 18 knots) and tide were behind me. I did try to pick up a visitor's mooring in the channel - but the tide was too powerful, so I did the wise thing and found one out of the tide. I grossed-around there for the rest of the tide and then took the flood upriver a few miles to Ramsholt where I picked another bouy for overnight. I am now getting proficient at getting the bouys as long as the tide is not too strong. I went to my bunk early and slept well, helped by a hot water bottle.

Thursday - Sailed upstream on the flood (HW at 11-00). The wind was on the nose but I was helped by tide and hindered by moored boats as tacking between them takes a bit of care.

It was mostly there and back again, but I did play near the sailing club for a while and went onto the pontoon there for experience and hot water. Weather - cold and then hot for a short time on Thursday - a reminder that heat is good.

Interesting - when I got up on Thursday the depression had evaporated and I have been fine since - even when I was cleaning the deck this afternoon. That's what sailing does - -

Nothing interesting - I have felt gloomy for a few days. Sailed the dinghy on Sunday to practice tacking and gybing again, but otherwise have sat around feeling sorry for myself and bad-tempered to go with it. Dentist today - teeth good - rather better than the rest of me feels. I was not even cheered by seeing masses of butterflies last week - including hundreds of gatekeepers.

 

 

 

Gatekeepr - not my picture - this from an identification web site

Plan to take Lookfar out on the river for a couple of days.

Cool exersise for various muscles

It makes you feel tired to look at it - but you actually do it more slowly so it is not as exhausting as it looks. I do a number of exercises like this which target all the muscle groups over two (relatively) short sessions. This week I have tried out some new ones as well. I try to make it to the gym now at the start of most days when I am not doing something else. Going to the gym  has added a great deal to my well-being. With the additional benefit that it makes depression (when it strikes) less painful. And no sweating it out on the machines either - .

This is the hardest but is done more slowly than the picture

Digging the road near my flat.

All this week - mega lorries and disruption - interesting in its own way.

Road and car park in heavy rain storm on Monday

Monday - a lot of rain. It does not do justice to the lashing rain and the depth of water in the carpark and gutters.

A wet and windy weekend - with no sailing by me - disappointing.
I had intended to sail in the streaker Open meeting. But prudence prevailed and I did not even think of it when I got up and saw wind and lashing rain. But it was sailed and the topper fleet was especially hardy (and young). I watched in pouring rain under threee layers of waterproofs and did a few helpful things.

The baby swallows flew the nest over Saturday night. Two of them came back on Sunday when it rained. 

They look smug more than cute!

I did not sail on Sunday -  a very long race down the river to windward (and then back) which lasted over an hour and a half in strong wind with squalls - it would probably have written me off.

All a bit depressing really - and bad weather due to continue all the week into the next round of races at the weekend.  I should be used to dubious weather by now - - but I am not.

Goodbye car - uplifted early this morning by http://www.giveacar.co.uk/ - a good and easy way to get rid of an old car. Surprisingly sad to see it go - - - .

green car - faithful friend since 2004

The week has gone by with very little to show for it - apart from a superficial reading of the easy parts of the Racing Rules and a couple of visits to the gym. A general feeling of gloom - I blame the nasty weather and perhaps some reaction to the excesses of last week.  And today I need to mend my centre board and sit in the sun before the rain and wind due tomorrow.

Another day - another best beach
Looking North towards the Deben estuary from Felixstow

Monday - I took delivery of the new car and took it out for a run to Felixstow beach - very pleasant views with car parking and a coffee shop right on the cliff top. Automatic gears take a bit of getting used to but have only grabbed for the gear stick a couple of times. It was more tiring than I expected!

Swallow's nest above a notice board at Deben Yacht Club.
Three or four swallows are getting very large and the parents fly in and out all the time.
Briefly interrupted by people when there is sailiing

More racing at the weekend - in the evening to catch to tide. Lots of nice food as well. I came second again on Saturday.
Sunday was a reminder of how awful racing can be. I got a good start but thereafter I could not get in the groove - with light and shifty winds against the tide. The wind dropped and it took half an hour to cover about ten boat lengths to the finish line. But - hey - I finished and came 4th (behind a load of Toppers). But half the fleet did not finish. Not great fun - sailing can be awful and I am glad for the reminder - in some ghastly way. I have since read up on sail settings and think I had the sail wrong for the light wind conditions - not enough outhaul.

What to do with the old car? Solution - - -  it gets scrapped (or sold) through this - which sounds wonderful - we will see - -  http://www.giveacar.co.uk/

Whatever next? A replacement car for the old green Almera which has done many years of faithful service. Spent most of today making up my mind and getting insurance sorted out.

I promise to clean it sometimes. (Oh - and it is a Merc automatic incase you wondered. This is a 'compact executive car' apparently. But it is a year older than the faithful green car so maybe not quite as posh as you might think.)

Weekend - lots of streakering. And on Saturday - I came second in the slow handicap race - which was just the right length for me. Very shifty winds - so was quite pleased by this and grateful for the experience I had at Tynemouth.

Tuesday -> Wednesday -> Thursday - on the river for a shake-down cruise. Just as well as several things worked loose including the shackles that held the main sheet blocks and the genoa blocks.

Shows how close the bouy is to Bawdsey beach - and the white bits show the strong current.

I went downstream with the tide and the wind - and picked up the big visitor's bouy in the entrance to the Deben. There was ferocious current in and out for some of the tide, but it was a fun place to stay when the wind was reasonable. I dropped the mooring at 9-00 on Thursday and went back with the wind on the nose but the tide with me. It took longer than it should because of aggrevations with shackles. I solved these by picking up a mooring and fixing them.

View out to sea and my wake in the tide.

Next task - to check all shackles and split pins

Monday: No haar - I tried another favourite beach. Bawdsey - you can park right by the beach and barely have to move all day, apart from getting an ice cream. I park overlooking the river, roughly at the end of the trees to the left. A great place.

Bawdsey Quay and beach. 
Seen from Lookfar on the visitor's mooring in the Deben, of which more in another post

What heatwave? I went to the beach at shingle street to lie around in the sun to recover from yesterday. The haar came in after an hour  (they call it sea mist here which is not such a good name).

Haar at shingle street.
It was not a proper Scottish haar but enough to keep the heat wave away.

But a nice day out.

Saturday - I completed a race - how about that! I never thought to do a race again, let alone finish one. I was last ashore - but who cares - I finished!

Course 19

The conditions are much more challenging than sailing a triangle or figure of eight on open water. It is more like an obstacle race, but I am expecting that I will learn where things are and where the regular gusts are. I went for the fast handicap - which meant three circuits of the course below Loder's Cut (which is a gap in the mud banks cut by some guy called Loder in the late 19th c.). The slow handicap fleet (I can sail in either) only did one circuit.

There are moored boats all along, the tide varies and the wind is shadowed in places by trees and banks. It also funnels down around 9 and C . So within about three boat lengths you go from being becalmed to being almost overpowered. The only decent wind was between 7 and D. It can only be good for my technique! One has also to identify the marks and remember the course (yea - it is written down but you don't want to take your eye off the wind to look.) I got lost twice - which I suppose is quite good really.

They do 5,4,1 starts from the clubhouse. I started almost on the line (which I could not see due to moored boats) - and did OK  until I could not spot 7 or distinguish D from a load of mooring bouys! There are two bouys at 14 so I headed to the wrong one - and then  the mainsheet untied itself (OK I had not fixed the knot properly) and I lost where I was whilst I re-tied it. I  slowed down as I got tired but hung on in there and finished. Fun - fun - fun. Or fun without the need to bring the boat ashore and pull it up the ramps by myself (everyone else was in) and then unrig it. But I did it and there was very nice cake and tea in the galley.