The days on the River Orwell usually started each morning at around 08:00 when I would make us both a cup of tea and sit outside in the cockpit, listening to the incredible bird song from the nearby woods and oyster catchers feasting on the banks at low tide. One morning we even had a surprise visit from this curious seal.
We had to plan our dog walks for Freds in line with the tide as without this planning we would have to walk through deep mud which would have become impossible. Although we planned the tide carefully we still got caught out by the weather as we were caught in a torrential rainstorm a few miles from the boat. We were dripping from head to toe and decided to cut the walk short, much to Freddy's disappointment. Once we made it back to the harbour we noticed that as we had cut the walk short we still had at least 4 hours until the tide would be high enough to give us access to the dinghy which was currently laying on the mud.
In order to shelter from the ongoing rain, we only had one option which was to wait in the popular pub the Butt and Oyster at Pin Mill. This might not sound like a terrible option however we were completely drenched and cold and didn't really fancy sinking pint after cold pint. Luckily, the staff were very kind to us at let us sit upstairs in the restaurant with the dog out the way of most guests whilst we dried off and waited for the tide to come up. Conscious of funds we nursed 2 pots of tea and coffee down with a cheesy chips to share (one of the nicest we have had) and waited until we could scarper to the dinghy and head home to warm up and dry our clothes.
During our time on the River Orwell we were also very lucky meet up with Bill and Sue Redgrove, a couple that we had been in contact with on and off the last few years who have the same boat as us and have travelled around the world on it over the past ten years. It was great to be invited on board for dinner whilst we talked all things sailing and they shared stories of the adventures. The reason for their visit to the Orwell was part of the Westerly Regatta which was travelling down towards the Scillies so it was great to be around so many other Westerlys. We unfortunately couldn't attend the Westerly BBQ they had at Shotley Marina due to the tidal issues I've discussed earlier. We couldn't get to shore and back in time and didn't want to risk getting stuck ashore overnight.
After 10 days it was time to move on to the River Ore, just3 hours away. Unlike our arrival, we left the River Ore in the daylight which meant that we could see all of the different vessels - from Thames Barges to fishing boats and eventually the container ships in the working dockland.
Arriving in the river Ore is a matter of timing as the sand banks surrounding the entrance dry out meaning you must enter and leave 2hrs before high water. Firstly so that you can get in and secondly if you were to run aground you stand a better chance of floating off as the tide fills in behind. The tide runs very strong through the narrow entrance and it was quite hard to keep the boat in a straight line especially as you have to come uncomfortably close to land at times. Once we were inside the River entrance, the tide calmed down and continued on alongside a populated bird sanctuary and a number of seals warming themselves on the surrounding banks. A quick radio communication with the harbour master on the VHF and we were told which mooring buoy to go onto that was suitable for our weight and length.
From here we have a perfect view of the village of Orford, a historic town of importance for fishing in the middle ages. It has also been an important area for the Ministry of Defence and has been a powerful radar station. However, it is now a nature reserve owned and run by the National Trust.
We got lucky with the weather here again and took advantage by exploring the local walking routes along the nature reserves making sure that we stopped off at the local butchers and bakery. The village is picture perfect and would be a lovely place to live if you are looking for the peace and quiet. There were even local children selling homemade lemonade on the village lawn. We spent an afternoon in one of the local pubs and were rewarded with a cold pint with views onto rolling green hills. With our first night passage planned for the not to distant future it was hard not to get stuck here for a long time but the North was calling and on we must go.
Adam
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