A weeks holiday and fair weather forecast. What could be better than a cruise?

Saturday. HW 14:30. Barometer 29.7 I left Glasson SC one hour after HW at 15:30 and sailed only as far as the end of Sunderland point to anchor for the night. I like to get afloat, then sort the boat out if I’m cruising. There is only so much space in an open 16’ dinghy to store a week’s food, clothes and camping gear. So by the time the tide had left me at 17:40 the tent was over the boom and the tea was on.

The boat floated at 00:15 on Sunday morning, there was no wind although the half past midnight forecast gave N3 to 4, so after ensuring the anchor was still firm after the tide swing, I crawled back into my sleeping bag deciding to leave around noon instead.

At 12:50 with just a hint of the northerly wind I had to start the little seagull engine and motor sail against the flooding tide all the way out to Lune no.1 which I reached at 15:30

From Lune #1 it took 3 hrs to cover the 8 miles or so across Morecambe Bay to the entrance to the Walney channel near Barrow-in-Furness. Because of the direction and the poor strength of wind I had to put in quite long tacks which seemed totally opposite to the direction I wanted to go, however after a few scary moments on the bar at Piel as the ebb came down the channel, I safely reached the anchorage at Piel Island at 19:18

Piel Island is a popular spot in the summer, and except on very low tides it can only be reached by boat. There is a Castle (ruins), old coastguard cottages come holiday homes and a pub. The pub even has a licenced ship’s radio so messages can be relayed to your companions that managed to get there before closing time. Camping is allowed but either the friendly sheep or the peacocks will wake you earlier than you expect.

A still evening at Piel

Sunday HW 16:00 barometer 29.8 wind W2/3 00:30 hrs checked anchor, as the ebb and flood in the channel is very strong.

Left Piel at 13:10 with one reef in main and headed on up to Barrow. Although the road bridge does open for yachts, I thought I’d better lower the mast as the tide was sweeping me towards it quite fast. I actually managed to hook a mooring buoy so I had plenty of time to sort things out, although a wayfarer’s mast will swing down and up again quite easily as long as no ropes get caught up.

With the mast and sails back up I reached the top end of Walney Island at 15:40 and decided to cross directly over to Millom. The channel actually goes out to sea then you stand in again, however I thought with my shallow draught I could get directly across. Wrong!. I was quite alarmed to feel the foils scraping the sand halfway across even at high water, so as I didn’t want to get neaped, I retraced my route back to Walney where I decided to dry out for the night.

I found a delightful spot just inside the north end, even though to get ashore I needed boots, and because of the soft mud I stuck markers in the ground so I could retrace my steps accurately

Tuesday HW 04:20 wind SW2/3 barom 29.3 03:56 hrs, moved over to beach alongside a 26’ Westerly that had grounded there last night. He seemed to know the area as he had put his boat right onto the only sandy part of the beach. Nice chap also, because later when I said I hoped my anchor running out at that time in the morning hadn’t disturbed him he replied "no, I was awake anyway"

Because the road stops 3 or 4 mile from here, it was quite a deserted spot. Indeed it gave the impression of being on a deserted island.

I decided I would make my way back home today, and at 15:50 left for Barrow. The wind was quite blustery, gusting probably 4 but in the wrong direction, so with a reefed main I tacked down the wide channel and ran ashore at the Barrow SC at 17:15. I was made quite welcome and had a couple of drinks in the clubhouse before settling down for the night.

Wednesday HW05:14 & 1800 wind SW2/3 barom 29.3 At 17:30 I left Barrow with the intention of either, stopping off for the night at Piel, or if conditions were right, to carry on for the River Lune, which would probably mean a night sail so every thing was got ready with that in mind. After a disastrous start, when the engine lost power trying to get against the tide under the road bridge, and me ending up ramming the beach to get the mast up and sails set, we finally found the wind to get out into the channel and away. I arrived at Piel at 19:00, and because of the SW wind, decided it looked too choppy for a good night’s rest so opted to press on across the bay. After 1 hour everything was lost to sight but the boat was on course and going well.

At 20:40 about the time when doubts are entering your mind I spotted the "spoil" buoy dead on the nose so knew I was on course and halfway across. To counter the tide I changed to a more easterly course and after 10mins sited the mass of Heysham nuclear power station. Say what you like about these but they do give good marks.

With the wind gusting and the night coming on I reefed right down and put my little light up on the spreaders. The ship which had just left Heysham, for which I heaved to keep out of it’s way, probably didn’t see it, but it feels nice ( psychologically ) to have up there.

At 22:00 I could see the 9 quick flashes of a westerly cardinal which could only mean Lune No.1. due east from here and 7 miles to home. At 5 minutes to midnight the tide had gone from the bay and I was aground about 2 miles from Plover Scar.

The water came back around 02:00 and a salmon fishing boat from Lancs came over to see what the light was. It’s nice to know even at that time in the morning, eyes are watching you and your small boat. I moved to Sunderland point for a couple of hours, then made my way back up river to Glasson where I arrived at 05:00

The cruise was a complete success with no gear failures (except the engine, but that don’t count in a sailing boat) and arriving safely back at a convenient place to retrieve the boat.

A total distance, as the seagull flies, of 53 miles was covered.

As for Glasson sailing club, well at 9 o’clock they roped me in to help paint the clubhouse, all I wanted to do was sleep.