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CRUISING

MARCH 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 51

the bowsprit towards the Nass Beacon
it was fully daylight and nearly time
for another mug of tea and the ritual of
discarding the fi rst layer – off with the
oilskins. We were on our way and all the
magic of the dawn had been enjoyed.
In contrast, on another day, indeed
in another season, we motored clear of
the Suffolk Yacht Harbour on the Orwell
bound around the coast for the Wallet
Spitway and the River Crouch. It was
chilly with the eastern sky showing only
the earliest signs of the coming dawn
and the wind sending searching fi ngers
through our warm clothing.

A cold and gusty morning
Out in the river the sails were set and we
headed smartly downstream on a reach,
the engine silenced and sleeping. On the
approach to Harwich harbour we found
a few holes in the wind, but slid through
them to meet a gust on the further edge.
It always seems that the wind funnels
through the harbour area, often giving
a real boost to its strength and not
always a welcome one at that. And so it
was that morning. The sun was up and
looking cheery, but the wind was playing
around the dockyard cranes and sending
waves skittering across the water in all
different directions. As each gust struck
us I wondered if perhaps we should put
a reef in before getting out into open
water, but as each passed and the wind
dropped away we needed full sail, so
I left everything alone.
Beyond the harbour entrance, as we
stood out towards Pye End and the
Medusa Channel, the day was bright and
cheery, the wind fresh and we surged
along at hull speed, the helmsman not
labouring, but holding tightly to the
tiller. It was going to be a fast passage.
Two great but different days following
exquisite dawn starts. Do I seek out such
early beginnings? No, but nor do I shy
away from them, even in summer. In
the short, dark days of winter, it’s easier
to fi nd these magical dawn moments. If
you sail year-round, they are essential to
making the most of your time afl oat. W

ALL PHOTOS: COLIN JARMAN

There's nothing like heading seawards with the bowsprit pointing to the dawn and open water

Hunter Legend

Dulcibella sails up the

River Colne past

Bateman’s Tower

north of Brightlingsea