Around the Dengie Peninsula - solo, in my 20' boat

On the Essex coast, I sail around the Dengie Peninsula in my 20' Norfolk Gypsy,
I sail out from Bradwell, head down alongside the Dengie Flats, over the Raysand, and up the Rivers Crouch and Roach to Paglesham Pool. Then I return with the tide early the next morning.
Whilst anchored for the night I also find a passage in a Joseph Conrad novel which describes one of the nearby creeks - an inlet which allows a boat to seemingly 'disappear' out of the River Thames.

[@dreamtimesv]

Superb. Great sailing, very good photography and excellent post production editing has produced a great video-story. I like your poetic turns of phrase and the book reading and associated video shot just perfect. Your boat sails admirably. Thanks for sharing.

[@tobygoessailing]

Very kind, glad you liked it. Thanks v much.

[@richardlagden8455]

Great report of your trip Toby. I’ve recently been re reading Maurice Griffith’s stories of the swatchways of that area, mentions of Colne Point and the Rays’n so it was interesting to see the landscape. Very different to the mostly deep water and one metre tides here in Tasmania!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Richard. Love those Maurice Griffith's stories. In one way the east coast is quite featureless, but I love the bleak openness of it. And I am conscious of constantly mentioning water depth! But then in these waters it's something you really have to watch out for.

[@jimnapier6885]

That was an excellent video. Please keep them coming. The passage from the book and your filming, takes you there.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much.

[@marlings]

Fabulous video 🙌🏻

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks, glad you liked it

[@ianrees3231]

i like this guy all nicely put,feel i know him tho we have never met

[@ianrees3231]

well done

[@HP-qj4gz]

Thank you for another captivating video and for taking us along with you.

[@tobygoessailing]

You're welcome!

[@jeremycohen4104]

Thank you for posting that, enjoyed it Personally I would give those sands a wide berth. In a conversation, five years back with the Crouch Harbour Coxwain we spoke about crossing the sands in practice we just got caught at the trip and grounded,so we had lunch and waited for the tide,we found the ground rough with rocks embedded in the sand (it was 100 m off which may be a racing buoy I believe called Ron Pipe ) The reason was heat mist until 11.00 am which slowed us it was the Sunday before August Bankhoilday Monday 2019 and I was supporting the new skipper of my last boat Snowgoose a 20 foot Colvic to Southend (we had to change the plan as we lost so much time on the sands hence heading into the Crouch as the safest option so she took the ground the seas was like a mill pond but as the tide started to roll in we got quite bumped about any sailing boat would have got punctured. We called the Coast Guard however clarified safe once off the bank then as you did starboard into the navigation the Snowgoose still moors at Wakening Sailing Club at least last time I contacted its skipper last year.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks, glad you liked it. With crossing the Raysand, I like a (reasonable) challenge. Obviously it's all about timing the crossing and knowing the state of the tide. Though I wouldn't like to encounter any rocks...

[@thameswanderer]

Great video again, Toby. Brings back lots of happy memories for me. Keep up the exploration, gaining valuable experience as you go.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks!

[@essexrowleys]

A smashing video Toby. I followed your progress on my charts making it more interesting and instructive. I think this is another trip in which I'll follow in your wake at some point.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Steven. It was a nice balance between easy sailing & a few new challenges, so a good one.

[@JohnSmith-sk1mn]

Enjoyable. Thanks 👍

[@john3Lee]

Very enjoyable - Thank you.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks John.

[@alricmarchand2877]

love the rythm of your videos, very calming. thank you for sharing.

[@tobygoessailing]

Glad to hear it, thanks.

[@joewilliams5396]

I really enjoy and look forward to your videos. Thanks.

[@tobygoessailing]

Very kind, thanks Joe.

[@SmallTraditionalSailingBoats]

Fabulous!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks!

[@andypennybrown6848]

Nice one! Very enjoyable to watch, keep them coming, thanks for the vlog

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much

[@chrisstockman904]

Well done Toby, really enjoyed that. Totally agree about exploring by boat. Cheers.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Chris.

[@polderfischer8565]

Seems like a very nice tour! Thanks for taking us with you.

[@tobygoessailing]

It was! Thanks.

[@WoodyOTW]

I really enjoyed the film Toby, some stunning scenery and images of our lovely local waters, Thank you for sharing.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Woody. Yes, being in the creeks whilst the sun's going down is something really special.

[@SuperDonald64]

Beautiful little boat

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. Yes, she's very nice.

[@paulhanse1651]

Great video, having been introduced to sailing at West Mersea in my parents Sea Ranger aged 3 in 1958, I love retracing my sailing trips through your videos. A small tip when motoring into the wind, put a preventer onto your boom and it stops the alarming banging and crashing which only exaggerates the sea state. But a lovely to see man and boat in harmony

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks very much. And that’s a helpful tip, I’ll do that next time.

[@rsb62rsb]

Splendid film, and an interesting sail. Also interesting info re the Conrad novel. ⛵️👍🏾😀

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much. As a sailor in the merchant marine (before he became a novelist) Conrad clearly knew the area around the Thames.

[@Morningvicar]

Great Video. I must make it over to the East coast sometime.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks!

[@nevilleholmes1324]

I once owned a CC Shrimper. The gaff always staryed in the lazy jacks, unless I needed to get the sail down quickly! Wish I had a Gypse, wonderfull pace to the vid.

[@tobygoessailing]

Indeed! Thanks v much.

[@petersmyth6604]

Well done!..Looks like a perfect sail on a couple of perfect weather days.I know the river Roach and Paglesham very well having sailed out of Paglesham albeit in a dinghy!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Peter. Was my first time in the Crouch & Roach, but I'll definitely be back for more.

[@tizme6105]

That was a great video Toby. Greetings from a winters day in NZ.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much. Greetings from a warm day in England.

[@evewilkinson9653]

Love your video Toby. I love seeing the backwaters of Essex. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Eve. I love this area too.

[@evewilkinson9653]

Do you ever sail down the Stour?

[@tobygoessailing]

@@evewilkinson9653 Haven't done yet. This was only my second time out of the Blackwater. But I'd like to explore all the Essex and Suffolk rivers at some point.

[@PaulAnthonyDuttonUk]

Quite a romantic commentary. Your vid skills are evident too!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much, Paul.

[@raytheron]

Thank you for taking me along, as it were, Toby. Shamrock is a little beauty. You are a blessed man to be able to have these sailing adventures; I miss my own sailing days very, very much. Ever thought of exploring Hamford Water? I know it's a fair haul from your home marina, but from what I've heard and read it's worth exploring what is also known, I believe, as the Walton Backwaters. Any road, here's wishing you many happy hours of sailing and oodles of fun.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Ray. Yes, I definitely want to explore the Walton Backwaters & Hamford Water. As it's a day's trip to get there from my home marina (and the same back), I really need at least 3 consecutive days to have a proper look round. I'll try & sort that out.

[@stevecooney1361]

Just found your channel, absolutely loved this vlog. Have a narrowboat 56 ft. Wished I'd bought a small sail boat instead.

[@tobygoessailing]

Great, thanks. Sailing is a lot of fun!

[@alecmartin2661]

Really impressed by your trip , might well run it myself, i am in the marina across the river from you.......

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Alec. Yes, it was a very good couple of days.

[@sailinginlandseas4026]

Flying anchor set if able is a great way to end a sail. I'm not sure how your anchor is set up but I launch mine over the side making it a bit easier. I picked the technique up from How to Sail Oceans.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks, I'll look that up.

[@robertmcalone5517]

Just purchased my second Norfolk gypsy. Wonderful boats. I had a Spinnaker on my last gypsy, but did not use it. What number boat is yours my boat is called greengage. Fabulous videos.

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks, glad you like the videos. A spinnaker - that's interesting. Any reason you didn't use it? (I've never used one, ever, but interested in trying one day). Shamrock is no. 73, built in 1995 I've been told.

[@robertmcalone5517]

I did not have the crew to help .but I do race on a hawk 20 with spinnaker. So I might try it out on gypsy. I’ve got a spinnaker for the gypsy kept it when had the last one. I sail in Christchurch bay . Trips to Poole and Isle of Wight.. If you go to my KZbin you can see me sailing my old Norfolk gypsy. Unfortunately my videos not as well polished as yours.

[@tobygoessailing]

@@robertmcalone5517 Ah, I see. Yup, I took a look at your videos. Especially like the one where someone else is filming you - so we can see what the Gypsy looks like from the outside. Looks very cool.

[@jimevans9550]

Lovely job, Toby. Just one thing: I grew up in Hadleigh, Essex, and I always thought it was Pag as in bag Paglesham. Have I been wrong for the past 70 + ( plus quite a lot) years?

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks v much, Jim. Oh no! I’m sure you’re right. Apologies to Paglesham & all its inhabitants. (I grew up in Essex too, so I should know better).

[@jimevans9550]

@@tobygoessailing ok, mate! Hope to see you tackle Havengore sometime, I love those creeks and saltines. We have a few here on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and I now have a Welsford Sweet Pea to explore them.

[@thethirdageangler1384]

@@tobygoessailing Loved the video but while we are on pronunciation I have always known it as Dengee, with the g sounding as the letter name.

[@tobygoessailing]

@@thethirdageangler1384 This is getting more embarrassing by the minute. But thanks very much. I stand corrected. And apologies to all Dengie inhabitants too.

[@stuartsutherland7664]

Another cracking video! Do you wear a safety line when lifting the anchor with the engine on?

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks Stuart. Nope, I haven't worn a safety line yet. But I'll probably get one soon.

[@EasyTigerII]

Really nice video. I'm hoping to do similar sails in my 21ft boat once I get the hang of it. Out of interest, how heavy is your anchor and how much chain are you using?

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. It's a 20lb anchor. And there's 40m of rode, consisting of 6m of chain and 34m of rope. That's been fine so far - though I've only ever anchored in pretty calm conditions.

[@EasyTigerII]

@@tobygoessailing Thanks Toby, interesting as my boat came with a 12kg anchor and 10m of chain which I feel is excessive as it barely fits in the locker. Knowing you are happy to have a nights sleep on somewhat less sort of confirms my thoughts. I'm enjoying the videos - fair winds

[@tetleyk]

A very nice video of a great trip. Looks like you had a very good sail. The marked change in the colour of the water over the Ray'sn is always very dramatic and makes my heart thump a bit since I know that I'm sailing over shallow water. Was that last Friday (7th)? If so then I saw you heading out of the Blackwater. I'd set out at the top of the tide (03:45) and did a lot of paddling for 3 hours due to no wind. Then when it did pipe up it was in the wrong direction for my proposed trip so I went to Osea Island and Mundon Stone Point instead. I saw a tan sail leave Bradwell as I sailed past Radio Caroline and wondered if that was Shamrock. It was a great few days to be out sailing. I cheat a bit when anchoring. Before I get too close to the place I want to stop, I heave to, range a few meters of chain on deck and untie the anchor ready to go. Then I can sail up to the required spot round up, furl the headsails, go up the foredeck and lower the anchor over. If it is a bit lumpy then I take the anchor back to the cockpit making sure that the chain goes outside the shrouds. Then when I round up I can just drop it over without having to go to the foredeck until the main is down and stowed. It's also known as being lazy !!

[@tobygoessailing]

Thanks. Yup, I set off last Friday around 8.00am, so that must have been me. Hopefully we'll bump into each other one of these days! Thanks for the anchoring tips - v useful. It's definitely a shame to spoil the peace & quiet by sticking the engine on, but then again, with my limited experience I like to know I've got a bit of control if I need it. Anchoring under sail is another thing to practice when I have a moment.

[@tetleyk]

@@tobygoessailing By the way, are your charts up to date? The Yellow Ray Sand buoy has been moved just recently.

[@tobygoessailing]

@@tetleyk That's a good point. No! It says"corrected to November 2018". I'd better get a new one. In fact, I didn't mention it in the video, but I only came across 2 Raysand buoys. I thought I'd somehow missed the Raysand North & gone straight to the Raysand Middle. But now I've just seen the Crouch Harbour Notices to Mariners, which says that the Raysand Middle has been withdrawn and the two other Raysand buoys have been moved east. So there *are* only 2 buoys, and in different places - which explains my navigational confusion at that point.

[@tetleyk]

@@tobygoessailing You may find that the chart you have is the latest chart issued by Imray (looks like the Imray chart). Sailors are expected to keep their charts up to date by referencing the Notice to Mariners but that's a right hassle. I have to say that I tend only to look at the most recent NOTAMS for the area I'm going to be sailing in and then only if it's somewhere I haven't been for a while. I'm getting old and was always lazy !!

[@tobygoessailing]

@@tetleyk I've just looked up the Imray website, and it turns out there is a new version of the Blackwater/Crouch/Roach chart dated September 2022. So I'd better get that. I did know (theoretically) that I need to look at the Notices - just never occurred to me to actually do it! Your approach sounds sensible.

[@ianrees3231]

Get a stack pack so much easier

[@sailinginlandseas4026]

What is the jam fitting on your tiller end there? Looking for something similar and never know what to call it to search.

[@tobygoessailing]

You mean the yellow elasticated bungee cord? Usually called bungee cord. Also called shock cord. Usually comes with hooks each end, but you can also get rolls of it.

[@dennishaggerty463]

I think the fitting you are referring to is a ‘Tiller Tamer’ that a product name that would help your search. Though I noticed Toby was sensibly using an Autohelm when motoring into the wind and sorting out the sails in the River Roach. I find a simple tiller pilot like this essential when sailing singlehanded as you need to stay headed into the wind when raising and lowering the sails particularly if you have lazy jacks. Had a Tiller Tamer’ on my last boat. Ok in open water in fine weather, not so good in narrow Essex rivers with moored boats, buoys and mud banks to miss.

[@tobygoessailing]

@dennishaggerty463 is quite right - I also used a tiller pilot on a couple of occasions, when getting the sails down/up. It's a Raymarine ST1000. Visible in the background at 5:33 The cleat underneath the tiller is for a line that raises/lowers the rudder extension plate (gives me another foot or so of rudder depth, if I need it) - so nothing to do with locking the tiller.