Walton Backwaters

Charm (1922 Albert Strange yawl)

There were thunderstorms and squalls overnight but this morning we woke to a complete calm.  Today there was informal racing from Wrabness to Walton but several boats, including us, thought the wind too light to make racing worthwhile and started out under motor. The wind did however pick up as the morning went on. The pictures show some of the leading boats.

Minstrel

We got to Walton Backwaters by early afternoon and anchored at the top of a creek surrounded on all sides by vast amounts of soft mud. We swam and rowed around in the dinghy.  The crew swam ashore for the mud immersion treatment which is supposed to be good for the skin.

Bona (1903 Harwich Bawley) catching up Letty May

The Walton Backwaters were the setting for Arthur Ransome's book 'Secret Water' and seem to have changed little in the 70 odd years since that was written. Although the giant container cranes at the port of Felixstowe can be seen over the marshes this is still a wild, remote, and largely unspoilt area of mudflats, winding creeks and abundant birdlife.

Attentive readers of this blog may notice that the pace has perhaps changed a little recently: we no longer seem to be making frequent long journeys between distant ports. Although our circumnavigation of Britain is almost complete we are taking part in the easygoing East Coast OGA Jubilee cruise and plan then to sail on to Cowes for what promises to be a very large party on 17th and 18th August.