Smooth Sailing
With the Wivenhoe, Fingringhoe and Rowhedge Ferry now sailing for the summer season, I thought that it was about time that @AnnaJCowen and I explored the Dark Side across the banks of the Colne.
An aborted mountain bike scramble across the Rowhedge Lagoons during those dark, depressing estuary winter days didn’t exactly endear us to that other lot across the Colne. My mountain bike met its match; I met a great big stinking fresh cowpat, which was amazingly the only organic substance that hadn’t frozen solid.
There is something much more civilised though to messing about on the water. For a town that has a history and heritage based around boats, sailing along the estuary provided a lost link to the old and new.
Ever respectful of the river tide, there is roughly a three and a half hour window of opportunity to flirt between Fingringhoe and Rowhedge. With friends staying for the weekend, we chose the Rowhedge route for our first sail. I don’t think I could have kept a straight face explaining that we were off to Fingringhoe.
Running approximately every half hour, it is this relaxed way of working that is the appeal of the Wivenhoe Ferry. Dashing to make the 9:23 out of Wivenhoe Station once a week does my head in. Travel is all about the enjoyment of the journey, and not about a means to an end in reaching your destination.
And so with a half of lager shandy in my hand from the Rose and Crown, we waited by the Ferry boathouse. Our fellow passengers were a young family and a charming dog. Transporting animals and bicycles is at the discretion of the Skipper. You’ll probably be fine with a hound, but I wouldn’t push your luck with a horse.
With the Ferry Man paid (and a bloody ear worm of Chris De Burgh) a single fare of £1.50 was a bargain price for exploring somewhere so close, yet so far away. I made sure that a return leg was possible - spending the evening stranded in Rowhedge wasn’t on the sea faring radar.
We passed a couple of eager young canoeists during our crossing, as well as a tired and emotional crew on a craft that was doing its best Oxford University Boat Race sinking impression. The good Captain was swigging from a bottle of red, and toking on a fag end. If yer gonna go down, best do it in style, fella.
And then just under ten minutes later, we landed.
What now? Bugger off back to Wivenhoe?
Um… Nope. A swift pint in the The Anchor soon became something of an early evening session. This is truly a delightful local pub - a charming landlord, a well-kept beer cellar and the most pleasing of toilets this side of, oh, Fingringhoe up the road.
Fast becoming tired and emotional ourselves, you can see how the booze has the effect of some rather boastful boyhood behaviour from some folk around these parts. Bugger that - a quick consultation with the brilliant Ferry Timetable programme, and our return sail was soon waiting.
Chin chin.
The programme to accompany the 2011 season of sailing has been lovingly put together by the small group of volunteers that so kindly keep the service running. It is worthy of a blog post alone, such is the quality of the beautiful content and ideas based around sailing along the banks of the Colne.
Poems about the river and woods, a short story from David Williams and the usual exceptionally high stand of local bird illustrations from Richard Allen, Wivenhoe’s bird watch supreme. Historical maps sit beautifully with the as ever striking linocuts from James Dodds.
The Chairman’s Note looks ahead to the 2012 season - the 20th anniversary of the restoration of the Wivenhoe Ferry. Funding remains an issue as ever. Special thanks is given to Mr Mayor for kindly offering his support through the Mayor’s Charity Fund, as well as generous support front the Wivenhoe Regatta Committee and RBS. Local businesses advertise in the programme, proving that the benefits of the local economy working closely with local service providers.
Having made the brief journey over to the Dark Side, we soon found ourselves back in The Station, purely as part of a scientific experiment to compare and contrast the booze from both sides of the Colne.
New possibilities have now been opened up to us - the Rowhedge Strawberry Fayre in the Village Hall on the 9th July, anyone?
Anchor’s up. Bottom’s up.
Chin chin.
