Some of the members of the Outdoor Adventure Club (where the sailing club is based) had a weekend to remember aboard the Xylonite Thames Barge. The Xylonite is slightly larger than the boats that we are used to sailing - it is 50 tons, 82ft long and has six large sails! We were not alone however - we were accompanied by Leslie Montague (head of the Outdoor Adventure Club) and Roger Mitchell (deputy headmaster of a local school). More importantly, we were accompanied by the skipper and mate of the barge, Richard and Charlie. We set sail from the River Blackwater at Maldon, and sailed along the coast through Mersea, St. Lawrence and Clacton. We all returned exhausted, but elated from the experience. Hard work was essential, with all of the tasks and chored being carried out by ourselves on a rota system - people even had to eat my cooking!! There was not much time for rest either, with us having to set sail at 3:30 am one morning in order to catch the tide. The more experienced sailors had the opportunity to helm the barge, handle large sails and practice man-over-board drills, and everybody had the opportunity to climb the mast and to relax infront of the barge on the netting. All the tasks were tackled with commitment, enthusiasm and ability. The skipper, Richard, was very impressed with the co-ordination and standard of handling such a large vessel and the possibility of us participating in a race was not dismissed
By Oliver Pattenden |