Shrimpy Reads “Sat Penny I Possessed
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Contents 1: Small Beginnings 1 13: Behind the Barrier Reef 93 19 August 1972–3 June 1973 20 April 1977–17 September 1977 2: Initiation 7 14: Gove 101 3 June 1973–23 November 1973 17 September 1977–10 June 1978 3: To Cross an Ocean 19 15: Indonesia – Land of Islands 107 23 November 1973–3 January 1974 10 June 1978–11 August 1978 4: In Steel Band Lands 25 16: Single-Handed Again 113 3 January 1974–1 July 1974 11 August 1978–3 January 1979 5: An Iris Blooms in Panama 33 17: Across the Indian Ocean 123 1 July 1974–15 August 1974 3 January 1979–25 March 1979 6: The South American Way 40 18: Batterings in the Red Sea 130 15 August 1974–24 December 1974 25 March 1979–15 May 1979 7: Galapagos Islands & Pacific Crossing 49 19: Shipwrecked 138 24 December 1974–18 February 1975 15 May 1979–14 July 1979 8: Nuku Hiva and Tahiti 59 20: Tourist-tarnished Greece 144 18 February 1975–23 October 1975 14 July 1979–1 August 1979 9: Captain in the Cooks 67 21: The First and Final Winter 150 23 October 1975–15 April 1976 1 August 1979–28 June 1980 10: Small Dots in the Deep 74 22: The Return 156 15 April 1976–31 July 1976 28 June 1980–7 August 1980 11: Up a River 79 Appendixes 162 31 July 1976–6 October 1976 Index i 12: Brisbane the Bountiful 86 6 October 1976–20 April 1977 1: Small Beginnings 1 19 August 1972–3 June 1973 1: Small Beginnings 19 August 1972–3 June 1973 The city of Cambridge is 100 kilometers from the sea but the doings of small boats, into the realisation that a little it does have a river, and it was here at the age of 12 that ship on the big sea was what I really wanted from life. I launched my very first boat, a second-hand canvas Now that I had a goal to aim for, I went to work with a canoe bought as a birthday present by my parents. I had will (well almost) at yet another unskilled, uninteresting endless hours of fun with this old canoe and, by the time but fund-providing job. During this time I read all I could I left school to join the Royal Marines, it had more get hold of in the way of books about small boats. After patches than canvas, but it had instilled in me a love of about six months of saving, I decided it was time for a boats that has remained ever since. short rest, so I bought a glassfibre canoe and put it and After I had finished my basic training with the myself on a train to Llangollen, Wales, and spent a glori- Marines, I chose to enter their Landing Craft Section ous week canoeing back to Cambridge through the rivers which involved being taught the handling of small craft and canals of England. Now I was getting impatient with as well as having duty on ships that visited such idyllic my savings and rather fed up with work – I had been places as the Seychelle Islands. Then for a while I turned hard at it for at least eight months – so with what money my back on the sea and roamed around America for a I had saved, I bought a small inland motor cruiser – with year and then to Europe for a time, but always returned visions of touring the canals of England and Europe. But to Cambridge penniless – having run out of visas, work this, however, was a compromise and deep down I knew permits and other red tape requirements. It was then it. Luckily I was able to sell the cruiser for a profit a few that the idea struck me – if I had a boat and no visa I months later and then, with £500 in my pocket, I started could just sail along to the next country! From there the looking for a yacht. idea blossomed, aided by the growing public interest in If you want to buy a good seaworthy second-hand yacht, Cambridge is not the best place to do it, so I had to 1: Small Beginnings 2 19 August 1972–3 June 1973 spend precious amounts of hard-gained money looking It was time for the black sheep to say goodbye to his around. Eventually I found her, and it was love at first family once again. My parents would much rather I was sight in a garage on Hayling Island. She was a ‘Caprice’ in a job with ‘prospects’, living in a nice mortgaged house class bilge keel Mark I built in marine play by C. E. with a wife, 2.3 kids and 1.6 cars, but I’m afraid that’s Clark Limited and, although ten years old, had been not for me. kept in superb condition by her owner – she cost every The first entry in the logbook for Shrimpy reads “Sat penny I possessed. 19th August 1100 hours – left moorings at Cambridge. I had my boat now but no money and winter was on its Course: down river”. We were off! way, so I had her transported to Cambridge, moored her The next morning we passed through Denver Lock into on the river and moved on board. It was back to work the tidal waters of the Wash and I was sure I could hear once more, but I could now spend the money as I earned Shrimpy give a sigh of relief as she touched salt water it on essential equipment for my little boat and life was again. At the port of King’s Lynn which is in the mouth good. of this river, I could erect the mast – having passed my At the time she was called Wee D’orch. “Well, that will last bridge for many a year. have to go,” I thought, no matter how much ill luck mar- It took me quite a while to figure out where all the iners attach to the changing of a ship’s name, and so I wires and ropes went, for never before had I set foot on a registered her at London as Super Shrimp – but, of yacht (let alone sailed one). Eventually, everything course, she is just plain ‘Shrimpy’ to her friends. seemed to be in its right place and I was ready for my Time was flying now and I was beginning to learn the first sail. truth of the saying that a ship is never 100% ready for The next port-of-call was Wells-next-the-Sea where, sea. So on 19 August 1972 I reckoned we were as near using the tides, I got two brand new coats of anti-fouling ready as we would ever be for sea trials, which was to on before horrible things could start chomping their way consist of a passage from the Wash to Falmouth, calling into my little boat. Then off we went down the Channel, at anywhere that took my fancy on the way. learning all we could about each other and stopping each night in a small port or a sheltered anchorage because I 1: Small Beginnings 3 19 August 1972–3 June 1973 dared not yet try to sail in darkness. After only one bad quay and I discovered that the Harbour Master was only incident where we had to limp into Cowes with a broken available at high tide, so I sat in the caravan-cum-cafe on tiller, we reached Falmouth safe and sound and penni- Penryn Quay to await his arrival. It was here that I met less on Friday, 22 September. My thoughts as I tied up to Roger (who was to become a great friend) and, while the Town Quay at Falmouth were firstly, to find a moor- chatting, I told him of my predicament. ing for the winter and, secondly, to find a job (yet again) “Well,” he said, “Sailors’ Creek is the place for you. It until the warm weather returned. I reported my arrival will cost nothing, and there are half a dozen of us living to the Harbour Master and asked if there were any moor- on boats there who will look after you. I’ll point out ings available for the winter. He thought this a great where it is from the quay here and I’ll be down this after- joke and told me they were booked solid for about five noon to make sure you’re OK.” years, but I could use the visitor’s buoy for £1 a day or The ‘Acton Luck’ had struck again (one of these days anchor in the open roads for nothing. When I asked him I’ll land on my head instead of my feet and wonder about the possibility of finding a job for the winter season what’s hit me). Needless to say, I took his advice and in Falmouth, he expressed great doubt and I think he sailed Shrimpy into Sailors’ Creek that afternoon and also doubted my sanity. He was, however, very helpful there we stayed until I left England. It was, and I hope and suggested I contact the Penryn Harbour Master still is, the ideal spot for a yacht which can take the about the possibility of a mud berth further up river. At ground (when I left, the powers-that-be were trying to this point we were interrupted by noisy shouting and get permission to put a concrete and plastic marina horn blowing – to discover that I had left Shrimpy tied to there).