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12 Sep
You owe Mark a beer...
...especially if you hadn't noticed the sunken cockle boat near Mark Number 2. Here's Mark Emptage's tale a a good deed well done.
The sunken cocklers boat has lain full of mud and sand for several months. It has caused some damage to daggers and rudders due to the chunky starboard gunwhale standing proud of the sand. When submerged by the tide it was just waiting to snag any unwary racer that unwittingly sailed too close. Today I dug it out! Initially I thought it would be impossible and I would have to smash it up to make it safe. I took several shovels of smelly slimey muck out only to see the standing water from the surrounding sand rush over the port gunwhale to replace anything that was removed. Little point in taking all the sand out if it was going to fill up with water. The boat was stuck fast in the sand and there was insufficient freeboard to stand even the slightest chance of floating it off with the incoming tide. (Assuming that it would be possible to get all the sand and mud out). I estimated about 2 to 3 tons of wet sand filling the hull. I mused the problem a while and contemplated employing the axe that I had brought with me, then I remembered reading a bit about irrigation from the book 'Pompii' and a plan began to hatch. I dug a large sump several yards away from the sunken hull about 2 cubic metres in volume. Then in true seaside fashion dug a shallow channel to run the water away from the boat. I could then dig out the sand without the void flooding. It took the best part of 2 hours but I was spurned on by the thought of the incoming tide, a pre arranged rendesvous with my team mate to fettle Wildcat (that I would be wise not to miss), and a 12 hour nightshift looming ahead. The hull was finally empty, I had a big pile of smelly spoil but the boat was still firmly stuck in the sand canted madly over to port. It was too far out for the club tractor to reach even with a long rope. I hefted my bulk against it to see if it would move but with the suction of the wet mud it was still stuck fast. The hull was intact I mused again, then I had another cunning plan (2 in one day)! I deepend the channel from the sump and allowed the water to trickle back in to slowly filter around the hull. There was 10 minutes of gentle gurgling but amazingly the water almost imperceptibly at first finally lifted the boat loose of the hole enough for the subsequent incoming tide to float the carcass off. Still full of self congratulation and smelling like something halfway between a wet dog and the creature from the swamp I headed back up to the club triumphantly and only 45 minutes late in meeting my team mate. We can all rest assured secure in the knowledge that we have one less threat to our dagger boards. I just felt the job had to be done, I now have an impressive set of digging blisters.
Mark Emptage
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