I know these articles are all about the sailing, but this is a slightly different view of the well-known and very popular East Coast summer cruise. This year I volunteered myself to be the OGA Summer Cruise Road Crew. I have a campervan with tow bar and soon found I had a spreadsheet of jobs to do around the East Coast rivers.
The cruise week started on 18 July with the East Coast Race. This was the race for which the ‘lean, mean racing machine’ aka ‘Dirty Girty’ was designed. First task was to get her to West Mersea, a slightly tense operation as the lighting board fell off a couple of times. However, the boat was successfully delivered and handed over to the launching crew. The Race has a large number of trophies and these were collected on the way for delivery to the prize-giving location.
Post race ‘Dirty Girty’ was loaded onto her very large trailer which was too big to go in the dinghy or car park. A local Old Gaffer offered her driveway for overnight storage, local enquiries were made as to where she lived and ‘Girty’ was deposited on the driveway. Later, the Yacht Club received an irate phone call from someone who had come home to find access to their house was blocked by a large boat. Apparently the Old Gaffer had recently moved house in the same road. ‘Girty’ was duly moved to the correct driveway, before being towed back to her home in Manningtree on Sunday morning.
The cruise proper started in Brightlingsea on Sunday 19 July. After returning ‘Girty’ my task was to source the barrel of Maldon Gold beer and ensure it was safely located on the Heritage Pontoon. The beer formed the focal point of the evening’s food; combined starters provided by all the crews prior to the ‘Safari Supper’ when everyone has their main and desserts on different boats rafted along the pontoon. I spent the night locked in the dinghy park, before moving to Titchmarsh on Monday, via Manningtree to drop off the empty barrel and pick up barbecue racks, fuel and food parcels as requested by a few crews. These were for the beach party with barbecue on Stone Point.
Tuesday’s task was to source another barrel of beer for an evening of socialising on the pontoon at Titchmarsh. The next day I headed to Waldringfield, of course via Manningtree, to drop off the empty beer barrel and used barbecue racks. On Thursday the crew of ‘Cygnet’ and I went into Woodbridge to see the replica of the longship from Sutton Hoo being built. I dropped them back at Waldringfield and collected the crew of ‘Sweet Return’. We headed to Felixstowe Ferry Sailing Club to join the Cruise Supper with all the crews who had sailed down from Waldringfield.
On Friday, I then headed back, yes, you have guessed it, to Manningtree to collect the Cruise trophies, to purchase a few bottles of wine for prizes, before heading to Southwold to meet the fleet again. Tonight was the end of week dinner at the Harbour Inn followed by prize giving hosted by Southwold Sailing Club. The Cruise was rounded off on Saturday with a tour of Adnams brewery, there were no offers of transport to and from this by me!!
This year’s East Coast Summer Cruise was again a great success, thanks to the hard work put in by the organisers. It does take a lot of effort to make these events work, so please give some thought as to how you could help with the running of an event, even if it is just helping to clear up at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed my week, I have been made very welcome in dinghy parks, sailing clubs and marinas. I have enjoyed seeing the strange looks on people’s faces when I tell them what I am doing but also making them realise I helped to facilitate their free beer.
John Roberts, Road Crew 2026
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