Date & Time: Sunday 23rd August 2009.

Location : Pin Mill on the River Orwell in Suffolk. ( Grid Ref: TM 206 380 )

Places visited : Pin Mill and Alton Water reservoir.

Walk details : A morning ramble and an afternoon sail.

With : Cathy and Richard, our other daughter Jen, our grandsons Jack, Matthew, Sam and Alexander, Ann and the dogs, Saffie, Theo, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Beautifully sunny with the occasional cloud.

Day 1. Pin Mill and Sailing

Loweswatercam is on holiday for a few days and we find ourselves in Suffolk, visiting family.

It's Matthew's birthday and what better reason do we need to join Cathy, Richard and the grandsons for few days down at the coast.

Pin Mill (in the centre of the signboard) lies adjacent to the River Orwell which flows south east from Ipswich (at the top of the map) to the sea.

It is joined by the River Stour and together they provide safe harbour to the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe on the south eastern seaboard of East Anglia.

The courtyard and gardens adjacent to Cathy and Richard's house with a view through to the river.

The old Suffolk tiled roofs, four houses and the boatyard make up a quadrangle of picturesque housing down on the foreshore of Pin Mill.

On a fine morning like this there's no point in sitting inside so I take a stroll around the village.

This is the Pin Mill Sailing Club, overlooking the Orwell.

It's half tide and while the exposed banks of the Orwell are a little muddy, the main channel holds plenty of water.

Folk are out and about on their yachts on what is a beautiful Sunday morning.

Some forty miles north of the Thames Estuary, these waters are still home to many old preserved Thames Sailing Barges.

The boatyard and old Maltings.

Harry King's still maintains the tradition of boat building but their work now includes repairs and maintenance.

They turn their hand to both wood and fibreglass, sail and engine power is this modern leisure age.

A beautifully maintained classic sail boat in the repair yard.	A more modern but still vintage commercial motor sailer out on the moorings.

Names are fascinating and there's probably a story behind every one.

Even the mobile crane has been named . . . " Mr Lifter ". . . W.H. Audrey would have been proud.

A stranger on the shore . . . and ex-army amphibian . . .	. . . it would appear that it doubles as a floating crane.

Another classic Thames barge makes it's way up the Orwell towards Ipswich, taking advantage of the rising tide.

Fancy a trip ? . . . Several of these boats offer half day, day cruises and private hire.

Pin Mill is also famous for it's riverside pub, the Butt and Oyster.

Adnams Ales and fine food on offer . . . and you can moor up directly to the pub at high tides !

- - - o o o - - -

At lunchtime Richard took two of the boys and myself up to the nearby Alton Water reservoir

where we had the chance of a sail.

The reservoir has a sailing club with good storage and launch facilities, a cafe and a good atmosphere this sunny weekend.

First unload the equipment from the car and rig the sailboard.	Matthew and Sam walk the sail down to the water's edge.

A slightly gusty force three to four wind will provide good sailing today.

Sam and I then fetch the 420 dinghy out of the compound . . .	. . . and prepare that for the water too.

Matthew up and sailing already.

Developing a bit of speed . . .	. . . but dropping the rig in the water on a turn.

The freedom of the open water, the power of the wind carrying Matthew forward.

Others enjoy the lake too . . . the photo taken through a gap in some rather colourful sails.

The 420 dinghy out sailing with Richard and Sam on board.

Sam is big enough, and the Topper small enough to make a good combination today.

All change . . . the old man manages a ride in the Topper too.

I sail in from the left as Richard and Sam sail out of the picture to the right.

After lunch we were joined by Ann, Jenna, Cathy and Jack . . .

"And Me" . . . not forgetting Alexander !

- - - o o o - - -

Back home and time to celebrate Matthew birthday . . . now officially a teenager.

Time to open the cards, the biggest of which was from his other grandmother.

How big ? . . . hold your cursor over the photo to find out !

Mum and Dad's present . . . a brand new laptop bag . . . with a tiny bag of silica gel inside !

. . . but hidden in a separate present, a new laptop.

Thirteen candles, on a cake expertly made by his brother Jack.

I hope he's around on my birthday !

The official " cutting of the cake " ceremony as Jenna (our daughter and Matthew's aunt) looks on.

Concentration . . .	. . . anticipation !

Pass the serviette . . . too late !

. . . and so to bed . . .

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with Ann's Cannon 75 or my Cannon G7 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . Jack's recipe . . . and his cake making skills.

Go to Top - Go to page 1 2 3 4 - Go to Next - Go to Home Page

Previous walk - Thurs 20th August 2009 Holme Force after the rain

A previous time here - 4th to 6th April 2006 A family visit to Pin Mill in 2006

Next walk - Day 2 - Sunrise and Shotley Gate

© RmH.2009 # Email me here # or leave me a Guest Book Entry